Thursday 08/12/2011 - Bathampton AA Over 55's And Disabled - Bridge Pool

I was pleasantly surprised to find twenty plus Coffin Dodgers in attendance, especially after the weather warning given out – gale force winds and heavy rain later. I guess that we are all at the age where we would prefer spending our time doing the thing we all love with people of similar minds.

In to the draw box and out comes peg 4. It’s been a long time since I fished this peg. I went to the peg with mixed feelings as the wind would be horrendous along this section of the Lake. However, it is a peg you can fish short as the shelf is only at 5 metres. As I was setting up I could hear some creaking from the trees behind. Looking round there was three or four trees with some very large dead branches on them (pictured right). I was worried that if the wind got up I might get one on the head. I nearly went for a redraw but as I was now set up I carried on fishing, keeping an eye on the trees when the high gusts hit me – probably too late by then - allat my risk and not BAA's. Anyway I survived the full duration. And lucky enough Mike Jones timed the match to perfection; I was packed away before the deluge hit us.

This peg is probably one of the shallowest on the Lake. I set up the one rig, a 4x16 Jolly with 0.14 hook length with a 16 - 808. I decided to keep it simple and use the remaining GB from yesterday and dead reds on the hook. First put in, after feeding a walnut ball of GB I was amazed to hook and land a 1lb Skimmer – happy days. I re-fed another knub and had another Skimmer. The presentation was such that it was a question of laying on by riding the rig up the inside shelf to get some purchase. I decided to try a piece of worm with a dead red and surprise, surprise a 2 ½ lb Tinca Tinca in the net. The fishing then slowed, probably because of the commotion the Tench made in the swim. I later had a run of Skimmers to 2lb by feeding a knub of GB after every fish (or before the next fish – Mr Feltham).

As I hadn’t had a bite for an hour and heard through the bank side drums that Bill Ferris on peg 18 had caught a large Pike, so I went round with the camera and got the picture (right) of Bill’s PB Pike which weighed 23lb 8oz. Lucky enough a couple of guys from Eastern Europe came by and purchased it for £10 for their Christmas dinner. In my opinion predators of this size has no place in a Lake such as this.

Back to the peg. However, before I left, I fed a couple of whole pots of dead reds. I knew the tow was sure to be left to right (wind opposing), but hadn’t mange to pick it up because of the bloody wind. But on the two occasions the wind subsided I did I manage to “pick the trip” and had a Skimmer each time. My Silvers weighed in at 13lb 9oz, which I expected to be there or there abouts as the anglers I could see all struggled. As it happens this put me fifth overall and second in the Silvers. Those that beat me were those that had either sheltered swims or the wind off their backs.

The match was won by Dave Poole (pictured right) with three Carp plus some Silvers for 36lb 2oz from peg 21. Dave caught on either 4 or 6mm expander pellet fished over micro pellet. Dave fed about a pint of micro throughout the match.

The Silvers was won by Mike Jones with 16lb 4oz of Skimmers from peg 25 (wind off the back and peg 24 empty – again). Mike caught on red maggot fished over GB.

Full Result:

1.      Dave Poole 36-02-0 peg 21

2.      Terry Bruton 29-05-0 peg 11

3.      Mike Jones 27-09-0 peg 25

4.      Pete Greenslade 19-14-0 peg 14

5.      Mike Nicholls 13-09-0 peg 4

6.      Bill Ferris 7-10-0 peg 18

Top Silvers:

1.      Mike Jones 16-04-0 peg 25

2.      Mike Nicholls 13-09-0 peg 4

3.      Dave Poole 8-08-0 peg 21