There was no blog last week as I had a nice restful weekend, and as it happens I couldn't find a match to get my juices flowing this weekend and so it was another weekend spending quality time with my family. I have also been able to return to the gym and have managed to get in 10 times over the last 14 days, got a long way to go to get back to where I was prior to lockdown but I really enjoy going. Looking for a match next weekend, but again not sure what is on or where to go. Just a short blog today.
Back in 2001 I also had a break from fishing for a few weeks and my first match was on May 20th at Viaduct, I think it might have been the "Bristol Rovers v Bristol City" match but could be wrong. I was drawn on peg 18 on Spring Lake, a peg which has a long chuck to the island. I fished an 8gm scud waggler to cast as tight to the island as I could, using 4lb maxima direct to a 16. Using 3 red maggots as hook bait and fishing between 12 and 18 inches deep it was busy fishing as after the float being in 15 seconds you had to reel in and cast again. I never lost a fish all day and had 40lb 6oz which won my section.
A week later I was without a match and pleasure fished at Bridge Pool on Bathamptons water. I didn't record in my diary what peg I fished, but I fished up towards an island, down the shelf at bit fishing at 12.5m. I fed small amounts of gbait, with meat and corn mixed in, using a 16 to 0.14. I had 4 tench, 1 bream, 1 chub, 8 small carp and one carp of just over 10lb. It was a nice mixed fishery back then. The following week I was fishing an open at Viaduct on Match Lake. I fished peg 39 this time, and as was the method at the time, fished 6mm cubes of meat, feed with a few 4mm pellets. I caught on the pole at 13m but it was slow going, just 6 carp and 12lb of skimmers for a total of 32lb 15oz. However, this was enough to come second on the day, I'm sure that Graham Beevor won this match.
In June 2001 we had some hot weather up to 30C and my couple of outings were a complete waste of time and there were no matches on the team front until we got to Sunday 22nd July. We had a Superleague round on a Welsh venue, think it was called "Willows" it was a new place with a fair few lakes. We didn't know much about the venue, heard there were small skimmers in there, so I set up to fish a small gbait feeder with a 20 to 0.10 as the pole line was all over the place. It was a very difficult match for many, I plugged away with a small feeder and tiny amounts of feed to end up with 5lb 3oz. That was worth 9 points out of 12, unfortunately I didn't record how the team did, so probably average lol. The next round was on the K&A canal at Horton, we had a practice match where I chucked back about 1lb, and when I drew in what was a barren section knew it would be a tough match again. I fished the pole to start 1m off the far bank feeding odd little balls of black gbait with squatt in, once this died I had to fish tight to the far bank to get any bites with a pinkie or a squatt on the 24 hook. My princely sum of 1lb 10oz got me 10 points from 12.
Not a lot to say more about 2001 today, it was a tough year until the autumn / winter, but will save that for another time.
It won't be long now before the first Commercial House and then winter league matches, but I also have a week away planned with the lads in September. The usual week away at Viaduct in June was of course cancelled due to Covid, but with restrictions lifted and social distancing in place a number of us can get down there for the week. It means I will have to somehow find the time to get my gear sorted for commercials at a time when I would usually be fishing rivers. But to be very honest I am really looking forward to going, as I will know exactly where we are fishing, and have some well over due social distancing beers with lads.
Hopefully a blog about some fishing next Sunday!
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