06/02/2020 - Bathampton AA - Silvers Priority and Carp - Bridge Pool

Hungry Horaces was the first call for Geoff and me - excellent breakfast, really enjoy the food here. Arrived in time to queue 10 minutes for the electric gate to open. I had a quick look around the Lake noting the colour had remained the same as last match. The promise was for light winds and bright sun all day with seasonal temperatures. So a draw NOT in the shades pegs 29 - 34 would be welcome.

Nineteen fishing today so very close to the ideal maximum of 20.

Into the draw bag and out comes peg 16. Happy with this has it has plenty of form for Carp and Silvers albeit not recently with two DNW's in the last two matches. For company I had mate Glenn "Canal Rig" Bailey on peg 15. Because these two pegs are at 90 degrees to each other they are a pain in the ass to fish sensibly particularly on the pole without the odd clash. Anyway with the loan of Glenn's pole roller we sorted ourselves. The otherside was Junior on peg 18. Our section ran from Mike Jones peg 14 to Kevin Winston peg 19.

I got my wish to being in the sun, unfortunately the low sun was in my eyes and centering on the peg - blinding. I set up a 4x12 to fish off the opposite island set at 3 foot. This rig would also suit the inside down to the left so this was plumbed up and sighted to Juniors keepnet. The other rig was a 4x16 to fish at full depth.

I foolishly started out in front at top-set plus three barrels. Having fed a nube of GB with some Pinkies and double Pinkie on the hook I hooked a decent fish first put in - it came off. I then had a small Perch. I had been shielding the sun's reflection with my hand which was starting to ache, so gave up on this line and swung around to the right - down sun still at top-set plus three. Now fishing parallel with Glenn. Same feed and was soon playing a decent Skimmer. I kept a few coming with most being 2 oz but at least I was getting more bites than expected. I did have the occasional 1 lb Skimmer mixed in with the occasional small Ronnie. 

Jeff Grant (pictured upper right) opposite on peg 24 was struggling and decided to switched to dobbed bread two foot deep down his left hand margin. He was amazed (so were we) when he caught five Carp in five put-ins!!

The sun was starting to creep into vision so thought I would try the far bank rig with kindered micro and LR's. I had one fouled hooked F1 which came off, after a 10 minute wait with no other indications and where I wanted to fish now being sun free which was 10 0'clock to my left with one more barrel. Again nubes of GB and Pinkie topped up after every three fish I had a great last couple of hours catching Skimmers to 2 lb. Near the end they were really queued up which helped attract the one F1.

My Silvers weighed 20 lb which won both the section and overall Silvers, with my one F1 taking me to fourth overall. Really great days fishing considering it was bright and calm.

Our section overall was won by Kev Winston (pictured right) with 27 lb of F1's from peg 19. Kev caught on bits of worm over caster down his left upto the rope. Kevin would have won the match had he not got "boxed" a few times!!

The match was won by John Smith (pictured with the Silvers winner) with 35 lb 11 oz from peg 30. John caught two decent Carp on the waggler and maggot and taking 10 lb of Silvers on the pole.

A  great laugh back at the pub with the usual suspects. Another memorable day.

Result:

A Section:
1. John Fry 6-15-0 peg 10
2. Paul Clayton 12-11-0 peg 8

B Section:
1. Mike Nicholls 20-0-0 peg 16
2. Kevin Winstone 27-0-0 peg 19

C Section;
1. Paul Barnfield 5-07-0 peg 21
2. Hughie Evans 22-9-0 peg 27

D Section:
1. Dave Gillard 16-10-0 peg 33
2. John Smith 35-11-0 peg 30

Weigh Sheet: