Ivan's Angle: Sunday 8th April - Gloucester Canal Spring League Teams of 4, Round 1

Monday, 9 April 2018

Sunday 8th April - Gloucester Canal Spring League Teams of 4, Round 1

We had already registered for this popular event prior to Maver ceasing the sponsorship deal with us and decided to go ahead as Cadbury Angling and prior to our first outing under the Sensas Nomads banner for the South West Super League which starts late May.
Normally there are 15 Teams of 4 but leading up to match day there was talk of 27!
By the time match day came around it was reduced to 24 with one Team pulling out at the last minute causing a bit of a headache for the organisers as the pegging had to be amended. Still 96 anglers on a natural venue is tremendous.

The draw was at the Gordon League Rugby Club where breakfast roll were available and not sure why but they seemed to be overwhelmed and understaffed due to the demand but delivered in the end so well done to them.
It was nice to meet up with some old faces again some who you don't see from one Spring League to the other.

All of us got there nice and early and sat with our forthcoming team mates (Sensas Nomads) who also had one team fishing the League. The draw was delayed due to the pegging amendments and finally got under way about 08:30. The match length today was upper Hempstead then Simms to Pilot. Chris came back with the draw with the following pegs.....
Chris Hempstead 13
Me below Rea Bridge 175
Sam 221 halfway between Rea and Pilot
Glenn 320 Pilot end

On the face of it Sam had the best peg with bream the target the rest of us would be scratching.

Fishing was 11:00 to 16:00 so plenty of time to get there and set up.

When I got to my peg I was familiar with the area as I had drawn around there last year and the year before most did struggle with better weights around the bend into the late 180's / 190's.
Set up today was the Feeder across about a metre from the far blackthorn hedge another Feeder across in the deeper water about 20 metres out, a top 5 2gram rig at 13.5 metres, 0.10 fluro hook length to a 20 wide gap hook and finally a top 4 rig at 8 metres, 1.5 gramm float, and the same hook length etc.
Ground bait was Dark F1 for the tip and Dark F1 with a 50/50 mix of leam and mole hill soil for the pole lines. I also had some liqqy bread.
to compliment the above dead red and dead pinkies, squat, worm and caster.
Prior to the all in Paul Bick who was on 173 came down to have a chat by the sound of it he hadn't fished in the area before.

Paul Bick sandwiched between 2 boats

My peg 175 (Maver gear will be phased out and to be replaced with Sensas)

On the all in I took my time feeding the 2 pole lines, 3 balls went in down the track and 2 at 8 metres, these were to be left for at least an hour. I could see the 2 other angers below me and they balled it.

I started off on the liquidised bread across with a 6mm punch on the hook and after 30 minutes did not have a touch which was a bit worrying but not a surprise. Looking up and down as far as I could see no early fish had been snared, again not a surprise.

I changed to the fishmeal mix in the feeder across with a few dead pinkies and dead red on the hook to see if that would make a difference. I did have one knock but nothing positive. After 1 hour 15 mins I went out on the track line with double fluro pinkie on the hook and as soon as the float settled it sailed away, I struck and the no.6 elastic came out about a foot, wasn't expecting that but it was a small skimmer around 5oz so blank avoided. Could not get another bit right away so after 15 mins put on a small piece of worm and result another small skimmer, wheres your mum and dad I was thinking.

At 12:46 I had a text from Glenn saying that 1 hr 45 min in he had only a bleak and others around him blanking. Sam also text me to say he had 5 roach and a small skimmer on the bread but a few bream being caught around him, which I knew would be the case.

With the track not producing I came in on my 8 metre line and the float had hardly settled when it went under, another small skimmer and that was it from that line....why.

The rest of the match I managed a small skimmer on the far bank tip and a couple more down the track, just did not seem to be fish in any numbers in the peg...why do you catch one and then nothing?

I knew the 2 anglers below me had one or two bream so well down the Section with my 6 skimmers but did not think they had caught much above me.

While we were waiting for the scales one guy came past me as he had blanked...he said it was the walk of shame lol.

When the scales came to me I recorded 1lb 6oz and that was 15th out of 24 so not good but not a disaster. Here is my Section weights.....