This match in memory of local angler Ray South would be the last match before the Evesham Angling Festival weekend (27th, 28th and 29th August), the South family also put in a generous donation of £500 which is added to the prize money. It is also a "veteran's match" and you need to be 60 plus to enter.
As usual I had my breakfast in Wetherspoons and while eating it a number of emergency vehicles raced down the High St. immediately outside the pub.
When I arrived at Hampton Ferry nice and early I took my usual walk along the river.
There was a nice bit of pace on it and a tinge of colour after the thunderstorm the day before. As I walked up near peg 40 I could see some blue flashing lights in the Corporation Meadow, as I got closer I could also see an Air Ambulance so walked back.
The draw was delayed a little because of the the incident, it turned out a 94 year old man had to be taken out of the river. I later heard he had died by the time he got to hospital and there were no suspicious circumstances. Very sad.
A few of my Nomad's Team mates were at the match today, real Welsh angling royalty in the form of ....
Rich Candy
Clive Branson
Clive Roberts
and of course me (did you hear the one about 3 Welshmen and an Irishman, lol).
60 anglers had booked in and all of them turned up so the draw got underway once the police gave the go ahead after dealing with the incident.
Clive (B) some how managed to get right at the front of the draw queue and ended up on 61, I was halfway in the line up and to my amazement got peg 6, same as the Wednesday before so well happy with that. Richy ended up on 21 and Clive R on end peg 88, so not a bad draw.
No one was on 5 or 4 above me so a bit of room and I felt that peg 1 would be my main threat in the zone. Peg 7 and 8 were in directly below me. There would be a few qualifying places going today for the Saturday or Sunday of the Festival.
After doing well last week and with some additional information I set up 2 x 0.3 gram rigs, one on top 4 and one on top 5 long lining as it was only 4 foot deep at the most. One was just off bottom and the other just 2 foot deep. I also set up a 0.4 rig again long lining on a top 5.
I also set up a maggot feeder and that was it. There was a gusty downstream breeze so the waggler wouldn't work plus the flow was too fast.
It is a lovely peg but you do have to ship back above shoulder height.
Here's the view looking up the bank directly behind my seat box.
Before the all in I was still thinking about the approach and decided to set up a 2 gram rig just in case.
At the start of the match I began on the maggot feeder across while putting in some hemp and a few casters at 11 metres.
The tip rattled straight away and came back with smashed maggots. When I cast in the tip went again before I could pick up the catapult to feed hemp and caster. Chublet about 2 ounces so up and running.
The bites on the tip were fast and furious but the fish were of no size so after 20 minutes picked up the 0.4 rig at full depth and ran it through with a caster on a B511 size 18. Boom and nice roach.
I was catching at the end of the peg, not ideal so started feeding slightly upstream of me. Still putting caster on the hook I had a run of small chublet's, a much better stamp that those on the feeder.
The fishing seemed to back off a little so I put the 13 metre section on and changed to a 0.3 rig up in the water. First run down, float slid away and the number 4 elastic came out quite a bit, a decent chub of around 1.5 lbs, simply lovely as Mike Martin used to say.
About 2 hours in a line of dirty water came down the middle but after 30 minutes cleared and the pace of the river appeared to slow up a little, not much but better for presentation.
I was having a busy session and also caught a few hybrids which seem to respond well to the condition of the river.
I stayed on the up in the water rig the rest of the match occasionally putting hemp on the hook instead of caster. At one point I had to go out to 14 metres following the fish which was hard work but very rewarding.
No one was walking the bank so I didn't have a clue how it was fishing above or below me.
At the all out I knew I had double figures at least.
With only pegs 1 and 2 in above me it didn't take long for the scales to arrive, I was told peg 1 had 19lb which included 2 big bream and some bits.
My net went 13lb 9oz, the peg below had 4lb odd and peg 8 had 7lb plus. I guessed that peg 1 would frame so would get the section by default at least (£50).
I went back to Hampton Ferry for the results and as they came in it was clear the river had fished it's nuts off.
I ended up with the section by default and 7th overall. They paid out top 6 so missed out on a framing place by ounces.
The angler on peg 1 won my zone but didn't want the ticket for the Wynchavon Final on the Saturday so that was offered to me, which I accepted.
Here is the board and overall results ......
Richy and Clive also won their sections, Clive R also done well in his area but just not enough.
Well that's it now at Evesham until Saturday 27th August for the Wynchavon Final and then the Team Final on Monday 29th.
Team Nomads have a strong presence over all 3 days so fingers crossed for some good results, it will be a tough gig especially on the Monday.
This Sunday I am fishing the Angling Trust Canal Pairs Qualifier on the Gloucester Canal with team mate Chris Hook.
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