Sunday 18th October - Frome AA Open, River Frome Lullington

 I had booked into this match a few weeks before as there was nothing else on and with the chance of a bit more water in the river it could fish OK. 

I fished the second of the rejuvenated Frome AA Opens back in September when the water was low. 6lb won the match assisted by a big bream and I picked up a section by default with just under 3lbs.

A few of the guys in the Club had been out clearing more swims, taking out fallen trees and putting a new gate on the entrance to the Factory Field where the matches have been fished. 

08:30 Draw in Lullington Lane and when I arrived there were a couple of familiar faces giving it a go, Mike Shellard and Tony Scott. I think there were around 18 booked in.

I was second to be drawn and ended up with a short walk to peg 4 right behind the Factory on the opposite bank commonly known as ''Canteen Corner''. 30 years ago this peg on a bend used to throw up big bags of roach in the winter and I think the highest weight was around 42lbs.

Back in the day there was a wall instead of the metal shuttering and it was a lot deeper right across. When the sun shone on the water you could see a rocky bottom so very very shallow. The deepest part was down the middle at around 2.5 foot, the depth was the same under the near bank trees.

The bank wasn't great so I went back to the van and got my waders to get in the water and take my box down to use as a table and to attach a bait waiter.

The pole was out of the question today so set up a small 3BB avon, 2BB stick and a maggot feeder.

I loose fed caster and hemp down the middle and also fired some under the trees. 

Starting with maggot on the hook it was minnow, minnow and more minnows no matter how many maggots I put on. 

I had a couple of trots down under the trees which was a bit dodgy due to risk of snagging in the low hanging branches plus I couldn't always see the float.

More minnows but I did take a few small chublet's no bigger than 2 ozs.

Tony Scott came up for a walk and was experiencing the same but also said someone below was catching chub and had lost a few as well. Tony said he was just going to go back and sit on a lobby for chub.

I persevered and took a roach and a couple of dace as well as a trout before the all out.

Quite a frustrating day and a bit disappointing to be honest but it was the same for a lot of anglers.

I weighed 1lb 10oz (without the trout). 

5lb 12oz won the match (chub), Mike Shellard had a mixed bag for 5lb 9oz and Tony nailed a chub plus his bits for 4lb odd and third.

Ah well.....

Pleasure fishing somewhere on Wednesday and the 5th round of the Commercial House League on Sunday (Bristol Avon, Swineford and Crane).