Bathampton / Bristol & West Pairs

Round 5 of this friendly competition and it was back at Newbridge for this one. I had missed the first two rounds on here when a fair few bream have been caught so I was hoping to get on few! On my way to the draw I had just got on the ring road after picking up a McDonalds breakfast when I realised I’d forgotten my reels and feeders. Had to turn back and rang Dean Harvey to tell him I might be late. I arrived at the pumphouse a minute past 8am and the draw was underway. Rich Lacey and I were last to draw so it was fingers crossed we had something decent. Rich drew again and put me in A section and I got peg 3 which was behind the pumphouse, Rich got B9 which was peg 63 and meant he was definitely in the bream area. Our nearest challengers had also drawn well so it was going to be interesting!

I last drew this peg in the Poppy match when I had some nice chub, but they haven’t shown this season so far and neither have the chublets, but they are there for sure. Jerry Pocock helped me get my gear to the peg as the path is too dangerous here for a trolley. Jer was on peg 18 again and last time he had 30lb of bream on it. No surprise he was fishing for bream today.

I set up the trusty Preston Absolute platform to get me as far out as possible. Never bothered to set up a feeder here today, not used one yet in the league lol. A 4AAA waggler with 16 to 0.11 Powerline for chubbing was put up, and just two pole rigs; a 1g pencil float with 20 to 0.10 and a 1.5g with 16 to 0.12. With virtually no flow there was no need for heavy rigs, just had to hope that bleak would not mess it up.

The match was just about to start when a couple who live on the orange boat jumped in and swam / paddle boarded/ fell in. I thought it was probably not a good idea to start on the waggler….

Threw 12 balls of Sonubaits finest on the 11m line and shipped out with the heaviest rig, ran it through 5 times and no bites. Picked up the pencil float, ran it through 5 times without a bite but then had a roach. It was a slow start but gradually I was getting more bites on a maggot. All the while I was feeding maggots and casters on the waggler line. I reckon after an hour I had 3lb, roach, dace and one chublet. However, the waggler line was alive with swirling fish, not bleak but chublets, and I had to get on this as it was still cloudy and boats were not too bad. I had bites immediately, and within a few seconds of the bait hitting the water, chublets averaging 6oz but I did have a 2lb chub. I had a good hour on the waggler and even when a boat went through the chublets would come back. The great news was Rich had a good first two hours with about 7 bream and 3 skimmers, so we were looking good.

I had to stop fishing the wag for a bit when about 6 rowing boats lined up along the river. I had a few roach on the pole but not decent size so was soon back on the waggler. I took some more small chub and also had another 2lb+ fish and a couple of pounders. Then the sun started to come out and the boat people went for another swim and this was pretty much the end of the chublets. Luckily for me the pole line was now solid with roach that were well off the bottom taking the loosefeed. I had a nice last hour on this trying the wag a couple of times. When the match ended I knew I had a hell of a day and had been on a right aquarium lol.

Jerry weighed me in and I had totally underestimated what I had tipping all the fish on the scales and they bottomed out. We took the biggest fish out and then took more out, and after 3 attempts got 19lb 8oz, had to put the net back with no photo. The remaining fish went 10lb 6oz for a total of 29lb 14oz, we could get a picture of these my best fish. 

As it turned out Rich won the match with 38lb and I came second, Derek Coles had 21lb of bream from peg 59 in the bream area. Obviously me and Rich had a maximum of 20 points. But even so our challengers all did really well both Ivan “end peg” Currie / Dave Lewis, and Jerry / Nick had 16 points. Rich and I have an 8 point lead going into the last round, but as we saw today draw in the wrong areas and you’re in trouble, with some top anglers struggling for bites. But I had one of my favourite days on the river despite all the pitch invasions 😆😆😆

Here’s the section boards and the overall scores after round 5. Back on the river next week for the commercial house.

Bathampton / Bristol & West Pairs

Round 4 of this 6 match series, round 3 was last Sunday which I missed recovering from the National. Myself and Rich Lacey were now just one point behind Ivan Currie and Dave Lewis and so we wanted to make sure we had a good day today. This round was split with one section at the trees, Salford and one section at Swineford, that meant we had to be drawn by 7:30 so it was an early start, but I made it with lots of time to spare today! As usual, I left it to Rich to do the draw and he kindly pulled out Swineford for me, permanent peg 17, which was one below where I was the last match here when I won. Rich himself had drawn the end peg at the bottom of the trees which can be good for roach, But the top pegs in his section I felt would be hard to be as there’s more roach up there.                  

Gave a lift to Jerry Pocock who like me was at Swineford again. He and Nick Coles were on the same points as me and Rich, but I didn’t fancy Jerrys peg today.

One good thing about my peg is that for a large part of the day it would be in the shade. Some people call it the chub peg as over the years it has produced many chub, but definitely better from Autumn. Derek Coles had it last match and had 7lb of roach and tiny chublets.

I set up a crowquill today that was far too heavy for the depth but I wanted to get through the bleak, 14BB went on! A 16 and 0.12 fluorocarbon finished it off. A 4AAA waggler with 16 to 0.13 powerline, and a lead rod threaded up but not used.

I was set up way before the 10:30 start so had a wander around, I had Alan Mapston on 15 and Mike Weston on 19. End peg was Ivan Currie and we all fancied him to win the section from there as he’s on fire at the moment.

I began by throwing 6 balls of Sonubaits black roach and black river with some hemp and caster in it. Then I had an early look on the waggler which I was just about to give up on when I hooked a chub, but after 5 seconds it had shed the hook. Another 15 minutes of catching bleak / tiny chublets was enough and I had a go on the crowquill over the gbait line. Well it was just as bad here tiny bleak grabbing the hookbait, and when I did get below them the roach were minuscule. However, as I found last time you do need to try to keep going and the better fish should turn up.

Two hours gone I went for a walk as I only had about 2lb, around me most were saying 2 or 3lb so it was tough. By regularly feeding small balls of gbait I began to get less bleak and the roach were now a better stamp and I started to enjoy it. Not long after Jeff Surmon came along and sat behind me. Jeff should be fishing but he recently hurt himself in a fall and is recovering, but he’s on the mend. 

Jeff sat behind me at the time I was catching best so I think I entertained him lol, but seriously we had a good chat. I did start to have some pike problems and lost about 5 hook lengths, but after that the pike went. I carried on catching odd roach till the last 40 minutes when the flow slowed up, less bites and missing most of them! I was reluctant to try the waggler as every time I fired a pouch of maggots across the surface exploded with fish and they were still tiny. But I needed to do something and so I cast the crowquill across the river. The hook bait got to the bottom which surprised me, and then it went under. I had a 6oz chub, the next three casts produced identical fish, missed a couple of bites then had a roach and that was the all out.

My immediate thought was I should have tried that earlier, but it’s easy in hindsight. I reckoned I had double figures Jeff said 11lb.  I had a fair wait to find out my weight as Ivan had the scales and he had to mountaineer to get out the peg. Ivan had 14lb of roach and had done well, Mike above me struggled and had to move peg when a moored boat came loose and stuck in front of him, he had just under 5lb. My fish went 11lb 14oz, a lovely second half of the match, just missing a couple of chub.

 As it turned out I came third at Swineford beaten further upstream by two ounces, but luckily for me the angler was fishing it as an open, meaning I got 9 points out of 10. Here’s my board from Swineford.

No bream caught here today, hence why Dean Harvey came last I guess 🤣

Below is the board from the Trees, only 1 bream caught by Deans partner Derek Coles, but Derek only weighed 1 bream as everything else swam out of a hole in his net 🙈. Rich did well because as expected the other end of the section was much better for roach and Graham Hunt moaned on 15lb 8oz to win.

Results were back at the Swan, we were all glad of a cooling pint! I’d got the section money which Dean kindly paid me mostly in coins, 🙈🤣, but the bar staff were pleased to get them. You could tell the anglers who had caught a lot of small fish by the state of their clothes, Ali Gibbs one of messiest 😬

Dean tried to do a quick tot up of the overall points, but he forgot his abacus and didn’t get it right. I reckon Rich and me are in the lead, 4 points ahead of Ivan and Dave, with Jerry and Nick just a couple of points behind them, it’s still all to play for.

One thing I forgot to mention when I got my bait Saturday, I walked through the front door and dropped the bag of maggots which split. I shouted to Wendy to help but she took one look at the maggots and couldn’t help lol. I ended up getting them rounded up with a dustpan and brush, and Wendy did help by grabbing me a couple of bags. Fingers crossed I got them all 🙈😆

Well there’s no significant rain in the forecast and the river is going to be very low and slow or almost stopped soon. No fishing for me this weekend, up to Newbridge for round 5 the week after. 

Division 1 National Aire & Calder Canal / New Junction Canal

Some time ago a team was assembled from my Thatchers squad for the National. I didn’t know the venues but put my name forward if required, and I was needed as it turned out. I ended up being one of the five anglers who would be fishing the Aire & Calder, the other five on the new junction. These canals are near Goole and it is a 200 mile drive to get there for me, more for many of the team. It was decided to not practice and instead focus on not getting relegated lol.

I spent some time researching my venue and found a few good videos to give me some idea. It’s a wide shipping type canal with depths up to 14 feet. Skimmers, bream, roach and perch were the target species. The section draw was done in the week and I was drawn D section around Great Heck, but my 48 peg section was actually split into 3 separate parts of the canal so 6 end pegs and who knows how similar the fishing would be. I did a lot of prep and had my groundbait mixes decided on. 

Met up with the team and we had a great curry in a place called Howden (maybe they make the kitchens there lol). A relatively early night for me at midnight after a bit of refreshment.

The next morning I hoovered up the Premier Inn breakfast and was raring to go. Martin Barrett did the team draw and we were soon off to our pegs. I had to drop Rob Jones off to his section first as his van had broken down on the way up. It was a nightmare for Rob and we all felt for him. Got to my part of the canal and it was just a 10 peg part, most anglers were telling me it was not good.

Looking up the canal, the first peg was not far past the gate, I was a few more pegs down.

My peg, no features here just tins. Note the calm water which I knew was not going to last long.

I had been told the night before that the wind would make pole fishing impossible in places, so after getting my gear ready I put my tip rod up first. I cast a lead out and clipped up about 5m off the tins where I was happy with the depth. A cage feeder with 16 N20 and 0.11 powerline was my chosen tackle. Groundbait was Thatchers Green and F1 Green. By now the wind was really getting up, I got a couple of top sets and three more sections of pole out. Bit of a waste of time the pole as you will read.

We started at 11am, I fed some gbait on the pole and then cast the feeder out, rather than quick casts just feeding, I left the feeder in for 2 minutes. Second cast and I had a bite that banged the tip and dropped back, fish on. Felt like a skimmer as I reeled it in with no trouble, but about a third the way out it started fighting and banging on the rod. Got it under the rod tip and another bang and the hook pulled out. Oh dear I thought…. I’m guessing it might have been a hybrid but never saw it.

The next twenty minutes brought odd indications but then a 10oz skimmer settled the nerves. I had another smaller skimmer, but on the hour decided to get a quick look at the pole line, 1 bite 1 tiny perch. Back on the feeder and I had 3 skimmers in the second hour but then it died. 1 more perch on the pole was my last fish on that line.

The wind got worse, I really had to work hard to cast the feeder accurately. The wind was blowing all sorts of crap on the inside of the canal and it kept catching my line. All I had for the next 2 hours was a perch and a Ruffe. 

Going into the last hour I knew I had to sit on the feeder, there was always the chance a few skimmers would feed. At 3:15 I had one, then with 25 minutes to go I had three in three casts. All on red worms and the bites were not shy. Match over, 9 skimmers.

As is often the case the scales arrive quickly and had come from the far end peg who was leading with 3.29 kilo. My fish went 2.98 kilo and that was enough for second in my ten pegs as the other end peg was third. As you can see in the snapshot below it was tough in these 10 pegs.

I saw later that the first ten pegs were really tough and I beat all of them, but the middle 28 peg area was much better and 18 people there beat me, so I ended up with 20 penalty points. To be honest I was really happy with my result given the weights around me, and the lost fish probably cost me 5 points only. I had enjoyed battling the wind and trying to trick the skimmers.

Sadly the team didn’t have a good day, although many had some nice catches they weren’t in the best areas. We ended 30th and had avoided relegation.

Congratulations to Barnsley on another win, and also to DGL coming third beating many local teams.

I should have been fishing round three of the pairs at Newbridge today but had asked Shaun Townsend to cover for me. He and partner Rich Lacey both had a few bream and both were second in their respective sections, so we are in the top three at the moment. Round 4 next week.

Now time for some sleep 🤣🤣🤣

Bathampton Pairs

I missed the first match of this series which was at Newbridge, partner Rich Lacey and super sub Ben Rendall getting a few fish but missing bonus bream. Today’s match was split one section at the Trees at Saltford and one at Swineford, payout is done on this match as two separate matches effectively.

I watched the England match the night before but never had a drink so was totally sober to make sure I was able to get up and cope with the heat. A 7:30 draw time meant not loads of sleep, but still same for everyone who watched England win. Rich has always drawn and I let him do it again, we were last but one pair to draw. Rich put himself a few pegs below the arch at the trees, and me A7 at Swineford. I didn’t know what peg it was until I got to the bank. I helped Jerry Pocock by taking him to Swineford, he was downstream end peg and a fair walk in this heat below the gas pipe!

When I got to the peg I was on permanent 16, so one above where I pleasure fished last week, Derek Coles was on that peg. My peg needed a little bit of bank digging to get box level, but no trouble with casting here.

I set up the same bolo as last week with 18 to 0.12. A 4AAA waggler with 16 to 0.13. A 4m whip for bleak that were topping everywhere, and I did put a tip rod up but it never got used.

I was ready early but match started at 10:30 so had a little walk to see Derek below me, Jan Mazyk and Mike Weston above me.  Sun tan lotion applied and ready to go! I threw 7 balls of gbait (Sonubaits black river and black roach) with caster and hemp in downstream about 16m, not great flow here as better over in this peg. I fed the waggler with maggots and that erupted.

I tried the waggler for some early bomber chub and I did get two but it was bleak central. Onto the bolo and it was even worse than last week as the bleak were here big time! I was soon on the 4m whip trying to get some bleak, trouble was they were small and I missed a lot of bites as they couldn’t get a maggot in there mouth. Bolo was still bleak, waggler still bleak..

90 minutes in and I was frustrated that I couldn’t get bleak lined up on the whip and no dace or roach on my other lines. All I could do was plough on and try and feed the little buggers off! Eventually the bolo did calm down a bit, but the fish I caught below the bleak were not the size I had last week, maybe the heat had an impact? I heard a commotion below me and went to see Derek, he had a run in with a boater who decided to turn his boat around in front of Derek and nearly took his net out! Suffice to say words were exchanged by both!!! Derek was struggling to with the bleak but was getting the odd roach.

Going into the last two hours things improved as I lined a few roach up on the bolo, but then I heard Mike Weston had three bream so I thought I needed some chub. Onto the waggler and after a bit of thrashing my triple maggot hook bait started to avoid the bleak and I hooked a chub about 1lb and soon after had another. The last hour I was feeding two pouches of maggots to try to feed the little fish off, and by persevering with the wag I would eventually get a bomber chub in between the bleak. It was great to see a bend in the rod and other than one bumped fish I never lost one. Such a great end to the match after a frustrating first few hours.

My weight was recorded at 18lb 12oz and that was top weight at Swineford. Mike was second and Ivan Currie third off the outfall with a big perch, bream and bits. Weigh sheets below.

The Trees fished quite well with the top weights being made up of bream, well done Dean on the win! Rich had a good day getting a couple of bream and skimmers on the pole but nothing on the feeder.  A win for us on the day as a pair but Jerry Pocock and Nick Coles, and Ivan and Dave Lewis after a good first match are still doing well. 

I can’t fish the next match because I’m fishing the Div 1 National on the Aire and Calder canal near Leeds, so have drafted team mate Shaun Townsend as my sub, he should be able to moan a few on the hook 🤣

Back on the Avon

A free Sunday and an opportunity to get a few hours on the river pleasure fishing. Decided to go to Swineford and got my gear together and remembered everything including plenty of water. As I was pushing my trolley across the field I was still thinking about which peg to fish, the peg one below the Gas pipe was in my thoughts but I ruled it out as it was hard going pushing the trolley in the sun at 10:45! I passed a few anglers in the first field, and I kept going to old permanent peg 15. Took a look but went to 18 and it looked a bit easier to fish. 

I was only gonna set up one rod a 13ft Normark Titan 2000 with a 5g bolo with a 16 to 0.12 fluorocarbon.

I mixed up some Sonubaits Black River, Black Roach and a bit of brown crumb. The plan was add casters and hemp and a bit of corn, made 6 balls up and threw them in downstream about 18 metres out. Top ups would be small regular balls as I was sure loose feeding would bring in bleak. My first half dozen trots were ok with roach and dace, but then the bleak moved in. The bleak were a nightmare and even when I pushed all the bulk to the top of my hook length they were still grabbing my hookbait. Trying corn on the hook which was part of my plan, brought a few fish but as the day wore on it was no good.

Had a friend turn up and she enjoyed my gbait and loose feed lol.

I persevered with caster on the hook as every time I got a bait past the bleak I had a roach. I then hooked something rather large, it stayed low and steadily moved across the river, then a bit more purposefully. I could see my float was near the far side trees so stopped back winding and held on and the fish was gone. I assumed it had snapped me but the hook had pulled out, will never know what it was.

I carried on catching bleak and roach, but did have dace, a few perch and some Gudgeon which are always nice to see.  I caught up on a snag and decided to change to 0.11 Powerline and the fish kept coming. It was enjoyable and I stopped fishing at 4pm so had about 4 1/2 hours fishing. Felt like I had about 15lb, a few 6oz roach but mostly 2 to 3oz fish. Would have had a lot more probably if there were no bleak, as you can imagine a 5g bulk and a 9 inch hook length isn’t the most refined roach set up 🤣

My best effort of a catch shot.

As I was packing up I noticed this great big hook on the bank and a swivel, not sure what set up this is used for. 

Next Sunday it’s the second round of the pairs league, one angler at the trees at Saltford and one at Swineford.