After last week I just wanted a fairly easy walk and when the Team draw was done I was more than happy with A2 at Swineford (permanent peg 4).
When I pulled up in the Lay-by opposite the Swan Pub Dean Harvey last weeks winner with 40lb of bream from permanent peg 6 was already unloading his van. I did say to him ''you haven't have you" and with a raw smile he said ''yes'' then no. He did say to me when I told him what peg I had it would be worth a go.
A nice flat walk found me at my peg within about 15 minutes. When I looked at it I thought this is going to be difficult given the gradient down to the water and only a small ledge.
Apparently 12 lbs came off it last week on the whip and I was told to concentrate on this for team points. I set up the pole at ''top 5'' with a 1.5 gram float to an 18 hook on a fluro hook length. Depth on this line was around 5 foot. I also set up a tip rod and a crow quill set up on running line for down the middle (5BB).
For company on A1 I had Nick Johns who I thought would win the section if the bream did not show give the form the peg has had over the past few weeks and the class of angler on it. Below me on A3 and the bream peg from last week was Rich Lacey.
Due to the access to the water it took me all of the 2 hours to set up and get comfortable.
It was a long way down
On the ''all in'' 4 tennis ball sized balls went in on the 6 meter line and then 6 feeder full's of chopped worm and caster 2/3rds the way over.
Starting off on the 6 meter pole it took a few trots down to get my first bite which I missed. The maggot came back just nipped. Same happened again time and time again in the opening 10 minutes. A switch to caster brought a sail away bite and a small dace and I mean dace was swung to hand. More dace followed in the first hour along with numerous missed bites. The dace were quite small so I upped the feed (hemp and caster in small nuggets of ground bait) and this seemed to bring on some roach although they were not big they were better than the dace. I continued this approach for the rest of the match and never picked up the feeder or the crow quill.
I did have about 5 net roach and the rest were swung due to the size.
I could hear Rich below me chucking the feeder out now and then and swapping to the float so thought the bream had not showed. I could not see Nick above me and still thought he would walk the Section.
By the ''all out'' at 15:30 my arm was aching. The flow had not been consistent due to the lock opening for the boats above us and the wind had been making presentation difficult off and on during the day.
I had the scales...again and walked down to James Carty on A5 who had the board.
James weighed first and had a chub of around 2lb in his net of 11 lbs 8 ozs. Next to weigh was Glenn Bailey who had one of the most comfortable pegs I have seen a real armchair peg. Glen had 12 lb of quality roach to take the lead. Rich was next to weigh and I already knew he did not have any bream. That time spent looking for the bream cost him as he weighed 4 lbs 6 ozs. I weighed next, I was thinking I had around 8 lbs due to the size of fish but was pleasantly surprised to register 10 lbs 5 ozs.
Prior to Nick weighing he said he had a poor day due to the flow coming back at him, I have heard all this before but he was not telling lies and weighed 7 lbs 7 ozs.
my 10 lbs 5 ozs
my section weights
So top 3 quite tight and beaten by anglers with either a bonus on quality fish. Should I have tried the tip? Don't think so and once again the Section was within my grasp (about another 10 fish).
Overall results as follows:
On the day....
1st Andy Ottaway 25 lbs 4 ozs (Jack Whites)
2nd Sean Townsend ...did not get his weight
3rd Kevin Boltz 19 lbs 10 ozs
Teams
1st Thatchers
2nd Bathampton
3rd Gerrys
4th Nomads
5th Amalgamation
League to date...
1st Thatchers
2nd Bathampton
3rd Nomads
4th Gerrys
5th Amalgamation
Prior to the match I was lying 14th overall, hopefully I have improved on this after today.
Round 4 is at Newbridge next week and there is still no rain forecast.
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