Thursday 10/02/2022 - Ray's Rip Off - BAA - Huntsrete - Withy Pool

Drove past Bridge Pool, 50% less Sea Gulls and the colour looking better. However, I think it shouldn't be until the Spring before its open again for matches, testing it with the pleasure angler catches - or not first. I would like to think that BAA will publish the findings of the EA results of their investigations as to the causation.

Sixteen fishing today, so just about right for the pegging. I was hoping to be in the bowl. Into the draw bag and accidentally pulled two discs stuck together, both returned and in again and out comes peg 55, quite close to peg 54 which has previously thrown up some decent silvers  and was occupied by matey Chris Ollis, who is definitely suffering from "Barny Ear" - talking to myself for most of the match.

Both the shoulders and hands felt a bit better today but still decided to use the pole for plumbing and feeding only, so set up a 4x13 MR plumbed to 11.5 metres and top set plus three the line of the 4 metres whip. The whip was to be my initial attack followed by the waggler on the longer line. Fed three balls of laced up GB on the longer line and one ball on the whip line. 

It took a while to get my first Ronnie on the whip followed by three hours of steady fishing loose feeding casters over the GB. I had a couple of Skimmers losing one foul hooked of 2 1/2 lb, might had got it out on the pole! I topped up with another ball and tried the long line with the waggler which died very quickly after catching three small Ronnie's. Cast the waggler around over to the island and had three more Ronnie's. Back on the whip and a few more small Skimmers and decent Ronnie's. Fed again - now three balls and tried the MR rig over the short line and had a little run before going back on the whip to the end. Even though I tried caster all fish were caught on single LR's.

I reckon I had more than last match, thinking 15 lb +. As per usual after taking the keep net off the bar pulled it in some to pack away the box etc.... what I did't realise in doing so had torn the keep net - pictured. Come the weigh in I pull the net in to see the small Ronnie's escaping. I was left with only the fish above 3 oz. I weighed 12 lb 5 oz for 3rd overall - bugger definitely a match win gone - just one of those things we have to contend with - my first time though. Its not the fact of not winning that concerned me, but not knowing what I would have weighed.

With no Carp caught the match was won by Paul Barnfield (pictured with the runner ups) with all silvers catch of 14 lb 8 oz from peg 66. Paul caught on both waggler and 13 metes pole using caster and maggot hook baits over GB. Well done matey.

Once again the pool fished well with Roach to 1 lb caught.

Back to the pub with the usual suspects - nice and quiet - for a while.

Result:

1. Paul Barnfield 14-08-0 peg 66

2. Chris Rolfe 12-12-0 peg 46

3. Mike Nicholls 12-05-0 peg 55

4. Paul Clayton 11-05-0 peg 45

5. John Smith 7-12-0 peg 42

6. Dave Haines 7-09-0 peg 58

Weigh Sheets: