Sunday 24th November - Bristol Commercial House League Final Round K & A Canal Bath

Onto the final round of this league and the first time it's been fully completed before Christmas.

We had a squad meeting about 10 days before the match and due to the drop in temperatures we decided that bloodworm and joker would be a good idea.  I volunteered to source it again and placed an order with Taffy up in Bolton. We have had it off him before and its very good.
It arrived Friday morning so I unpacked it right away and gave it all a good spray with cold water and left in in the paper on the garage floor. Prior to match day it was sprayed twice a day.
My rig and hook prep was done a week ago so no last minute rushing.

Team today was:
Chris Hook
Leigh Wakefield
Rich Whitmarsh
Mike Withey
Jeff Sibley
Me

Mike was also in the final of the knock-out against Vince Lunn.

We already knew what sections were being put in as it was posted on Facebook the evening before...and as follows (sorry about the shadow but I didn't take the photo).

Prior to the draw there was much debate about the sections and what would be the favoured peg number to draw, we decided that 1 would be a good one.

Chris went up to do the team draw and .... came back with 1.

My enthusiasm deteriorated a bit when I saw that I was in F section aka Meadow Farm. Never done any good in this section and the upstream side of the bridge usually fishes better that the other side, which I would be on.  Anyway, job to do so off I went.

I parked at the top of Bathampton Lane to walk down, I wouldn't be pushing the barrow back up the steep hill, instead the gear would be left at the bottom and I would drive down with the van to pick it up.

Only 3 of us on the shitty side of the bridge, Nigel Wyatt, Ben Rendall and me.

The peg to be fair looked OK and it was quite mild so perhaps I would be surprised.

2 identical 4 x 14 rigs for the track although one had a 20 hook and the other a 18 both with 4 elastic.

1 4 x 12 for actors with 7 sections to fish the bottom of the far shelf, 20 hook with 3 elastic.

1 0.4 gram choppy float with a wide gape strong 18 for fishing up on the shelf for perch, 5 elastic.

I fed 2 balls of bread down the track to my left at the start and fished a 6mm punch over the top. 15 minutes went by and just little blips on the float, not going under as I would expect. I did give it another 15 minutes but felt it was a lost cause. Prior to fishing this line I had fed choppy and cast up on the shelf at two points and a ball of joker on the 7 section line straight in front.

An early look on the left hand shelf line with maggot did produce a couple of quick bites but I fail to connect. I think I hit the bite too early manly due to a boat coming up. After it went past I put a bit more choppy in. 

Going across at the bottom of the shelf with double bloodworm finally gave me a fish which was about 0.5 ounces! Another one followed about the same size, oh dear!

Ben shouted down and asked how I was doing, not very well was the reply, he had about 9 small fish at this stage.

The first hour is normally the best on the canal but it just wasn't happening and I feared the worst.

It got a bit better after 2 hours as I just got my head down and fished the bloodworm over regular top ups of joker in team. I did have a couple of 2 oz fish but in the main it was 4 to the ounce, riveting ...not.

The track produced little or nothing and it was too long to wait for a bite.

With and hour and a half to go I finally snared a decent net fish on the worm right across. I thought at first it was a perch, then a hybrid but no, it was a good roach. Soon afterwards I had a small perch on the same line but that was it.

I just stuck it out the rest of the match on the B & J line.

Darren Gillman came up with the scales to weigh me in first.

The scales registered 2lb 8.5 ozs. Here's two photos to get some idea of the size of fish in my peg.

Ben weighed in next and beat me by a few ounces but he was in A Div anyway.

Here's how the whole of F Section fished .....

Geraint who had the 7lb only really caught in the first hour but had 3 nice big skimmers.

Still, won my section and maximum 3 points, job done.

Back at the pub and there was a mixed team result but we did manage 3 section wins from 6.

Team sheet below.......

It was enough to win our Division by 8 points so a good effort from all the team over the 6 matches.

Here are the section winning weights some by default...

Sect         A Div            B Div

A             9-15              11-13 Rich

B             10-6              10-3   Jeff

C              4-4                11-8

D             6-9                 4-12

E              2-3                 0-13.5

F              7-0                 2-8.5 Me 

Some good weights as expected from the Town area and Rich just missed out on framing with his 11lb odd.

Mike didn't manage to beat Vince in the Knock-Out but he done well getting through to the final.

Match winner Nicky Johns with a magnificent 23lbs from the Long Pond.

Wednesday 13th November - pleasure session Gloucester Canal

We had a squad meeting on the Monday night to sort out our approach for the final round of the Bristol Commercial House League as well as look ahead to next year.

I mentioned that I would be going up on the Glossy mid week as the river would still be high.

Mike said he would come along and we met in McDs at Hardwick before heading up to Hempstead to fish the bend where I had a great day last Tuesday.

Mike went in on 48 and I took up 47. Both of us just took feeder rods.

No one else was there so we assumed we were in for a decent day.

Well ...It didn't happen.

Mike had two bites and no fish.

I only had 2 x 3oz perch and 2 hand sized skimmers.

Think it was too cold the night before and they will take a week to get used to the drop in temperature.

No fishing this weekend as we are having "Christmas Dinner" .... I know....don't ask...got the Samaritans on speed dial.

Sunday 10th November - Bill Milton Memorial Poppy Match, Bristol Avon, Newbridge to Chequers

Up until the Saturday morning prior to the match the river looked spot on ... then the heavy rain that came the same day and overnight had a big impact and up the level went again making it difficult for the guys who pegged out. Years ago if the river was out of sorts the Kennet and Avon Canal from Bath out to Claverton would have been a contingency but with the increase of house boats this is sadly no longer an option.

So the river it was then and a difficult day could be expected for the participants.

It was a good turnout despite the conditions and out of over 100 tickets sold 84 anglers turned up.

The event is the biggest match on the Bristol Avon with all proceeds going to the British Legion. In all the years I have fished it the best I have done is a 3rd and a 7th. At this event even some of the Commercial Anglers turn out such is the level of support given.

The organisation of the event is no mean feat lead by Ray Bazeley and a team of magnificent helpers who liaise with the controlling clubs, land owners, tackle shops, printers and the Pavilion Club in Keynsham to ensure the proceedings run smoothly.

Out of our Nomads Match Team we had 5 representatives fishing today, Chris, Sam, Brian and Stretch as well as myself.

Pegging details were as follows:

Sam is always keen to get as near the front of the draw que as possible so after the 2 minutes silence we were right at the front. Unbelievably Sam drew 77, Chris 76 and me 75 after the tickets were given a good mix up!!!!
So we were all up the Crane, Sam said we were in a good area on the day.... remember that....

We got parked up OK before the rest of the anglers arrived for this area and just as well as parking is very tight now. Walking up the patch alongside the river it looked pretty full and pacy. I was just hoping for a peg with a bit of slack. 2 fences later I arrived and to be honest the peg didn't look too bad given the conditions with a bit of a slack a rod length out and a rod length down stream toward some trees.

This would have been a great peg in normal conditions running the crow quill down the middle and the waggles across but hey ho.

2 feeder rods and a pole feeder rig was the order of the day.

30 grams held bottom initially close in were it was about 5 to 6 foot deep but as the match progressed I had to clip on another 30 and towards the end a 10 as the river got faster.

Starting of the on tip the leaves were a nightmare but I still fancied it for a few fish. An hour in I had a call from Sam who said he had one small dace on the pole feeder, Chris was blanking.

I picked up the pole feeder and after 20 minutes had a small roach.

Paul Benson came up the bank and said most were really struggling below me, he walked on up. When he came back he said Glenn Bailey had about 5 small fish, no one else above had anything.

After he went I had another small fish close to the bank so decided to see the match out on the pole feeder. Lots of false bites from leaves were annoying.

Darren Gillman came up for a walk with his family and reported it was still hard below me, when he came back Glenn was supposed to have had 11 small fish.

During the time left I added a few more ending up with 10 but they were small.

Glenn came down with the scales and said he had 1lb 1oz, I didn't think I had that and sure enough weighed 12oz. Glenn actually won our section with that!

Chris finished fishless and Sam weighed 9.5 oz which won him his section.

To show you all how hard it fished here are the section weights from Newbridge down....none by default.

4 - 01
7 - 11
1-14 -8
1- 01
3 - 01
0 - 04
1 - 03
2 - 06
2 - 0
4 - 11
8 - 12
2 - 03
2 - 05
2 - 0
1 - 01
0 - 09 - 08
1 - 02
1 - 0
19 - 12
9 - 01

So out of our guys Brian, Sam and Stretch won their sections Stretch also framed.

Paying out top 11 results as follows:

1. Craig Fletcher 19-12
2. M Jefferies 9-01
3. Kev Abigail 8-12
4. Andy Cranston 7-11
5. Stretch 6-08
6. M Cox 4-11
7. Mike Goodhind 4-06
8. Mark Harper 4-01
9. Nigel Wyatt 2-07
10. Andy Richings 3-04
11. Andy Jane 3-01

To date £2000 has been raised as a result of this event.

Sam won the lucky ticket draw and won himself a Preston Monster Feeder Rod and promptly sold it for £40 lol, I won a bottle of red for the wife (you know it makes sense).

Great match, great cause, great company, well done all.

Event organiser Ray Bazeley with the winner Craig Fletcher.

Tuesday 5th November - Pleasure session Gloucester Canal

Looking at the weather forecast Tuesday looked to be the best day of the week but where to go. Chew Valley Lake was out as I have a freezer full of trout and the Bristol Avon was falling but still too high.

Late on Monday night I decided it would be the Gloucester Canal but couldn't decide whether to go but thought about Castle Up / Down or Hempstead Bend. A couple of feeder rods were sorted out with braid on the reels and ground bait pre-mixed.

When I got up on Tuesday morning I still wasn't sure but headed up the M5 and got to McDonalds at Hardwick around 07:45 for a coffee and a bagel.
Pulling out of their car park I turned right and headed up to Hempstead parking near the Swing Bridge in the housing estate to walk down to ''Hempstead Bend''. These are the pegs to draw in a match i.e 45 - 50 although 50 is not that great.

As I got down to the bend there was an angler already set up and fishing 49. He just had a single pole rig set up and fishing at 5 or 6 metres where it is approximately top 5 deep close in. The bream do come in close here but to do well a combination of pole and feeder is needed.

He hadn't caught yet and had been there about 2 hours. I asked him if it was ok to go in on 48 and he said carry on as I would be only fishing the feeder about 35 metres out.

The sky was pretty black and there was the odd shower but nothing to worry about as heavier rain wasn't due until the evening. Plenty of colour in the water as well as floating debris, leaves, twigs etc.

I decided to just take the 12 foot acolyte rod out of the bag combined with a 2oz tip, 0.10 braid on the reel, a 25 gram cage feeder and a size 16 B560 TO 0.11 power line.

Worm, dead reds, pinkie and caster were on the bait tray.

I was fully set up and ready by 09:30.

Casting out was good and I was hitting the clip and immediately sinking the braid before finally tightening up with just a little bit of tension on the tip.

2nd cast in I had a rattle but nothing more, at the same time the angler on 49 had a bream around 3lbs.

I kept re-casting every 5 minutes for the first 30 but not too much feed in the ground bait which was Bait-Tech Pro-natural with extra fishmeal added. Up unit the first 30 minutes I had dead reds on the hook but changed to half a dendra tipped with two flur pinkies. 

First cast with the change of hook bait produced a real wrap round and it was bream on. Lovely dark fish just under 4lbs. Soon after the angler on 49 had another but smaller than his first.

I kept with the worm and pinkie set up on the hook and dead on 10:30 had another positive pull and netted a bream of around 3lbs.

Another angler came down and set up the short pole on peg 51. Just as he came down 49 had another.

Plugging away my next bite didn't come until 12:00 ish and it was bream number 3.

After that the peg just got stronger and when I packed up at 15:00 in order to miss the traffic I had 17 bream so must have had over 40lbs. 

I know it's a decent peg but you still got to catch them.

The angler on 49 end up with just the 3 and the guy on 50 ended up with one as I packed up.

Lovely day

Poppy match on the Bristol Avon Sunday.

Sunday 3rd November - Chew Valley Lake

I was booked in to fish an Open on the Bristol Avon at Swineford but a text from organiser Dean Harvey notified me it was cancelled. No surprise really as I have been keeping an eye on the levels all day. The banks on some of the pegs can be quite steep so good call for safety reasons.

I pondered over a few options.....the K & A but couldn't get a day ticket until 9am. Durleigh Res probably too many carpers. Bristol Docks too many people walking around.  I eventually decided on Chew Valley Lake for another bit of "fluff chucking ".

I already had the rod set up with two red dawl bachs and a green one so it didn't take long to load up the following morning.

A reasonable day was forecast with light winds. I got to the Lodge around 9 am and got my ticket. I decided to try the Lodge Bank first as there is a decent depth close in but at the moment you can still wade out a few yards.

The sky was a little overcast but due to brighten up later.

The bank on Lodge is nice and solid with stones in wire cages to protect it from erosion unlike the North Bank where I was earlier in the week.
As I was putting my gear down a fish topped no more than 30 yards out.

I wadded out up to waist deep and fixed the bank stick with the landing net on it into the lake bed then went back to get the rod, I was the only one on Lodge Bank which is unusual but there were quite a few boats out.

I had my first pull around 20 minutes in and hit it. Lovely fit rainbow which gave a great battle as it took the point fly at distance.

Another angler turned up and started fishing about 40 yards to my right, he took a fish quite quickly.

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted another angler coming down the bank behind me...Mr. Currie..how are you he said...it was Steve Ball who I know from the Bristol and West Federation of Anglers and who also follows my blog.

Steve had read my earlier post about my day out on the North Bank and went there first but didn't have a pull, he also had been on Whalley Bank but know luck there either. He had a look at my fish, sat and had a chat and then went up near the boat jetty to try his luck.

The wind got up a little and was blowing right to left toward the bank so I had a few casts paraell to it and soon was playing another decent fish.

Steve came back about an hour later and asked if I had any more. I told him I had another, he hadn't had any luck and headed home to work on his motorcycle.

It was quiet for the next 90 minutes but on the retrieve about 2 rod lengths out I had a really violent take and had to give the fish a lot of line. What a scrap, it was a long lean fish but another angler weighed it for me and it registered 4lb 8ozs.

I had another smaller fish around 1lb 8ozs but let it go after landing it.

So a nice day after all.

Poppy match next Sunday but may go up on the Gloucester Canal in the week.