Even though I cannot fish the Spring League on the Glossy this year (except one of the four matches on 22nd May but may not get selected) I will try and fish the practice / open matches.
Dave Clapton, Liz Stone and Jon Tocknell are kindly running this matches and it is much appreciated. Thanks must also go to Kev Forty from the Canal and River Trust who maintains the pegs and sorts out parking etc.
I made team mates Chris and Sam aware of this match and 3 of us booked in.
The sections to be fished were Castle Up, Castle Down and Pegthorne Bay depending on numbers.
33 booked in so it was just the Castle sections.
I had a look through my Glos Canal Blogs just to refresh myself on pegs and weights over the last few years. When we met at McDonalds near Cribbs Causeway and shared this with Chris and Sam.
It was then off up the M5 coming off at Junct 13 as the draw was in the Whitminster Hotel.
Pools / Peg fee was £25 but there was also a £5 Super Pool which we all entered.
At this time of year it can be very hit and miss on the Glossy as the bream huddle up in pockets ready for spawning. Everyone knew it would be "bream bingo" and the draw would be important.
Sam drew Castle Up (can't remember his peg, Chris drew 370 which had a decent weight the previous week, 18lbs I believe, also Castle Up. I did inform him it was a good peg. I drew 442 which I was more than happy with, Castle Down.
I would have preferred 440 or 441 as these pegs have plenty of cover across but the lily pads are showing now and if the bream are around they won't be far off them.
It's a fairly long walk to the peg but all on the flat. There was a bit of drizzle but little wind and the temperature wasn't too bad.
Fishing was 11 - 4.
Tins and the odd lily across
The famous sunken barge peg (440) Liz Stone was on that.
Standard Glossy set up today, 2 pole rigs middle and 7 metres but apart from plumbing up and cupping in at the start I never picked the pole up after that!
I started off on the fishmeal ground bait cage feeder, 20 gram with 8lb shock leader, 0.11 power line hook length and a 16 B560 hook.
Bait and feed is very simple, dead reds, dead pinkie, live maggot and pinkie, worm and caster.
At the start after feeding the pole lines it was straight out in front about a metre off the lilies where it was about 6 foot deep. There was a slight tinge of colour but only just.
I had 2 dead reds on the hook and dead pinkie and dead red in the feeder but only a few.
A few minutes after casting I brought it in and found the maggots had been smashed, didn't see any indication but a good sign.
3 casts later I had my first skimmer going about 2lb. 15 minutes later another about the same size.
Mark Brush who wasn't fishing came along for a walk with his wife and asked how I was doing. I told him and he said Liz on 440 had one as well so there were a few about. Other than that nothing the upstream side of the sunken barge.
I had however seen Andy Pollard to my right net a couple of fish but didn't know what they were.
10 minutes or so passed and I had another skimmer.
Mark came back along after going up to end peg 456 and said there wasn't a lot happening and Andy's fish were small skimmers.
While he was with me I had a small knock a slight pull round which I missed, think it was a liner.
I was getting a few bites (liners again) so tried worm on the hook tipped with a pinkie and chopped a little worm up as well.
As a substantial barge went through the tip flew round and it was a better fish but had to dip the rod end in the water to avoid the boat, thankfully it stayed on.
Sam rang me after an hour and I told him I had 6 fish at that point.
Looking down to my right I couldn't see a lot being caught and Liz on 440 was fairly quiet.
Towards the end of the second hour added another few big skimmers but it definitely slowed up, it was also getting colder.
Sam rang again at the halfway point and I told him I had 11 decent fish now, he said Chris was getting a few as well. Sam however was struggling with a few small skimmers and bits.
It got even colder and I was shivering at one point, there was a very fresh upstream breeze.
Bites were few and far between now but reducing the feed right down and swapping the hook bait I did get a further 6 fish and a couple of rudd.
The "all out"was called but just before that Gloucester Legend Tony Davis came walking down after packing up and said it was poor to my right except for the end peg (456) who had a good weight and Andy Pollard who had about 12lbs.
The scales and board came down and I saw that peg 456 had weighed 58lbs !
I knew I didn't have that and as I only knew of Chris having a few besides me I hoped to frame.
My Section board, it would be section by default as a minimum.
My catch, thanks to Chris Jones for the photo
As I got back to the car park Liz informed me I was 3rd overall, Chris had weighed 41lb and was 2nd so a good day for Sensas Nomads.
Here is a video Sam took of Chris weighing in ........
Here are the results, including section winners....
Hope to fish the Bristol Feeder Canal on Tuesday.
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