Team mate Chris Hook and I usually enter this competition, we made the Final a few years ago qualifying on the Gloucester Canal and fished the big money match on the Staffs Worcs / Trent and Mersey up near Stafford. We done well but missed out on the money by one place.
We didn't fish any qualifiers last year due to clashes with League Matches.
The first Qualifier in our area was done near Taunton on the Taunton & Bridgwater Canal. We had not fished the Canal for a number of years and that would have been in the autumn in the Teams of 4.
After booking us both in I contacted Dan Baldwin who runs the matches for Taunton AA to see what sections were being used. Dan informed me one section would be at Creech and the other at Charlton. He also gave me a little bit of info on each section. Big fish (Perch and Tench at Charlton and silvers at Creech.
A few days prior to the match Dan contacted all entrants to say there would be 2 sections at Charlton due to a low entry (13 pairs), one above the bridge (a section) and one below (b).
I had just returned from a Cruise and had done some prep before I went plus Chris and I both had a late night on the Saturday.
It was an early start as the draw was at 08:15 aside the Canal. We met at Sedgemoor Services for a coffee before following Sat nav.
Just after going through the village of North Petherton I could see a couple of people walking in the middle of my carriageway a short distance away. Surely they will move to the side I thought ... no they didn't. It soon became obvious why, both had big bottles of alcohol and looked totally bombed out. Not sure if they also had a late night or was it an early morning.
Sat nav took us more or less right to the venue and I recognised the location, been here once before.
As we parked up in the field I could see it was in the main local anglers so in terms of knowledge of the venue and methods we were up against it a little bit.
It was nice to finally meet Russell Hilton, Russell used to write a blog when he fished the Grand Western Canal. He had a break from fishing but it now back fishing local matches again in Somerset.
Prior to the draw Chris and I agreed I would fish A section and he would fish B not that it made a lot of difference.
3 pairs would qualify for the National Final today which is on the Leeds Liverpool Canal in October.
The draw got underway and I was well towards the back. I drew peg 2 for me and peg 20 for Chris.
Paul Purchase asked me what I drew and when I told him he said not great as my section has been fished quite a lot.
It was an easy walk along the tow path and the pegs were well prepared and trimmed.
A nice reed bed across, apparently the field across used to be a Golf Course.
Plenty of space between the pegs.
The rigger platform barrow came in handy in order to set up down in the waters edge, the long legs at the front were just about sufficient.
It was only 12 metres right across so nice and comfortable plus the reed bed on the inside acted as a pole roller.
The Canal flows left to right but not hard.
There were lots of small fish topping and signs of feeding. Down the track I had about 4 foot and set up a 4 x 14 with 0.12 fluro hooklength and a drennan 20 carbon match, elastic was a number 4 to catch anything. Inside and downstream about a metre out from the bank was a 4 x 12 in 2.5 foot of water with a B611 18 to 0.11 power line, elastic was a number 6 for perch over worm. Across in 2 area's was a 4 x12 in 2.5 foot of water (tucked into the reeds) with a B611 18 to 0.11 power line, elastic was a hollow 12.
I had just set up with 15 minutes to go and another angler came walking up suggesting I was fishing a bit light. I decided to stick with what I had and would play it by ear as the match progressed.
At the start chopped worm and caster went in on one line across and the same with some chopped sweetcorn on another line across. 2 balls of Sensas Black Lake and a little Black Magic went in down the track with caster and dead pinkie and neat chopped worm on the inside.
Starting off down the track it took a while to get a bite and the firs fish was a bleak. I got it sorted and fished about a metre downstream of the ground bait a soon had small silver bream. They were small, not even hand sized. Some guys were fishing the whip so would be a lot quicker than me if they continued to feed. I gave a track a good hour and had about a pound of small fish but bites had slowed up so re fed one ball and put a little bit of chopped worm in it.
First look straight across on the 2 lines and no indications at all after about 20 minutes so a top up was done and then a look on the inside with a worm head, nothing there either so topped up again.
It was hard to tell if anything was being caught as I could see anyone properly.
First slow trot down on the track with pinkie gave me a dumpy roach about 4oz, that's better I thought and a few more smaller ones followed. I then hit something solid, thought it was weed and then it started to move, remember I only had a number 4 elastic. At first I thought it was a big perch but soon realised it was a tench. The number 4 elastic performed exceptionally well and I just hoped the small hook held. I managed to break down to the top 3 and use the puller to control it safety into the net. Lovely tench around 3lbs.
I fed more worm in the ground bait and left the track line after the commotion.
No one was walking the bank and I hadn't spoke to Chris so you didn't know how it was fishing although i did hear a bit of splashing on end peg 1 to my left.
We were about 2 hours in now and a look across and nearside didn't give any hint of fish, it also started to rain.
When I came back on the track line it was also pretty dead but then a sail away bite (on pinkie which looked like a bream or skimmer bite) was hit and it was solid again, another tench. This one gave me the run around going right over and it came up to the top. Bigger than the last one and took longer to get back. When it finally came on the inside it went into vegetation but swam out. So 2 tench in the net and a couple of pound of bits, got to be worth good points I thought.
Topped up the track again and went over with maggot on the heavy gear.
The float dipped and big fish on, another tench and much easier to get in with the 12 elastic.
The track produced next to nothing the rest of the match and I had nothing on the inside, I did however snare another small tench across.
I knew I had double figures which would be good on the day.
My bag went a level 14lbs
As I walked back to the van the only person to beat me with 15lb 1oz was the angler on the end peg downstream.
I ended up 2nd in the match but sadly Chris struggled so no qualification for us.
Section boards and pairs overall as follows....
Good luck to those pairs who qualified.
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