North Wessex Winter League - Pewsey play a blinder

Pewsey Teams 1 and 2 descended on the Bristol Avon at Sutton Benger today to kick of the North Wessex Winter League.  Meeting at the Rising Sun pub for the draw and a breaky roll (Egg, sausage and bacon).  Tea and roll downed I was informed my peg was D6.

D Section was below the weir.  Which was good oxygenated water with flow.  Bad thing was D1 was in the weir, and D6 was 150 yards down stream, just where it shallows up and comes to a standstill with no flow!

Never mind not expected to beat D1,2, and 3 so fish hard for good team points was the only option.  Just enjoy.

Drop down 5 or six feet to my swim.  The swim was limited, the tree top left was upstream so out of my peg.  Tree top right (three trunks) was in my swim and marked the end of my swim to my right, as all the rushes pushed  3 quarters of the way across the river stopping any hope of a trot.  Initially I felt hard done by.  I was severely restricted although there was 30 yards to the next peg, I couldn't reach 25 yards of them.

It was soon clear that even if I could have got to those yards with literally no flow I wouldn't have been able to trot anyhow.

With the reeds pushing so far into the river, the silt had piled up meaning my swim was 7 feet deep on the left 5 feet in front of me and 3 feet to the right.  I did have a small 4 foot hole under the far right hand tree.

The 11.00hrs whistle signaled the all in and I baited up in front of me with hemp and bread crumb, delivered by bait dropper.  Bleak pipped on the surface.  So I used a 0.6 foot rig , with a number 12 some 3 inches from the hook a number 10 a furhter 4 inches above that and a number 8, 4 inches above that which stopped the Olivetti.  Needed the Olivetti, to get the bait through the bleak and onto the bottom.

Hook was a size 20 with 3 mill bread punch for bait.  Fish first chuck a gudgeon , then three more.Then a roach.  It was steady a fish about every five minutes, for two hours.  The it dried up.  I tried for the bleak with squatt and pinkie, but only three fish in 30 minutes.  I decided to have a pee so I flicked the tip under the tree opposite with a small ground bait feeder and a worm.  While I dangled my, well you know without me saying.

Just sat down and the tip belted around.  Perch about six ounces. Flicked it out a gain and a roach grabbed it, got the roach mid river when a pike grabbed it and turned down stream.  I couldn't see where it went past the rushes, but it wasn't long before the sharp teeth severed the line.  As there were fish by the tree I decided to run a rig through.  It was about 12 meters not far; but the problem was the dense willow and bamboo , reeds etc behind me.  This meant I would have to stand and feed the pole over the top or break down every section - that's a pain.

After losing three fish whilst I was breaking down, I decided to stand the rest of the match and feed the pole above my head.  It was knackering but at least I stayed in contact with the fish.  The pike remained a pain in the ass all day, but I kept going.

There was splashing below me in the next section and from the peg above me from the Radcot angler.  I was just thinking how I would explain my low weight to the guys and preparing the sob stories when the whistle went for the all out.  The last match at Benger a month ago I had 1 lb 6oz.  I new with 63 fish I had beaten that but would it be enough.  The main thing was to beat the Swindon Isis angler on his own water.  It hurt to lose the summer League to them.

Back to the car park and the news was good both Pewsey teams had fared well.  Paul Giddings a Pewsey member who fishes for Swindon Isis had taken a pound bet with Martin Arris; and I was delighted to see Martin had took his money well done - made my day taking money of Isis - Sweet.

You just know the lads were going to give PG some serious grief.

Now for the scores on the doors. Sorry seemed to miss out section B sheet. Needless to say Spanners won his section for team 1.

Pewsey 1 is First with Kev Chubb, with Will Tapper second for Pewsey 2.

Mike Marsden 3rd for team 1, and Martin 5th for team 2

Dave Johnson (flyer peg 1 in the Weir) 1st for Team 2, and Yours truly 3rd foe team 1. As expected DI and D2 below the Weir, but I beat both the Isis lads - Yes!

 Alan Brown 3rd for Team 2, and Chris Rushton 4th for Team 1

 Leo first for Team 1 and Steve Dean 5th for team 2.

Overall results.  4 Pick ups for Pewsey teams 1. Mine by default.

Team result.  Pewsey 1 first with 28 points.
                    Clanfield / Lechlade 2nd with 24 points
                    Swindon Isis A (Home Venue) 3rd with 23 points.

Individuals 1st E Burn - Radcot 11 lb 8 oz also picks up £200.00 for Golden Peg
                 2nd D Johnson Pewsey 2  - 10 lb 5 oz
                Tied third Leo Pocock Pewsey and Wayne Starton Lechlade both with 8 lb 7 oz.

Leo picks up third, well done mate.

Below is the the 12 Pewsey anglers from Teams 1 and 2.  The interloper on the left a little aggrieved that Pewsey came Pewsey Fished and Pewsey conquered.

Well done lads.