Lower Avon Champs Bristol Avon Newbridge

 The title of this match could be changed to “bream bingo” as Shaun Townsend said to me when he asked if I was fishing. The end of season matches are more often than not the time when the bream have a feed, I’m sure it’s all about them feeding up before spawning. The clearer the river the bigger the weight generally as they shoal up. Well the Avon is gin clear so maybe a big weight would transpire, or maybe it would be rubbish! I’d received some Sonubaits clothes on Saturday and decided to wear some of it on the match, might be lucky lol.

I’d been nice and sensible the day before and was up bright and early for the draw. However, when I got to the draw I was at the back of the queue. Forty people fishing today. When I finally got to the draw bucket I asked Dean Harvey said all the flyers had gone, disappointed I dipped in, pulled out peg 7 which equaled permanent peg 16. One above my favourite peg at Newbridge peg 18, I saw that fellow blogger Ivan Currie had drawn that. Dean and match organisers Ben Rendall then asked me to draw their pegs. Dean got the trees but I got Ben peg 14 next to me.

I drove to the river and parked up, and as I carried my gear bit by bit to my peg I chatted to the other lads. Derek Coles told me he had fished my peg the week before and had 2 bream in the first hour then not a bite, and eventually couldn’t fish as there were so many boats on the water. Peg 20 had 120lb peg 18 1 bream that day. This made me think about my approach today and I decided to cast just short of the middle and keep the rod tip low, I only set up one rod. My 12ft Preston Supera with 0.15 powerline to a 14 N30 with a 25g open ended feeder. 

The match started at 10:30 and I began trying bread on the feeder. After 30 minutes I hadn’t had a bite, but I had seen Ivan land a bream below me. After 50 minutes Ben rang to say he had his first bream, I was still waiting for a bite. The armada of boats had yet to materialise and so I adjusted my rod tip to higher of the water. The next two casts I saw two small pulls on the tip that made me think liners. Just as the hour passed I had a proper bite on triple red maggot and there was a nice thump on the rod. Finally got my first bream, 3lb. Next cast and a few tiny plucks then nothing but when I reeled in the bait was gone, so took 6 inches off the hook length. About now Darren Gilman was skylining me 😉 and he brought me some luck as gradually I put a few more 3lb bream in the net and then a 6lb lump. I was getting odd little taps on my tip which was obviously liners, and had to sit tight and wait for a positive indication. From 11:30 to 12:30 I put 10 bream in my keepnet all on triple red maggots.

Bites continued for me and also Ivan, Ben was catching bream too but was 4 fish behind. Walkers advised odd bream were coming out in certain areas but nothing like where I was. My third hour started well but slowed up, Darren had been replaced by Dave Micklewright (who had packed up as the trees was awful) and he saw me catch a few and both Ivan and myself put a second keepnet in. Ivan carried on catching whilst i suffered second net syndrome. I was getting obvious indications of bream still in the swim, but couldn’t get a proper bite, then I had a drop back bite and had a bream on but it felt fouled, and it was. I landed the fish which was hooked in the anal fin. I tried different hookbaits but to no avail and so put a bit of chopped worm in and put worm on the hook. I had a drop back, but no fish, next cast another bite and a nice bream.

I thought I had found the key, but after a few more casts with just little plucks all signs stopped. Sadly my last 90+ minutes were a complete non event as the bream decided to go elsewhere. I was sat watching Ivan continue to get bream right up to the whistle and Ben had managed to get the odd one including a last cast one. I was thinking I was gonna be chop shop sausage!!! I thought I had 17 or 18 bream, Ben about the same, Ivan had 32!

Chris “Gappy” Parr had packed up early and grabbed the scales to weigh us in. Ben first, and he had 85lb 8oz, which I was sure was a lot more than me. But once again I under estimated the size of some of the bream. My final tally was 91lb 9oz. The very last fish in the net was weighed alone and went 6lb 12oz, probably wasn’t the biggest either. Here’s a pic of one weigh.

Down to Ivan on peg 18 and I helped to pull his nets out, Andy Powell did the maths and tallied up 159lb 10oz. Wow a hug weight and his best ever, congrats Ivan. Well it was actually my best ever river weight too, and also my biggest next peg battering 😂😂.

One of Ivan’s nets.

Back at the Globe for the results, and I guess you might know the top three..

1st Ivan Currie 159 10oz

2nd Tim Ford 91lb 9oz

3rd Ben Rendall 85lb 8oz

4th Shane Robinson 43lb (peg below Ivan)

5th Paul Purchase 34lb 10z

6th Andy Britt 34lb

All the weights were bream. Not sure a single roach was caught. Only 2 anglers out of 15 down in the trees caught, with Dave Lewis top with 2lb 7oz.

Well that’s a nice way to probably end my river season, business travel will probably prevent me getting out again.  Bloody shame that the stupid close season still exists 😢.