Pewsey - Summertime a long and expensive day

The fog was determined to try and dampen the day. Yet the warming summer sun is stronger than its spring brother and by the time I was on Everleigh ridge it was burning it back. God what a beautiful day, and so much wildlife everywhere.

We had been told to meet at the Golden Swan for the draw but typical of the draw on match one of the North Wessex Summer League it was chaos in the pub.  People arriving late, wanting the bacon rolls, before their admin.  

Glad to say Pewsey was squared away I had handed in typed sheets on arrival with only two changes, Si Irwin on duty and absent and poor Kirsty unwell and taken to hospital during the night. I stepped up from three to two, and Neil stepped up from 4 to 3 to fill my gap.

Also running concurrently was a pairs comp, Chris had asked me to fish with him, so that sorted  we set off running late we finally left the pub. I followed Brian Shutler to Wolfhall (Burbage).  The match was now not going to start till 11 to account for the latecomers.  So those of us on the ball had loads of time.  Good job I got to my peg to find the bank collapsed and in front of  a very narrow (18 inch wide) towpath and an even steeper stinging nettle bank behind that. The canal itself , I had 15 meters to far side , the water was full of leaping pike and shoals of fish crashing and wriggling through the sedge grass opposite as a spawning frenzy was under way.

A relative shoal of pike was "herding" the fish into tight balls of fish then crashing headlong into them. Panic in the next section as some deranged wicked witch of the south kicked of at the lads.  It seemed she had accused them of spying on her in her boat, which by the way had no curtains.  

She then left her boat and started up and down the bank with her bike cursing and swearing and questioning the parentage of every angler on the bank.  Pleasantries were exchanged and one of the lads explained that he pitied her husband if her private parts were as big as her mouth!   It was all getting out of hand and eventually the police had to be called.  It turns out the lady in question has some mental issues and is a known problem on the canal.  All very ugly , and apparently it is not unusual for the woman to break or throw fishing tackle in!!  Great just want you want.

Eventually the all in was called and bushes either side of my the only thing I could do was stand up and ship back the pole at an acute 35 degree angle.  Christ If I gotta do this for 5 hours I m going to be knackered. So shipped out a small ball of groundbait, some sqaut and a few grains of hemp and caster to far side, almost to the far side and the awkward task took its first victim of the day as my number six section inexplicably snapped almost clean in half and the potted bait fell short.  Bugger it thats gonna be expensive.  I gingerly retrieved the pole which was hanging by thin slivers of carbon.  Just as I got it to the bank, it gave way and in reaching forward for it I knocked my pinkie and catapult in.

What a day I'm having.  Kev Chubb on the next peg had already had a 2+ skimmer and 2 1lb + skimmers in the net and I had not started.  Quick call to the tackle shop to order a new no 6 section on super fast postage, and eventually 20 minutes in I get a bait in the water.  Float dips and in struggling to manoeuvre pole the first of 8 pike grab the fish and rip off.  

30 minutes later I have a couple of roach 1 gudgeon and two tiny Perch. Oh and 2 more Pike, one of which was an easy double and had tail walked up and down the swim for fun.  Kev by now was up to 6lb at least.  He was lucky he had a feature across and it was in the shade.  

Me I had bugger all except the sedge grass , which was literally dripping in fish eggs and milt in the full on blazing hot sun.  I couldn't buy a bite but Kev was steadily bagging.  So 3 hours in I was gasping for a drink and I realised that in the kerfuffle with the pole earlier I had knocked my drink over and it had leaked away. What A day. Unbelievable.  So I scrounged some squash from Kev who's peg was now coming into the sun and mine was going into the shade.

So as Kevs bites slowed to a stop mine came on and in the shade in the last hour I managed (in between the onslaught of Pike) managed to catch about 8 lb.  Not enough to catch Kev he thought he 20 lb.  Fish on at the whistle which again was Piked, but I got it in.  What a day trashed at least a dozen rigs, broken 6 section, lost catty , lost pinkie container broken drink bottle. Thank christ its over and I can pack up. Least no boards or scales for me to do.

Wrong - -  bloke turns up at my peg and says I was told to give the scales to a Gary Williams, do you know him!!! Yes mate its me, I say.  Have you had a good day, he says.  I think my black face frightened him away.He scuttled away quickly.

So to the weigh in. PMG 1 Chris Rushton had won the section, Bri had blown out on the next peg and Steve Dean got 3rd. PMG 4 didnt have an angler here.

B Section (My section) Kev wins it, Clanfield angler second and me 3rd

C Section, the ever relaible Danny Jones wins it, with Spanners third

D Section

Beer and Crisps are consumed and stories of monster fish lost are exchanged as the scores on the doors are totalled.  Pewsey take individual honours with Kev Chubb winning, well done Kev, Steve Trevett, myself get sections by default and Chris is second in the match. Stonking start.

Low numbers are whats wanted here so first place to PMG with 6 points not 7. Clanfield in second place and PMG 2 third. PMG 3 in sixth and PMG 4 who only had two in their team bring up the rear.

Great but long and expensive day see you soon going off to explain to the wife how much a number six section costs!  If you hear screaming you know she didn't take it well.

By the way £40 for section default.  Chris and I have the best combined weight in the pairs and so we lead Kev Chubb and and Steve Trevett in the pairs.