Silverfox Match Angling: Thursday 23/06/2016 - Bathampton AA Over 55's and Disabled - Dave Crookes Fishery

Thursday, 23 June 2016

Thursday 23/06/2016 - Bathampton AA Over 55's and Disabled - Dave Crookes Fishery - Bridge Pool

Thought I would try the Coffin Dodgers at the Dave Crookes Fishery on Bridge Pool again to see how its fishing. It looks as if June is going to pass without giving us any blazing summer. Overcast but no rain today.

A reasonable turn out with 23 fishing with a few new faces – Hubert Evans, Chris Ollis and Ken Morgan.

In to the draw bag and out comes peg 17. I had to stop and think for moment thinking I was at the back of the island on peg 22. Haven’t drawn this peg for a few years, it has always been a reasonable peg for both Carp and Silvers so happy with this.

Arriving at the peg I found myself in a good company

sandwich with Ken Morgan (upper pictured right) on peg 16 and Chris Ollis (right lower) on peg 18.

Before the draw I asked around as to how the Silvers were being caught with the consensus being maggot as best bait with pellet not working so well. So the bait tray consisted of half pint of red maggot and half pint casters all to be fished over neat GB. The pellet stayed in the bag and was given to Chris Ollis later who was down Landsend next Sunday.

I set up the Ronnie rig for down the RH side for caster over caster. The LH side was ignored as an overhanging tree would hinder casting. The last rig a 4x16 Jolly with a blacken tip to fish at top-set plus one which took me 3 inches up the inside shelf in 7 foot of water and at top-set plus two. However, I wasn’t that confident on catching at the longer line because the few Carp that are left in the Pool were very active due to finishing spawning and were blowing on this line (see picture right). I fed both the short and long lines with neat GB, also started to loose feed caster on the Ronnie line. Starting on the close line with double red hook bait (would have preferred single but the maggot this week were more like Pinkies). I had bites straight away netting a few small Skimmers and Ronnie’s. It soon went iffy but didn’t go long as I thought I might hook a Carp, so after re-feeding both lines with neat GB I went on the Ronnie rig with single caster and caught a few Ronnie up to 8oz. I missed four times as many bites as I connected with. A few Perch to 4oz helped out by hanging their selves. The long line stopped fizzing so had a look over it with double red to no avail – nothing. So in on the shorter line had I had a run of five decent Skimmers. I thought I might catch shallow over the shorter line so started to loose feed maggot and using the Ronnie rig set a 30 inches deep I had a few more Skimmers and Ronnie’s, that was until I hooked and landed my first Carp. Few more Silvers followed until – yep – another Carp. I decided to give up on the shallow rig and by swapping between the long and short lines I managed to keep a variety of Silvers coming until the last 45 minutes when I hooked another Carp which I landed to the detriment of the Silvers as I only had one Perch and Skimmer afterwards.

I weighed 22lb 3oz for second overall. I must say I did enjoy the day especially the company.

The match was won by Steve Dawson with 26lb 9oz from peg 27. Steve explains how he caught in the short video below (double click to get full screen)