Wednesday 19th August - Evesham Festival Qualifier Warks Avon Evesham

 I wasn't sure if I could attend this last chance qualifier as I had a number of jobs lined up outside and had to get them done in-between some very changeable weather that was forecast.

Team mate Sam Johnson had already booked in by the Monday morning when I spoke to him so I got my finger out and excelled taking out a number of fence panels, levelling and painting some decking plus driving the Community Bus for half a day. I was able to book in just in time.

I kept an eye on the weather for Evesham and it changed every time I looked. On the Tuesday evening it was evident that we were going to experience a lot of heavy rain.

As I drove over the town bridge in Evesham on the Wednesday morning I could see the river was very brown. It had been raining all the way up and there seemed to be no let up.

I met Sam in Weatherspoons before going on down to Hampton Ferry for the rolling draw. With the government discount a full breakfast came to £2.49. We discussed options as usual and Sam had already walked the river by the town bridge on the way through, he said it was a bit pacey as well as coloured.

After breakfast Sam went off to get more maggot in the local tackle shop and I went straight to the draw.

DGL's Mark Treasure was unloading his car when I got there and must have had about 7 or 8 ready made rods.

A good number of anglers had turned up for this last chance qualifier, 67 in total! Of course some had already qualified for both the Saturday and the Sunday BH matches, some one of the days and others like myself and Sam none. Both of us have only had 3 cracks at it to be fair.

We had a good look at the river by the ferry and the pace was ok but its deeper here. Sam suggested there would be a few bream caught in the Ferry Meadow between 63 and 71.

I didn't see him go in front of me at the draw but he came down the queue after he had drawn and told me he was on 75 just out of the meadow area.

When I came to the draw matrix I picked the same as the last match, A5, which turned out to be peg 84.

I could tell it was not a good peg by the response from other anglers and Andy Cranston was in my Section on the end peg 87 which is supposed to be a great draw.

Pegs 83 to 87 had to drive so far and then trolley the gear to the pegs as the gate alongside the Rugby Club could not be opened.

I parked alongside Andy and he informed me 84 was probably the worst peg on the Section, a telephone call to Mike Martin confirmed it wasn't great...ah well.

As you can see in the photo it was a bit wet!

I had a bit of slack between the bank and 8 metres out so set up a 4 gram flat float to target perch over bait droppered worm.

2 feeder rods were also set up, a 30 gram open ender for the middle and a 25 gram maggot feeder for across and down the edge later.

Ground bait for the middle was magic and river 50/50.

I was set up with an hour to go, fishing was 12:30 - 17:30

At the start I just fed two lots of worm at 8 metres and nowhere else.

Starting off with double maggot over the worm the float buried within 5 minutes and i had a 1oz roach. Nothing more for about 10 minutes and then a perch about the same size. I had a few more dips on the float but connected with nothing on the strike. I did persevere for about 20 minutes but was going nowhere. I could here feeders being cast out into the middle of the river from other anglers. My peg in the middle was not that deep, it was deeper on my nearside.

I thought I would try a chuck downstream about 5 metres out with the maggot feeder. Second chuck a good rattle and a 4 oz chublet another one followed the next cast. 

The angler on the peg below me seemed to be chopping and changing a lot which suggested he was searching around for fish.

In that first 2 hours I had a few dumpy perch as well as more chublets, some going 6oz. On the halfway mark I lost a big eel which bit me off at the net.

Sam gave me a call just after and said he had a couple of pounds, I told him I might have 4lbs.

The second half of my match was pretty good, some nice roach, 2 decent eels, more chublets and some stamp roach and hybrids. I thought I might do 6 or 7lbs.

There is only one set of scales to weigh in all the anglers at Evesham so it was a long wait.

Talking to the other anglers in my Section they were admitting to 4lbs ish and Andy on the end peg 5lbs.

When the scales came to me and I pulled my net out the comments were... lovely net of fish, best Ive seen off that peg.

The scales registered 9lb 13oz resulting in a Section win, Sam suggested it was also good enough to qualify.

The results gradually came through and yes for a Section win as well as a qualifying place. You could choose to fish on the Saturday or the Sunday. I have chosen the Saturday, well chuffed.

Sam also won his Section today.

A big bream weight off in form peg 1 won the match, other main weights were also bream.

Some of my other Nomads Team mates will also be fishing that day.... Mike Martin, Clive Branson, Kevin Ellaby.

Lets hope for a good draw.