Wessex Winter League, Too many Trout.

Early start again. Our match secretary Leo is laid up with injured back. Get well soon mate.  Leo normally picks up WT, but obviously couldn't today.  I diverted through Everleigh, picked up Will T and whizzed on through the gloom of an autumnal morning to our meeting place at Chisledon Garage.

The rain which was steady after a horrendously stormy night , washed even more leaves into the drains causing floods everywhere.  Some of the floods I drove through were so deep I nearly stopped, got out, tackled up and fished em.

From the garage to the pub for the draw, was like whacky races, the flyer struggled to keep up the pace. She had been through it this morning was cold and wet, and like me wishing I'd stayed in bed.  Still things perked up as the pub opened the Barmaid/Manager was cracker - a truly traditional barmaid all the asset's' if you know what I mean.  The lads were dribbling, and it wasn't the £5 breakfast.  Couldn't manage the breakfast and settled for a sausage sandwich.  Good job to, it wasn't two minutes and I had to race through to the loo.

The Thames at Lechlade.  All the talk was about drawing sections A the Roundhouse or C / D either side of the bridge at Lechlade.  It was thought C was the section to be in.  Chris drew our pegs and for the third Winter league in a row we had peg 5!! I was the furthest away in F section down near St Johns Lock.

 I cursed my luck at being a long way from the fish again.  However, when I got to my peg I wasn't overly upset as it didn't look bad.  Peg below me looked slightly better it was just above the the lock and had a nice looking mooring dock; which looked very Perchy.

I had a bush immediately upstream and above that once again I had Simon Burden Pewsey 2. That's three weeks in a row I have pegged next to this excellent angler.  Maybe third time lucky to get ahead of him this week. Above Si, Paul Giddings - Pewsey Angler fishing for Isis.  The area in front of me was a bit of a slack, being in the lee of the bush it had silted badly and was around 18 inches deep.  On the edge of the flow about 12 meters, it dropped off to around 6 feet; where there was a bank of sub surface cabbages.  I would have liked to see it in its summer coat, I wouldn't have wasted so much time plumbing around in summer as the water would be clearer.  So I managed to find a fairly clean line at 14 meters, but there was very little flow.

1100 o'clock whistle came and the downstream wind was horrendous trying to hold the pole was not easy.  I put in three orange size balls of ground bait laced with caster and hemp; and dropped a rig over it.  Bang it had not travelled more than a foot before it dipped and the first of what was to be 50 gudgeon came to the bank.  Struggling to get anything other than gudgeon I upped the feed rate, which resulted in the first of seven trout on the day. The smallest pictured below at around 2 lb.

The trout were a real pain as they didn't count in the match and I had around 17 lb of em.  It was the crushing disappointment that each time the elastic shot out, I thought Chubb or Bream, but only to see the spotty come to the surface.  The Radcot guy below me was, catching skimmers I had seen him net at least three around 10 ounces, and he was amassing a bit bag of small roach and Gudgeon as well.  He to had two trout.  Simon above me was catching nice size fish the landing net was going out, despite his concern at a lack of bites.  The worm line for both Simon and myself had only resulted in signal Crays.

The Heavens opened at about quarter past 2.  It was blowing a hooly, maggots were getting wet and crawling everywhere.  It was generally miserable and trying to hold the pole long, was hard work.  Out came the "Wagg" and I started pinging bait to try and get some Roach going.  Bleak obliged, as did a couple of 3 ounce Perch.  But no Roach.  The Radcot guy below me was fishing top 5 and getting one a chuck up in the water.  So I shallowed up and up the feed even more; but for every Roach he had I got a Bleak.  I cast about two thirds of the way down the swim thinking the bigger fish may be hanging of the back.  Three 3 ounce Roach in a row then nothing.  

God was trying all he could to up the River levels, by pouring even more Rain on us.  I expected to see the animals arriving two by two at the Lock below us and start getting on a big wooden boat, moored there.  Talking of the mooring area.  I mentioned it earlier.  The guy below me had chucked the waggler in there and had a dog Perch.

The Whistle went and we all weighed in; and went back to the pub for the results and a pint.  Oh and of course another chance to admire the Barmaids rack.

 The Scores are totted up, and the maths is completed.

 Chris has picked up third in A section. Steavy Dean struggled a little in a shallow swim

 Mike was inconsolable in his tight section, with only 6 ounces between the top three. Martin Aris continues his improvement, with his top weight of the comp so far. Just pipping his team Captain.

 C section, the section everyone wanted.  The weights around the bridge were as expected with Kev Chubb, leading the way with 10 lb 6 oz. Mr Hillier a creditable 6 lb 13 oz - a good weight in any other section.

 Our Super sub Si Irwin on the Day, had done Leo and the Team proud by storming his section.  Steve Hiscocks famous waggler struggled on the day.

 Spanners struggled for bites but managed a creditable weight and Will T struggled on the peg above him to get a bite.

As for me.  I was delighted to pip Si Burden but disappointed to be beaten into 4th by Paul Giddings and the Isis B guy who had those bonus Perch a that made all the difference.  Like Mike in B Section just a couple more fish!!

 Don't get me wrong 50 gudgeon is a lovely catch, loads of fish, but the guy below me has had skimmers and Perch to win the section; apart from the 7 Trout I just could not buy the bonus fish I wanted - how does PG manage it?  Thanks to him for lending me a black marker pen to colour the tip of the float for the shiny conditions.  Also to Si for the little piece of black float rubber.

Well done to Si for his section pick up. Only 1 oz of  fourth place!

And to Kev Chubb for winning the Match.

Pewsey 2 brought up the rear today, hard luck lads.  Pewsey 1 beat arch rivals Isis, and sneaked second place behind Radcot.  Radcot lead by 5 points going into the next round on their home water.

Next week Ladies Bridge, a championship match combined with a challenge match with Calne.