Pewsey - Martin Aris a Triumph of Determination

This morning saw a return to wintry conditions after the spring of yesterday.  Our match at Calne had been cancelled on the river; and the Calne lads turned down our offer to come to us - shame.

Weird feeling today for the first time in ages I wasn't enjoying my fishing.  Yesterday was nice but "off the pitch" fishing politics were weighing heavily on my mind.  Still I agreed to the extra duties so cant back out now.

Ladies Bridge holds mixed feelings for me.  I have wonderful childhood memories of it, balanced by nightmare matches where I blanked, caught nothing but crayfish and fallen in.  Everybody wants to draw the bay where the Bream are particularly the end of bay pegs where the canal narrows / funnels into the straights again. I drew slap bang in the middle. Peg 7.

Dilemma do I wag and mag for the big stuff across in the bay. Or bread the inside and pinkie the track. I looked left to see what others were doing. Paul Giddings hadn't even bothered setting up a pole.  Just a waggler.  Brian had set up everything , Leo also the same (end of the bay) .  Kev Chubb, well we all know what he will be doing back on the straights he would be fishing bread punch.  On on the very end my Mate the undeniable Martin Aris.  Martins results have been getting better as his thirst for knowledge improved rigs and one of the biggest wills to win or get better has come to the fore.

The first two hours of the match I tried big baits, maggot as well as worm and bread flake on both the waggler and tip but it was dire and slow.

Paul to my left had nothing but Brian true to form had , had a tench big Perch and fairly big skimmer.

Kev the Bread was going great guns on the Punch, rumour drifted along Martin had a nice one.  Leo was walking the bank stretching out his bad back.

Danny had got off to a flier in section 1 to my right, but had slowed up and I could here Chris bemoaning the length of time between bites. Stevie Dean had had a lump and Richy Whitmarsh, Mike Marsden and Simon Burden were fish for fish.

About 1 pm I considered packing in.  There were no championship points, it wasn't a team event.  I was cold damp and as I said not enjoying my fishing. Two bites two fish , what to do.  Mixed some dryish ground bait added pinkie and set to it again.  Nothing till the last hour, when suddenly the float dipped and it was a crayfish - typical.

Never mind might as well see the day out. The float dipped again and for the last hour it was one a chuck.

Finished the match with 1 lb 3. and half ounces.  Pipped Leo (10 oz Leo had stuck it out for the big stuff and Paul Giddings who never weighed saying he had barely a pound.

Section one had several 2 lb + weights with Mike Marsden taking it by half an ounce over Rich Whitmarsh.  Which meant the top three weights where in my section. Kev Chubb won it with 133 fish for 6 lb 11 oz. Brian Shutler second his tench and bonus skimmer and dog Perch helping him to 6 lb 7 oz.  

Now the news that heartened my day my mate Martin Aris 3rd I was over the moon for him.  As was everyone else.  Truly a triumph of determination in the will to succeed.  Well done buddy. 

I picked up 4th in section by default, wont turn the cash down but didn't feel I had earned it, suppose it shows don't pack up early stick in there you never know.

Gonna miss the mid week with work colleagues, I have to work.  Probably a good thing need to get away from fishing and have a break, might regain enthusiasm for the last Lake match of the year next Sunday.

Well done Lads.

PS a big thanks to Leo despite his injured back he keeps turning out so the rest of us have an organised match to attend,.  Cheers Mate you the man.