Army match 5 today. Teams of three, and my team Orphans needing to keep our good run going. Last trip to a natural water this season, and the last to the canal at Bishops Cannings . Thank god!! Another really cold day, saw Carl and me pegging in daylight for a change. We made the decision to peg from the Bridge Inn up to the swing bridge. Normally we have a section either side of the swing bridge, but there were too many boats to the east of the swing bridge. Couple this with info from contacts at Devizes, who had hinted the better fishing was towards the Bridge Inn.
Same as the last Canal match I was pegged next to Craig Micalef; and in a section (swing bridge end)with John Dewberry, Brian Shuttler and Mike Poolman. Tough draw. JD (Yoda) came down before the start to apply the normal mental pressure "end peg again, boys peg should win from there etc etc". I agreed it was a good peg (last before the overhead power lines); that's right I said I am pleasure fishing here (false bravado).
The canal was a really weird dark tea colour as it appeared the local farm top soil and silt had washed in off the surrounding flat land. My favourite mick craddock float for the punch (nearside) and two other lines - squat across with a Garbolino wire stem 0.2 float and kamasan crystal size 22. Track swim 16 meters left with choppy and etang mix.
Shouted the all in for the 5 hour match at 10.30, cupped in a crumb nugget on the nearside, and choppy down the track. Looked at Craig on peg 2 to see, five sections of pole in the air and his no 3 elastic full out!! Please tell me that's a snag. The beaming smile and a 1lb and 3/4 bream sliding over the landing net proved it was no snag.
The longest 5 hours of my life followed apart from rotating my rigs through the different lines, the float never actually moved all day. Really nothing at all, till 3.15 and 15 minutes to go. Two boats went through churning it up. More out of temper than skill, I dumped in 30 pinkies over my nearside bread line and slipped a pinkie on a size 24. As the float vortexes in the wake of the boat, it slid away. I lifted thinking I had snagged and was surprised to see the 3 elastic stretch a little. Roach!! yes! I am not gonna blank. In again and again away, one more before the end saw me have three Roach in the last ten minutes. Relief. Shouted the all out.
Weighed in 160 grammes, Yoda had four roach for 170 grammes, and said it should have , would have been more if I hadn't shaken the water of the weigh net. Brian Shuttler, 80 grammes, Mike Poolman and Pete Coleman 10 grammes each and Nigel Gregory 200 grammes. Craig won the section with his Bream and 7 x 10 Gramme fish for 870.
The Devizes lads were right all the best weights came from the Bridge Inn end and the turning bay.
Tough day and Midsection Blues again. Dave Critcher (turning bay) won his section, and Carl placed in his so Orphans won the day - yippee. Easter weekend to come and an Open on Barnmoor (withy farm) + a knock up on Cottage.
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