Somerset Teams of 4 - Taunton and Bridgwater Canal (Taunton end)

This match was scheduled for the River Tone but due to the heavy rain it was chocolate brown on the Wednesday so the decision to switch to the Canal was made.
I had never fished the Taunton end of the Canal but after making enquiries it was likely to turn out to be a roach match as most of the bigger skimmers and bream plus tench are at the Bridgwater end. Although I fished the Grand Western Canal the previous week I had to do a bit of prep as 4 of my rigs got trashed due to the strong winds. I enjoy fishing a canal, I think it is a great leveller. Our team was made up of captain Chris Hook, Sam Johnson, Lewis Walker and myself. Another Team tried to poach Lewis in the week.......cheek of it.
I met up by accident with Sam in MacDonald's in Taunton for breakfast, he also had a look at the Tone and said it appeared to be OK, not so sure the 'fast stretch' would have been though. A phone call from Chris around 07:50 telling us he had just woke up but was on his way.
I did not have a clue were the section were but fortunately Chris Parr had postcodes on display in the pub.

Chris arrived just in time for the draw and young Lewis done the honour's for us. I was in D Section at Creech St Michael wherever that was but no panic Sat Nav would get me there!
I let the stampead leave the car park first and programmed Sat Nav which gave me a travelling time of 12 minutes, no worries and headed back toward the M5, underneath it, then left turn toward Creech St. Michael, all the while Sat Nav updating me. The flag soon appeared and I turned of as instructed and then continued to go around the houses even though I could see the canal on the display I could not get anywhere near it. Went back on the main road to try and find someone to ask but as my mum used to say 'there was not a sinner about'. A phone call to Chris to see if he had Chris Parrs number to be guided in. Chris didn't but someone else said he did and gave me the number off his own phone. I called it and got some guy out of bed, not happy. Phoned Chris back and explained, checked the number again and yes I had phoned the number given! Chris managed to find another angler who talked me from where I was to the canal. I had to go up a lane and at the end was a car park, as I entered I saw one angler heading through a gate to the toe path, lovely. After I loaded up I went the same way, could not see another angler (I knew they were there somewhere). A walker came from my right and confirmed there were no anglers from where he had been so left it was then and after 10 mins who is on the end peg but Chris Parr who I was trying to talk to. Good effort but improvement required on directions. I had about 45 mins to set up and was pretty pissed off as well as hot and bothered.
I got to my peg (41) and it was a bit narrow compared to the rest and as such the canal was pulling a little faster left to right but it did look inviting.
I set up a punch rig for the middle which was really 'V' shaped and about 3 foot and two rigs for the bottom of the far shelf where it was about 2 foot intending to fish worm, caster or maggot in the hope of a bonus fish.
I was just about ready at 10 o'clock and feed two lines across, one at 12 o'clock with chop and caster and the other a bit longer at 2 o'clock with just caster. In went a cup of liqqy in the middle and I soon had a small roach, looking up and down the canal others were in to small fish quickly and using the whip (I don't have one). The roach kept coming on the punch and when they backed off a little I put on a maggot and got a few more regularly feeding small balls of liqqy. I did bump a decent fish about a pound but most were in the 2oz to 3oz range, I was happy with my lot.
After about two hours I was intending to try the far lines and had topped them up sparingly but a few swans came along and took a liking to the bait.

I did manage to shoo them on by putting the pole cup over them but the damage was done. I did top up the lines and had the odd look but nothing.
The middle it was then and looking up and down I thought I was doing ok and in the last hour I had the odd better roach putting out a 10mm piece of punch.
The two end pegs done 5kg plus and one peg from the end done 3kg 340grms. I was more or less in the middle and was happy with my 3kg 120grms compared to the anglers each side of me.

My section.

The top weight on the day was 6kg plus. We finished 4th out of 11 on the day with Sam having a section 2nd and Lewis weighing the same as me and also getting a section 4th. Chris was 6th or 7th in his.

Somerset Angling won on the day and Thyers Silver I believe are top of the league.

Once I found the place I enjoyed it.

No fishing this weekend and the week after its the Clevedon Christmas Match on Paddock Lake Acorn Fisheries.