The draw for todays match was at Spencers Club in Melksham with the Sections on the Canal about 15 minutes or so drive away towards Devizes. I had fished this Section of Canal before...once...but that was about 25 years ago at least.
Senses Nomads Team for today was....
Mark Williams (c)
Mike Withey
Rich Whitmarsh
Brian Melksam
Ian Stainer
Steve Saunders
Chris Hook
Me
As it was Remembrance Sunday and we would be fishing at 11:00 the Citation was read by Martin Barrett followed by 2 minutes silence at 08:00 before the draw. As an ex-service man I always wear my ''Dolphins'', Poppy and Irish Poppy Badge with pride.
Mark came back with the draw and I found myself on B1. I had no idea where that was but Steve was on A section again just one peg away from where he won the practice match the previous week with 20lb plus and said to follow him. We had a review of pegs and information was exchanged.
The journey to B Section was quite straight forward and on arrival there was plenty of parking. The canal was a few steps away as well. Talking to Andrew Chatterley while I unloaded the kit he said the Section fished hard the previous week with just over 4lb winning it. He suggested my peg was heading towards the better area i.e. A Section.
It didn't take more than 5 minutes to get to my peg, no fences or styles like last week.
The peg did look nice and although I was in between two boats I had plenty of room. There was a small bay opposite and it did look inviting as well as the far bank bush to my far left.
I was able to reach across right into the bay with 13 metres of pole but on plumbing up it was only about 6 inches deep. At about 11 metres I was in deeper water where it started to shelve off a bit and at 2.5 foot deep I decided on this far bank line at 12:00 o'clock plus either side including over to the bush. 6 slip elastic with a 0.3 gram float to 0.10 hook length to an 18. The Canal was quite coloured and I did expect some perch over there. The same rig was fine for the edge of the boats on my bank. But I decided to replicate the rig again but beefed up for the perch i.e. 16 hook to 0.13.
I also set up and identical rig to a 5 elastic and 0.08 hook length to a 20 in case skimmers showed.
Two track rigs about 5 foot deep, one 5 elastic to a 4x14, 0.09 hook length to a 20, the other 6 elastic, 0.70 gram round bodied float with 0.10 to an 18 for holding back if the canal towed hard. Ground bait was 50/50 Sensas Black Lake and Fine Canal Noire.
I was ready with 25 minutes to spare and just took it easy observing the water. The boat to my right was empty but the the one on the right occupied by a lady who confirmed she would not be moving but would be playing the violin! I said play me some Irish music when you get around to it, she laughed and wished me good luck.
I chopped up some worm and made up 5 small balls of ground bait containing 2 chopped worm and caster and 2 worm and squat.
On the ''all in'' I fed across by the bush and at 12:00 o'clock with choppy and caster leaving the 14:00 line free. The 2 remaining balls of choppy and squats went in down the track straight in front of me. I also fed 2 lots of chopped worm and lobbys by the boats on my inside.
I thought I would start down the track and put on a maggot just to see if I could nick an early bonus fish. The float sailed away once it settled but I missed on the strike, it did look like a skimmer bite. Going back out it went under again and this time I hit it, a small skimmer about 4 ozs. After 20 minutes fishing the track I had about 8 fish, just the one small skimmer and some 1oz roach. A post went through so I fed another ball before going across to the left hand bush with a maggot. The float went under straight away but it was a very and I mean very small roach which fell off as I shipped back. This happened again and again not helped by a stiff breeze. I did land some but they were about 2 or 3 to the ounce at best.
I was now about 40 minutes into the match and had a look on the nearside choppy lines but not a sign.
Going back out down the track I had another small skimmer and a run of 2 to 3 oz roach. Glancing down to my left where the other anglers in my Section were I could see about 3 poles out but not the actual anglers, they all seemed to be fishing long. Mick Nowicki was on B2 and I had to walk down to him to free up 2 pole sections as they had jammed. He confirmed he was struggling.
I carried on concentrating and topping up the track over 3 places as the fish appeared to be a better stamp there. I bumped a good fish on the 2 hour mark, I think it was a perch and wondered if that would cost me.
Looking down as far as I could see the poles did not be going in and out as much as mine, I appeared to be busier (feeding and catching).
The violin started and yes she did play a couple of Irish jigs.....think I pulled!
I did look on the far and nearside lines now and then but stuck at it down the track netting a few decent roach and a perch.
The weighing in was started at peg 8 and I caught up with them at around peg 4. The weights were quite low and just over 3lb was best.
Overall it was a tight Section but I had just under 4lb to win it. Most had concentrated across on the far shelf looking for bonus fish, my gamble had paid off.
B Section board
I asked Andrew Chatts to take a photo for me but despite several attempts he still managed to chop some of my head off!
Back at the Club the Team gradually returned, Mike Withey was there before me and he had got 2nd in Section again, so did Steve Saunders. Our Team scorecard looked pretty good. Nice to have 3 ''pick ups'' as well.
Full match results as follows courtesy of Simon Hebditch...........
Individuals..
1st Mike Bernsten GBV 12-13
2nd Charlie Vallender DGL 12-9
3rd Ruben Guerra DGL 11-00
4th Steve Saunders Sensas Nomads 10-13
5th Nat Johnson PI Thatchers 10-00
6th Andrew Cranston PI Thatchers 9-3
Winner Mike Bernstein with a nice net of fish
Teams on the day....
1st DGL
2nd Sensas Nomads
3rd P I Thatchers
4th GBV
5th Sensas Lobbys
6th Devizes MG
7th Matrix Swindon
8th Wyvern Anglers
We are now off the bottom lying 6th out of 8 Teams, need to keep this going with a view to finishing mid table in our first year in this league.
No Fishing next weekend but back on the K&A the week after at Marlborough.
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