Sunday morning woke up and it was 7:25! Checked my phone and I had set the alarm for 7am for every weekday doh! Well I had to get a move on, and instead of breakfast I grabbed a Ginsters pasty from my local shop. I text match organiser Dean Harvey to tell him I was on my way. I drove steady through Kelston and was glad I did as the car in front of my hit ice and skidded and despite my slowing down I had a nasty skid too but controlled it.
I was not too late for the draw as the pegs were being sorted. I had a few pegs I fancied drawing 18, 50, 52, 61, but most of all I wanted 59. I’ve never drawn 59 in my life and I had a feeling that there might be a few bream in this very deep peg. Rich Lacey who’s not had much luck lately with a few things drew 59, and I told him I fancied it. I drew peg 46 and I was really gutted as this is a narrow part of the river and not what I wanted. Got to the peg and as I thought I had to sit on top of the bank.
It was a beautiful sunny but frosty morning and I had lots of time to set up my one feeder rod with 0.15 to a 14. The angler on peg 42 was Jason Fearn and he had one rod set up too. We started at 10am and I had 6 quick casts on a 40g feeder then began with 3 red maggots on the hook. I started to get a couple of small fish bites and had 3 small roach. I then varied the hook bait with casters and worms and at 10:30 had a 14oz chub. I missed a couple more small fish bites and then all went quiet.
Tried to vary my hook bait and what I was putting through the feeder but no more bites were forthcoming. I had a visit from Darren Gilman and his wife and they told me Rich Lacey was the best at this stage with 4 bream but it was quiet for most on the bream front, but some anglers were getting regular bites from roach and chublets. Hmmm me and Jason were both struggling with Jason having 1 roach.
Another pair of visitors entertained me this mute swan and Canada goose, they enjoyed my bait even if the fish didn’t.
My match went from bad to worse, I just couldn’t get a bite and at 1pm I had not had any more fish and then managed to get the hook in my finger, Barb deep, ouch! After a few minutes of trying to get it out I realised that I was going to have to be tough and properly pull and push to get it out, success ouch ouch!!
Well I shan’t bore you anymore, cos I never had another bite and packed up 30 minutes before the end. Jason had managed 1 bream so fair play to him.
I got down to peg 20 where Derrick Cole’s had said he had a bream that might be 12lb. When he weighed in the bream went 9lb 7oz, still a big fish, but think Derrick has been taking lessons from Dean Harvey at estimating his fish weight 🤣🤣🤣
The winner today was Rich Lacey on peg 59, he romped the match with 18 big bream for 107lb, he put two bream on the scales and they were over 8lb each. Nice one Rich I had a feeling about the peg. As you can see it was very close for second and third with Warren just pipping Dean. Warren had some roach and a 7lb bream in the float, then added 5 bream on the feeder later.
Today’s start man Rich Lacey. Top man!
Well that’s probably my last time on the river for this season, shame I didn’t get on a few bream but that’s fishing. Good luck if you’re going out before the season ends 🤞
