You thought the weather here was bad?

Have a look at the conditions anglers faced during the world pairs championships in Ireland the other week!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwFkk8VPYQE&feature=player_detailpage

River Kenn - inter club match with Frome Vale Sunday 23rd September

With a roast dinner now inside me and a hot shower I have finally warmed up after today on what felt like the first day of winter.This was meant to be a 3 way inter club match between Clevedon, Frys and Frome Vale. Due to some confusion Frys had booked Paddock Lake at Acorn Fishery as the venue but it was always on the Clevedon Match Programme as the River Kenn. With a commercial fishery booked Frys did not have much choice but to go ahead with Acorn but on their own, it also meant they had to fill up the pegs which I believe attracted some of our guys who would rather fish a commercial (each to their own). There were also other matches on in the area which affected our numbers. Anyway I was always going to fish the Kenn.
The draw and breakfast was at Warrens Holiday Camp, the service is a bit slow but a very editable breakfast was enjoyed by the 5 Clevedon and 3 Frome Vale anglers. The slow service adjusted the fishing times to 10:30 - 16:00. A very civilised draw took place by passing the bucket around, there were at least 3 pegs between each angler and we were all on the bottom stretch below Strode Rd. I drew peg 5 which has a lot of form and with only one angler below I couldn't wait to get to the peg.

View of my peg, you could get right in the water.

Simple set up today waggler at various depths and adjusted as necessary between the far shelf and down the track, loose feed caster and red maggot on an 18 to 0.010. Feeder rod with small cage feeder to a 14 hook with either worm or maggot, groundbait 50/50 green swim stim and sensas noire - sorted.

High tide was due at 12:50 which always seems to put the fish off for a couple of hours due to nil flow.

At the start and while the river was moving through nice I started on the wag, 15 mins in I had my first fish, a small perch, more followed from the far shelf. I rested this line and went down the middle, I had been feed both lines, the float sailed away 2nd trot down and I bumped a good fish, then I had a few roach. Rested this line and went back on the far shelf, good fish on, thought it was a tench, just as I thought I had it beated in snapped me, I just saw it beyond the net, a chub about 2lb (we stocked these a few years ago but they are rarely seen. I then had a couple of them plus some roach (these have been rare as well this year). High tide came and stopped the flow I only added a few more perch in the next 2 hours. Match Secretary came up walking the bank, I told him I had about 4lb at the halfway point, he told me James Gunter had one bream and other than that onlt a few perch had been caught, some anglers blanking. I decided to ball in down the track and put 5 in with caster and dead mag for later. The tide ran off and flow returned about 14:15 and with that managed a few roach and hybrids. I then went over the groundbait line and had a good bream 4th trot down but no more followed. About 15:00 I was trotted the far shelf and just tripping bottom when I had another good bream, surely this should be enough. Only two small fish followed in that last hour.

I packed up at 16:00 and walked up to James he had not had anymore bream. The scales came down and 2lb 15 was winning it, only James and I had to weigh as the Frome Vale angler below me packed up at 15:00.

James weighed in 7lb 14oz, pic below with his bream.

I weighed in 14lb 14oz for top weight on the day, pic below.

The pic below is better concerning the catch, it was taken while I was trying to line them up hence the head was down.

What a great day, press report below and I need new water proofs.



Clevedon Freshwater Angling Club staged an inter club competition with Frome Vale on their home water the river Kenn. Bad weather, a high tide in the middle of the match and other open competitions elsewhere affected the number of competitors.  A hearty breakfast from Angelina’s Restaurant at Warrens Village helped the anglers face the onslaught of winter and the continuous rain which fell for the duration of the match.

The river Kenn can be a difficult venue at the best of time so anglers were given plenty of space between the pegs in order to maximise their chances of drawing fish. Club Press Officer Ivan Currie has been putting some time in on the venue and knew exactly what to do when he drew Peg 5 at the end of the down stream section near the sea wall. Ivan fished the float all day with light tackle and fed caster sparingly with red maggot on the hook searching out chub, roach, hybrids, perch and two good bream for a very respectable 14lb 14oz. Second on the day was James Gunter another Clevedon angler who was immediately upstream. James weighed in 7lb 14oz which as made up of one good Bream that he caught on the pole along with some perch. Frome Vale angler Roger Worlock was third overall with an all perch net of 2lb 15oz.

1^st Ivan Currie

2^nd James Gunter

3rd Roger Worlock



Sunday 16th September - Inter Club with Frys Shiplate Farm

I was made aware of this match out of the blue, it was not on any match programme I have but solved my problem of deciding where to fish this weekend. The last time I was there I won it off West Pool and to be honest although it's a bit of a strange venue I was looking forward to it.
I arrived in the car park in plenty of time for the 08:30 draw and there were already a load of the Frys guys there, I was surprised to only find a 3 other Clevedon member present, maybe the others had made alternative arrangements as it was not on their match programme either! I parked up beside 'my mum fed me paste when I was a baby Walsh', can't knock the guy he has so much faith in the method and he won the previous days open on Acorn. A couple of other Clevedon members turned up giving us about 6 versus 16 to 18 of Fry's.
The draw was called and a debate commenced regarding fishing times 10:15 - 16:45 or 17:00 etc etc 10:15 to 16:30 was the final decision, some of the Frys members fish the star light matches on the Bristol City Docks on a Thursday night so would not have worried if we fished until 21:00 (9pm in old money)!
Pegs were thrown up in the air, I fancied West Pool again as a match had been fished the previous day on Hawthorns. I picked up the peg card open it up and it just said 10 but on which lake. Dean Harvey (draw master) confirmed the pegs with just numbers were on West Pool. Not bad methinks and 2 pegs away from where I won it from a few weeks ago. I knew what to expect so was fairly happy, I also had a spare peg each side of me as only the even numbers were in except for peg 7.
There were fish moving along the far bank at 16 meters but not much else.

View of my peg below from the high bank which is real pain for pole anglers.

Eye level view of the peg.

I did have a plan which was hard 8mm across and feeding 6's at the bottom of the far shelf, micro and dead maggot down the middle and paste off the inside shelf. Question though - whty did I have 8mm, 6mm, 4mm, corn, worm, paste, dead and live mag plus meat on the bait tray!

The all in went at 10:15 and I was ready, baited up the target area's and started on 8mm across, the sun kept coming out and in and the light was rubbish, a change to a yellow top solved that and I had a small carp after 20 mins not much was happening at all from what I could see, others were fishing tight across very shallow feeding mirco. Peg 8 above me started to catch and lose fish (foul hookers). I got the odd carp at 30 min intervals and soon switched to the middle on dead read and caught a couple of skimmers but even they were not having it properly. 2 hours in the paste line failed as well. No point rambling on, West Pool anglers really struggled compared to Hawthorn which was surprising.

I weighed in 27lb 6oz which was good enough for a section win, the top silvers weight did come off our pool though but it was not massive.

The winner on the day was Bristol City Docks expert and seasoned Commercial angler Pete Sivell with 99lb 10oz.



1st   Pete Sivell 99lb 10oz (Frys)

2nd  Paul Chapman 81lb 13oz (Clevedon)

3rd   Jason Bird 60lb 13oz (Frys)

Silvers - Derek Coles 16lb 1oz (Frys)

A good day out though despite the fishing and money well spread out (well done Dean).

Sunday sees us fishing an interclub between Frys (River squad) and Frome Vale on and wait for it the River Kenn (hard but fair), at least the bait will be kept simple!!!!!



No fishing Sun 9th Sept - 34th Wedding Anniversary

Almost forgot about Wedding Anniversary but saved the day a weekend staying in the Red Lion Clovelly. Match was on Trinity Woodlands and not Shiplake as previously mentioned in last blog. Back the week after somewhere but not sure where yet.

Sunday 2nd Sept River Kenn

I picked up a pint of caster and a half pint of maggot Saturday afternoon from Cadbury Angling,I still wasn't sure where I was going to go on Sunday. I had toyed with the Summerhayes open but the thought of coming back up the M5 with all the holiday traffic put me off, I also thought about trying to book int Shiplake but decided against it as we have a Club match there next Sunday. I got up about 8.15 on Sunday and still was not decided, had a bit of breakie and kept looking out the window for devine inspiration. There was some very light drizzel and it was overcast with a little bit of wind. Motorway section of the River Kenn it was to be then. I got some worm from the compost bin and loaded up the car at around 9.30. I parked in the layby in Davis Lane and went back and forwards from the car with my gear over the two stiles. All on the re-assembled barrow and off up toward the motorway. I didn't take a pole, just waggler and two feeder rods.
I was mindful of picking a swim with far bank cover as there are a lot of dog walkers on the far bank during the day and they do not give a monkeys if their dog goes for a dip opposite you. The water was fairly clear as well and there was a gentle upstream breeze, there was also a lot of streamer weed either side of the middle, it did look fishy.
I settled in on a comfortable bit of bank and was able to get close to the water, the M5 mototway was about 3 or 4 pegs upstream.

I mixed up some Sensas Silver Fish with Green Swim Stim and Sensas Magic, it looked great and a nice dark colour. I set up the wag and found about 6' down the track, the medium feeder rod was set up with a small 20g cage feeder to a 16 drennan carbon chub tied to 0.13 due to the weed.

I started fishing just before 11.00 with catapulted casters don the track and began with the wag, it was going through quite nice. After a few trots down the float buried and the predictable perch of about 5oz as soon in the net, a few more followed over the first hour before putting the rod up the bank behind me. I decided then and there to have a more postive aproach and put a worm and mag out on the feeder casting about two thirds across, more perch followed but a better stamp. About 12.30 I got really positive pull rounds but could not connect, liners? Bream where about as slime came back on the line, I tried casting shorter but same thing happened, no connection with the bite. I put on a whole red worm with 2 maggots and on the next pull connected with a bream but slipped the hook. Out again but this time connected, a good fish around 4lb was in the net after a  good scrap. More liners followed the I connected with what I thought was a carp! It tore off down stream and into some weed, I got it out and it came to the surface, looked like a common carp in the sun and ripple. I got in in after a hell of a fight, it was a big hybrid around 4lb 8oz. It appeared to have killed the swim with all the splashing around etc but a few more perch followed. While I was about to swing one in around 4oz this huge perch followed it in. I packed up at 3.45 as had to pick mum up for dinner in Portishead. So al in all a good day, 1 Bream, 1 Hybrid and 12 perch for well over 10lb. Pic of the bigger fish below.

Only saw one roach top all day but a lot of fry in the margins. Shiplake Farm next Sunday for Clevedon Club match and back to work tomorrow.

Fluff chucking on Chew Thursday 30th August

As mention in my previous post I had planned to go fly fishing for a late afternoon evening session with Dan from Cadbury Angling. I was meant to recieve a call from him around lunchtime confirming that it was still on. 13:15 ish and no call so phoned his mobile and it went straight to voice message, a quick call to John at Cadbury suggested he was going. I made myself a decent lunch and loaded the car up ready for the off around 15:00. At around the same time I had a message from Dan saying he was not going due to picking up some kind of flu bug. A quick decision saw me get on the lap top and check out if a singleton boat was possible on Chew, this was soon folowed by a call to the lodge and I booked a boat, £23 for 16:00 - 20:00. I arrived dead on 16:00 and was out in the boat 10 mins later. I could see a few boats down in the bay immediately below the lodge and thought that'll do for me. I started off right down the bottom end and just drifted within 10 mins I had my first pull on what I think was the orange gold headed lure, I had a couple of nymph's further up the 18 foot leader. The wind was quite strong and kept pushing me into a weeded area which meant I had to start up the engine again. Across on the lodge bank the boats that were there were protected from the win by the trees and didn't seem to move much. I was soon across which was much better in terms of drift and fly presentation. No one was catching around me, the about 17:30 the boat further up the bank had 2 in quick succession, I also saw a few fish move on the surface but the sun was still quite bright. A wind knot made me replace the leader and I only put on 2 flies this time but extended the leader by 2 foot. On the end was a red diawl bach

and further up was a green diawl back
Both on size 14 hooks.

Its amazing casting these small flies into some 1,200 acres that you can catch at all.

I decided to do a very slow retrieve as I guessed most of the fish were down deep, I had another pull but missed it, I still haven't got the hang of the strike when fly fishing. 20 mins later another pull and managed to hit it this time. A real craker of a fish, 5 mins later he was in the boat and knocked on the head a really good fish.
Back out and nothing for about 20 mins the another pull, did  not connect, same again back out hit a fish this time but came off half way to the boat.
19:50 I headed back in, the boats had to be tied up by 20:00. I weighed my fish at the lodge, 4lb 4oz, pic taken below in my kitchen just before it was cleaned and put in the freezer.

No matched scheduled for the weekend so not sure if I will go out orn not, the following week we have a club match at Shiplake. I might go back on the Kenn for a few hours if I go out at all. It's been a good week off work.

River Kenn Wednesday 29th August

With the week off work and no major jobs to do (Mrs. C was also at work) I planned to take full advantage of the situation. After the success of my short spell on the Kenn last week I planned another visit so popped down to Cadbury Angling yesterday and picked up a pint of caster and some maggot, I already had enough worm. Dan in the tackle shop suggested bream were being caught down near the sea wall. I fancied the motorway stretch myself and had thought about pre baiting the evening before. This didn't happen and I am glad I didn't bother as the wind up there today would have been awful. I got up around 8am and it was persisiting down, you had a job to see through it. I had some breakie and kept looking out at it, a quick check on the BBC site indicated it would be on and off all day with thunderstorms in the early afternoon. I went out to load the car up about 8.45, it felt warm and all of a sudden the rain stopped, that'll do for me. I was driving through Tickenham at 9.15, Bruce Springsteen came on the radio singing 'sunny day' and the heavens opened up again, but I was on my way. I decided to go down the bottom end and pitched up on peg 3, it has a nice solid bank and you can get down level with the water.

I decided just to fish the feeder so mixed up some sensas lake and bream 50/50, half pint of caster and a few grains of corn. With worm on the hook I cast about two thirds the way across, the river is quite wide here and the wind was getting up as well, heres what it looks like looking upstream from peg 3.

Three casts in and the tip rattles, as expected a small perch but at least it's a fish, a few more follow. In between looking at the tip I was watching the surface, although the wind was quite strong the pace of the river looked spot on. After 2 hours with only 4 small perch I decided to set up the waggler. First cast with mag and loose fed caster a roach of about 4oz takes the bait, then a few more and some perch, much more fun than watching the tip. I then hooked what I thought was a small fish the the rod went solid and the line shot off the reel, I thought a pike had taken it. I played it very carefully and got it's head up, a tench of about 4lb, my first ever Kenn tench. I continued to trot for the next couple of hours and only added small fish. The lightening arrived on schedule and it poured down again, once it had stopped about 2.30 I decided to pack up. Overall an enjoyable session, the Kenn has fished hard for the last 2 years but I think it's on the way back, lets hope so. My total weight for the day was around 6lbs. Go on give it a go.

If all goes to plan I will be fluff chucking on Blagdon tomorrow afternoon / evening.