Thursday 27/08/2020 - Bathampton AA - Over 55's and Short Walks

After Tuesday match where the gale force winds ripped skin to today when the torrential rain turned skin wrinkly. We were told by the BBC to expected rain around 3 to 4 pm. Well in started at 10 am and finished at 4 pm. Predictions don't get any worse.

Had my usual walk around the fishery and spotted some remnants of the Tuesday's storm - a tree in the Main Lake - pictured. Bridge Pool looked very coloured again due to the effects of the winds. It looked as if it would be another difficult day's fishing. I didn't mind where I drew so long as it wasn't between pegs 30 and 6 which is about 30 % of the pegs, so 70 % would be acceptable - reasonable odds you'd think.

Dave Gillard shouted Tony Rixon peg 14 and I was hoping to hear him call me peg 15 a switch round form last match. However, I was called peg 31. Umm.

For company I had Pete Greenslade and once Pete Turner found out he wasn't on peg 13 arrived on peg 30. I think Pete's hair is muffling his ears. I was undecided on whether to target Silvers or Carp. On these pegs you have to get you head down on the Silvers all match to stand a chance of a pick up. However, I thought the best chance of a pick up would be to catch three to four decent Carp. There are just about enough obliging Carp this end. So I set up two paste rigs one top set plus one barrel and a top set to fish down wind (yes once again the small amount of wind was blowing in at me). I started long and as usually happens this end I had four quick Skimmers before it died. Tried the margin but I felt it was going to be a struggle. So I set up a Ronnie rig and fished caster and had a three small Tench, Perch and Ronnie's. I did lose a decent foul hooked Skimmer. Looking around our end of the Pool no one was catching. At his stage I should have set up a Skimmer rig and fished caster and GB but with the rain now torrential I stayed under the brolly and went back on the paste and at 3 pm I had an F1 lost 2 foul hooked big Carp landing one. All this in 15 minutes before it completely died. There was cheer our end when Dave called all out.

My Silvers weighed 8 lb 12 oz and my Carp 8 lb for a total of 16 lb 12 oz. The highest weight from our end pegs pegs 29 to 6 as predicted. On hindsight I should have changed to Silvers as I was only  2 lb out of a pick up.

Someone suggested that section payouts should be considered to make the bottom end more competitive.

The match was won by Paul Barnfield (pictured with the Silvers winner) with 76 lb 10 oz from peg 18. Paul caught long on worm over micro.

The Silvers was won by Tony "Bramble" Rixon with 27 lb 14 oz from peg 14. See his bog for the details - but would have included a shed load of casters.

Back to the pub with the usual suspects - best part of the day.

Result:

1. Paul Barnfield 76-10-0 peg 18

2. Ray Bazeley 46-09-0 peg 19

3. Mark Tanner 43-07-0 peg 7

4. Tony Rixon 42-06-0 peg 14

Silvers:

1. Tony Rixon 27-14-0 peg 14

2. Kevin Winstone 22-07-0 peg 27

3. Mark Tanner 15-02-0 peg 7

4. Hughie Evans 12-03-0 peg 21

Weigh Sheets: