Teams of Four Summer League -Thames

We all met at the Esso station by the M4 before we drive on through Highworth and Lechlade to Clanfield near Brize Norton.  On into Bampton to a coffee shop and the draw. Mike Marsden kindly took the reserve place for Pewsey Blue as Martin couldn't make it.  Leave Bampton go down Marsh Lane (2 miles of the roughest track I've been down for a while.  Into the cow fields; and immediately swarms of biting horse flies descend on the new blood in the fields giving the cows some rest-bite.

Horsefly heaven.

As I get out of the van at peg C1, the flies dive in. Anglers close by suggest I need to cover up quick. Before I can get my bib and brace on, I have been bitten 6 times!!  Hop over the stile, and get my kit to the bank.  Frantically route through my bag for some bug spray or deet of some kind.

Rule Board

In the panic (bites are up to 11 now) I grab the spray and squeeze. Rubbing the stuff all over I realise with horror I have squirted pole elastic lube all over.  Disaster, now instead of being bitten every insect for a mile sticks to me like fly paper in a butchers shop.  Anglers around are p***ing themselves laughing which really isn't helping.  I try to tackle up but grabbing the kit is like try to get hold of an eel everything is slippy and sticky.  The whistle goes and I am nowhere near ready.  Another ten minutes and I get a bit of bait in, on a feeder rod into a small shallow bay (cattle drink)  down stream at the end reaches of my peg.

The Peg, Cattle drink top left

My Peg was on the straight section the pegs either side both on the inside of glorious bends slacks on the inside, and over hanging willows far bank - pure Crabtree.  Mine in comparison was featureless. The tip bounced as I hastily set up my whip for the Bleak pipping by my feet. Deja vu if you read last weeks, yes an American signal cray fish.

 I went on to beat last weeks total 13, by one. New record 14 in one match. So after an hour on the tip bashing the Cray twins. I had, had enough.  The Cray above is a little squashed and  missing its claws.  Dead obviously.  Its OK to kill aliens I am told, in fact the locals positively encourage it. The match was slow, and although a nice day the wind was horrific.

 Struggling with both waggler and lygnum stick , because of the straight downstream 20 mph wind, struggling with the pleasure boats, all trying to bugger up my day.  

The wonderful cattle drink feature had become the obvious "lets stop , paddle, play, swim , throw the dog in.  Get the dog to retrieve everything place".  So that swim was out of bounds now, as the humans churning it up were replaced by a herd of cows imitating a herd of elephants at a waterhole.  

Sometimes in blog world you have to think of things to write to make it interesting.  Today there is so much going on I cant believe it.  A boat has just gone by with a topless woman sunbathing!!! Sorry couldn't get to the camera in time.

With one, two ounce roach in the net and with 1.5 hours to go. I am panicking.  Can't see if its the same for everyone.  The wind if anything is worse and now straight downstream making , mending the line or putting a float through straight impossible. 

Last resort get the whip out.  Little cloudy ground bait and pinkie set the depth at 3 feet.  10 feet six foot out from the bank, sloping down to 12 feet in the middle.  Start bashing the bleak.  Need to get something in the net.

The "all out" is shouted / whistled and I have one roach and load of Bleak.  The board man (peg 2 Chris something) from the local club is keen to start weighing in, and pack up later.  So we jump in my van and head of to peg 8 to work our way back.  Swindon ISIS on peg 8.  The guy had caught a Bream on his toes.  It was full of spawn, but still weighed in at 5lb 2 oz -add in his skimmers its not going well 7 lb 4oz. that's torn it.    As we work back I don't feel so bad as its ounces all the way.  Eventually I weigh in a pile of Bleak and one 2 oz Roach for a magnificent 1 lb 12 oz for second in section.  Great team points.

Good points for Mike too, in A section. Beaten by a Tench. with 1 lb 2.5 oz

 Steve Dean, beaten into 4th with 12 oz

 Yours truly sunk by a slab. Still beat the local Clanfield lad, Kevin Chubb and Pewsey Reds Paul White.

 Typical "Spanners" has gone from ounces to winning the match with a 6 lb + Bream.  Bloody marvelous, Will T struggled to a 4 oz 6th place.

Results.

So to the Results:

1. Swindon ISIS again another 25 Points given them the lead with 52 points
2. Equal first home side Clanfield 25 Points giving them 44 points
3. Third Bankers with 23 Points giving them 36 points
4. My Team Pewsey Blue 22 points giving us 41 Points (b and c points are round the wrong way but correct)
5. Pewsey Red 20 Points giving them 42 points
6. Lechlade A. 12 points C and D mixed up again but correct. Total 30 points.
7. Odds and Sods, 10 points now totaling 21 points.  Kevin Chubb clearly the star here.
8. New team "Retards" replacing Lechlade B 4 points.

Both Red and Blue drop one place being passed by Clanfield.  Pewsey B hanging in there.  Personally I am pleased , out of a possible 16 points , I have 13. So consistent.  In addition picked up £30.00 quid for default section.  4th in the first match fifth in this one, beaten by bonus fish (Tench or big Slab).

Although I was mid point of the entire stretch at least I wasn't Midsectionblues this week.  Midweek match this Wednesday.  Todber and Army match 9.