A few thank you's first......
Mike & Nicola Goodhind plus Andy Britt for getting the League up and running despite restrictions.
Ben Rendall for allowing a section of todays match on Chequers.
Ben Matthews for running the individual and knock out pool, Kev Dicks for running the super pool.
The Cadbury Heath Sports & Social Club for the use of their premises and cooking breakfast.
Team Bathampton and Team Thatchers for agreeing to weigh in and do the boards every match.
As in previous years there was an A Div and a B Div, 3 teams of 6 in each plus a floating Hospital Team who did not attract any points.
As we ended up top of B Div last year (one year we go up the next year we go down) we were in A Div this year along with Thatchers and Bathampton A.
Our Team for today (and all of the series) was...
Sensas Nomads
Me (capitano)
Sam Johnson
Chris Hook
Jan Van Mazyk
Brian Melksham
Leigh Wakefield
Instead of all of Newbridge being used Rotork and Chequers had to be put in due to Network Rail Works down at the Tree's in Saltford.
So...
A Section was Rotork
B, C, D, E Sections Newbridge
F Section Chequers
I had requested that fishing be from 10:30 - 15:30 due to distance from draw to Newbridge and if you drew D and E it was a bit of a walk, plus we are not getting any younger, this was agreed.
As we were first to pay our Pools we were first to draw, it was done for us.
A3 - Sam
B7 - Me
C4 - Brian
D1 Chris
E5 - Jan
F2 - Leigh
We were away nice and early so plenty of time for everyone especially Leigh and I as we could both park behind our pegs. I was on the first peg below Newbridge so the rest of my Section was above in the Little Field and I thought it would be hard to compete with the others. I also had Tim Ford and Kev Dicks in my 3 man A Div Section.
As I parked up boats were coming up on the inside as well as a paddle boarder, I hoped that if anymore came up when the match commenced that if they saw the anglers below me it would push them out a bit.
Directly opposite me was the pub and a slipway plus the Rowing Club so knew it could get busy.
While looking at my peg Mike Shellard parked up and told me about the possibility of chub right across and suggested at leaving the waggler in the holdall and just use a block end feeder.
The peg was quite high off the water and I didn't fancy sitting fishing the pole at 45 degree's. There was a small ledge below the bank but getting down was a bit hazardous. I got the rope out and put a stake in the ground. Once down I could see the my medium legs on the rigger would be ok for the front in the deeper water.
It took me almost an hour just to set the platform up and get the box and side attachments safe. Getting down was OK but getting back up was a different story and I am still a bit shattered.
You can see that my box is very close to the bank and the drop down to the water.
At 11 metres I had a full top 4 deep so had to add a bit of line between the float and the pole. A 2 gram rig went through nicely. I also set up a 6 metre whip with a 3 gram but didn't use it much as the water was too dead on the inside. A ground bait feeder for the middle and a block end for right across by the bushes.
The water looked a nice colour and I suspected that the bream might feed especially at Chequers and the Little Field.
I had a small amount of Magic and River for the open ender and Gros Gardons with Lake for the pole line.
At the start I only put in 4 balls at 11 metres as there were fish already present so didn't want to attract too many pike.
shipping out and bringing back 11 metres of pole was really awkward when you hooked a fish the line could not be kept tight. I had some stamp roach in the first 30 minutes, absolute beautiful fish which stretched out the no.6 elastic. One pike did have a go but failed. After that incident it went quiet and changing from caster to red maggot on the hook produced perch, not a good sign but welcome none the less.
Rowers under tuition were a bit of a problem, they just sit there in front of you. I think their coach saw that I was getting a bit fed up and took them further up river.
A few more nuggets of ground bait did bring the 11 metre line back to life a little but it was very slow going.
After an hour I put some feed down the middle via the ground bait feeder and then went across with the block end right under the bushes. It was a bit weedy and not much depth to it but the response from chublet's was immediate. They were not big but ant least I was adding to my weight.
As the day went on people started to come up the river in blow up watercraft and dock in the pubs concrete slipway just below were I was catching, not helpful. Another family pitched up at the ramp and began to inflate a boat so more noise.
In-between these activities I had a look on the GB feeder but didn't have a bite. The odd roach was added from the pole line and more chublet's across.
Sam rang me with about 90 minutes to go and said he had a few fish on the pole and could catch tiny fish shallow on the waggler. I was still putting fish in the net so he let me go.
It was hard to tell how the match was going as no one was walking the bank and I couldn't see anyone else.
Tim and Kev came down with the scales along with Dean Havery who told me 8lbs was winning my Div Section. I thought I had around that.
My net went 7lbs 12oz which actually got me the maximum points in my Div.
Dave Lewis had top weight in my Div with 8lbs 4oz but as he was in the Hospital Team he did not attract any points, just the money. I'll take that.
Back at Cadbury Heath the rest of the guys pitched up, we had done reasonably well. Leigh had also won his Section, Sam had 2 points with 18lb 14oz also earning him 2nd in the match. Chris had 2, Jan and Brian had a difficult day.
We ended up with 12 points and middle for diddle as Thatchers had 14 and Bathampton A 8.
Former Nomads member Geraint Powell won the match from the same Section as Sam with 19lb 14oz.
So although the river looked spot on the bream did not show.
Next match in the League is in 2 weeks time, Swineford and Crane, oh dear....styles, fences and long walks.....
Finally congratulations to Nomads Team Manager Mike Martin who won Tidefest (Tidal Thames) for the 3rd time.
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