Review of 2014

January: The year started for me, thinking Ivy House as Andy Lloyd had taken over the Fishery with his wife Karen (pictured right) who both put in lots of hard work to get it up and running, which included some serious restocking of Carp to 2lb. Bela and I decided to make regular trips through out the year because it was an easy drive plus there were rumours of plenty of Silvers (Bream, Skimmers and Ronnie’s). I soon learnt that you had to choose the pegs to fish for Silvers and which pegs to target Carp. Over the year I managed to pick up in 54% of the matches mostly with Silvers catches.

February: I fished the Viaduct winter league again for the Silverfox team. To say we had some bad draws is an understatement, well that’s the usual excuse used for finishing last in the league. As for me I felt as if I spent most of the league watching Lee Werret (pictured right) catch Carp from opposite pegs - on Campbell  - Lee peg 110 me 132 and Spring - Lee on 15 and me on 13 (unlucky for most who draw here). The team are currently looking forward to fishing the league again in 2015, but will have sadly lost the team we usually could beat Avon Angling.

March: The Bathampton/Veals Individual Silvers League was a reasonable success. I had some not so good draws but I felt I made the most of them spending most matches down in the thirties. I even managed to frame off of 32 which was pleasing. I think on the drive home, come win or lose, if you feel you got the most from the peg then you have had a good day out – that is not having that “If only doubt”. It was also satisfying to sneak in to the overall league frame. Mike Jones is considering changing the pegging for next year to avoid the bottom end pegs. It was also particularly pleasing to see Dave Gillard (pictured right with a match win with two stalwarts with joint “Accidental Carp” wins - Umm) have a few successful matches sitting out for one or two Bream.

April: Emerald Fishery was rediscovered this year. However, the first match was abandoned after the German Sheppard dog attack on a poor lad and his Granddad. It is something that I will never forget. We were soon back there with Avon Angling and Coffin Dodgers matches. It was on a dower, dark and wet April day during a Coffin Dodgers match where I drew a peg on Emerald Pool just over the bridge on the left, where I fished caster all match and became bored and fatigued up to the last hour catching 4 to 10oz Silvers when it dawned on me I might just be able cross off “To catch 100lb of Silvers” off my Bucket List. I did get close enough for me to do just that with 99lb 2oz –consisting of all true Silver fish i.e. no Carp of any description (weigh sheet pictured right), I did take into account that the match was disrupted with a phone call from Glenn Bailey and one piss. Mike Jones is running four matches in the New Year which is open to anyone that can fish on Thursdays – a few places left (hope pools fodder Paul Locke can make it). Contact Mike on 07776196040.


May: Chris Fox and Paul Faiers ran the KP Pole only series again at Acorn. I was lucky enough to get some decent draws, doing reasonably well picking up in 50% of the matches, winning one match (pictured right with the organiser and Silvers winner on the day) which was the highest weight of the series up to the last match only to lose out to young Lewis. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make the last match and got Dave Wride to stand in. He fished for Silvers so didn’t help the overall cause that said I did get my £25 pools money back from his Silver win – every cloud and all that. The Dark cloud is that Chris and Paul are not running it next year, shame.


June: Is a great month for me and fishing especially the week’s holiday down at Viaduct – already booked for 2015. I did lose a week due to family holiday which left me with some horrid Spanish virus. The rest of the month was getting battered by Carp on the flavour of the month hook bait - paste. At last Glenn Bailey managed to beat me at Acorn on the paste with me finish runner up to him (us pictured right). I understand I will be travelling to a lot more mid-week matches with Glenn in 2015! The Amalgamation Thursday series started with the first match at Sabre Lake – It felt like I was fishing in a oven, it was that hot. I finished second in the Silver pool to Doug Sutton. I didn’t know at the time that this would be the last match of the series for me.

July: Was a hot month which was good as I had planned to have the outside of the house completely refurbished by a great team of builders, roofers and renderers and all good anglers– Paul Haines, Bela Bakos and Rich Lacey (pictured right) – All come highly recommended. I didn’t do much fishing as when helping Bela I damaged my left shoulder and couldn’t drive far as it meant changing gear with my right hand (I have now switched to an automatic in case this happens again). So I cancelled the Amalgamation League. It was good that it happened when it did as many of the fisheries suffered from KHV – the hot weather probably contributing to these out breaks. Most of the fisheries managed it well. I am certain that closing a club fishery to keep nets for four years is not going to help with already struggling club membership. Because of this ban the Amalgamation are running their league at the Sedges Fishery Tile Lake and top Canal – All ready sold I understand.

August: Tony Rixon’s Float only series was again a sell out and success - mainly for him (pictured right winning at Viaduct). I had a reasonable series but had to miss one but my substitute Martin Lenaghan did well for me winning the match. I flunked on the last match on peg 95 it was my fault I could have done much better.

September: With a few matches under the belt at Ivy House I at last worked out the Silver fishing (well I hope I have). Picking up regularly in matches. However, the high light of the year for me was the match at Ivy House where I won the Silvers with 44lb 2oz and Bela won the overall match (our Selfie right). There was a few Pinky Ponks drank in Bar Gar-age afterwards.

October: With KHV all but over the Coffin Dodgers were back to Huntstrete. The attendances have been growing year on year and it was nice to see Jimmy Norris (pictured right) out on the bank this year after a 14 year lay off. I will always remember Jim catching 22lb of Bream on the K&A canal at Honeystreet with double Squatt hook bait, a bait that was to help me to a very success run on the K&A at Semmington/Three Magpies. It’s interesting that the Coffin Dodgers (over 55’s) match attendance is growing yet the open matches aren’t. Apparently the average age of the match angler is 55, so match match fishing in the UK in the present formatt to last only another 15-20 years?

November: It was sad news for many to hear that Avon Angling shop was to close. The end of an era (last days pictured right). The shop provided all sorts of products from social care, help the aged (Bob “Medium Sliced” Price spent up to 20 hours a week sat in the shop), Loans, café and citizen advice to name but a few. Oh, yes some fishing tackle. Thankfully Tony has found himself a job at Veals – just hope his new work mates got a sense of humour, I hope to keep in contact with the Gimp through the match scene. I was initially concerned about where I would get some decent casters. I need not have worried at Matt at Scott’s tackle – Soundwell Road has been sorting me out.

December: Definitely a lack of proper Christmas matches I like them to be run such that there are only prizes with a reduced pool payout. Typically as Mike Jones ran this year Coffin Dodger match (attendees pictured right). Not sure Andy at Ivy house got the payout right but Karen certainly made it up with her Christmas Roast after match dinner – 30 clean plates.

2014 - End of Year Summary:

	2014	2013	2012	2011	2010	2009
Total Number of Matches Fished	77	91	92	112	109	99
Total Number of Anglers fished the Matches	2214	2,553	2,869	3,463	2,551	2,701
Average Number of Anglers per Match	29	28	31	31	23	27
Number of Different Fisheries Fished	13	20	10	16	22	19
Total Carp Weight	2798lb	3249 lb 1oz	3,098lb 6oz	3,377lb 11oz	3,246lb 2oz	2,470lb 15oz
Total Silvers Weight	778lb	871lb 7oz	1,634lb 7oz	1,943lb	1,506lb 7oz	1,1601lb 3oz
Overall Weight	3576lb	4120 lb 8oz	4,732lb 13oz	5,320lb 11oz	4,752lb 9oz	3,632lb 2oz
Highest Overall Weight	191lb 15oz	158lb 10oz	177lb 10oz	193lb 12oz	201lb 10oz	210lb 14oz
Highest Silvers Weight	99lb 15oz	34lb 11oz	58lb 11oz	54lb	44lb 10oz	44lb 7oz
Heaviest Carp	22lb	19lb 10oz	17lb 2oz	19lb 12oz	18lb 10oz	18lb 14oz
Average Weight per Match	46	45lb 4oz	51lb 7oz	47lb 8oz	43lb 9oz	36lb 11oz
Number of Times in top 6 Overall	27	45	48	58	54	43
Number of Times in top 3 Silvers	19	25	38	42	40	45
Number of Times won Both	4	2	4	4	6	6
Number of Pick-ups	36	50	62	68	67	59
Strike Rate	0	55%	67%	61%	61%	60%
DNW	0	0	0	0	0	2
Blanks	0	0	0	1	1	1
Peg Fees	£411	£450	£474	£645
Pools Entry	£1,125	£1,250	£1,382	£1,730
Travel Costs	£365	£430	£455	£550
Bait Costs (excludes bulk pellet)	£202	£189	£267	£257
Capital Expenditure (spread over 3 years eg. £500/3)	£150	£170	£205	£167
Total Cost	£2,253	£2,489	£2,783	£3,349