This team match event has been kept going by some good thinking by some of the anglers on how to manage it with social distancing. It was reduced from teams of 8 to 4 to help teams with less anglers (s some don't or can't fish due to Covid risks). It also meant team captains pay the pools money by bank transfer to the league organiser (I myself paid my pools by bank transfer to Mark Harper), and the draw is published on Saturday evening. It is a bit strange having the knowledge of your peg the night before (those big money final anglers will know the feeling, how they sleep I don't know) and I was going to peg C16, this was one of an end peg at Parchey, should be a good peg in the section of 17.
Sunday morning and I drove straight to my section parking as there is of course no need for a gathering. The league rules stipulate nobody is to be on the bank before 9am, and no keepnets to go in the water until 10:45, with fishing 11 to 4. All very good and sensible, with scales and boards dropped off on pegs 1 and 2 (and we had a cradle for weighing).
I had to walk 33 pegs which was nice and I enjoyed saying hello to anglers as I walked up the bank. My neighbours for the day were Chris Rushton on the end peg, and Nathaniel Johnson who was fishing for one of the other Thatchers team. I should say that my team of four had Gary Webber, Andy Cranston and Andy Power, so I was in with some real quality anglers. My peg was easier to get in and fish than last weeks, with plenty of room for casting, and with a hedge opposite it gave me some nice cover.
The pads inside were a bit of a pain, but luckily Nathaniel lent me his cutter and I was able to cut a channel out with it which would be required to land any decent fish. Picture of Nat looking thoughtful, but more of this later on.
Getting set up, I set up just one rig for small fish at 6m, a 1gm rig for next to the lily pads for fishing worm and caster. A 1gm rig for fishing at 11m in about 11 feet of water, and a feeder rod for fishing across. I was all ready for the 11 start with about 4 minutes to spare. At 11 I began by casting some feeders full of worm, caster and gbait across to the far side to lay down a bed of feed. I then fed some balls at 11m, the w&c by the pads, and finally a few balls at 6m for my small fish line. By the time I picked up my small fish rig Nat and Chris were already catching small fish, so I was confident of a few bites. Ummm no, didn't get a single bite here in 15 minutes, well that was my mind made up already to fish for better fish, and I never picked the small fish rig up again.
I quickly tried the feeder in case an early bream was there, but 5 or 6 casts were uneventful. I tried by the pads, a couple of dinks and nothing happening, here, in fact never had a bite here all day. Just over an hour gone and I am blanking, great. Onto the 11m pole line, I started positive with double red maggot, the wind was horrendous but I was able to present a bait by putting some line on the bottom. I was pleased when the float went under, even a little surprised, and a 6oz hybrid got me going. Back out again and a little wait before a real nice slow bite, and something a little better fought back. It was a skimmer that might have been 2lb, and all of a sudden I was back in the hunt. Another little hybrid before things slowed, so I refed and wasted some time on the pads before quickly going out on the long pole again.
I had a small hybrid again on double maggot and missed what seemed to be tentative bites, I put a maggot and pinkie on and was rewarded after a short wait with another slow bite, this time I hit into a much better fish. I shipped back a couple of sections and played the fish away from the feed, but making sure I kept it away from the pads. It was heavy and deep, I was sure it had to be a bream and not a tench, my no 8 elastic was just about right for this it seemed. Eventually with the old ticker going a few beats faster I managed to slip the landing net under a 5lb bream. Now with 8lb in the net I thought that is big points, as last week there was only one double figure weight here (Andy Power on the end peg). I therefore stayed with positive fishing. About 20 minutes later I hooked another bream on the pole, but after a minute I realised it might be fouled and then before I could do anything it was in the pads and it came off. I pulled the rig out of the pads and there were 3 small scales on the hook. Inevitably this slowed things down on the pole and I had to rest it. Trying the feeder again and it was just not happening, not a touch.
Back on the pole and a 1lb skimmer and a hybrid, then nothing.... Rest it, come back 2 small hybrids then nothing... rest it, come back 2 hybrids then nothing!!! I think it was about 2 hours to go when I tried the feeder again, and this time on my first cast I had a bite and landed a 1 1/2lb skimmer. Next cast a twitch, bigger twitch and pull round, nothing. Next four casts the same getting obvious liners but nothing taking the hookbait. Then next cast a nice pull round and bream on, about 3lb this one. I must admit I thought I was going to empty it now with so many liners before, so you can imagine my shock when next cast the tip never moved, and it never did again for the rest of the match, fish swimming through the peg???
I managed to catch the odd small hybrid on the pole but just as earlier no more than 2 at a time. When the match finished I was happy, just the one lost fouled bream, and I think I made the right choices today by going positive due to being close to the end peg.
Mark Wippit Williams was on the scales and he started weighing from peg 17, Chris next to me had just under 8lb of small fish, but he did lose a big fish that he played for over 5 minutes. My fish went 16lb 10oz, and then Nat had 3lb 3oz having struggled after an an initial flurry of small fish. Nat then got chip shopped when Paul Purchase had 10lb 1oz ( a bream, couple of skimmers and a big eel).
Picture below of the section board, and I was very happy to win the 17 peg section, with Nigel Baker coming second with 14lb 4oz. A couple of anglers really struggled to catch, there were a few other anglers who managed a bream or two, and Sam Johnson had two tench.
At this stage I have no idea how my team did, but it doesn't sound great really as they all struggled. I think I might have come 4th overall, as I heard Mike Bernstein had 20lb of small fish on A2, with Lee Trivett having 18lb of small fish on A1, and there was another 18lb in that section. I expect they pay 3 overall, but hopefully the section money payout is good, but I don't know lol! Still after a few poor results it is nice to finally get something in the bag, a decent draw is definitely a must at this venue, some excellent anglers struggled today for a a couple of pounds. I'm here again next week, so need a bit of luck again.
Well done mucker!
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