Silverfox Match Angling: Thursday 03/11/2017 - Bathampton AA - Over 55's and Disabled - Hunstrete

Friday, 3 November 2017

Thursday 03/11/2017 - Bathampton AA - Over 55's and Disabled - Hunstrete - Bridge Pool

The first stop with Geoff Francis has to be a full English which was devoured in the Queens Head Keynsham.

First match for a long time that Carp would count in our matches, which brought matey Terry Bruton out, which was good to see. He hasn’t lost his drawing arm pulling peg 10.

Into the draw bag and out comes peg 33, which meant I would be sat in the shade all day under dew dripping trees. In my opinion this peg is probably one of the worse pegs on the venue especially if the sun is reflecting the autumn colours onto the water. I was a bit surprised to find out later that pegs 17,19, 21,22,26 were left out any one I would have gladly swapped with. In fact there were three anglers spread over 10 pegs. I set up a 4x16 black top to fish a yellow top out at 10 metres once I could see it in amongst the trees (see picture left - good one for Spot the Float). A 4x 14 to fish 9 metres down my right as far out as I could into a tiny bit of white water and a 4x10 for the margin.

For company I had Pete Turner. I reckon I need only to fish next to him another four times and I will be able to run a brewery.

I started on the black top fishing Pinkie over GB and had a small Roach and a tiny Perch, after an hour not a sign of another fish. So while I waited for the sun to disappear I went in the margin with caster and caught a Small Chub, a decent Roach and Perch losing one decent Perch – as you do. That was it no further indications so having fed some micro out long and with the sun being clouded over I tried 4mm expander – nothing, double DR’s one Tiny Perch and that was it for the Silvers even though I kept trying all the swims in turn. It was now time for a banana walk mainly to try and warm up. The venue was fishing awful to say the least. Back to 33 and decided to stay in the margin with worm over caster to see if I could catch a Carp (or Perch). I did hook and land a 4lb Carp followed quickly by another that done me in the reads. The final fish of the day was a micro Perch.

My Silvers weighed 1lb 11oz and my one Common Carp 4lb 2oz for a not last weight of 5lb 13oz.

What do you get if a Swan wants to befriend an Irish Man - a right laugh - Harry Muir.

The match was won by Mike Jones (pictured upper right with his catch) with 46lb 15oz from peg 30. Mike caught on his favoured waggler fished four foot deep with maggot hook bait fished over maggot. Impressive weight on the day and well executed that’s why it was so difficult to beat him on the River.

The Silvers was won by Dave Willmott (pictured right) from fancied peg 11 with 18lb 2oz. Dave caught on caster over caster from his margins.

Back to the pub with the usual suspects (some pictured right) to round the day off reminiscing on the hay day of Bridge Pool and how badly the fishing has declined over the past five years. This Pool has been converted from an ochre colour to almost gin clear during this time. Shame, can it recover?