I was pleased to see this match advertised on Diawa Gordon League's FaceBook page as I had nothing else on, Charlie Vallender was in charge.
The Slimbridge section of the Gloucester Canal is not used that much for matches. Access is good and there is plenty of parking now since the local Council have provided a large free car park, there is more parking directly over the Canal Bridge on the left hand side.
Team mate Sam Johnson and I booked in. Entry was £20 all in so very sensible and its only around 40 minutes up the road from me. Although it can be a very frustrating and challenging venue we both like it.
I was up nice and early and yet again had to scrape the frost off the van, when I started it up the temperature was -3 brrrrr, it was also going to be a bright day.
We made our own way up, I was first to arrive in the Council Car Park at 07:10 and there were only two other vehicles there, the draw was at 08:00.
Charlie arrived soon after as did the others, 33 names on the FB list but unknown to me there was one angler who pulled out. Plenty of regular Glossy Canal anglers present, some of which will be fishing the Spring League on the venue in a couple of weeks time.
I can't fish three of the four Spring League Matches so have stood aside this year but will try and fish as many of the Practice / Open matches.
Charlie got the draw underway bang on time and announced the fishing would be 10:30 - 15:30 so plenty of time to set up.
Pegs 1 - 19 were above the bridge heading toward Gloucester and 20 - 33 below.
I drew peg 2 and was happy with that as last year in the Spring there were some decent nets of bream caught and there was plenty of cover across. Sam pulled out 18 so was also one from the end, both of us above the bridge.
Walking up the towpath we could see the water was fairly clear so we both predicted a hard match. Sam had a fair bit of room due to a couple of boats.
I carried on up to peg 2 and was pleased to see plenty of cover across providing shade.
I had Glossy regular and a fantastic bread angler next to me on peg 3 in the form of Brian Pollard, no one had turned up on peg 1 to my left!
Sam came up for a walk with 30 minutes to go and couldn't believe I was end peg apparently Charlie took out peg 1 due to an angler dropping out. Brilliant I thought, haven't had an end peg for ages.
My set up today was a small 20 gram cage feeder for across, 2 metres out from the far bank, one bread line one fishmeal line.
2 pole rigs today one at 14 metres where it was top 4 and a half deep, 1.5 gram float and 0.09 fluro carbon hook length to a size 20, 5 elastic. My other line was at about 8 metres where it was top 4 deep (just at the bottom of the near side shelf. 1 gram float, 0.09 fluro hook length to a 20, elastic was no. 6.
I don't normally use fluro that much but due to the clarity of the water I felt it was necessary.
Slimbridge is a lot quieter compared to Hempstead and Rea and there is a good bit of room between the bank and the towpath.
A group of rowers came down and the coach on a bike asked if it was a competition, I said yes above and below Slimbridge. Fair play to her she said ok well turn around and stay well above you.
Brian below me shouted the "all in" so I fed 4 feeder fulls of fishmeal with dead reds and dead pinkie across to my left, then fed my pole lines with 2 ball each of black lake and sived gardons noire with dead pinkie and a few casters.
I started off across on the feeder straight in front of me with the bread, double 7mm punch on a 16 to 0.11 hook length. I noticed Brian had fed bread on his short pole line but also started off the on bread across.
I had a few chucks on the bread and was expecting the tip to fly round but 20 minutes in not a sign. It was about then than Brian had a roach on the tip, always nice to get the first one in the net. I stuck it out for another 20 minutes but still no sign.
I went out on my long pole line and had a 10 minute look, nothing so just cupped in a few pinkie and caster on it before have a look on the fishmeal line. Another 15 minutes and not a sign, Brian had another roach on the tip. Looking down the line of anglers it appeared to be very quiet, no sign of landing nets going out.
Back out on the 14 metre line I had a lovely bite and netted a decent roach, blank avoided. Back out again and a small skimmer .... hooray. No more bites on that line so put another few pinkie in before coming in short.
It didn't take long before the float went under and it was a better skimmer which surprised me. Staying short I had a few dips of the float and bumped a few fish but they were very small.
The feeder lines produced nothing.
At the halfway stage Sam gave me a call and was struggling. He told me the angler on the end peg below him had a couple of decent skimmers within the first 45 minutes but had nothing since. He said everyone his end seemed to be having a hard day with many just sitting it out on the pole.
I got my head down and in the main just rotated on my two pole lines. I had another couple of skimmers, small roach and a tidy perch. The best approach I found was loose feeding very little and using a very small red worm on the hook.
Dave Micklewright came up with the scales and asked if I had more than 2lb, I said probably a bit more, he said you've pissed the section then.
I weighed 4lb 4oz, Brian next to me weighed a level 2lbs.
I walked down and caught up with the scales and up until peg 17 I was top weight. James on 17 weighed
5lb 9oz, I ended up second best weight above the bridge.
The weights below the bridge were generally better but as you can see not that great.
At least I picked up my £40 section money which helped toward the cost of the day.
Overall.......
1st James Allen 5-9
2nd Andy Earl 5-7
3rd Dave Clapton 5-5
Back on the Bristol Feeder Canal this Wednesday for the 3rd Head to Head with Leigh Wakefield and a visit to the Feeder Rd Munch for breakfast.
No comments:
Post a Comment