Thursday 10/1-/2019 - Bathampton AA - Over 55's and Short Walks

With Geoff "Working" so no fry up. Arrived in time for a walk around. I must say the Lake looked dour with the only signs was of a few small Roach topping in pegs 17, 18,19 and 20. The far end pegs appeared to be devoid of fish. We were all taken aback when Orris arrived early in fact a whole 10 minutes.

I was fancying peg 17 today but as it happened I couldn't draw it because it was left out.

Nineteen fishing and no Tony Rixon who is still suffering from Brambleitus. In to the draw bag and out comes peg 30 AGAIN! Third time on the trot. I really wasn't looking forward to fishing it today because the water down this end of the Lake was much clearer than the other end and pegs 31 and 32 were in so not an end peg either. I felt for Barny and Jeff who had drawn these pegs as I didn't expect for them to catch much with the same expectation for myself. I wasn't far wrong.

I set up the usual paste rig to fish down the LH side and a 4x16 Winter Titan to fish at top-set plus two out in front over GB and maggot and top-set plus three to fish at 2 o'clock with 4 mm expander over micro. I fed all the lines and started on double DR's over the GB. I was soon rightly worried when the float just sat there for 15 minutes without a sign. I then had a 1 oz Skimmer. Another 15 minutes later a 3 lb Skimmer then one 12 oz before the line completely died - apparently. I tried the pellet line without any signs. It certainly was fishing hard. I kept trying the GB line but no encouragement from the float to stay on it. I tried the margin with the paste but I felt it wasn't going to happen not even the nibblers were in residence. So desperation set in and the waggler was erected. Decided to fish LR's over loose fed same. Had a couple of small Perch. I was expecting to catch some Ronnies but didn't have a sign of them. I did have a 12 oz Hybrid and another Skimmer. I then hooked a right lump which broke me in peg 29! The last fish on the waggler before sitting the rest of the match on the paste was an 8 oz F1. It took awhile before I caught a Carp of about 9 lb I then lost one that was clearly lightly hooked. I sat there for the last hour in hope of a couple more but as half expected it didn't happen. On hindsight I should have fished for some more Silvers as 8 lb got in the money! Hindsight is wonderful.

My Silvers weighed 6 lb and my Carp 10 lb 14 oz for a nowhere total of 16 lb 14 oz. As I expected pegs 31 and 32 which had good anglers on them DNW'd.

The match was won by John Cliff Smith (pictured below with the Silvers winners) with 57 lb 5 oz from Peg 10. John was helped by pegs 9 and 11 not being pegged catching on the Method over to the Bramble free island with pellet and later down his RH margin with corn over corn.

The Silvers was won by Steve Tanner with 20 lb 14 oz from peg 15 with Ken Morgan just behind him with 20 lb on peg 14. Ken was wrongly persuade to put back a 1 lb Skimmer because he hooked it whilst the all out whistle was in his mouth!! Both pictured below.

The drive to the pub was horrendous a farmer had left tons of mud on all the roads around Compton Dando. On the way I went in a sideways slide. Everyone's car was absolutely caked. Everyone driving behind me on the way home from the pub had to use there wipers as the mud was being flung off - my car pictured right.

Result:

1. John Smith 57-05-0 peg 10
2. Steve Dawson 35-14-0 peg 4
3. Pete Greenslade 31-08-0 peg 21

Silvers:

1. Steve Tanner 20-14-0 peg 15
2. Ken Morgan 20-0-0 peg 14
3. Chris Ollis 8-02-0 peg 28

Weigh Sheets: