Only 25 turned up for this match, I think a few more were booked in but due to the cold weather some had decided to stay under the duvet. There was a frost overnight so had to defrost the car at 06:30.
On arrival at the Rugby Club tucked into my favourite black pudding and sausage bap with brown sauce (its an acquired taste) and a tea. Wanted another tea but fishing on the town stretch in Bath with lots of walkers etc there is nowhere to pee.
Talk before the draw was that the Canal would be rock hard today and Kev Dicks turned up with bloodworm and joker that had been ordered by a few. It was good quality Polish stuff and some were very excited when they opened the little paper parcels containing them while having their breakfast.
I have used it a few times myself but done just as good with normal squats, pinkie, caster and worm.
Entry was £20 which included Xmas Fare prizes and Kev ran a £5 super pool which I entered.
I was about halfway in the draw que and when it was my turn I pulled out peg 7. Nicky told me it was on the ''Long Pond'', I had no idea how to get there but after taking various bits of advice (some good, some ridiculous) i established that I needed to head for Pultney Gardens so Sat Nav it was.
Arrived no problem at all and parked up on the hill leading to the canal towpath. The road was white with frost and therefore very hazardous under foot.
It was only a short walk to the canal but hard to find the white peg card in the frosty grass (thanks Vince Lunn for your assistance).
my view towards Bath (bit frosty)
tunnel my left leading to a lock and Horseshoe pond
I had not fished this part of the canal before but was very please with the draw. There was plenty of room and far bank cover in the form of brambles.
3 rigs were set up today, a 4x14 for the track at 9 meters in about 4 foot of water for fishing the punch, same set up but for fishing at 13 meters at 10:00 and 14:00 just at the bottom of the far shelf in about 3 foot of water and a little chop float for fishing up on the far shelf about a meter out from the bank where it was around 2 feet deep. All rigs had 20 hooks and 0.10 fluro.
On the bait tray was red squats, pinkie, red maggot, worm and bread.
At the start I fed a small pot of liqqy bread and then cupped in chop and caster on the far shelf and fed my two other lines with squat and caster in a mix of black lake and noire.
Starting on a 4 mm piece of punched bread I expected the float to sail away. It didn't. Glancing down to you Cal on 6 he was already swinging in a small roach which he caught short on bread. I persevered but after 20 mins on the bread I had not had a single indication. Cal however had about 5 by this time!
I picked up my far shelf rig and put a fluro pinkie on, the float buried straight away and to my surprise it was a small chub of around 4 ozs. I took a few more chub on this line before it went quiet due to a boat coming down and the lock opening making the swim a bit like a jacuzzi with bubbles and whirl pools everywhere. I waited until the boat had come down and passed and re-fed all my lines. the bread line was fed with chop and caster with a few squats.
I started again on my 10:00 line where I took, dace, gudgeon, bull head, roach and perch but they were quite small but at least I was putting fish in the net. Young Cal was struggling now.
I took a look again on the far shelf and was soon back catching chublet's, a few were net fish as well.
It must have been around 13:00 ish when Nigel Wyatt came down the towpath for a walk from upstream (this is unusual). He asked how I was getting on and I said I thought I had around 8lbs. Nigel said that up above they were all struggling and he had only had a few bites but Jeff Surman in Horseshoe Pond had a couple of big chub (2lbs odd a piece). He walked on down to see the others and on return said others down their were also struggling.
After he went my peg switched off on all lines and for the remainder of the match I only caught the odd small fish which would cost me.
At 15:00 the ''all out'' was called and while I was packing up Mike Goodhind came down and said the favoured ''tunnels'' area was dire today and that an otter had now taken up residence which accounted for the poor fishing. his section was won with 5ozs!!!! The ''Richardsons wharf area had also fished poor for most.
The scales came up and Vince Lunn was the best in our area with 6lbs 13oz after that it was 2lbs 15oz.
My net went 5lbs 15oz, I had a lot of fish but the chub tend to be a bit hollow.
Not bad for a cold day
Back at the Rugby Club it was clear a lot had really struggled and i don't think that blood worm and joker made any difference.
Top 6 as follows:
1st Jeff Surman 8lbs 11oz, well done mate
2nd Shane Caswell 8lbs 4oz
3rd Vince Lunn 6lbs 13oz
4th Ivan Currie 5lbs 15oz
5th Kev Dicks 5lbs 5oz
6th Sean Townsend 4lbs 6oz
As they only paid top 3 I was just out of the main money but got my section by default plus 10 cans Thatchers, 18 cans of John Smiths and a big box of biscuits.
Followed by Christmas Dinner when I got home and few beers.
Back on the Bristol Avon next week at Newbridge for the Bathampton Christmas Match.
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