Sunday 22nd July South West Super League Round 3 - River Huntspill

An extra Team was made up for todays match in order to boost numbers but their points did not count, so 56 fishing today.
I met team mate Leigh at the Clevedon Junction of the M5 South before heading down to McDonalds for a breakfast wrap. Reason being Laburnum house where the draw is held is way over priced. Just as well we did as they had no gas and were just able to do bacon or sausage sandwiches with tea for £5.

Team today was...
Mark Williams (c) ...stands for captain although alternative words are available
Mike Withey
Rich Whitmarsh
Steve ''Stretch'' Saunders ...not sure what Stretch sand for
Andy Thomas
Chris Hook
Leigh Wakefield
Me

Todays Sections were...
A - Gold Corner
B - North Bank
C, D, E, F - Woolavington Bridge Up
G - Woolavington Bridge Down

The Team Plan was to fish the Feeder on A and B Section plus the top end of C, all other Sections we were to spend most of the time on the pole based on the last practice match.

Mark came back with the draw and I saw that I was on 66 which was D Section, not great to be honest but just got to get on with it.
The good news was we were able to drive to our pegs on Woolavington Up, drop our kit off and then park in the usual car park.

The peg was nice and comfortable.

I was the last peg in my Section. I set up 2 feeder rods (as it was always going to be worth a look across and down the middle now and again. A waggler for just past the pole line and 2 rigs at 13 metres, a 0.5 and a 0.75. Ground bait was fishmeal for the feeder lines and magic and lake for the pole.

I cupped in 3 hard and 3 loose helpings laced with caster and hemp before feeding the middle and across with 5 big feeder fulls of caster and some worm.

Starting on the pole with the 0.5 gram rig I had small fish straight away. The trip on the water was just right and heading towards the sea. A few better fish moved in, hybrids, perch and dumpy roach. In less than an hour the bites stopped, the wind got up and the trip was going the wrong way. A change to the heavier rig just brought the odd bite.

A look on both feeder lines for about 10 mins each gave no indications. I tried the waggler but conditions were not right and presentation was rubbish. Back on the pole and nothing so I re-fed. this did not make any difference what so ever.

I couldn't see if anyone was catching around me either. I phoned Leigh and Chris as they were in the Sections below me and they were also struggling just catching small fish although Chris had a few hand sized skimmers on the tip.

A look on the tip down the middle gave me a small rattle and when I hit it I thought it was an eel but turned out to be a 10oz skimmer. I gave it another 15 mins or so which produced nothing.

I stayed on the pole the rest of the match cupping in loose neat ground bait at intervals to pick up small fish and that was it.

Nick Ewers up stream from me sat on the tip all match and was admitting to 10lbs approx.

I walked up to meet the scales halfway down the Section. I asked Mark Bromsgrove what the weights were so far....he said two 14's and a DNW....two 14ozs that was! I thought he was joking...he wasn't.

Anyway this is how my Section panned out with Nick winning it very comfortably.

Nick easily won the Section

There were some fantastic weights today from the inform and known area's of the river.

Individuals...

1st      Tony Goodland 73lb 8oz - peg 54

2nd     Paul Purchase 66lb 12oz - peg 37

3rd      Andy Richings 37lb 15oz - peg - 38 ....Andy came 3rd the day before at Evesham and qualified for the BH Weekend match in August so a good weekend for him.

There were at least 3 other 30lb plus weights.

I tried to get all the Section winners but too noisy when they were read out.

Teams on the day...

1st     P I Thatchers

2nd    DGL

3rd     Sensas Lobbys

4th     GBV

5th     Sensas 88

6th     Sensas Nomads

League to date.....

1st     P I Thatchers

2nd    DGL

3rd     GBV

4th     Sensas Lobbys

5th     Sensas 88

6th     Sensas Nomads

Back on the Huntspill for Round 4 next week.

We had another Team fishing at Evesham today on the last qualifying match for the BH Weekend.

It was great to hear that they came 5th and qualified after narrowly missing out by ounces on the first attempt.

Captain Clive Branson even took a dip to land a chub after his landing net broke..and...apparently he can't swim!

Clive with his 5lb 11oz which was 5th in the match at Evesham

Hope to fish the Staverton match on Wednesday afternoon but hear there is very little flow.

Sunday 15th July - River Huntspill ''knock up'' quick summary

Sunday 15th July was meant to be the 3rd SW Super League match which was to be held on the Huntspill but after the practice match on 8th July it was decided to push the dates back a week as it was World Cup Final Day and all eyes where on England making it. 

I was on a Rhine Cruise while the practice match was being run but was looking forward to the league match on the 15th when I would be back.

Before I go on ....team mate Andy Thomas won the Practice Match on the 8th with over 30lbs so well done to him.

Sensas Nomads have had some success so far this year......

• Mike Martin-Davis has qualified for the Evesham Festival.
• The Team just missed out on qualifying for the Team Event at Evesham (but having another go this weekend)
• Chris Hook and I won the AT/CRT Canal Pairs Qualifier on the Gloucester Canal
• Geraint Powell finished 3rd at Staverton on a Open
• Andy Thomas won the Huntspill Open

I arrived back in the UK on the 12th July so was unsure where I would fish on the Sunday. Andy Thomas put out on Facebook that he would run a ''knock up'' on the Huntspill (North Bank) so I said I would come along. Only 6 in total and Andy sorted out the day tickets. We fished downstream from the famous Gold Corner pegs 37 to 42.

I had not fished this bank for some years but it was where the bream showed the week before. I drew peg 40. It was a hot day with little or no wind and bright sunshine.

Andy Jane was on end peg 37 where Andy Thomas had won the previous week and Derek Jarman was on the other end peg 42 but hadn't brought his Feeder Reels with him (I wasn't supposed to mention that). 

So....

Peg 37 Andy Jane

Peg 38 Chris Hook

Peg 39 Andy Thomas

Peg 40 me

Peg 41 Andy Richings

Peg 42 Derek Jarman

I set up 2 Feeder Rods (middle and across) plus 1 pole rig. Usual Fishmeal ground bait for Feeder and  Lake and Roach for the pole.

I did catch on the pole but the fish were relatively small. I did pick up some skimmers and a decent bream on the Feeder but only after coming down the middle instead of right across.

Andy on 37 was in to bream quite early and ended up with 10 of them for 31lb plus which was more than enough to win.

2nd was Derek on 42 who fished the pole most of the day and the whip now and again. He caught 3 bream on the pole with about 90 minutes to go for 14lb 6oz.

Next door Andy Richings caught bream on the Feeder and Waggler for 14lb 2oz.

I had a measly 5lb 6oz but should have come in closer earlier.

Chris and Andy tipped back and had about the same as me.

Looking forward to Sundays match and hope to get out on my local River Kenn tomorrow.

Sunday 1st July - SW Super League Round 2, Bristol Avon, Staverton (between Bradford on Avon and Trowbridge)

Back to the finest restaurant in Trowbridge for todays draw..... McDonalds.

Sensas Nomads Team for today was....
Mike Martin-Davies (cpt)
Rich Whitmarsh
Mark Williams
Mike Withey
Chris Hook
Leigh Wakefield
Geraint Powell
and me

We were also fielding a team at Evesham on the same day, how good is that?

Mike also brought some nice new Sensas T Shirts for us as they are a lot cooler than the polo's. He did say whatever happens we will be the best dressed team if nothing else.
Prior to the draw I had to pay pools, contribution to the entry fee for the match, pay for the T shirt, pay Chris his share from winning the Angling Trust match last week and collect money from Leigh for the caster. Its all go.

Mike came back with the draw, we also had the scales. We had drawn 1, 13, 16, 32, 36, 43, 58, 69. Apparently the draw was forecast as absolute crap. I had fished the previous 2 Wednesday matches along with Mike and we thought 5lb would be a really good weight for points on the day. I won my section the previous Wednesday with 5lb 8oz, roach all caught on hemp.
Originally we were meant to have a couple of sections at Barton Farm but all the pegs were moved to Staverton due to a boating event. There would still be canoes coming up river as far as the railway bridge at Staverton for an hour or so and turning back, that was peg 13 and Leigh was on it. Mike was on 58 a peg that gary Etheridge has struggled on last Wednesday. I had peg 1.....I know, I know another end peg..but.. I don't actually draw, its usually Chris, but it was Mike this time.
Now I know I come from across the water...but let me tell you....I dreamt I would be on the peg. I told Leigh and he asked if I caught. I said I don't know because I woke up!!!

As I drove along the river I came across Rich, not sure what peg it was but it was clear it had not been fished and he was squeezed and I mean squeezed between 2 other pegs, really tight no more that 8 metres apart, absolute crap.
Got to my peg, last to arrive in the section and found myself next to James Carty.
The peg looked OK to be fair, lilies on the far side and a bit of flow at 11 metres. Plumbing up I found a top 4 set up was spot on as it was about 8 foot deep. 1 gram float to 0.10 hook length and a 20 hook was perfect. I also set up a waggler for across, a 6 metre whip with a hemp rig and that was it. Ground bait was a mix of frenzied hemp, sensas noire and sensas roach.
The peg was a little high of the bank so had to get in the water and set up the rigger platform, the long legs just about coped.

you can see how low my box is v the top of the bank

Fishing today was 11:00 - 16:00. On the all in I cupped in 3 ball of ground bait laced with hemp and cast at 11 metres and a few pouch fulls of caster across and loose fed hemp on the whip line. A grass snake swam across from the far bank and a cormorant dived in the lillies! Starting off at 11 metres maggot over the ground bait just to see what was about I had a roach straight away, only about 3 oz but a good sign. Then it was bleak, bleak, bleak. I was still feeding the other 2 lines all the time. I put on a tare and then hemp but no interest whatsoever. I cupped in another few balls of ground bait and picked up the whip. A couple of bits but nothing to write home about. Gave the waggler a go and had a few small barrel chub. Then the canoes started to come up river. I did persevere with the waggler in between them but after 30 minutes came back on the 11 metre line which was a good move. Fish had come to the ground bait and I caught on this line for the rest of the match, not fast and furious but some nice roach and little hybrids.  Continually feeding my ground bait mix laced with hemp and pinkie and maggot on the hook kept the fish coming although the last 30 minutes was a bit slow. I didn't loose a fish and just wish I had kept on that line all day, potentially could have done a lot better.

I was first to weigh and knew I had 5lb plus which was the target weight. Really pleased to weigh 7lb 3oz 8drms but knew I could have done better.

todays catch

James was next to weigh and said he had 400 bleak!

the photo does not really do it justice and he weighed 9lb 1oz

Our section was quite tight but I ended up with 4 points from a possible 6.

Driving back up the bank I stopped by Leigh on peg 13. It was really unlucky for some as not only had he had the boats turn in his peg he lost his number 6 section but went swimming and got it back. His 1lb 8oz was bottom in Section. I then caught up with Chris and he had done OK getting 3 points from 6.

Back at the Kings Arms pub where the results were held the rest of the team as predicted had some sorry tales, we had not done well overall.

Results as follows:

Sections, paying top 2 in each

A

James Carty P I Thatchers 9-1

Tony Goodland Sensas 88 7-6

B

Gary Cross Sensas 88 5-8

Buzzer GBV 5-0

C 

Rich Chave GBV 3-9

Andy Ottaway P I Thatchers 3-1

D

Derek Jarman Sensas Lobbys 4-0

Alan Jones DGL 3-6

E

Kevin Abigail GBV 3-14

Ian Pauley P I Thatchers 3-9

F

Dave Micklewright DGL 5-12

Gary Etheridge GBV 3-4

G

Ruben Gurra DGL 9-15

Rob Randall GBV 7-5-8

H

Rich Hoskins DGL 8-10

Paul Purchase Sensas 88 7-11

Top 3 paid out..

1st    Ruben Guerra DGL 9-15

2nd   James Carty P I Thatchers 9-1

3rd    Rich Hoskins DGL 8-10

4th   Paul Purchase Sensas 88 7-11

5th   Tony Goodland Sensas 88 7-6

6th   Rob Randall GBV 7-5-8

I finished 7th or 8th out of 48

Teams on the day..

1st    GBV 

2nd  DGL

3rd   P I Thatchers

4th   Sensas 88

5th   Sensas Lobbys

6th   Sensas Nomads

Teams after 2 rounds...

1st    DGL

2nd   GBV

3rd    P I Thatchers

4th    Sensas Lobbys

5th    Sensas 88

6th    Sensas Nomads

The Evesham Team were unlucky. 17 teams entered, 6 would qualify. Senses Nomads finished 6th equal but on weight count back did not qualify. Captain Clive Branson finished 4th overall in the match with 9-14

decent catch at Evesham for Clive

Well that's it for me for a couple of Sundays due to cruising the Rhine, next match is the SW Super League match on the Huntspill 15th July.