Lack of fishing due to the inclement bitterly cold weather! I was supposed to fish the Lower Avon Teams of 4 last Sunday, but it was called off about 6:45am due to falling snow. Can’t say I was unhappy with that decision, really wasn’t looking forward to fishing the Avon at Newbridge on a day when temperatures were expected to not get above 0. With no plans for this Sunday and the even colder temperatures I decided it would be a stay at home day watching cricket, darts and a rather uneventful World Cup final lol!!
My view last Sunday.
Had to have a dig around for the diary, and am back to October 2003 when it was an ATWL round on the Avon at Keynsham, I got a nice peg though 16 at Swineford. It was waggler and feeder tactics looking for chub, but the river fished really tough and I only had 1 small chub on the wag along with dace and roach. 6lb 1oz surprisingly enough to win the section.
I went back to Swineford on the following weekend and pleasure fished in the first field, last peg. A different river today alive with small dace and bleak. I fished a waggler for 3 1/2 hours as I ran out of maggots at that point trying to feed the bleak off, had about 12lb of bleak dace and roach.
Sunday 19th October and ATWL again, this time at Newbridge, I was on peg 26. River was gin clear and might be a bit tricky. I balled it on the pole and never had a bite. Went onto a small chopped worm feeder looking for a perch or anything, no bites. Maggot feeder across and no bites! I was desperate not to blank and spotted a couple of minnows close in, so got a 3m whip out with a canal rig for where it was about 4 feet deep. I caught a couple of minnows to save the blank, and then got the odd small Gudgeon and perch. It was fishing so bad in my section it was worth catching these, any runners that came past I told I only had minnows. With about 40 minutes to got I broke the hook on the rig, before retrying I decided to try the pole line which I had not fed since balling. I took 10 roach from here to end the match. My weight was 4lb 1oz to comfortably win the section, a bit of a one off this day. Team won the day and were now winning the league.
I missed the Poppy match this year, and so was on ATWL duty again on November 16th. Swineford peg 29, mega walk but not so much gear to carry / push 20 years ago! I had a lovely day fishing a 6 no4 stick float catching roach, dace and perch feeding maggots and hemp. My 10lb 12oz was second in the section, beaten by an angler with a pike, but can’t remember who it was now.
Onto the Commercial House the following week and I drew at Fry’s, a stretch that could be very cruel at times. However, I was downstream end peg just below the culvert and it looked nice for fishing the long 20 foot rod with a crowquill. I started on a 20 and 0.10 and feeding maggot and hemp started getting the odd dace and roach. I then hooked a chub which wanted to get into the margin, I pulled so hard I thought it would snap me, but I netted it. The hook was straightened out and I was dead lucky. On went an 18 and 0.12, still getting odd small fish and 1 more chub. An hour to go and bites were gone so I stopped feeding hemp and blasted maggots. It worked and I landed 2 more chub in the last 30 minutes. I remember that Dave Clutterbuck weighed me in and he was very generous in his praise of my catch, 22lb 8oz. I was top at Fry’s and overall 3rd in the match, a payout of £210 good in those days.
My last match of November was ATWL on the K&A canal at Bath, I drew Bathampton bend where occasionally skimmers showed. It was a real struggle, nothing on bread and only bits on bloodworm. I’d been feeding casters into the open water and fished the waggler looking for the skimmers, they weren’t there. But I did catch 3 perch up to 1 1/2lb on it to save my bacon and weigh 5lb 4 1/2oz. I was 3rd in section, beaten by 1/2 oz and an angler with a pike! I remember who had this pike, it was Jeff Surmon. He could reach the far bank and fished the pole, the pike and some perch took his worms. I’ve had a few good next peg battles with Jeff, not easy to beat, but always a pleasure being next peg to the nicest man I know. We’re all behind Jeff as he battles prostate cancer, and I’m sure he will kick its ass.
I’m not going fishing now until after Christmas, the plan is to fish at Newbridge on the 27th, getting milder and some rain will make it better, unless we get too much rain, but fingers crossed we will have a go.
Today I dug up my parsnips and picked sprouts from my garden ready for Christmas dinner, the frosts will have added flavour. Can’t wait to taste them! If you like a red wine with your dinner, I’ve really enjoyed this one recently, got it from majestic wines.
Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas, although times are a bit tough let’s have a good time. Good health and happiness to you and your family.
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