Sunday 7th May - Gloucester Canal Spring League Round 3

I missed the 2nd round in this popular league due to being on holiday in Cuba so was looking forward to Round 3 as it was pegged on the lower part of the Canal.

Todays ''Sections'' where Splatt (downstream and in the lovely village of Frampton on Severn) and ''Purton''. The draw and results where in the Gordon League Rugby Club at Hempstead, Gloucester so quite a drive back and forth. Team today was Chris, Sam, Glenn and myself.

At the draw the talk was the favoured place to be would be ''Purton'' as at this time of year a lot of bream show especially around the mouth of the old Timber Ponds where I had a few good pleasure sessions last year (details on older posts labelled Gloucester Canal).
Out of the 15 Teams we were halfway to draw and Chris came back with......

Me - 627 Splatt
Sam - 810 Purton
Chris - 838 Purton
Glenn - 614 Splatt

Glenn and I made our way to Splatt where there was organised parking in a field. Glenn remembered he had fished this ''section'' many years ago and thought the early and end pegs would be the best with the middle a scratch match. Indeed others said the same. Glenn was 5 pegs down the beginning of the ''section'' as i passed Andy Jane of Sensas Lobbys who was the 2nd peg in he said the 3 end pegs at the bottom of the ''section'' would produce and all the rest would struggle (remember this comment).

3 set ups today...pole at around 12 meters (just to get over some weed which seemed to end at 11 meters) at top 5 deep with a 1.5 gram AS, 18 hook to 0.12 fluro, pole at 8 meters just pointing downstream where it was top 4 deep and fairly clear with same float and hook etc, finally the feeder rod with 25 gram cage feeder with 18 wide gap to 0.11 power to fish the far shelf (5 foot of water).
Ground bait today was F1 dark and Noire for the feeder and F1 dark, Match and Leam for the pole lines.

Due to the distance from the draw and long drive fishing today was 11:00 - 16:00.

3 big cups of ground bait with a few dead pinkies, caster and a little bit of worm went in on the longer pole line and 2 on the shorter line.

I started off on the bread feeder across with a piece of 6mm punch and had a roach about 4oz second cast which avoided a blank, happy days and always good to get a fish early on the Gloucester Canal.

I had a couple more knocks and small pull rounds but did not connect. 

Looking up and down the canal as you do to try and see whats going on I could see a few landing nets going out further downstream after 30 minutes then the angler below me had a decent bream on the tip across.

I had a couple more pull rounds on the bread and came to the conclusion that they were liners. 

An hour had passed now so gave up with the bread and switched to my F1 mix with 2 dead reds. Second cast the tip went round and it was bream on, not a big one but at around 2lb very welcome. In the next 30 minutes I had two more before it went quiet.

Looking down the canal I could see a few poles up in the air with elastic coming out so went on my 12 meter line. First put in the float sailed away and the No.6 elastic slowly came out, it was a good fish and in 18 feet of water put up a good fight and the 18 hook held as I nervously played it to the net. I was thinking to myself at least I have a few Team points today.... hmmm.

I stayed on the this line taking 3 more bream, the most I have ever caught on the pole on the Gloucester Canal and could hardly believe it as it doesn't happen very ofter on this moody venue.

The angler below me was putting a few fish together on the tip as was Mark Treasurer 2 pegs below so I went back on it as well.

I was soon back getting bites and getting more bream after stepping up to a 14 hook with full or half a dendra tipped with dead reds.

The end of the match came and I knew the angler below me had a few more than me but thought i had more than the guy above me.

Brain Pollard walked past me with the scales to begin weighing in below us. it seemed ages before he came back in sight and there was good reason........ lots of fish to be weighed.

Look at this for a weight over 15 anglers.

The guy doing the board said there was 400 lbs plus of fish caught in the ''Section'', never seen anything like it, nor had many others on the Glos Canal.

My 37lb 14oz would have won most matches on the Canal but was only worth 8 points from 15 today. I was in the right ''section'' just the wrong end but what a lovely days fishing.

Oh....and remember what Andy Jane said earlier lol.

Part of my catch today

Glenn also done OK in his ''section'' with 8lbs plus for 10 points, here is his ''section board''.

Purton ''sections'' did not produce as thought.

Here is Sam's ''section''........

Little different you might say!

Did not get a photo of Chris's ''section board'' but it was a similar story with Chris doing OK with 12 points and 4lbs plus and just missing out on a 3rd in ''section'' payout.

Team points gave us 35 on the day ... beating some local Teams.

Team results on the day and overall after 3 Rounds from 4 as follows:

We have done OK as this is only our 2nd year fishing this League, last round is the end of May.

No fishing planned next Sunday but will try and get out on the Feeder Canal in Bristol on Wednesday and fishing the evening match at Acorn nr Thursday.