Sunday 28th July - Port Talbot Docks ....isn't it

With no match to fish locally this Sunday I decided to have a visit to Port Talbot Docks and fish a small match. I was able to get pretty genned up on the venue as there are a few You Tube posts from Clive Branson on there and some facebook posts from some of the regulars.

It was easy to book in as the have their own facebook page administered by Steve O'Mara. The route planner suggested it was 70 miles with a 1 hour 20 minute journey. Breakfast and draw was at Bros Cafe near the dock.

I left home just before 6 a.m. and was in Port Talbot by 07:40 as I took it steady with the van running in a new DPF system. The postcode for the cafe took me to a railway siding and didn't have a clue where I was so punched in the postcode for the fishing area and phone Steve to give me directions to the cafe. Fortunately he was just around the corner and came and got me.

Breakfast was fantastic and a good price.

Soon the rest of the anglers were turning up and very friendly they were as well although at time there was a bit of a language barrier with them as well as me repeating ourselves. There were only 8 fishing but 2 golden pegs worth £100 each plus pool money.

I recognised a couple of anglers namely Ian Drisscol who has fished with Nomads and Mal Entwistle who I had met many years ago on Iniscarra Res in Co. Cork.

I was last to draw and the 2 golden pegs had already gone. I ended up on peg 18, the favoured pegs were 21 and 22 in the shallower part of the dock and they had a lot of weed in them as well but good for holding fish i.e. bream. Steve was next to me on 19 and had won the match the previous week with 66lb of bream caught in the final 2 hours short on the feeder.

The fishing area was a short drive from the cafe and we entered the area through 2 locked gates. The fishing is leased from the dock authority by a guy called Dai and if you want to pleasure fish it he can be contacted on 07886 301754. I was introduced to Dai by Steve but I have no idea what he said, i just nodded at the right time I think lol.    ‬

my peg 18

As I was setting up I could smell sea weed and as you can see in the photo there is a sea going coaster ship opposite. Indeed they catch mullet, bass and crabs here as well as roach, rudd, tench, bream, perch, hybrids and pike. 

I had already tied some deep rigs i.e. top 7 to hand, 0.17 rig line to 0.15 hook length, 4 and 5 gram floats. Double bulk style i.e. 3 number 8's 6 inched above the hook which were 16's and 14's and the the olivette, serious rigs. I also had 2 feeder rods, one for 30 turns and one for 20 turns.

2 buckets of ground bait with 3 tins of corn, dead reds and a pint of caster, chopped worm was also added.

Plumbing up on the pole I had top 6 deep close in just past the old stantions that used to form the side of the dock, so top 6 to hand it would be then fishing a foot and a few inches of the deck as it was very rocky. Feeder set up was braid on one and 0.20 mono on the other, both with size12 hooks to 0.17.

I balled in a full bucket at the start half and half on both lines, the short feeder line would be fished over the pole line.

Starting off with the longer feeder line and worm I had a small hybrid first chuck and then a tidy perch. A few more knocks over the next 20 minutes but nothing positive. 

I came in on the pole line with 3 maggots and had a small roach straight away. Lots of small fish on the maggot about 3 oz each. Steve suggested I fish with corn but it was very slow and I was missing bites due to the small fish simply dragging it along.

I kept having a look on the feeder lines but it was very quiet. Steve said it was fishing usually hard. All the time I spent on the feeder I was loose feeding corn as well as the odd ball of ground bait.

About halfway through I had a few lovely roach on the corn so stepped up the loose feed. Steve then had 3 proper bream short on the feeder as well as a couple of big eels but then it went quiet. I decided to stay on the pole and the roach just got better but it was too late. 

I weighed 12lb plus and didn't shame myself as a first timer as you will see by the weights.

My first effort

Mal won it with 28lb plus of an end peg and golden peg picking up a tidy some of cash the other golden peg money is still up for grabs,

Winner Mal, no big bream but some nice skimmers

Organiser Steve O'Mara came third with just over 15 mainly 3 bream

Full results below....

I did enjoy fishing the dock and as we only have a practice match at Newbridge in amongst the swimmers and the boats I am returning to the dock instead armed with a bit more info and experience.

Staverton again this Wednesday.....chub peg please...

Wednesday 24th July - Staverton Open

summary as follows....

Only 14 of us today so the first peg in was 29 and spread out upstream to 77.

I drew 77 and to be honest it looked nice with lots of chublets swimming about on the surface. The peg was set back a bit from the water and I had to do a bit of gardening to clear the lilies in front of me but didn't take long.

2 waggler rods, one at full depth and one at half depth, both with 18 B611's to 0.11 in case bigger chub showed and needed this to get them out of the nearside lilies.

I did set up the pole for fishing just over the lilies but it was so weedy it stayed up the bank.

Just decided on a maggot and hemp approach today and ended up having bites most of the day with chublets and later on some net roach at full depth. Thought I had about 8lbs but weighed 6lb 2oz. On reflection I think I should have concentrated more down the middle at full depth and fed heavier for the roach as they were worth having. 

Chub pegs dominated again with Robbie Kephner having a few big boys late for 13lb 4oz, I am told he lost a few as well.

Robbie with his winning catch

Full results as follows....

Sunday 21st July - SW Super League Round 4, Bristol Avon Chippenham and Staverton

I found myself being Captain today, probably because I always have a pen.

Team today was ....
Mike Martin
Clive Roberts
Chris Hook
Mike Withey
Stretch
Rich Whitmarsh
Sam Johnson
Me

Draw was at Spencers in Melksham again so everyone had to travel a few mile.

4 sections at Staverton and park behind your peg and 4 at Chippenham from Westinghouse Drain to Town Bridge.

We were about halfway in the team draw and Sam, Clive, Mike W and I were at Chippenham.
Stretch in the early pegs at Chippenham, Mike a few pegs away from where he was last week (peg 42), Chris in Monkton Pk, and Rich in the last section.

Sam and Clive followed me to Staverton which was about 15 minutes away. I was on 16 above the railway bridge which is quite deep, full top 4. It looked ok to be honest and there was a little bit of flow after the down pour on the Friday.

I set up a 0.6 gram to 0.08 and a 20 plus a 1 gram to 0.09 and an 18 to fish 11 metres out over gardens and noire laced with hemp, caster and dead pinkie.

My inside perch line was about the same depth so set up another 1 gram rig to 0.12 and a 16 to fish worm over choppy.

Given the over head bushes I decided against setting up a Waggler as the wind was an upstreamer and likely to get stronger so set up a feeder but never used it.

It took about 15 minutes to get my first bite on the caster but a nice roach at that. A few more followed but it was not manic and for some reason I couldn't get a bite so switched to pinkie and that brought the bites back. After and hour I thought I had about 1lb but not worried at this stage. A look on the inside worm line produced nothing, I think it was too deep for the perch and there were no lilies and reeds.

Gudgeon put in an appearance on the pole which is not always good as far as I am concerned. The wind got up as well and it was hard work.

I ended up with 3lb 1oz for 2 points from 7, pretty poor really. My section was won by Paul Purchase from peg 29 (big chub peg) who had 2 of the big boys and lost 2 plus bits for 10lb odd.

Paul with his catch ( I have enhanced the photo as much as I can, just don't let the kids see it)

I met up with Sam who had managed 2nd in his section with 5lb plus, 13lb won his section.

We got back to Spencers and found that Rich Whitmarsh pulled off a miracle in the latter part of the match to win his section with a late bream.

Mike Withey also done well with 5 points from 7.

One of the strangest things that happened though was Andy Ottaways misfortune. While he had gone down the bank to catch up with the scales I think, he left his net in the water only to return finding it up the bank and fish gone!

Individually Chris Parr won the match with 58lb of bream, 17 in all from the oak tree down cyanide straight at Chippenham.

Chris Parr with part of his catch

2nd was Gary Etheridge with 19lb of bream from peg 40 at Chippenham which must have surprised him as its a chub peg.

3rd was Charlie Vallender with 16lb from Staverton.

Teams on the day....

1st   DGL

2nd  GBV

3rd   Sensas 88

We were 6th from 7.

Ah well, 2 matches to go, both at Newbridge in a few weeks time.

Staverton tomorrow (Wed) and on Sunday I am having a dabble on Port Talbot Docks which is a new venue for me but looks incredible.

Wednesday 17th July - Staverton Open

I was in two minds whether to fish this match today as the van is still in the garage but decided to go in the end with the vw passat.
A reduced turnout today for some reason but still 16 and pegged from the lower meadow up. Roach had started to show the previous week so was hoping for a decent peg to fish for them rather than a chubbier.

I was almost the last the draw and pulled out 55, wanted to be further down really.

When I got to the peg it was full of lilies right in front of me, totally unfishable. Gerry the organiser stopped and said they had cleared in out on the Sunday with the aid of a boat but suggested I moved up a few pegs, I was end peg anyway. Happy with that and settled in on 58.

To be honest I pissed about with the hemp too much in the first hour trying to get it right and just couldn't get through the small bleak.

Gave myself a talking to and sorted another rig out 0.6 gramme fishing a bulk with caster on the hook over ground bait and saw an immediate improvement. Started to catch pommies and chunky roach down the middle and was on for a weight ....... then pike, pike, pike.

Destroyed the swim for a good hour so came on the inside and had a few perch.

The caster line came good again an hour from the end and I ended up with 7lb 13oz.

Could have won it had it not been for the pike.

Weight sheets below.

Super League match this Sunday, 4 sections at Chippenham and 4 at Staverton.

Sunday 14th July - SW Super League Practice, Chippenham and Melksham

A number of our Team were booked in for this match but 2 had to cancel due to a) work and b) van problems. My own van is in the garage at the moment bit hope to get it back for next weekend.  Fortunately I have a vw passat estate as well which copes with all the gear.

Gary Etheridge had the unenviable task of pegging the match and managed one section down the Portman Rd in Melksham and the rest at Chippenham, Westinghouse Drain to Wetherspoons below the town bridge. 41 fishing today and with the draw being at Spencers Club in Melksham most had to travel a few miles to Chippenham.

I drew E3 which was permanent peg 43 above the Sea Cadets in Chippenham. I had fished 42 before and knew there was a big tree across and some far bank cover. It is a good area but more of a winter peg than summer. On arrival I spent 30 minutes removing a hedge of norfolk reeds from in front of the permanent platform and then had to get my rigger platform in front of the permanent one, just as well I brought waders.

There were underwater cabbages 3/4 the way across but you could get a waggler behind them for a very short trot to a bank of lilies. I decided to fish heavy here so 4lb reel line to 0.11 power hook length and size 16 B611.

Down the middle at 13 metres I had about 4' 6'' and set up a 1 gram with an 18 and a 0.6 gram rig with a 20.

Put in 3 balls on the pole line with choppy and caster and started with 3 maggots across on the wag. First cast went squirrel fishing and lost the lot so re-done the wag set up. The wind was all wrong for the wag here but I thought spraying maggot and fishing 3' deep I might just snare a couple of chub in the short trot. Sure enough 3rd or 4th trot down I was into a chub, not big but thought there might be more. I carried on with the wag for the first hour and only added some small barrels and bleak and lots of minnows.

Went on the pole after an hour and all I could catch was minnows and bleak despite trying to feed them off with hemp and caster.

Then the canoes started, just the odd couple at first but increased as the day went on, nice bright yellow and red ones on the clear water. Canoe coaching then began at the Sea Cadets sight and the odd eskimo roll in the water below me ...ffs.... I did persevere and with an hour and a bit to go went for a walk a couple of pegs upstream.....really hard and not much caught at all.

Went back, went down to a size 20 on the waggler and started to trot down the middle feeding maggot. One roach and a couple of small chub and more bleak.

Weighed 2lb 1oz which was average for the pegs around me so not good.

On the plus side team mate Steve ''Stretch'' Saunders won the match from the end peg below the town bridge with 23lb plus of bream on the pole so well done to him.

''Stretch'' with his winning bag

Overall its fished poor so don't let the main frame weights fool you.

2nd     Phil Bendall 17lb.
3rd     Jon Tocknell 14lb
4th     Andy Jane 13lb
5th     Andy Pollard 12lb
6th     Mick Gale 11lb

Think I am now at a crossroads with fishing and need to decide what to do. As a team member it does take a lot of commitment to fish some iffy venues. It's expensive and more often than not disappointing. I also think it's hard to compete with a few other teams so .... pools fodder springs to mind. Looking ahead to the autumn and winter and especially the Upper Thames Winter League the venues and distance don't seem attractive. I do like the Bristol Commercial House League especially the Lower Avon matches so maybe I will stick with that and some Opens as well as Club matches. 

Hmmmmm decisions decisions.

Sunday 7th July - SW Super League Round 3, Huntspill

Back on the Huntspill for Round 3 of the SW Super League.

Team today was ....
Clive Branson
Clive Roberts
Gary Swain
Rich Whitmarsh
Mike Withey
Mark Williams
Steve Saunders
Me

Prior to the draw we agreed that Clive Roberts could have the first section below Woolavington Bridge due to mobility issues. So whoever drew this section would have to swap, all above board and agreed with the organiser.

The 2 Clives turned up on time this week (sounds like a civil partnership) so managed to mug them for the pools money rather than sub them. £40 in crisp notes were handed over just as if they rolled off the press that morning (well they are not far from the Royal Mint). We also had Gary Swain from the Principality today as well so 4 Celts (Celts I said) and 4 Anglo Saxons.

I got the Team Sheet, filled in the names, collected the money and handed over to Dave Micklewright who said I was £20 short ......forgot to put Steve Stretch Saunders down... how did that happen. All sorted in the end. Mike Withey went up and done the draw for us and came back with the following....

A Section, Gold Corner - Gary peg 5
B Section, North Bank - Stretch peg 12
C Section, North Bank - Mike peg 21
D Section, Top of Woolavington Up - Me peg 26
E Section, Middle Woolavington Up - Rich peg 33
F Section, Bottom Woolavington Up - Mark peg 39
G Section, Woolavington Down - Clive R peg 47
F Section, Woolavington Down - Clive B peg 53

Not a great draw to be honest and no end pegs, we knew the 3 sections above Woolavington Bridge would be difficult and based on the previous week Gold Corner and North Bank would also be iffy with the breamfest likey to continue below the bridge.

Plenty of time to get to my peg as fishing was 11 - 4.
My peg was pretty open and there did not appear to be much weed. I thought about setting the pole up but the reeds on the fringes of my peg were a good 16 metres out and I felt I needed to go beyond that so set up a waggler instead. 2 feeder rods completed the set up, one 3/4 over with a 14 hook and one just under halfway with a 16 hook.
Groundbait was Green Fishmeal for the feeder and black lake and leam for the waggler line.
I was setting up and Kev Perry walked past me, he was on the next peg to my right upstream. Kev had to go home to Clevedon as he forgot a few things ..... well he does drink Thatchers Haze!!!

I was set up in plenty of time and had a walk down to Rich on peg 33. I walked past Liam Braddell and had a chat with Nige Evans on the way, both in my section. Think Nige is also sponsored by Sonu Baits looking at the amount of ground bait he had mixed up.
When I got to Rich's peg he was with the Legend Gary Etheridge one peg down. Gary was still setting up and was scratching his head setting up a feeder rod (anyone who knows Gary will understand his predicament). I offered to set it up for him with a twizzel boom and running loop. He immediately handed the lot over to me lol. Afterwards he said he'd buy me a pint but I said I rather have a day waggler fishing with you to which he agreed. He is superb on the waggler.

At 11 I started on the long feeder line with a hook length and bait but retrieving and casting out every 5 minutes looking for an early fish. 90 minutes in and nothing. I had been feeding the waggler line with hemp and a little maggot so gave it a try. Again nothing.

My first cast with the short feeder line produced a decent eel which was hooked nicely in the bottom lip followed by another bootlace.
Kev above me was feeiling lonely at this point and started asking what I'd had, I told him but had to ask what he had (he keeps things close to his chest). He told me he had one decent skimmer and a smaller one. Then young England International's Andy Cranston came walking down the bank asking if we had caught, all he had was a few ounces and said most were struggling.

I decided to stay on the short feeder line the rest of the match, I was able to hit a couple of spots more accurately and retrieve quicker. I was hoping for some more decent eels but the last 2 hours I put together a nice net of small hybrids and skimmers and there was also a chance of a bonus fish on this line but it didn't materialise.
Listening to Liam and Nige talk I believed I had done better than them but anglers tell lies.

I walked up to meet the scales and Andy Richings was weighing, his 3lb plus was the best so far. Andy C weighed in and registered 6.5 oz! Kev was net to weigh and said he had 3lbs ish, he weighed 5lb 1.5oz lying b@$%&£d.
I weighed 5lb dead, Liam had 3lb 5oz and Nige 2lb 11oz. So 2nd in section and done by 1.5oz, still a pick up due as they pay top 2 in sections.

Back at the 37 Club most came back. Clive B was also 2nd in section only getting beat by Andy Power off the end peg with a bream 5 mins from the all out. The bream did not feed this week.

Team sheet as follows...

The match was won by Charlie Vallender DGL with 12lb plus from Gold Corner on the pole followed by Nick Chedzoy Thatchers with 10lb from the end peg in the last section above Woolavington (couple of bream), 3rd was Martin Howard DGL 9lb of roach.

DGL won the day.

We are cumulatively in 6th place, ah well.

Chippenham and Melksham next week for a practice match and before that back at Staverton for the Wednesday match.

Catch up - various

Following the practice match on the Huntspill on 23rd June I had a session on my local River Kenn with Brian Gay from Anglers Mail on Tuesday 25th June for a write up which in next weeks publication (9th July). The River is a bit temperamental at the moment and I only had one bream a about 8 perch but its potential is tremendous and well worth the £20 annual membership.

I returned again to Staverton for the Wednesday Open. A good turn out of around 20 this time but a couple ventured down on the Tone for the Evening Open to do some chub bashing.
Not quite sure why but the high numbers were in this week....i.e. the 70's and I drew 73. I know from my limited experience here that its pretty shite and shite it was the 2 anglers above me packed up early as well as myself. Before driving off I walked down to Neil Richards who was catching perch close in on the pole and he ended up winning our section.
The chub pegs that were in didn't fish and Richard Chave won the match with 8lb odd of whip caught white bait.

winner Richard Chave

It was back on the Huntspill on Sunday for the 2nd round of the Super League. Although the main weights are impressive it fished rock hard in all of the sections above Woolavington Bridge. I drew smack bang in the middle of the North Bank and weighed a miserable 11oz. The section was won by Dave Micklewright on the first peg with bream for 24lb odd followed by Derek Coles 5 pegs down with another 4 bream. The section immediately below me was won with 5lb of micro roach!

Summary of section weights....

A - 7lb 13oz

B - 24lb 14oz

C - 5lb 13oz

D - 8lb 13oz

E - 12lb

F - 12lb 15oz

G - 55lb 2oz

H - 43lb 1oz

Individuals

1st    Andy Power 55lb

2nd   Nige Evans  47lb

3rd    Nick Ewers  43lb

4th    Andy Powell 37lb

5th   Andy Jane 27lb

6th   Dave Micklewright 24lb

Andy with part of his catch (Andy Power Angling FB page)

The top 5 were below Woolavington Bridge.

Thatchers done a tremendous job with 5 section wins I believe.

As a team we crashed out big time and last on the day....we are better than that and it's hit us hard.

So overall we are 6th from 7 teams.

I was back at Staverton yesterday (Wednesday 3rd) and drew 29 again were I was 2nd in the first match with 12lb plus of chublets.

Well it didn't happen, the biggest fish I had was 5oz in my 3lb 8oz net. No chub really fed and with the roach not feeding properly it was that man Richard Chave again who targeted the white bait again and won the match with 9lb plus WTF ! The roach must show sooner or later mustn't they? 

Richard did have a couple of better fish this week

Back on the Huntspill this Sunday for Round 3 of the Super League....hmmm ....