Saturday 01/07/1995 - National Angling Championship - Division One - Gloucester Canal - Team Bristol

This write up is more about memories rather than results as I don't have them.

In addition to fishing matches Andy Floyd and me had been regularly pleasure fishing the Canal. One such visit ended early when a swan frightened by a boat flew into Andy's pole snapping the number 5 section. Luckily he did retrieve the rest of the pole. No Swan was injured.

The next memory was a strange request from an unnamed angler whom had travelled with me. He was unpacking his kit outside his house when I was asked if I minded reversing over his pole which he had placed half in the road and half on the pavement. I finally obliged and on inspection found I had only managed to split the butt section! Drennan Team England if I remember correctly.

There were the usual big pre-national practice matches. On one such match I arrived at my peg (I cant remember where it was) and couldn't believe the state of the Canal in the area. Even though it was 14 foot deep It was covered in weed and gin clear. I didn't fancy it at all. I walked the section up stream finding the further I went the more colour and less weed I found, so a section win was out of the question. As I had given Andy a lift I decided to fish the peg. When I got back to the peg found on my right Tom Pickering, who I think just won £6,000 in Denmark and on my left Dave Thomas - two World Champions. After a chat I had soon put them in no doubt we wouldn't catch much - if anything. Fishing between the weeds I managed to catch two bootlace Eels before throwing the towel in and going off to find Andy. Dave Thomas had also packed up but Tom was still trying to catch more Bootlaces. Thankfully I don't think this section was to be put in the forthcoming National.

The team had been doing well in both matches and pleasure sessions, so had a strong team and thus all were looking forward to the National.

The Team:

On the day of the National as per usual I was handed my peg which I think was somewhere near Cambridge. Coaches weren't provided driving to our sections instead. Again team wise were were all left to fish our own match and I had been doing OK on Joker feed with Bloodworm/s hook bait. I fed the usual GB laced with Joker at 13 metres and fished either red maggot or Bloodworm or a combo of both on the hook. The lad to my right decided to fish the feeder all match at halfway he was blanking whilst I was regularly putting small fish in the net. He then caught a Bream and did say he was starting to worry he was going to blank. I had a feeder set up and had a chuck and whilst watching the motionless tip I realised that if there were any Bream in my peg I would catch them on the pole with what I was doing, however, in between would catch small fish thus adding to the team points. So the feeder was soon abandoned. The upshot was I did keep catching small fish - mainly Ruffe, alas no Bream. However, the lad next to me had I think five more Bream late on and I do believe he made it in the top 10 overall. I don't know what I weighed but believe I had good team points.

The team finished up a disappointing 32nd at least staying in the first division for the next years National on the River Witham.

Picture below of Glenn Bailey landing a Skimmer on his way to 4 lb 13 oz and 68 points.