Thursday 05/01/2012 - Bathampton AA Silvers Championship - Bridge Pool - Round 1

Today was the start of the BAA Silvers League which is open to all club members – no need to be decrepit to join. The high over night winds did in five of my fence panels. I made them safe before I left for fishing. I think others were worse off than me. The high gusting winds were forecast to continue throughout the day until 15:00. I must say I wasn’t looking forward to the match much, so I was amazed that we had only one no show from the sale out series of 24 – I was expecting more absentees. It was good to see some new faces and a couple of new club members – Mike Owens and Dave Wride.

Bridge pool does have some shelter from the surrounding hills but the weather was so bad, extra shelter was essential. I had a number of pegs in mind so was glad when I pulled peg 26 a peg near the top of my list. The wind would be off my back at least, plus it’s a peg you can catch short on, plus no bloody trees to worry about.

Off to the peg only to find a tree had fallen across the path to the top car park. It was a choice of a bit of jungle warfare or a long walk – I went through the jungle. I was glad I didn’t draw peg 4 where the trees were groaning the last time I drew it in high winds – how wrong can you be. I had matey Ray Bazeley on next peg 25; however, Ray had to put up with looking at my back for most of the match as peg 26 is out on stalk – or is 25 is set back.

It was two rigs – a 4x16 jolly to fish at 5 metres and a 4x12 for down the RH side in some calm and shallower water – the fish might have moved in to the shallows – not.

As it happens I spent all but three minutes on the 5 metre line. I started by feeding a small ball of my Skimmer GB mix and fished five week old “putrid” red maggot on the hook (well they were red at one time but had gone pale due to being in a plastic bag). You have to be very careful hooking these maggots as you can get a skirt of white liquid in the eye. It’s a little like hooking Bloodworm as it is easy to spill the inners leaving just a skin. I started reasonably well catching Skimmers to 1lb. The swim went quite so I re-fed and foul hooked a Carp up in the water which lasted on the hook two nanoseconds. Next put in I hooked a Mirror Carp which took a while to land on my light elastic. That was handy as there is an “Accidental” Carp pool of £2. The Skimmer reappeared and I kept a few coming on the putrid. I decided to feed some micro and maggot, loose, and I thought I had completely buggered the swim as it went dead. The brain was working overtime as to what had happened and wondered if the skimmers had preferred the micro over the maggot. In to the bait bag only to find I had left my expenders in the garage. So as a trial I hooked two micros and had a Skimmer first try. In again and I missed bite. I kept missing bites or the theses tiny pellets or they wouldn’t stay on the long enough – frustration. Luckily Ray Bazeley came to the rescue and gave me a few 4mm expander which I put in to soak. I was soon catching 6 to the Pound Skimmers one a put in, which lasted to the end of the match. My Silvers weighed in at 15lb 10oz for second overall and a section win. The lonely Carp weighed in at 10lb 13oz for first in the lucky Carp pool. Yes the lake went flat calm at 15:00 on the “all out”.

The match was won by Dave Wride (pictured right with the runner up - we always let the new comers win their first match) with 21lb 12oz from peg 4!! Dave caught initially on red maggot then later switched to white maggot, both fished over GB. Dave found single maggot the most productive.

Considering the conditions the lake fished very well indeed.

Full Result:

1.      Dave Wride 21-12-0 peg 4

2.      Mike Nicholls 15-10-0 peg 26

3.      Mike Jones 13-12-0 peg 11

4.      Paul Barnfield 12-15-0 peg 15

5.      John Smith 10-10-0 peg 21

6.      Alan Jones 10-06-0 peg 28

Accidental Carp Pool:

1.      Mike Nicholls 10-13-0 peg 26

2.      Chris Rolfe 9-08-0 peg 30