Sunday 26th July - SW Super League Match 3 Gloucester Canal

There are 7 Teams of 8 anglers in the League this year but due to the National being fished on the venue in August and the demand for participating anglers to practice the match was opened up for an additional 3 teams which were put together by the organisers namely .... Odds and Sods, Diawa Gordon League All Stars and All Sorts. The anglers in the made up Teams could pick up cash but not points. So 80 anglers in total.
I was looking forward to the match following my success last week (weight of fish, not cash) in a difficult area. Draw was at 08:15 at the Gordon League Rugby Club and I was last but one to arrive at around 07:45. We had two guests fishing for us today, Ian Didcote and Michael Buchwheilder both were familiar with the Canal.
Also at the draw I recognised Will Raison, Des Shipp and Tom Scholey from Pole Fishing magazine and a few other prominent anglers all wanting to practice.
The draw was a few minutes late and when Chris came back I was allocated Peg 64 which was 8 pegs downstream from where I was last week. Not a lot was caught in the section last week but a chat with Ian Didcote who was down that way said 64 had won the section, so no pressure then.
Fishing was 11:00 - 16:00 so given I knew where I was going and it was very close to the draw there was no rush.
Team mate Sam Johnson had drawn Hempstead Peg 50 so was just out of the bend but it was a good area.
When I parked up Des Shipp was in front of me and it was absolutely persisting it down. I stayed in the car a few minutes watching Des load up, we had about 90 minutes to the all in at this point. I did get out eventually and he said 'I thought you were going to bottle it'  lol, not me totally chilled and pacing myself. Des was in the section above me and near to where I was the previous week, think he was around 59. Also just above me but not in my section was Tom Scholey phew again but in my section on 71 was Will Raison. How did that happen! To my immediate right on 65 was Simon Hebditch (AKA Ditch) who helps run the league and below him was Thyers Mark Bromsgrove who had done OK on the Canal recently.
I did fancy the look of the peg when I got there, it was just to the right of the old channel with far bank cover so very inviting for the tip but a long cast.

 Peg 64, the old channel is at about 11 o'clock (now blocked off) with the new cut directly behind the brolly.

I decided to keep things simple again this week so two tip rods, one far bank and one for over the pole line if the wind got up and top six on the pole straight out where it was top five deep so rigs from last week OK.
Bait was traditional chop worm and caster with dead red, hookers were the same but pinkies and small red worms from the compost heap and dark fish meal ground bait. I was ready with thirty minutes to spare. While I was setting up Ditch was quite optimistic and maintains he saw a few bream roll across on the far side. Some small fish topped on the pole line which I did see in amongst all the seagull droppings.
The all in came and I cupped in a few balls one the pole line and instead of casting a few feeder fulls across decided to put the hook length on straight away but cast every 5 minutes for the first half hour.
I had an indication second cast but not that positive. Next cast it was a better bite and I connected, soon a 1lb skimmer was in the next so no DNW for me. I had another of a similar size ten minutes later. I did glance up the canal and saw Des net something but no one else at this point. I stuck to the plan and again did have a few indications meaning there were fish in the area but may have been too small for the bait. At the three hour mark I came in on the pole and after twenty minutes of getting bored the float buried and I hit something solid and the blue 5 to 8 hydro came out a fair distance. I thought it was an eel at first but it soon became obvious it was a bream.... come on. I played it carefully and brought it to the surface top 5, in the net so happy days. Tom Scholey to my left had a skimmer on the tip and then one pretty quick on the pole. The tow then changed moving right to left and no more bites were forthcoming so I went back on the tip. Within a few minutes I had a half hearted bite but hit it anyway and another skimmer of a 1lb was soon netted. At around 15:10 I had a decent slow but sure move of the tip and hit a good fish resulting in another bream of about 3lb being landed. I did add a small roach before the all out and that was it. I was confident I would do well in the section.
I was first to weigh and when I pulled the net out the guys on the scales immediately said ''that will win the section''. The scales registered 9lb 8oz so happy with that. I followed them down the section just to make sure and yes it was good enough. Mark Bromsgrove was the closest to me with 6lb odd.

 

My section

I noted that Tom Scholey above me in the other section weighed just over 11lb and did catch a couple more decent skimmers when I was not looking.

Back at the Rugby Club I came across Sam first who was on Peg 50, he had 24lb plus and ended up wining the Match, so well done to him.

Sam picked up £70 for the section and £180 for the match win, nice. I had £70 for the section.

Team wise we finished last but one on the day and are now bottom in the league. Some sections fish really hard as usual.

Here are some of the other weight sheets, I didn't get them all.

 

Back on the Gloucester Canal for Match 4 next week but this time down the Purton end.

Sunday 19th July - SW Super League Practice and Open Gloucester Canal

5 of the Team were originally booked in for this match in order to gain some up to date knowledge for the next round of the SW Super League which is next Sunday. In the end it was just 3 of us, Chris Don and myself. The match was pitched as an Open to allow anglers taking part in the Div 1 National to attend if they wished. There have been matches most weekends on the venue so there has plenty of bait put in and this venue can take it due to the size and depth.
Draw was a rolling draw from 08:00 to 08:30 with fishing 10:30 to 15:30 and the match length was Hempstead to the Pilot Inn, 100 plus anglers were taking part, you don't see that very often.

I got to the Gordon League Rugby Club by 07:40, Chris and Don were already there so a quick cuppa and a chat and the draw got underway dead on time, sheets with postcodes for each section were available if required and it all ran like clock work. Chris drew one of the early pegs above Hempstead Bend, Don drew down by Rea Bridge and I pulled out 56 so below Hempstead Bend and the Swing Bridge over the A430. the guy recording the draw said ...oh... cyanide straight! Great start. I did know where I was going and fished around peg 65 last year and was aware the anglers above me really and I mean really struggled.

After parking up and loading the trolley with a few minutes I was on the bank. The first person immediately below the swing bridge was Thatchers bream man Gary Webber who was suprisingly positive, perhaps thats the trick, he was itching to get started. I think some of that positive attitude rubbed off for at leat 10 minutes until Bait-Techs Ian Didcote walked past and asked if I'd killed a robin on the way to the match thus deserving a poor peg!

On peg 55 was an angler from Matlock who left home with a few mates at 04:30, they were fishing the National in August so came down for a practice. We had a long chat while waiting for the all in after setting up but I only understood about 30% of what he said.

My set up was simple today... 2 tip rods, one for the far bank and one halfway plus a 2 gram rig to fish at 7 meters where it was full to 5 deep.  Chopped worm, caster and dead red / pinkie for feed and bait.

No features what so ever

To my left

To my right and looks more inviting

On the all in I balled in 8 big jaffa's on the pole line full of worm and dead reds and 3 big feeder fulls half way. I baited up straight away with 2 pinkies on the hook and cast to my far bank line about 3 feet off the tins with Chop and caster in the 30 grm feeder. I had a twitch straight away but missed it (it was just a twitch). Next cast same again but hit it this time and a small blade bream of abot 1 oz was swung to hand. That was all the action for the first 90 minutes but I did see bream man Gary Webber net what appeared to be 2 bream as I was checking how others were doing. I had been using small red worms as hookers as well be changed to half a dendra and the response was almost instant with the 2 oz tip bending round like a carp had taken it. I picked up the rod and it was a solid thump which I knew was a bream but how big because in 20 feet of water even the small ones take a time to come up. I had to put the tip under the water as two old timers learning to canoe came right over my line and while I was doing this the tip remained positively bent. I did get it safely in the net and it was a good 4lb just lip hooked. Within 15 minutes I had another half tidy bite and snared a skimmer of around a pound.... happy days. Despite hitting the same spot more or less every time nothing elase appeared to be there so I cam in on the pole line at about 12:30 and got bored with that after 20 minutes, no one else was catching on that line anyway that I could see,  I tried the middle with the other tio rod for 30 minutes but nothing. It was now around 13:30 ish so decided to stick it out on the far bank for the remainder of the match. 

I saw Gary land another good fish and an eel on the pole and though he must be in with a shout. I had a decent eel around 14:00 of around a pound and the hook fell out when I netted it. I had a couple of twitches again but think I missed out by not hitting them immediately. 

It was just after 15:00 when I had a proper bite and hit it resulting in another bream of about 3lb plus so was well happy but that was it.

Above the bridge as expected the weights were a lot better around the Hempstead Bend area. Gary weighed in just over 9lb and I put 10lb 1oz on the scales which was the best weight my side of the bridge and down as far as 63.

 

36lb won the match with 31lb odd second, 6th place was 19lb. Overall I was in the top 12 out of a 100 so very pleased with that. Chris has 6lb plus and Don never had a bite. Some sections were dire with just over 2lb winning them.

So.... its a challenge next week lets hope I draw Hempstead.

Sunday 12th July - SW Super League (Match 2) River Huntspill

I missed the first match of the league due to being away on holiday which was also on the Huntspill and was looking forward to round 2. A lot of people moan about the venue but personally I like it. Yes it is usually won with a bag of bream and supported with a few decent backing weights and the rest of the field struggle mainly because they sit out for bream and pin all their hopes on the feeder lines, most end up disappointed and this match was no different. A float only match would be much fairer on this venue (depending on the conditions).
To be fair Team Captain Chris Hook did say try the tip for the first half hour to an hour and then come in on the pole, after all it is a Team Match.
I arrived at Laburnum House for the draw at 08:00, the rest of the Team were already there but on arrival the first person who spoke to me was Maver Lobby's Andy Richings, more of Andy further on.
After a bit of banter the draw was called and Chris went up for the Team (still have not worked out how they do this). I was allocated peg 80 on the South Bank above Woolavington bridge which I didn't mind although in the first match it did not fish that well.
The fishing was to be from 11:00 until 16:00 so plenty of time, the drive was straightforward, parking good and not too bad a walk to the peg with one gate as the access point.
The peg was towards the end of a wooded area and looked ok, no issues with casting due to the trees and there was a bit of colour in the water.

Peg 80 on the mighty Huntspill

I noticed there were quite a few small fish topping so set up a waggler rod a pole rig for 13 meters and 10 meters plus my two feeders from the ready rod bag, one the 13 foot Dutch Master for the far side the other my Drennan Pro for the middle. Bait was 2 pints caster, 1 of red maggot, 1/2 pinkie and 1/2 kilo of worm plus some red worms from compost heap and dead maggot and 2 kilos of GB.
Before the all in and after he had set up my next door neighbour Andy Richings on 79 came down and asked if I think we would catch. I said we would, again, more of Andy futher on.
On the all in I put 8 big feeder fulls in right across, 5 in the middle and cupped in 3 balls at 13 meters and 1 at 10 meters.
I started off with the middle feeder line and had a bite 2nd cast which I hit and it was a 2 oz roach and couple more casts and I was getting the odd twitch from small fish. Out on the Dutch master and I experienced the same, just twitches. After an hour the feeder rods were put behind me and I picked up the wag, I had been feeding casters while the tip rods had been out.
First cast and as the maggot reached the bottom the float buried and I had a 4 oz hybrid in a few successive casts I added some 2oz roach and blades but at least I was putting fish in the net. A look on the feeder lines produced nothing at intervals during the match so I stuck at the wag and pole adding small fish. At around 14:30 on the wag I came in a little closer and cast slightly downstream when the float went under, when I struck I half expected a little resistance but intead thought I caught the bottom and then in started to move slowly and then at speed. Thankfully I had an 0,11 hooklength and after some concerns turned the fish around eventually putting the net under a 3lb bream, happy days. Sadly that was the only one but knew it would be worth a few points.
When the all out was called Andy came down to my peg and said he was still shaking after loosing a 3lb plus bream at the net just seconds prior to the end but thought he had double figures, he fished the tip all of the match.
Andy Power from Thatchers was on the scales and came down our way after starting at the top of the section. 13lb odd was winning before Andy put 19lb plus in the scales with some nice skimmers, he would easily win the section.

Andy Richings Section Winner (old pic from last year on the Avon)

I had a look on the weight sheet and knew I would be 3rd in the section as most had struggled. The scales registered 7lb 7oz so happy with that and good Team points. I could have gambled and stuck it out on the feeder but what would have been the consequences?

Heres how the section fished.....

Team wise not good, Chris had an equal 2nd in section, Dom and Don both 4th and other blew out from what I could see, we finished up one from bottom on the day and remain in that position in the league.

Top weights
Gary Webber Thatchers 27lb 11oz
Andy Ottaway Thatchers 19lb 4oz
Andy Richings Lobbys 19lb 3oz

League as it stands is....
Diawa Gordon League
Preston Thatchers
SensasThyers
Maver Lobbys
Garbolino Blackmore Vale
Maver Cadbury Angling
Sensas Cardiff Nomads

Next match is on the Gloucester Canal in 2 weeks time but a few of us fishing the practice match next week Hempstead to Pilot.

It's been a while

It's been a while since I update the blog, not because I have not been fishing, I have been snowed under with work.

Early June I went down to Summerhayes to fish a Sunday open and ended up on Lilly, not good and only ended up putting 18lb odd on the scales, most struggled on the lake but Nick Harvey had 38lb plus in a corner peg fishing down the edge. I have learnt my lesson on this lake and will avoid the carp in future if I draw it again and concentrate on silvers as it's very difficult to compete with Sellicks Lake.

Mid June just before the River Season began Clevedon fished against Shiplake Anglers on our own Lake, Paddock at Acorn Fisheries and they whopped us. I had just over 44lb from peg 30 for 12th on the day out of 29 so not too bad. Dom Sullivan won with high 80lbs.

I fished the River Kenn a couple of weeks after the glorious 16th but only had a few perch and eels from the car park section on Kenn Road, others had also struggled but ther have been big weights in certain sections of between 50lb and 100lbs.

I have just come back from Ireland, flew from Bristol to Knock in the North West, only 50 minute flight and £50 return, bargain. Went with the wife and a couple of friends, stayed on a farm just outside Ballinamore with its own lake and basic spinning rods and boat supplied. Was talking to the owner and found out that the accommodation is used for the World Pairs Competition and.... only stayed in the same appartment as Steve Ringer, surely his skills have been passed on to me via DNA he left behind!

Door to the appartment

Inside

Inside

World Pairs signs from last Sept.

We managed to fix up a couple of spinning rods and bought a few extra lures, my friend Phil is a Shooting Instructor and was in his element catching small perch and jack pike, I manged quite a few as well and it was great fun for a couple of hours after tea before the pub called.

Phil with a couple of his fish.

Went to the West Coast for a day to a town called Ballina, famous for its salmon fishing and where they gave Jack Charlton fishing rights following his success with the Irish Team in the World Cup a few years ago.

This was the scene through the town stretch I counted 24 anglers all fishing the pools and weirs at £50 per day.

They even had salmon bunting hanging in the town.

It was a fantastic week but there was far too much water around for Phils liking but it did make him regular.

Can't wait for my next trip over in September fishing in Arva.

I did manage to get out for a few hours on Chew Sunday nights, had 1 perch on the fly, 2 missed pulls and did manage these two fine trout for 5lb 9oz.

Next Sunday we have a SW Super League match on the Huntspill, the 1st match was fished on 28th June when I was in Ireland, looks like 50lb won it from below Woolavington Bridge and Team appears not to have done that well but early days yet with 2 on the Gloucester Canal and 2 on the Avon at Newbridge to come.