Wednesday 27th July - Anglers Choice Qualifier, Warks Avon, Evesham

 Back up to Evesham for this Qualifier, I didn't go last week due to other commitments. We have another Team Qualifier this Sunday on the venue so it was important to fish it.

The fishing hasn't been too bad at Evesham given the lack of rain, bright sunshine and a low river.

I was up there early again and had the usual breakfast in Wetherspoons.

After that down to Hampton Ferry and walked the bank.

Two big buzzards were flying around and magnificent specimens they were too, managed to get a photo of one of them.

The swans and signets were on the river as well

I walked up to peg 35 and had a good look at 36 as well, both these pegs would be in and are the ones you want on most matches along with the early 50's.

No fish showing at all which was a bit of a concern.

I walked down to the Cafe and registered and had a chat with a few of the regulars which I seem to be now lol.

10:00 soon came around and Diana announced the draw, she had to shout instead of using the mike as the electric had gone off.

49 were booked in today which is a great turnout for a Wednesday.

When I got to the "battleship" draw matrix I picked my usual A5 disc, turned it over and revealed peg 46. Another peg I haven't been on and I knew it did not have any form this year and if I was in the section with the 50's it would be game over.

I went to the peg with the attitude to do reasonably well as if it was a team match and would try to catch on hemp which I need the practice on.

All the pegs look nice at Evesham and its a very pleasant place to be for the day.

Peg 46 was no exception but it was very shallow.

I plumped up 5 metres out on my worm line and it was no more than 3 foot deep. Still ok as I had an over hanging tree downstream and would put on a couple of sections for fishing long to my right rather than close to the peg.

At 11 and 13 metres out in front it wasn't much deeper, I set up two hemp rigs, one about 6 inches off bottom and one around a foot off bottom. I was trying the DH14 floats 0.3 gram recommend to me by Tony Davis for this type of fishing.

I had some undercooked hemp and some pinned done ready for these lines.

Two waggler rods one shallow one at full depth, hardly used tbh.

Finally a maggot feeder rod, again not really used.

One my worm line I have mixed it up a bit feeding with a small bait dropper as well as cupping. I usually chop up a few red maggots along with the worm.

The inside line had a bit more pace on it compared to where I have been before so used the bait dropper.

I edged the 1 gram float down while pinging in some hemp out in front, I had a worm head on and it didn't take long for the float to go under. The 6 elastic came out quite a bit and a perch of around 6 oz was netted. Good little weight builders these fish but it's unusual to catch them all match. 

Fishing down the edge was quite enjoyable, no snags and the perch responded to a little feed every 15 minutes. I must have had around 10 of them in the first hour which is usually the norm. They were not big but total weight was around 1.5 lbs.

The bites dried up and I was out on the hemp line.

I have been watching numerous YouTube video's on fishing hemp, presentation and hooking the seeds so hopefully could put some of the tips into practice.

The floats Tony Davis recommended were brilliant and I had them shotted spot on.

First run through on a piece of pinned hemp (you need to put a hole in the flat end of the hemp with a knot picker, put the hook through this and then out the side of the seed).

I don't know why but I was not expecting to get a bite first run through ..... but ..... I did.

It was very positive and I had a roach on. Lovely little fish of around 4oz.

Straight back out using the same seed as it hadn't come off. More indication but I think the fish were nudging the small shot strung out shirt button style down the line.

It is quite frustrating fishing hemp but I stuck at it. In the next hour I put about 5 small roach in the net but felt it should have been more, I was missing bites almost every run through. 

I may have been holding the rig back too hard ad when I let it go through at the pace of the river it was better.

I had better success on the shallower hemp rig and then the dreaded pike attacks started, one after the other. What a nightmare, I trashed 4 rigs on them, the air was blue.

The guy above me who was first in my section on 44 weighed 4lb 11oz, my net went 4lb 3oz, the guy below me packed up and DNW. I think i was 2nd in the mini section of 5.

I didn't stay to get the results as it takes about 1 hour 20 minutes to get home.

I believe venue expert Leigh Gardner on 36 won it with high double figures.

Well the hemp rigs have been re- tied, new hook lengths done and some hair rigged hemp done as well in preparation for Sundays Team Match.

I will crack the hemp as its worth a few important fish on a challenging venue.

Saturday 23rd July - Clevedon FWAC Dave Fowler Memorial Charity Match, River Kenn, Clevedon

This years Charity Match was in aid of Bristol Area Kidney Patients Association as a result of Club Life Member Andy Law's son benefiting from their support and kindness.

The match was very well supported with 32 Anglers fishing. Pegs 1 to 43 were used (Sea Wall towards Kenn Rd).

Andy and his wife Jenny provided freshly cooked bacon rolls at the draw which was held in Kenn Rd. Car Park while Match Secretary Rob Fogg finalised proceedings.

The Kenn looked spot on due to the recent heavy showers and bream weights were expected. Unfortunately they had other idea's and failed to show. The vast shoals of roach, hybrids and perch also proved a challenge for some reason and most anglers struggled.

Winner on the day was Paul Nichols from peg 36 with 5lb 8oz. Paul caught a mixed bag of small fish with some better roach on hemp.

This years Charity Match was in aid of Bristol Area Kidney Patients Association as a result of Club Life Member Andy Law's son benefiting from their support and kindness.

Runner up was Mike Fairless from peg 25 with 5lb 6oz. This was only Mike's second Club Match and he caught a lovely net of small skimmers on the pole and waggler.

Third was Dom Sullivan from peg 6 who managed a good tench and bits for 4lb 14oz.

Fourth place went to Des Shipp who caught some better roach early in the match for 4lb 9oz.

The Guess the winning weight prize went to Danny Watts who was spot on.

The Blue Flame Public House hosted the BBQ, results and raffle after the match.

The Club would like to thank H & H Burgers (Clevedon), Tesco (Clevedon), Andy and Jenny for cooking prior to the match, Katie Bonwick and Team for doing the BBQ, the Blue Flame PH, Cadbury Angling at Acorn Fishery, Olivers Angling Clevedon, Reel Fun (Portishead) and all who helped and attended at our Flagship Event.

Over £1000 was raised for the charity which is fantastic.

Here are some photo's of the event .....

First place Paul Nichols

2nd Mike Fairless

3rd Dom Sullivan

4th Des Shipp

Andy receiving over £1000 for the Charity

Sunday 10th July - Clevedon Club Match, River Kenn

 I had been up at Evesham on the Wednesday before this match but after drawing peg 29 it was pretty uneventful. 

29 is a very shallow peg with cabbages going out a fair distance on the far as well as the near bank. Only sprat chub on the waggler across but I did catch some hemp roach down the middle but the pike attacks soon scuppered that line.

My section was won with 4lb plus, I weighed just under 3lbs and could have done a lot more if the pike hadn't took an interest.

Today I stayed local fishing my Club Match on our local River Kenn. We had a Committee Meeting on the Thursday evening and there was 8 booked in at this point. To my surprise Rob Fogg our new Match Secretary text me on the Saturday saying he had now got 16 which is a great turnout for a Club Match on the Kenn.

We were going to fish from peg 1 down by the Sea Wall to Strode Rd Bridge peg 32. 

I saw Rob over at Cadbury Angling on the Saturday, he had just walked the bank and showed me photo's of a huge shoal of bream just under the surface around pegs 3, 4 and 5. This would be the place to draw then although with high temperatures they were unlikely to feed in any numbers.

We met at Strode Rd bridge for the draw, I had unloaded the van in order to walk to any peg downstream as there is a flat walk along the Environment Agency road.

We had a few new participants today which is brilliant. Our Club Matches are just a bit of fun and the money is very well shared out.

Into the draw bucket and I pulled out peg 18 so quite a bit away from the bream shoal.

All the pegs look good to be honest and with an average depth down the middle of 7 foot and 5 foot a few metres out there are plenty of options.

17 was free below me and John Sallis was upstream on peg 19.

Looking at the conditions I decided to set up a waggler for this side of the far shelf, the pole at 14 metres with a 1 gram float and a similar rig at 11 metres.

I feed neat worm on the 11 metre line, Sensas Black Lake and Gros Gardons Noire with caster and pinkie at 14.

Starting on the waggler feeding red maggot I had a small hybrid 4th cast at full depth (about 5 foot). We are seeing a lot of small roach, hybrids and skimmers in the river this year which is great for the future.

A few more bites on the waggler were missed but then I hooked the one of the culprits, a small skim bob, lovely little fish. 

The Kenn was just about moving helped by a light downstream breeze but 30 minutes or so into the match it changed to an upstream and with little flow wasn't great for the waggler.

I had a look on the 11 metre line with a worm head and the float buried straight away, a skimmer followed by a small perch then it went quiet so refed a little more worm.

Onto the 14 metre line and not a sniff of a bite after 15 minutes, tried the waggler again and picked up a couple of roach.

I kept swapping lines picking up a fish every now and then.

Mark Bromsgrove came up for a walk which is unusual for him and sat with me for a while. I was on the waggler down the middle after adjusting it to about 1 foot off bottom. I missed a couple of bites but had another few skimmers.

Word on the bank was a few bream had been caught near the Sea Wall.

We finished at 15:00 which was just as well due to the heat.

Rob came past me to start weighing our B Section.

When he came to me the best in our Section was 3lb 4oz, I weighed 2lb 14oz.

I followed the scales upstream, Club Chairman and Trustee Steve Bonwick was on bend peg 22, a lovely peg with a big willow on the inside. When Steve pulled his net out we were surprised to see a huge bream which he caught on the whip !!!!!

Steve weighed 10lb 15oz, that bream must have been almost 9lbs, this got him 2nd place.

Steve with his big bream.

Club Tustee Scott Smallwood had 2 big bream from peg 2 in the last 30 minutes to win the match with 15lb 14oz.

Scott.

Here is a little video of Scott playing and landing one of them.......

Third was newcomer Patrick Danelski with a single bream for 7lb 14oz.

Patrick.

Nigel Wyatt was 4th with 3lb 9oz which included a 2lb hybrid caught on corn.

So a good turnout with big fish dominating. Had conditions been more favourable those small skimmers and hybrids would have made a difference.

Not sure what I am doing Wednesday yet but guesting for Devizes Match Group in the Super League on the Glossy next Sunday.

Sunday 3rd July - Evesham Team Qualifier, Warks Avon Evesham (Town and Ferry)

We were a late entry into this Team Qualifier as not many were interested initially but it happened and we only got in as a team had dropped out.

16 Team of 5 fishing today and immediately after a Saturday Match on the same venues we knew it would be rock hard.

Our Sensas Nomads Team today was......

- Clive Branson

- Kevin Ellaby

- Terry Parrot

- Russell Millward

- Myself

I arrived first and registered our Team as Diane does the draw in the order Team's register, we were 4th to draw.

I went and had a look at the river before going for a sausage sandwich and coffee. Peg 63 is the one most look at on arrival as its right by the field were we park. There was a little bit of flow on it following the rain they had in the area on Saturday and I could see a few bubbles coming up in about 3 or 4 area's. Tench have been coming out in this area the last few matches.

The others arrived in plenty of time for the draw at 09:00, fishing today would be 11:30 - 16:30.

Clive asked me to do the draw for the Team as he wanted to video it, oh the responsibility.

When it was our turn drew..........

Kevin peg 11

Clive peg 31

Terry peg 47

Me peg 63

Russell peg 80

All in all not great on paper but it was a scratching match so you never know.

Well it didn't take me long to get to my peg, I had more or less parked behind it already. Terry came over to my van to collect a couple of boxes of ground bait, a bib and brace plus a fleece, all Sensas from M5 Angling.

I had loads of time to set up but I didn't need much.

Peg 63 is as near as an end peg as you will get as the Ferry is in-between 63 and 64. I wasn't sure what pegs were in my section at this point but found out later my 16 peg section was 55 - 71.

Its a fairly wide peg but generally doesn't produce a weight unless there is colour in it, then the bream show.

I set up a 1 gram float to 0.14 with 0.13 hook length with a size 16 B611 hook, elastic was 12 hollow - tench gear to fish by the weed and lilies 5 metres out.

Another 1 gram float to 0.13 with 0.12 fluro  hook length with a size 18 B560 hook, elastic was number 8 to fish about 6 metres out where there was a bit more flow.

A 2.5 gram float to 0.13 with 0.10 fluro hook length with a size 20 drennan match, elastic was a number 6.

Finally a feeder rod for anywhere.

I mixed up a little ground bait, Sensas Black Lake and Black Bream just in case.

At 11:30 I bait dropped in some worm and caster with a few chopped up reds at 5 metres and then fed 2 small balls of ground bait with chopped worm and pinkie at 13 metres.

I was well prepared and focused for a tough match.

I picked up the tench rig first and put on a maggot only to see the float fail to settle, minnow like chub were having a go at it on the way down, this happened several times.

A change to a worm head and there was no problem, I just inched it through and had a small perch so blank avoided, The same happened again next put in. The perch were only about 2oz but good enough for me.

The float went under again and I thought it was a bigger perch but then the violent sharp nodding told me it was a tench. The 12 hollow elastic came out quite a bit as it was only set very soft. I didn't rush it as this was THE bonus fish you needed today.

Safely netted it wasn't big going probably just under 2lbs.

I refed the 5 metre line again with the bait dropper and worm, not too much and had a look on the 6 metre line where I had fed nothing. 

Fishing with red maggot I had another perch about 4oz right at the end of the slow trott.

The first hour went by and Tony Davis who was walking the bank asked me how I was doing, I told him what I had and he said I was walking the section, the pegs below and above me were struggling for ounces.

I had a look at 13 metres and nothing so came back in over the worm. A few more perch followed and they were a bit more chunky than the earlier ones but bites tailed off again.

I bait dropped some red maggot at 6 metres to try and revive the swim. It didn't work initially but I did catch more perch right down the peg by adding a couple more sections on and just feeding the pole slowly through my hands.

More bank walkers followed and they confirmed it was fishing rock hard.

A look on the feeder with maggot down the middle produced nothing nor did my 13 metre line. I sort of knew I had decent points but wanted a few more fish to be safe.

Over the worm line again after feeding it I managed to snare a 8oz perch which was a bonus.

In the last hour I didn't have a bite.

I packed up nice and slow at 16:30 sorting everything out properly as the scales would take some time to arrive.

I walked up to peg 61 to meet them and see the weights so far, 3lb 1oz was the best from peg 55.

62 immediately above me weighted 2lb 7oz, I knew I had more than that. I weighed 3lb 14oz. Leigh Gardener who was weighing said that weight would be mega in the section.

Tom Boulton kindly took a catch shot for me.

Lovely little tinca but those perch were important as well.

Here's my section weights.....

55   0-08-0

56   0-08-0

57   0-15-08

58   3-01-12

59   0-11-0

60   0-04-0

61   0-04-08

62   2-07-08

63   3-14-08

65   0-15-12

66   1-13-0

67   3-03-08

68   0-03-08

69   2-07-08

70   0-05-0

71   0-04-08

Tough or what, anyway maximum 16 points for me and £50.

Back at the results cabin the rest of the Team came back. Terry was first and said he weighed 1lb 7oz which gave him 9 points from 16, he said Clive had gone home straight after weighing in as he didn't feel well. Clive struggled big time in another tough section.

Kevin was next to arrive and said he had won his section with 5lb 3oz, he had hemp roach.

Kevin with some quality roach.

Russell was last to arrive and it was not good news but he landed a 12lb pike on red maggot!!!

The results were announce and we had missed out on qualifying by 2 points, the draw definitely cost us today.

Well done to all the qualifiers (6 teams went through) and we'll have another go on 31st July.