Thursday 01/08/2019 - Bathampton AA - Over 55's and Short Walks

With Geoff today so breakfast essential at Hungry Horace's - excellent food. We arrived in plenty of time for a walk around and placement of the two sets of scales. Again the bottom end look devoid of fish and recommended that pegs below 31 and 4 only be used if numbers required it - they did!. My choice today would have been peg 4 plenty of fish here I think this was due to the shade for most of the day cast by the island, however, below here the sun is on the water for most of the day. Geoff wanted peg 21 but on the same peg as last match peg 17.

Twenty two fishing today so a good turn out. Last but one in the draw bag where we were to find the two end pegs at the far end - pegs 33 and 1. I pulled 1!!! I really thought I would struggle from this peg as would Ken opposite. I started to look for positives. There was some scum in the end bank indicating the wind had been blowing down this end at some time. Plus there were still signs of Carp on peg 4/3, would they some down to my peg?

The plan was to fish for Silvers for the first half and Carp the second. So setup the Ronnie rig for maggot over GB laced with maggot. Two paste floats - one for top-set plus three at full depth out on front, the other for around the margins. I decided to fish the margin to my left towards peg 2, the depth was perfect. The same rig with 4 inches removed did for the end bank margin. I started by feeding hard 4's to the right and out on the long paste line then GB and maggot over the Ronnie line. Started with single LR on the hook. I was expecting a small Silver straight away but this didn't happen so started to get concerned as those around me had started catching. After 15 minutes I had my first bite which was an angry Carp which snapped my hook length. I thought this the reason I wasn't catching Silvers. So out again with a new hook length and nothing until I hooked another Carp of 4 lb which I just managed to land. I thought this must be the last I would hook on this line so foolishly went in again and after another wait hooked another very angry Carp which snapped the rig above the float. Now the "Carp had bolted" I switched to the deep paste rig over the Ronnie line and caught nothing. So back on the Ronnie rig and started to catch a few Silvers including three decent Skimmers and a 2 lb Tench. After topping up I thought I would test the LH margin. First put in I had a 5 lb Carp, in again and lost the first of many foulers from this line. The Carp were coming to the feed but wouldn't settle, bow waving out as soon as they arrived. I think the water might have been a little too clear - who knows? The upshot was I abandoned the Silvers line and concentrated on a line on the end bank at top-set plus four with paste over hard 4's and hooked plenty but landed the few decent Carp and F1's. I started feeling things crawling over me and found an Ants nest had hatched out, they were everywhere (pictured upper right - plus one trashed paste float due to fouler recoil). I was glad to hear the all out.

I thought I had about 70 lb so when Geoff who was on the weigh board added up my weight to 79 lb I questioned it and in fact I had a total of 69 lb 10 oz. Good job Geoff's not in a job where getting numbers right is important. My weight was made up of 12 lb 4 oz of Silvers and  57 lb 6 oz of Carp. I was surprised to find I won the match.

The Silvers was won Paul Barnfield (pictured right with the match winner) with 24 lb 8 oz from peg 28. Paul caught on red maggot over micro.

Tony found my Ronnie float which on inspection had in fact broke in two places - the hook length and above the float - saved my £2.50. It was back to the Compton with the usual suspects and as The Special One was out Geoff and I had a meal which was very good - too much for me. Enjoyed sat in the garden watching Sparrows catching the clumsy flying ants in flight. End of another memorable day spent with a nice bunch of guys.

Result:

1. Mike Nicholls 69-10-0 peg 1
2. John Smith 63-14-0 peg 10
3. Paul Barnfield 43-07-0 peg 28

Silvers:

1. Paul Barnfield 24-08-0 peg 28
2. Tony Rixon 17-01-0 peg 29
3. Steve Dawson 15-12-0 peg 24

Weigh Sheet: