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.
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