It was back to one of Geoff Francis favourite venues –
Farleigh Woods. Although the Hungerford Arms was open for breakfast we choose
to eat at The Café under the Batch railway arches. Very relaxing place to eat
hearing trains pass overhead loaded with people rushing to work.
It appears that once you enter the gates of the fishery you
loose all sense of direction once again we went down a dead end, one we haven’t
been down before, if we had all the caravans had been mysteriously changed,
scary.
These matches are organised by Chris Ollis who had Fourteen
anglers booked in with thirteen arriving (is he still wandering around the
woods – we didn’t check). We had pegs 1 to 15 booked, so anticipated getting a
feature peg. Time for the draw, Chris has a well mannered draw method whereby
your invited to the draw – very civilised. I couldn’t believe that I drew peg
14 again. Three visits and have drawn 13 and now 14 twice so haven’t travelled
far around the fishery. Would have preferred to have fished a different peg,
but the peg is probably the best Silvers peg. However, it meant I would be in
the blazing sun all day.
Three pole parts – no 4 and two top sets. Two rigs – 4x12 F1
winter and a 0.3 Barnett paste float. Bait tray – wetted micros, 4mm expanders,
hard 4’s, my senile paste and course GB. I’m not sure what went wrong with the
expanders but within a few minutes they had turned to a mush. So I made up
three batches with varying amounts of pumping/water. None were that good. I
think it might be due to the hot weather.
I started as last time and for a couple of hours caught the
tiny Skimmers on 4mm paste like expanders over micro at top-set plus one. It
was soon apparent that I wasn’t going to get close to the 27lb of Skimmers I
had from the peg last time out. It was now time for the banana walk and to have
a spell out of the sun. It was fishing really hard for Silvers – as I expected
with the conditions. Clive Glisson (nine small carp) and Geoff Francis (four
better carp) were doing best. So back in the saddle and sun. The Silvers had
all but disappeared so tried adding some sections adding another 6 inches to
the depth. Not a bite. Hindsight was to tell me I messed around with this too
long. With an hour to go I went in the margin on the top-set where I had been
feeding GB. On went the senile and blow me I had a Carp first dob. I went on to
land six hard fighting Carp loosing four foulers.
My silvers weighed 11lb 7oz and my six Carp 34lb 6oz for
first in the Silvers and third overall. If only I had gone in the margin 15
minutes earlier I think I would have had a double top. Who knows?
The match was won by Clive Glisson (pictured right with the
Silvers winner) with 52lb 2oz from peg 7. Clive fished a method feeder 60
metres to the island with hair rigged 8mm pellet. It was nice to see him again
I use to fish with his dad John many years ago on the river. When I would see John
walking to his peg I always hoped he wasn’t in my section as he was very
difficult to beat.
Some new faces up from Somerset
today great to see them. This is a gem of a fishery with sensible close winning
weights and far from the madding crowd – or I hope it is.
Chris is running two more Thursday matches 08 and 15 June
contact him to book in, you don’t have to be a Coffin Dodger to fish - but it
helps.
Full Result:
- Clive Glisson 52-02-0 peg 7
- Geoff Francis 47-04-0 peg 9
- Mike Nicholls 45-13-0 peg 14
Top Silvers:
- Mike Nicholls 11-07-0 peg 14
- Chris Ollis 6-13-0 peg 13
- Pau Barnfield 3-14-0 peg 1
Weigh sheet!!
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