20/12/2018 - Bathampton AA - Over 55's Christmas Match - Bridge Pool

Me and the Special One had a great weekend down Brighton with son Mark and family, with so much bad weather around it looked like I choose the right weekend to miss the fishing. However, I was really looking forward to getting back out again. The last match of the year for the Coffin Dodgers is the Christmas match and we usually won't be back together until March. However, Dave Gillard is running a series of matches for club members during Jan, Feb up to the re-start in March 2019, details are on the BAA website.

Geoff Francis picked me up and as usual we had breakfast in Hungry Horaces, which was OK. On arrival I had a walk around the Lake. With all the recent rain I was expecting to see some colour washed in from the surrounding hills, alas not the water is getting clearer by the week. I did notice a few dead Carp, one 6 lb which had signs of being half eaten by Mink.

Into the draw bag where I was hoping to miss the pegs in the 30's and out comes peg 30! On arrival I had good company with Paul Barnfield on peg 31 and Enigma on peg 29. Enigma is a very inventive angler, and showed me his new (old) fishing umbrella which he had cut down from a full size one (upper pictured right). I was impressed as it just covered the important bits but still allowed fishing the waggler and pole, plus made netting fish easier. It was also more wind resistant.

Set the waggler up, a Ronnie rig and the main attack a 4x16 Winter to fish at 10 metres. I started by feeding some GB laced with some dead Pinkies on the Ronnie line and at 10 metres. Started long and soon caught a 6 oz Hybrid on a single LR. I then lost what I think was a small F1, followed by losing three 2 oz Ronnies. The Ronnies settled over GB and it was one a bung, but they were really small. So  tried to catch them short on the Ronnie rig. Unfortunately they preferred to stay well out, I did managed to catch a couple before picking up the waggler rod. I fired a few LR's out and with a single on the 18 hook I started to catch some slightly better Ronnies. which weren't falling off on the retrieve. The swim died for a while due to playing a foul hooked Carp which I pulled out of. Back on the pole and again it was a small Ronnie every put in. Back out on the waggler and I hooked what I thought was a decent Skimmer. I played it carefully to find I had a near 2 lb Perch. As I was netting it, it spewed up a 2 oz Ronnie which had been thoroughly chewed and had it's head missing - amazing. I don't know why but the waggler line died completely, which I spent too long on catching nothing (which was to cost me a higher placing). In my defence there probably another big Perch to be had! I spent the remainder of the match on the long line picking off small Ronnies on the drop. Absolutely no sign of a Skimmer.

I weighed 8 lb 6 oz for 5 th in the Silvers and only 1 lb 9 oz behind the Silvers winner!

The match was won by Paul Haines (pictured upper right with his Carp catch) with 31 lb 12 oz from peg 27. Paul swapped between the feeder and the pole fished at 16 metres.

The Silvers was won by Paul Barnfield (pictured right with the match winner and their Christmas booty) with 9 lb 14oz. Paul caught on maggot over GB fished at 13 metres.

Everyone showed their appreciation to Chris Rolfe for running the series and especially todays match. It's not an easy job.

It was back to the pub with the usual suspects where I again watched them downing Doombar whilst I drank squash. Well done to Geoff Francis for coming second overall.

Result:

1. Paul Haines 31-12-0 peg 27
2. Geoff Francis 17-04-0 peg 18
3. Dave Gillard 10-01-0 peg 28

Silvers:

1. Paul Barnfield 9-14-0 peg 31
2. Dave Poole 9-05-0 peg 14
3. Chris Rolfe 8-09-0 peg 6

Weigh Sheets: