Sunday 7th October - Upper Thames Winter League Round 1, Upper Thames Radcot / Lechlade

A different league for us this year along with some new venues as well. Its called the UTWL but only has one match on the Thames, the remainder are on the Upper Bristol Avon and middle reaches of the Kennet and Avon Canal.
I have only fished the Thames once before and that was back in early September but I have been keeping an eye on the results and methods used by some of the regulars. Basically its a roach and perch match with perch providing ''the bonus fish'' if your lucky.
I was up and about early, 05:00 and set off to drive the 70 miles across 6 counties to get to the Swan Inn on the river at Radcot. The temperature was 2 degrees and the windscreen had to be scraped for the first time. I arrive about 07:15 well in time for the 08:00 draw.

Team today was....
Mike Martin-Davies (c)
Mark Williams
Rich Whitmarsh
Mike Whithey
Brian Melksham
Steve Saunders
Brian Melksham
Me

My Team Nomads also had 2 Teams out on the Wye for the ABC League, so 24 of us out on the bank today!

The pegs today where from Lechlade to just downstream of Radcot. Mike came back with the draw and I found myself on Radcot Up which I could walk to from the draw. I had F8 which was the end peg just below the Marina mouth.
It didn't take long to get there and I managed not to get killed going over the small humpback bridge on the road then down some steps, through 2 gates (no need to break the kit down either) and across to the river.

On arriving at my peg it was quite narrow compared to the ones upstream of me but a fe fish were topping and some bubbles on the inside line.

All the boats opposite were devoid of life so I hoped they would stay that way.

Thatchers Martin Barrett was above me on the Marina Mouth and was making a few calls to get info on his peg. He came down and said my peg won the Thames Champs (thats fooked it then), he can't half chat.

Plumping up I found the best line was at around 11 to 12 metres without much weed but the depth was a bit uneven. In the end I settled on about 7 foot with a longish line as it was very clear. Shaun Bryan gave me some advice the last time I was up here concerning a couple of rigs so I set up a 2 gram with the olivetti about 2 foot from the hook and a single number 8 below this. A Tubertini 19 to 0.09 was at the business end. I also set up a 1.5 gram with a similar shooting pattern plus 1 gram strung out rig 5 foot deep for the same line. Finally a choppy rig at 5 metres with a 16 hook to 0.11.

Ground bait was 50 / 50 Sensas Noire and Gros Garden.

Due to the clear conditions and the frost I cupped in 6 balls at the start laced with dead pinkie, hemp and caster and a big pot of chopped worm on the inside.

Starting on the 1 gram rig I was getting indications but only from small fish and the maggot came back stretched every time. I persevered with it but after 15 minutes swapped over to the 2 gram rig with double caster. Much better and holding back caught a few stamp roach. Lovely fish and unmarked. I was feeding hemp over the top and they started to respond well. the first hour was pretty good but then started to tail off a little so I put another small ball in and came in on the choppy line.

The float sailed away immediately and a good perch was netted. 4 more smaller ones followed on the bounce and then nothing so refed more worm before going back out down the middle.

The roach had come back and more tidy ones were netted. Double caster was the best bait and also got me a good perch of around a pound but I bumped a few as well. (lesson for next time ....  set up a worm rig for the middle).

Just as I was putting a few fish together a couple arrived in their car on the opposite bank and proceeded to work on the white boat to my left, just where I was catching. They pumped the blidge out 3 times and were walking up and down the outside cleaning and doing maintenance. Needless to say on a bright day and clear river the fish backed off. It was hard going from this point and it wasn't until the last 30 minutes or so that I got them back although I did nick a few more perch from the inside. Given the stamp of fish I was catching before they arrived I am almost sure my with would have been double what I weighed.

I finished up with 8lb 14oz which was worth 4 points from 8

Heres how the Section looked.....

Arriving back at the Pub i met up with the other guys, very mixed results but ......  Mark Williams had a good second half in the match catching 14lb 3oz on the 3.5 metre whip only 2oz off the winning weight.

Mark with his bag. I have digitally enhanced him but can't quite get rid of the ''peaky blinders'' look

This was Marks peg... Mr. Crabtree???

Results as follows:

Individuals....

1st     Rob Randall GBV 15lb 5oz

2nd    Mark Williams Sensas Nomads & Alan Jones DGL 15lb 3oz

4th     Kevin Bennet GBV 13lb 5oz

5th     Mark Gaylard Sensas Lobbys 13lb 1oz

6th     Martin Barrett PI Thatchers 11lb 15oz

Teams....

1st      GBV

2nd     PI Thatchers

3rd      DGL

4th      Sensas Lobbys

5th      Devizes MG

6th      Matrix Talisman

7th      Sensas Nomads

8th      Wyvern Anglers

I did enjoy the day and would love to fish the venue more often. Next week is the 2nd Round of the Commercial House which is at Newbridge.... oh dear!

Sunday 2nd September - Turner 400 River Thames, Radcot and Clanfield

I haven't done a blog for the recent Wednesday afternoon / evening matches I fished at Staverton during the summer due to time, lol I know I am retired but I am busy. I think I only missed one of them but I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed them. Up to 20 fishing but usually around 16 and very friendly bunch. Easy to get to and park behind your peg. Gary Etheridge cleaned up most of the time picking up a place or a section. I had fished this part of the river once before but that was quite a will ago. I did start to get to grips with it and picked up 3 section payouts along the way which paid for the day. I will certainly be back next year.

So ... on to the Turner 400. I have never fished the Thames before and when a few of the lads said they were interested I put my name forward.
Nomads team of 4 was.....

Mark Williams
Mike Withey
Rich Whitmarsh
me

30 teams had registered for the match so 120 pegged.

I did trawl the internet for information but there was not a lot out there. A couple of the guys who were fishing Staverton on the last match did give me so info though and it sort of matched up with what I had found out and been told by Nomads Team Manager Mike Martin-Davies.

The draw was at the Swan Pub in Radcot OX18 2XS and when I route planned it I found it was 71 miles from home. The draw was also starting at 07:30 fish so I was on the road by 05:30 to be on the safe side. Just as well I did as I came across a road closure north of Swindon on the A420 which delayed me .......    note to utility companies doing road works and closing roads.......

PUT UP DIVERSION SIGNS BEFORE YOU CLOSE THE FECKIN ROAD!

Thank you

Once back on the A420 it was a picturesque drive into Oxfordshire and I arrived at the pub right on the Thames by 07:15. The lads were already there and I tucked into a delicious specialist sausage bap and cup of tea.
In terms of our teams overall experience on the Thames and on a scale of 10 we were about a 4 at a push.
There were lots of local teams as you would expect so we were really up against it but ... you gotta learn some way.

Sections today were.....
A              Radcoat up .....walk from the pub
B              Radcot down .......walk from the pub
C & D      Clanfied

Mark done the Captains job today and came back after the draw showing Rich on Radcot up and me Radcot down (peg 4 shortest walk), Mike and Mark having to drive a short distance to Clanfield but park behind your peg.
Steve Long (GBMV) pointed me in the right direction from the pub car park.

The Upper Thames here is a bit like Staverton but wider and shallower (just like Mike Martin-Davies said), very nice area. On the way to the peg I came across Shaun Bryan on peg 1, apparently it was a good area as was peg 2 and 3 with mine being ok ish. At the time there was little flow and Shaun said it probably would affect the fishing.
Roach would be the main target and 10lb would get you mega points.

When I get to my peg it did look nice, just around the corner from a marina mouth with over hanging willows. The bank was nice and flat and no need to get in the water.

I set up a 1 gram pencil float with number 11's strung out 3 feet below the bulk, 20 hook to 0.09. A 1 gram sensas carbon river float, again a 20 hook to 0.09 but bulk well down and a couple of number 10 droppers. Shaun also advised me to set up a 2 gram rig as well to a heavier elastic (no 6), my other top sets were no 4. Finally a waggler for right across as I was told chublets sometimes show.

On the ''all in'' I cupped in 8 balls of Gros Gardons and Noire with a few casters and hemp at 13 metres where the flow was plus 3 balls about 8 metres out where it was the same depth, about 7 foot.

Starting on the pencil rig with double caster I had 5 dumpy roach in 15 minutes then the bleak moved in. I started to spray hemp over the top hoping to fed them off, think I attracted more. Went out on the bulk rig and it was a bit better but my hook bait just kept getting ravaged before it hit bottom. I did overcome the problem a bit by putting the rig in well above my feed or well below it.
The roach did appear to reduce in size and I had a few dace as well. Coming in on the 8 metre line gave me a few perch so I fed some chopped worm which produced a small skimmer and a couple of roach but it was very slow. I had a look on the waggler but only caught micro chublets. I could see the angler below me and he appeared to be concentrating on a short line for most of the day. I did see him swing a few fish but not that many.

I re-fed my 13 metre line and nicked the odd fish but bumped quite a few right down the end of the peg. Switching up to an 18 hook made no difference and I became very frustrated with myself.

I thought i had around 3lbs but the scales said 4lb 6oz. Below me he weighed 6lb 6oz, above me 5lb 11oz, peg 2 had 11lb odd and Shaun on peg 1 won the 30 peg section with over 15lbs, he fished very well but gracious as usual saying he had a good peg but you still got to catch them.

Shaun with his section winning bag of mainly roach worth 30 points

My weight was only worth 9 points from 30.

Rich had 7lb plus for 17 points, Mike had 5lb odd for 17 points but Mark had 6lbs plus for a magnificent 26 points. 69 points in total which gave us 10th overall from 30 Teams.

Top 3 Teams as follows...

1st     Wyvern Anglers 99 points

2nd    Drennan Oxford Yellow 93 points

3rd     Diawa Gordon League Gold 91 points

Top Team Wyvern Anglers

So on relection...yep done a lot of that and will be trying to up my game.

On the plus side Mark picked up 3rd in his section, well done mate

PS .... I did not take the photo, think he was jumping around for joy too much to get all his head in

No top weights recorded today as I left early in case the road closure was still in place.

Pic (bit of an angle though) showing points per team if you want to try and work the full positions out.

Enforced match fishing break now until the end of September then Bristol Commercial House League  (I miss the first one) and Upper Thames Winter League.

If anyone locally is interested Colin from Premier Angling in Chippenham is running the following league once a month on Wednesdays through the winter.