Thursday 23/05/2019 - Bathampton AA - Over 55's - Bridge Pool

Another nice breakfast with Geoff at Hungry Horaces. We arrived in plenty of time for a walk around Bridge Pool. Plenty of colour but was flat calm and bright so was expecting a hard day. I wasn't wrong. I fancied pegs 18, 21 and 24 today (Tony Rixon did ask which I fancied but for now obvious reason I didn't tell him), Stood on peg 21 which Geoff has drawn a few times and said he didn't fancy it because he hasn't caught over to the far island as of yet.

Numbers down to 16 again due to holidays. I left it late again with three pegs left 18, 24 and peg 1. So two of my fancied in there but I pull peg 1. No emotion because fishing this peg means I have now match fished every peg on Bridge Pool at least once. Geoff had drawn peg 21 (you can't write this stuff). His reaction was captured on camera pictured right.

Arrived at the peg to find I would be looking at Tony Rixon all day. I watched him standing on his peg wondering where his island was! He will have to fish like the rest of us today. Nonetheless he still set-up 16 metres - why - because he can. However, it was soon to be reduced when his 13 metre section broke in half!! He was then reduced to mumbling about peg 15 not being in!!

Peg 1 had plenty of end margin to have a go at. However, there wasn't any sign of Carp along the end. I did set up two margin rigs - a 0.2 gram paste rig and and a 4x10 Yoof to fish maggot both to fish in three different locations. I set up two Silvers rigs - The Ronnie and a 4x16 Winter Titan to fish at top-set plus three. The latter to fish 4mm expander over micro and the Ronnie maggot over GB. I fed the near margin paste line with hard 4's which I would keep handing feeding, some micro on the long line a a ball of GB on the Ronnie line. I started on the expander and got indications straight away from an F1 up in the water. However, first fish was a 2 oz fin perfect Skimmer. Unfortunately the were ragging the expander on the drop which was frustrating after a couple more of these and the F1 I was thinking the bigger fish wouldn't get a look in, so switched to the Ronnie rig with single maggot. This proved better as I had a couple of better Skimmers and a run of the newbie small Tench. After an hour the tiny Perch paid a visit. I didn't mind catching them as everyone was struggling - some bites. Time to try the margin and had one F1 in every one of the three locations I fished - one on double maggot - losing one in the reeds - two on paste losing two on the aerator. No sign of the bigger Carp until two went pass which I swung the double maggot rig at and to my surprised the lead fish took the bait but my strike wasn't right so just pricked it!

My Silvers weighed 12 lb 7 oz fro third in the Silvers with my four F1's the total was 16 lb 7 oz for 5th overall.

The match was won by Geoff Francis (yep) (pictured right with the Silvers winner) with 57 lb 11 oz from peg 21. Geoff caught most of his fish on banded 8 mm pellet plus a few on paste at 13 metres over to the island. Later he put the paste in his margin to add one and one small Carp.

The Silvers was won by Paul Barnfield (pictured right with his catch of Skimmers) with 21 lb 3 oz from peg 6. Paul caught mainly on chopped worm feed with worm on the hook. He did add a few on corn.

Well done to both on such a hard day.

It was back to the pub with the most of the usual suspects. Someone did comment how much quieter it was without "Cliff". I personally didn't find it that quiet.

Result:

1. Geoff Francis 57-11-0 peg 21
2. Paul Barnfield 45-12-0 peg 6
3. Paul Haines 40-08-0 peg 14

Silvers:

1. Paul Barnfield 21-03-0 peg 6
2. Ken Morgan 15-05-0 peg 24
3. Mike Nicholls 12-07-0 peg 1

Weigh Sheets: