Pewsey end of year bash (Part 1)

So it was with great joy that I jumped into the flyer this morning and headed of to the Golden Swan at Wilcott, for the draw.  James Carty has arranged his normal end of year bash on the Pewsey Canal.  The house has felt claustrophobic and suffocating; so to fish is to breath again.

As I slipped from side to side on the icy roads I noticed Mike (Buzzer) Bernstein my rear-view mirror.  All the way there I chanted a new litany "yes I am on the canal, anything but the boats" over and over.  James briefed the audience on payout and points system.  He announced the sections as , one at the Crab-apple, one at Wilcot and one at you've guessed it at the boats!!!!

Still with around thirty anglers what was the chances of me drawing the boats again?

Well bloody good actually as that's just what I did..  Still not to worry it would be impossible for me to draw low again, surely I would be in the high numbers up by the bay past the cables.

JC explained my "normal peg 4" was in fact peg 1. So as long as I didn't draw that ................ well I didn't but I did draw peg 2!!!! I had Bob Davis Swindon Talisman on my right and Mike Bernstein Garbolino Black-more Vale on my left. See below.

The Match itself was a non event for most of us in the Boats section.  Despite being 20 paces further along the bank than normal, the boat traffic and lack of skilled boat driving was killing my peg and the pegs either side of me.  

My only consolation was with an hour to go I was ahead of Buzzer and the two to his left.  Bob on peg one was positively bagging having had 6 fish in a row in under two minutes.  

Now the Boats were taking the piss three abreast and revving there engines for fun.  The canal was now like Mulligatawny soup.

 Buzzer snagged a 6 oz Perch on a bit of worm and Steve Dean was coming back with 4 fish in a row.  Me I was struggling. Mike agreed without the Perch I had him beat, but to be honest it didn't matter.  When I shouted the all out, I had had 8 bites , 8 fish and at the weigh in 8 oz.

I did the boards for our Section,. So having never been further than peg 5 before.  I wasn't surprised to get a nose bleed going that far along the bank!!

Mike and Gary (between the wires and the bay) had duked it out fish for fish in a ding dong battle. With Mike showing his class and pipping Gary by 2.5 oz. 

 Brian Shutler (other end peg by the wires) was third. Bob Davis a creditable 4th considering the boats. Mikes Perch meant he had pipped me. Steve's late run had tied him with me and poor old Pete 5 fish for 3 oz.

Wilcot straight was tough as well.

Kevin Rowles bagging first with a lovely 4 lb 10 oz, Kevin Chubb second with 3 lb 7 oz .   P Andrews third with 1 lb 15 and a half ounces; Match organiser JC taking fourth.

All the best weights came in the Crab Apple Tree section.

 End Peg Paul Giddings and P Passmore with great weights.  R Whitmarsh third with several 2 lb + weights following.

Hope I draw there tomorrow. Well done to big Mike Marsden. A smile of satisfaction and realisation at last, that what people have been telling him " hes a very good angler" is true after all.