Thursday 07/06/2012 - Bathampton AA - Over 55's and Disabled - Bridge Pool

With gale force winds and torrential rain all day it was more fitting for late October. The twenty three anglers who turned up today deserved a medal and another for staying the distance. It seems as if the UK has moved from May to October in just three days.

Yet another change to the draw system, we are now using 10mm diameter washers with waterproof (hopefully) numbers written on them, again supplied by Ray Bazeley - sorry Rolls Royce. As they are the same size as a 5p coin it won’t belong before they find thier way into the Dodgers purses – what on earth was wrong with the card draw tickets we have been using for 40 years?

In to the £500 bank bag (Mike Joneses) and out comes peg 26. Very happy with this, that was until I arrived at the peg I found the wind and rain was coming into the peg at 1 o clock into my face – bugger. That said it’s a great Skimmer peg, with the odd Carp expected. Peg 26 has a really strange margin topography, however, I still set up a margin rig for meat as paste was a no-no due to the weather conditions – this rig had one outing resulting in one 4oz Hybrid. So the 4x18 Jolly was to do all the work today and because of the conditions it would be fished at 12 o clock and 9 o clock (down wind) both lines at 5 metres. The 9 o clock swim was fed for 3mm expander over micro and the 12 o clock swim CW&C. Having fed both is was out on the worm which after a ten minute wait resulted in a run of 1-1 ½ Skimmers, After re-feeding I tried the expander line and after missing three bites I hooked and landed a ½ oz Ronnie, persistence only produced another of the same so the line was abandoned. Back out on the Caster line and I managed to keep a few Skimmers going in the net despite the wind buggering the presentation. With two hours to go I hooked and landed a 12lb Common which straightened the hook a tad, so as one does I bent it back (Dad would have bollocked me for doing this). Next put in another Carp and another need to reform the hook. There were three reasons why the Carp had arrived - either the time of day or I had been over doing the caster feed, or a combo of both. I think I answered the question after re-feeding I foul hooked a Carp which luckily came free without breaking the hook. Next cast I lost a Carp due to the hook breaking – you were right again Dad – sorry. I did land another Carp before the end making it three – I think!!

I must admit I was glad to hear the whistle as the wind got up too much for any sort of presentation. My three Carp weighed 28lb and my all Skimmer net weighed 28lb – ditto - for a grand total of 56lb. This left me third overall and first in the Silvers.

The match was won by Terry Bruton from peg 33 landing nine Carp for a total of 69lb 2oz. Terry fished all match in both his margins using punched meat hook bait, fished over cubes of kinder potted meat. It took Terry two hours before catching his first Carp – fair play I say.

For the first time the photographer was beaten by the weather conditions.

Full Result:

1.      Terry Bruton 69-02-0 peg 33

2.      Martin Alexander 67-13-0 peg 18

3.      Mike Nicholls 56-0-0 peg 26

4.      Pete Phillips 46-06-0 peg 11

5.      Bob Tilley 42-0-0 peg 10

6.      Bob Price 35-07-0 peg 15

Top Silvers:

1.      Mike Nicholls 28-0-0 peg 26

2.      Dave bacon 18-02-0 peg 19

3.      Chris Rolfe 14-08-0 peg 14