Similar team different name. We had previously been sponsored by Sensas (the best sponsorship a team could wish for) and for reasons I either don't know or wouldn't understand anyway we switched to Masterclass who were manufacturers of Grounds Baits and for some reason there was always copious amounts available to us.
I was fishing in a teams of four match at Durleigh Reservoir and had drawn on the far bank and found myself next to Gary Etheridge. As we know Gary is not adverse in accepting a freebee, so my skullduggery kicked in and gave Gary a couple of bags of Masterclass GB - all I had with me. The current form on our bank was to fish waggler over GB and maggot for small Skimmers and Roach. Of course I knew the GB was absolutely crap and I wouldn't be using it, preferring the Sensas GB's. Anyway Gary and I had a bit of a waggler-off. Of course Gary tried the GB which gave me the edge with me beating him in the section. After the weigh in Gary ask what the hell was in the GB as it smelled like cough mixture. I said all the Masterclass Ground Baits smelled like that and suggested he shouldn't use it. I think my team came fourth overall that day. So there's more than one way to use a GB to your advantage. A good test of GB's is if the Mice won't eat it the fish won't either. The GB became a laughing stock amongst our team.
A few minor changes to the team for this National with some some late changes with Dave Micklewright, Bob Shephard and Paul Whittaker filling in.
The Team:
84 teams of 12 - 1,008 anglers would line the banks of the Witham.
Team wise we drew peg 82 and I was given section H which was just down from Tattershall Bridge an a bend . Bathampton AA our local rivalry team had drawn peg 69, finding myself on the same coach as Derek Coles who had draw H 69. The coach stopped on the road running along the bank between our pegs as Derek walked one way I the other. I arrived at the peg (
pictured right with red dot) with the first thing I noticed was that judging from the condition of the bank the peg had been well fished as was most along the roadside. The road ran each way
as far as I could see which wasn't far as I was on the point of a bend. Set up the pole for Eels at 11.5 metres and the GB feeder. It wasn't long before I had my first 4 oz Eel which always settles the nerves on these big matches. I appeared to be doing ok around me, when a guy stopped behind me and asked how I was doing - no answer from me. He then went on to tell me he had caught two Bream form my peg the day before - great. After he left I fished the feeder with caster and Sensas Bream for a while catching only small Bootlaces. Finally gave this up choosing to go went back on the pole catching a few more better Eels. I felt I shouldn't have wasted time on the feeder, especially that late in the match, which cost a few team points I think.
I put 2 lb 12 oz on the scales for 50 points and a - could have done better.
The team did really well amassing 675 points for 12th overall. I reckon had we not had a team blank we could have got a in a medal position again - but that's fishing. Ian Spriggs did his usual winning his section. We beat a lot of good teams this day but more importantly we thrashed Bathampton AA.
This was to be our last National team match as very few fancied fishing the Stainforth and Keadby Canal planned for the following year.
The match was won by Rob Mitchell from peg D64 with a good weight of Bream of 52 lb 8 oz.
Scunthorpe and District won the team title.
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