Sunday 3rd June - Gloucester Canal Spring League Final Round (4)

 Firstly a huge thanks to Mark Treasure and all his helpers who have made this League possible including Kev Forty from the Canal and River Trust and the Farmers who gave permission to park on their land. It has taken a lot of organising, I applaud you all, simply brilliant.

On a personal level the League had done my head in as I have had a diabolical draw every time. The fish have not played ball due to an unseasonal May but even if they had I would still have not been on fish.

Team mates Sam and Chris have drawn pretty well and have done very well with Chris having a section win and a 6th overall. Sam has had a section placing and a 3rd overall. Leigh and I have been blocked from phoning the Samaritans its been that bad. In fact a comment from Lobby's Andy Jane summed it up....as the draw is done and communicated on the Saturday evening you have over 12 hours to think about your bad draw!

This latest round was no different for me, peg 33 on Hempstead Straight. I was gutted, Sam had this peg in an earlier match and 1lb was good ffs!

Sam had an end peg at Castle Down, Leigh was just out of the bay at Saul Junction and Chris was just out of the bend at Hempstead peg 50.

Meeting up at McD's Cribbs Causeway Bristol for breakfast the guys knew I was a bit down, the tell tale sign was probably the bandages around my wrists. 

The night before it was made worse when Clevedon Club mate Kev Perry text me to say he had an end peg (Kev fishes for Sensas 88 and rarely goes up to the Glossy unless someone puts his arm up his back).

So up the M5 we go and I parked up at Hempstead Bridge to walk down past the better pegs (nothing unusual about that). Peg 33 is the Gas Pipe peg, there is a valve or something in the hedge almost directly behind you and you do smell gas all day. You are also right on the tow path so care is needed. 

While tackling up a baby rabbit kept coming out of the hedge......

Usual Glossy set up (2 pole rigs short and long and 2 feeder rods).

I was set up in plenty of time and took a walk down to see Chris. Spoke to DGL's Lee Green on the way who was on 37 and he said Skimmers should feed and we'll get a few bites, I said I'd hold him to that. Stopped to talk to Gary Gross who was on 43 and prevented him stepping on a pole section. On the bend was Dave Micklewright and Mark Harper so no mistakes are going to be made there. Got to Chris who said bream were rolling in his peg and 51!

I never walk the bank before the match but looking at the other anglers set up's confirmed mine was the same (just needed a better peg).

I started off on the bread right across about 2 metres out from the tins and after 20 minutes and 3 chucks had a 6oz roach which surprised me. 10 minutes later another roach but around 3oz. 2 more chucks and a drop back resulting in a 12 oz skimmer. I thought it must have been lost.

After an hour and 15 minutes I was out on the long pole line which I had fed. The float disappeared but when I struck ....nothing. Put in again and the same thing happened but I had it this time, a boot lace eel.

Over the period of the match I put a few boot lace eels in the net a small perch and a few skimmer blades.

I knew I would be way down in the section due to the peg but was pleased that my 3lb 1oz beat 5. I thought I fished a good match and don't think I could have done any better.

I had knew Sam had had a good match but was surprised when he told me he had 12 big skimmers for 28lb plus, this gave hime 3rd place in the whole match. Leigh got out of jail with a bream in the closing minutes beating 8 in his tough section and Chris had 4lb odd, the bream didn't play ball in his peg.

Overall and Section results as follows.....

GLOUCESTER CANAL SPRING LEAGUE RESULTS SHEET ROUND 4 

INDIVIDUAL WINNERS

	NAME	TEAM	WEIGHT	PEG
1	Mark Brush	DGL Black	36-13-0	440
2	Paul Kaye	Team Hereford	31-10-0	456
3	Sam Johnson	Sensas Nomads A	28-2-0	443
4	Rob Kerslake	Maver Harescombe	27-15-0	471
5	Tim Frampton	Misfits	27-3-0	65
6	Mick Nowicki	GBMV	24-0-0	472

SECTION WINNERS

		NAME	TEAM	WEIGHT
A1	1	Nigel Baker	Sensas Lobbys Red	14-10-0
	2	Chris Rushton	GBMV	14-5-0
	3	Sean Grange	Misfits	11-14-0
A2	1	Pete Goulding	Team Hereford	18-3-0
	2	Kev Perry	Sensas 88 A	13-0-0
	3	Lee Trevitt	Preston Innovation Thatchers	12-4-0
B1	1	Mark Harper	Preston Innovation Thatchers	16-15-0
	2	Andy Powell	Sensas Lobbys Red	16-12-0
	3	Dave Micklewright	DGL Black	15-7-0
B2	1	Mark Bisset	Gowna Dreamers	13-12-0
	2	John Hanna	Browning West Midlands Xitan	12-4-0
	3	Glen Calvert	Sensas 88B	12-1-0
C1	1	Scott Geens	Woodys Tackle	21-5-0
	2	Luke Downing	Rive Fishermania	20-9-0
	3	Steve Ward	Browning West Midlands Sphere	19-8-0
C2	1	Ian Hingley	Milo Bait Tech Midlands Red	19-3-0
	2	Paul Jeffrey	Evolved Baits Midlands Match	12-2-0
	3	Guy Manton	Preston Innovation Thatchers	9-12-0
D1	1	Adam Palmer	DGL Red	23-10-0
	2	John Pantrey	Browning West Midlands Sphere	19-5-0
	3	Rob McKenzie	Mix and Match	8-12-0
D2	1	Mark Gaylard	Sensas Lobbys Green	10-11-0
	2	Ian Didcote	Garbolino/Dynamite Baits Diddymen	9-13-0
	3	Clive Raynor	Gowna Dreamers	8-3-0

Final League Table........

So that's it well done to DGL Black for the win.

The SW Super League starts soon so that's summer sorted along with Evesham and Staverton matches plus s bit of pleasure fishing on the Kenn.