Sunday 10th January - Somerset Teams of 4 League Bridgwater and Taunton Canal

This was the last match in the series. It was the reserve date due to a match on the River Tone being cancelled before Christmas. We all were hoping the Tone would be fishable for the last match but it was not to be and a real shame. So the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal it was then and down at the Taunton end again as there are not enough fishable pegs at the more prolific Bridgwater sections. The team of 4 was Sam, Sean, Glen and myself. The draw was in the Princess Royal Pub again not far from the County Cricket Ground and the Sections were already on display.

3 Sections were put in at Creech St. Michael where I got lost last time and it did fish quire well with lots of roach showing, although last time there was only one section in.
The 4th Section was somewhere called Charlton, I didn't want o draw this area as I was sure to get lost again. Chris Parr (aka Gappy) put it in as he was finding it hard to identify a Section without too much pull on it and colour due to all the rain so a bit of an unknown to us.
Guess which Section I drew..... yep 'Charlton' peg 47 but hey I had a postcode so what could possibly go wrong! Setting off out of Taunton on the Bridgwater Road I was soon (according to Sat Nav) driving across fields due to a huge brand new development that was not on my Sat Nav yet. Getting back onto a recognised road I came across a sign saying Charlton something and a stop and a chat with some lady joggers in very (very) tight lycra confirmed there was indeed a canal at the end of the road.
Parking was fine and I was soon on the canal bank with Mike Owens downstream of me on 48 and Steve Kedge upstream of me on 46, above him was Gappy who confirmed our end of the Section was better than those around the bend but not sure if the roach would show.

Some views around the peg as follows:

Flooded fields behind me and cars were actually driving directly behind us as there were houses at one end.

Very pretty area looking downstream

 

Peg 47 looking across

Tactics were in very simple, bread punch down the track over liqqy and worm or maggot over chop for far and near shelf. Lcould see Mile and Steve setting up light wagglers and a whip. Apprarently they set up a wag just in case they have to chase fish down the peg. I didn't have a wag with me and I do not own a whip (must get one though) and I have note the value of a wag on this venue (due to flow).

I know I lost valuable time on the last canal match due to not having a whip missing out on an envelope by a few grams.

I started off on the punch and soon had a couple of blades and very small roach but after 30 mins noticed fry were scattering and jumping out of the water probably being chased by perch or pike so I put on a maggot in the hope of catching a perch. Instead I got bleak after bleak after bleak and more bleak. I looked around and could not see much being caught so stuck with it. Gappy then took 2 decent perch fishing across to the bottom of the far shelf and I heard Steve on 46 chopping up worm on a regular basis. Steve then took what looked like a huge perch to it was over my worm lines for a look. Not a sign over my worm line throughout the match. I even tried a tail of a worm jigging it all over the peg, a bit like dobbing bread but nothing. Steve then took another good perch and lost one about 30 minutes from the end.

I had the scales so saw the whole Section. The pegs around the bend from Gappy fished really hard with one angler weighing in 100 fish for 600 grams others were not much better with 1kg 100grms being the best.  Just above Gappy and on the bend was Brian Slipper who had a large number of small fish for 1kg 300grms  think (gave him 3rd in the Section) next was Gappy with 2kg plus mainly made up of those 2 early perch. Steve Kedges perch were right lumps and he put 3kg plus for a runaway Section win. I had 900 grms which was about 6th out of a 12 man Section. Mike above me had just over 1kg for 4th.

On refection and had I knew what the Section was going to be like I would have sat it out with the worm, although there were only 4 perch caught. 

The other Sections fished a lot better with 7kg winning overall backed up by 6kgs and 5kg weights made up of quality roach and some big rudd.

We finish 6th on the day out of 12 so ok ish and 10th overall in the League but we have learned a lot about the T & BW Canal. One of the Sensas Team won the League not sure which one as there was about 3. We did walk away with some groundbait and towels provided by Sensas M5 so thanks to them as well as Gappy and his mates for organising the events.

Next Sunday I am at Viaduct for the Teams of 5 League. Not confident as I have not fished there for about 15 years and have no idea of the pegs, should be interesting.