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.