Thursday, 6 February 2014

Thursday 06/02/2014 - Bathampton AA/Veals Silvers Championship - Round Three - Bridge Pool

The last match in the series we tried Withy Pool because of the continuous bloody water falling from the heavens causing Bridge Pool peg 9 platform to slip forward and causing bank slippage between pegs 13 and 14 (pictured right). However, until the rain has stopped and the banks dried out the works can’t sensibly start.

As we were promised rain all day (which was absolutely correct) there was plenty of gore-tex on display. However, some clothing fit well and others with a big upper body have issues with the leg length, as per the incognito angler pictured right – not so - as I think anyone who knows him will recognise him!

Only a couple of anglers not attending, with most having good excuse. Mike Jones decided to leave all pegs in, which was probably right for a league match, with only two pegs left in the bag.

What you don’t want to do is draw in the same section as your pair’s partner. In to the tiny draw bag with the big draw cards and after putting back a number stuck together I ended up on peg 30. Unfortunately for us, my partner drew peg 27 in the same section.

I had matey John Smith on peg 31 (first peg in the next section, I was the last peg in my section) and the bloody jinx Paul Barnfield on peg 29. I set up the one rig a 4x16 jolly to be fished at 1 o clock and 10 o clock (with 2 inches taken off) both swims with 10 metres of pole.

I fed the 10 o clock with caster and a few micros and the main attack with my Skimmer GB laced with pinkie. I started on double Pinkie and had immediate indications from the presence of fish. I then had 45 minutes catching three decent Skimmers and a couple of smaller versions. The swim died and for the next 3 hours or so I didn’t have a bite on any line or anything else I tried.

Things got so boring that I mentally calculated (apparently this sort of mental activity slows down dementia) that a Pinkie in wet weather can travel up to 0.3 mph. Incredible for such a small creature (if I got the sums right).

With 80 minutes of the match left I decided asked John Smith if I could borrow his waggler rod. He agreed. So after adjusting the various parameters I fed some caster to the opposite island and with single caster on the hook I had a bite second caste which I missed. I suspected Carp. Next cast I hooked an 8lb Carp which after getting accustomed to the ABU 604 reel again (back winding) I landed it. I must say John’s Normark Microlite mark 2 rod performed extremely well, anyone got one for sale)? John had already landed a 16lb 4oz Carp so wasn’t threatened by my first Carp. However, after I landed my third Carp John went a bit quiet!! Thanks John you’re a good egg. Sorry I tangled the lot on my last cast!!

My early Skimmers weighed 5lb 10oz for a section fourth. My thee Carp weighed in at 20lb 3oz for first in the accidental Carp. Can’t be more accidental than this – can it?

Luckily Chris Rolfe won our section so jointly we ended with 5 penalty points.

The match was won by Rich Coles (pictured right with the Accidental Carp winner) from peg 6 with 15lb 6oz. Rich caught one 5lb 6oz Bream on the pole after which his swim died so he switched to his Sigma Wand (remember them from the Gloucester Canal I still have on in my rod store) with a small feeder laced with Pinkie with double pinkie on the hook.

Full Result:

  1. Rich Coles 15-06-0 peg 6 (Incl: 5lb 6oz Bream)
  2. Mike Jones 13-03-0 peg 14
  3. Chris Rolfe 13-01-0 peg 27 (Incl: 5lb Bream)
  4. Mike Owens 9-11-0 peg 25 (Incl; 5lb 3oz Bream)
  5. Bob Price 8-12-0 peg 8
  6. Ray Bazeley 6-02-0 peg 24
 Accidental Carp:

  1. Mike Nicholls 20-03-0 peg 30
  2. John Smith 16-04-0 peg 31
Weigh Sheets:





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