Thursday 06/12.2012 - Bathhampton AA - Over 55's and Disabled - Withy Pool

Arriving at Withy Pool I was surprised to see some of the Lake iced over, but after a stone test it was only thin Cat ice. Irrespective Mike Jones decided to peg only the ice free pegs of which there were twenty and nineteen hardy Anglers fishing.

 

In to the draw bag and out comes familiar peg 54 behind the island. As happened last September I was next to Bob Warren who likewise was on peg 53. All I could think of was that we would be out of the cold biting wind and might catch some small fish. However, peg 49 would have been my choice peg.

 

Setting up was simple 1x4x14 Jolly with a number 22 – 808 tied to 0.14 GLine. Because the water was so clear I blackened out my hook length with a waterproof felt tip (well for some reason we blacken out GB). I planned to fish the one line at 9 metres just down the inside shelf. On the whistle I fed a small ball of light GB with a few Pinkies in it. After a 15 minutes wait I had a 1oz Ronnie. I then had to wait until 13:00 for my next fish!! For some unexplainable reason I proceeded to catch 28 more small fish one a bung until 13:20 when for the rest of the match I was bite less – explanation?

 

I must say the peg was great for survival but not good for the fishing. I thought Bitterwell was bad yesterday but today was three times worse. I weighed 1lb 13oz for 8the overall – that’s how bad it fished.

 

Just before 13:00 Bob Warren who had been fishing the straight lead over to the opposite island with maggot an latched into a Carp. Bob played it very carefully; even so he had me worried a few times he might lose it (pictured below Left). The fished weighed 17lb 8oz (pictured below with a happy Bob) and his one bite and one fish was enough to win the match.

The Silvers was won by John Fry (pictured lower right with the overall winner) with 7lb 8oz from peg 49. John caught on the pole at 9 metres using Fluro Pinkie fished over neat GB.

Arriving back to the car Terry Church said my car alarm had been going off throughout he match. I thought he was nuts because I didn’t hear anything. In to the car to drive home and I found I had a Robin for company, both scaring the living daylights out of each other. I opened the doors for the Robin to escape which I thought it had. Half way home I had the scare of my life as the Robin was still in the car and flew at my face. I then opened all the car windows. Although I don’t have any evidence it must have flown out as a search on arriving home revealed nothing – I hope the poor thing got home OK and my alarm isn’t going off all night. I will have to clean the Robin Poo off the car seats tomorrow.

 

Full Result: (only one Carp caught)

 

1.      Bob Warren 17-08-0 peg 53

2.      John Fry 7-08-0 peg 49

3.      Bill Ferris 4-08-0 peg 43

4.      John Bradford 2-10-0 peg 68

5.      Mike Jones 2-09-0 peg 48

6.      John Smith 2-04-0 peg 41