Thursday 19 March 2015

Thursday 19/03/2015 - Bathampton AA/ Veals - Silvers Championship - Bridge Pool

Arriving at the draw it was a bit nippy with that nasty easterly wind still biting at us. However, it didn’t take too long for it to warm up, we even seen some late sunshine.

In to the draw bag and out comes peg 21 – again – third time I have drawn the peg if stand-in Glenn Bailey is included. However, Mike Jones decided to re-peg it which meant I had plenty of room. That said it was going to be a tough section with John Smith on 18, Dave Wride on 19 and Tony Rixon on 26.

I set up a 4x12 Jolly for over to the island, however, the margin was very steep at 4 foot so I didn’t have much confidence in catching - and although I tried it twice with double maggot over potted maggot I didn’t have a bite, so that’s the end of that. I also set up a Ronnie rig to fish down the inside shelf to my left. Again the Ronnie’s didn’t make a show, are they getting ready to spawn?

The main attack comprised two 4x16 Jollies one with an 808 - 18 hook for soft pellet and the other an 808 - 20 hook for everything else. For my pellet line I choose to fish at 10 metres at 10 o clock. The other Jolly was set to a depth to fish at 11.5 metres just up the far shelf at 12 o clock.

Kindering some wetted micro and with semi hard on the hook I was soon catching Skimmers to 1lb. However, an hour or so into the match I was getting plagued by small skimmers driving me to near madness. I kept trying and was rewarded with the odd 1lb Skimmer, but it was hard work shipping in and out too often losing my pellet to the little blighters. I sensed there were plenty of pounders to be had but the little blighter getting to the bait first. For a moment I thought I had it sorted switching to maggot, but it didn’t take long before I was missing bites again. Time to try over at 11.5 metres with maggot over GB laced with the same. I had some more pounders before the Ronnie’s joined in the fun. The upshot was I had a bad last hour catching just a few small Skimmers and Ronnie’s.

I weighed 17lb 5oz for a section fourth and seventh overall. Luckily my pair’s partner Dave Bacon caught some Bream from peg 1 winning his section and coming second overall – well done matey.

The match was won by Dave Wride (pictured right with some of his catch) from peg 19 with 43lb 10oz. Dave gave us all lesson in soft pellet fishing.

I have to mention matey Dave Gillard who drew peg 33. Dave was aware that a Heron was sat in a tree above next peg 34 for most of the match watching his elastic coming in and out. In the last hour Dave hooked 10oz Skimmer. Unbeknown to Dave the Heron had slipped in to the water and Dave found himself playing the Skimmer 10 foot in the air! His hook length soon parted and the Heron took his Skimmer over to the opposite island spending the rest of the match munching it. This cost Dave second place!!

Full Result:


  1. Dave Wride 43-10-0 peg 19
  2. Dave Bacon 26-06-0 peg 1
  3. Dave Gillard 26-0-0 peg 33
  4. John Smith 25-12-0 peg 18
  5. Tony Rixon 24-05-0 peg 26
  6. Ray “TincaTinca” Bazeley 18-02-0 peg 14
  7. Mike Nicholls 17-05-0 peg 21
Weigh Sheets:





















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