Sunday 1st Sept Commercial House Winter League Bristol Avon, Swineford to Jack Whites

As stated in a previous post I showed an interest in becoming part of the Maver Cadbury Angling squad with a view to participating in the Bristol Commercial House Winter League. I received a text from Cadbury Angling http://www.cadburyangling.co.uk/ boss Toby Parker asking me if I was available to fish the first match, I was delighted to be asked especially as I now try and get out on natural venues as much as possible. A team meeting took place down at Cadbury on Saturday (Toby bought the coffee's)were we discussed the venue and tactics. The Team consisted of Toby, Sam Johnson, Glenn Calvert, James Gunter, Mark Bartlett and myself. There are 13 teams of 6 in the league another increase from last year and shows that the interst in rivers is returning, so 78 anglers in total each match. The venues are Sept, 1st match Bristol Avon Swinefore to Jack Whites, 2nd Match Bristol Avon Chippenham and Beanacre, Oct, Bristol Avon Newbridge, Nov, Bristol Avon Swineford to Jack Whites, Jan and Feb Kennet and Avon Canal Bath area. I have fished all of these venues in the past. When I asked what we get from Maver I was given a polo shirt, discount off catalogue prices and discount off bait for match days, that'll do for me.

Team logo

For bait I took 2 pints caster, 1 pint red mag, 1 pint hemp and some worm from the wormery at home plus a couple of kilo of Noire and some brown crumb.

We all met at the rugby club on the A4 between Saltford and Bath at 8 o'clock on the Sunday, Glenn was already tucking into a full fry up which is how I left him the day before down at Cadbury! Lot's of familiar faces around and some I knew from way back, great to be in this kind of company again. There are 2 Divisons in the league, as newcomers we were in B Division. Sam went up and paid the pools at £15 per angler and then performed the team draw, we drew peg 13 which would be the end peg in each section. You were mixed with Div A anglers but we only had to beat Div B anglers. I was to be in B Section which is almost or is half way down the stretch, with only two access points it was going to be a long walk. How come the oldest angler in the team gets the long walk?

I decided to park at the Swineford end and after breaking down the trolley 4 times in order to get over the fences I made it to my peg with 45 mins to go and feeling extremly hot and bothered.



Even the peg card was having a lie down off its nettle stalk!

The peg was just a little high off the water but managable, the flow looked ok down the middle as well. I set up a wag, pole at 11 meters and a feeder. I did ball in at the start but commenced an attack on the wag with maggot feeding hemp and caster, I had a fish first chuck, a small chublet. To cut a long story short I stayed on the wag all day but having to cast with my right hand over my left shoulder because of a tree but soon goyt the hang of it. I fished about one foot off bottom as did Neil Richards above me, I could see him catching as well so stuck with it.

View from B13

At the all out I knew I had double figures but as I had no bonus fish thought I would not come anywhere in the section. After packing up everyone I spoke to while waiting for the scales was admitting to low double figures at best. As the scales arrived I looked at the weights and needed to beat 16lb, 13lb was next. The peg above me weighed 19lb but that was ok as he was in A Division. I out mine on the scales and they went 14lb 10z so second in the section and third in the section overall all meant good team points. I was the last but one back at the rugby club and met up with the Team.

Sam had won A section with 12lb odd, Glenn was second in E section and the other guys had done ok ish. Unfortunetly Toby DNW due to being taken ill and was forced to go home. So to the announcements which was a bit hard to hear and a little confusing, however, Sam and Glenn both picked up section money, I was 6th overall and picked up £65 and as a team we finished second in B Div only 3 points behind Frys. Thatchers A won the A Div.

Overall

1st Graham Hunt 27lb odd from the first peg on Jack Whites, all roach and chublets

2nd Andy Ottoway 25lb odd, near the end in Jack Whites.

3rd Neil Richard 19lb odd, roach and 2 bonus chub

4th Tim Ford 17lb odd, behind marina with bonus 3lb ish bream

5th Warren Bates 16lb odd with bonus bream on stick float at swineford

6th Ivan Currie 14lb 10oz, all small roach and chub

So not a bad start to the league. No fishing next Sunday due to helping my daughter move into University accommodation and then off to Ballyconnell for a weeks fishing the following Saturday more wild fishing in big loughs, can't beat it.