Pewsey - Pilgrimage to Ladies Bridge

Thunder storms from yesterday had freshened the air and I hoped had freshened the fish up as well.  My mate Attila (Dino floats) Adam was meeting me; as trying to describe directions round the back roads to Ladies bridge to a guy whose first language is Hungarian is not easy.

Van loaded Attila doesn't arrive so after waiting as long as I could I left without him.  Pink Floyd and the " The Division Bell" album blasted in my ears and we trundled the back roads.  Ladies Bridge is always a popular match and everybody wants to draw the legendary turning bay.  Scene of 100 lb bags of Bream in pleasure sessions  in times gone by its still capable of a lovely net full.  The roads were reasonably clear of the recent Druids and other assorted Stonehenge Rastafarian, traveller's, and other friendly Aquarius love children as they had gone west to Glastonbury.  As festivals come and go you realise how the year is flying by, longest day  has already gone!

 Its gonna be hard today plenty of Egos on show and Ladies Bridge is not a happy hunting ground for me.  Three matches last year, fell in destroyed my swim, had an impossible swim covered in leaves to the point where I couldn't get a rig in and blanked the other with 13 Crayfish!!

Being the first Canal match of the new season Leo wanted us to show our new season club books.  Fair enough need level playing field for Championship points.  Dave George is back on the bank after his recent heart troubles and I offer to get his tackle to his peg. Its not far but up and over the bridge to and from is a bit steep.

Attila some how makes it to the match and it turns out his Tom Tom took him to the wrong end of my road never mind hes made it.

Tackle is humped up onto Ladies bridge and the draw gets under way. Three sections of 5 today and the first 5 are in the bay.  Its the best Leo can do due to the sheer volume of boats moored up. Attila draws first as a new member on the match scene and promptly draws peg 1 end peg in the bay. Would you believe it!

I pass Brian Shutler and Spanners Brian again for the third Ladies bridge match in a row on the other end bay peg. Boy he can draw.  Me I draw Peg 11 well down the narrows. Between Derek and my mate Chris Rushton fresh back from bagging in Ireland.

Danny is on the rushes peg known for tench; and left of Chris is a smorgasbord of talent including Si Burden, Mike Marsden, Kev Chubb, and Nic Worters to name but a few.  Match starts and I catch a few on the bread whip in front of me but that quickly dies and I go across to the tree opposite.  Straight away I hook and lose a decent 4 lb + Bream. That's gonna hurt later I am sure. It quickly becomes clear that the fish are in the shade to the right of the tree.

I enjoy a run of smallish fish from the shade but as mid day comes and the sun gets high I lose the shade and the fish this is coupled with two minor disasters boat after boat comes through and I am double boated.

Follow that with an impatient Cyclist "dinking" my number 8 section and damaging it; and follow that with the 6th boat in 30 minutes coming through dragging 3 boats behind it. Can it get worse.

Well yes it can because I cant get my camera out quick enough to photograph the woman who was brazenly sunbathing topless on top of the boat.  All the lads appreciate the distraction as bites take a long time to come back after heavy boat traffic.

The shade is now the other side of the tree and Chris is stretching the boundaries of his peg by fishing the shady patch.  Banter is high between us as I ask him if he would like me to feed my swim for him as hes fishing in it!!!  He denies hes overstretched and genuinely believes hes in his own swim.  Some people are delusional.

Give him his due he makes the most of it and its is marginal I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.  He continues to the match draws to an end and I manage three tiny Rudd that might go an ounce for all three. I reckon I have a pound and think Chris has 2 lb.  Rumour's abound the bay has won it as expected every angler has at least one Bream.

My net

The weigh in begins, Mike M has already trundled by not wishing to weigh in his about 2 lb. Photos for the weigh in don't all come out though I am sorry that and individual one of Atilla with his final net and the sheet itself are not there.  

So here we go :

1. Atilla Adam            13 lb 8oz       15 points

2. Chas Short             3 lb 5 oz        11.5 points

3. Martin Aris             3lb 5 oz         11.5 points

4. Steve Dean             2 lb 2 oz         7 points

5. Ian Spanswick        4 lb 2 oz        13 Points

6. Brian Shutler           9 lb 2 oz        14 Points

7. Danny Jones           1 lb 11 oz       6 points

8. Dave George          2 lb 14 oz       10 points

9. Leo Pocock           1 lb 10 oz       5 points

10. Derek Hillier         13 oz

11 Gary Williams        1 lb 6 and half oz   4 points

12. Chris Rushton       2 lb 6 oz         8 points

13. Si Burden             1 lb 3 oz         2 points

14. Steve Hiscock      1 lb 1 oz         1 point

15. Mike Marsden       DNW

16. Kev Chubb          1 lb 6 oz         3 points

17. Nic Worters         2lb 10 and half oz   9 points

Attila ways in his winning catch, he had a lovely big Crucian several Bream and also had lost several slabs, could have been so much better but apart from Brian it didn't matter as he had won the match.  BS had once again drawn on the bream and tench as his run continues.  Spanners back on form pipping Chas and Martin, but for all three 1 and half big slabs was not enough for the section.  SD had one slab and a couple of sprats to finish that section.

Next section was taken by Dave George by default from Brian.  Danny Jones had lost upwards of 5 big Tench and was kicking himself as he had his elastic stretched beyond its capabilities all day. Me well done by an end peg (Nic) and the guy who shared my swim Chris Rushton. Lol So Chris gives me the Loser sign as he picks up his brown envelope, by default.

But the laugh was on him as Nic pointed out to Leo he had made a mistake and his 2 lb 10 and half ounces was indeed the section winner.  Could I STOP laughing  - no I could not.

So to Chas Short and Martin Aris who shared default section.

Finally top three, nice to see a new face among the big winners.  Should make the Championship points situation tighter.  See you mid week as I join my work colleagues.

Attila in the middle you know the other two.

Pewsey Summer League Round 2 - Psychedelic Man!

After missing last week due to ill health, I was hoping to shake off the continued unwell feeling at the wonderful venue of Horseshoe Lake.  The Carp societies home it was a silvers only 2 till 7 afternoon match. Meticulous preparations double and treble checking the kit.  New line on the feeder, and waggler rods.  New elastics in the top kits all go towards being ready for the day.  Not much need for prepping the bait, as normal the bait from Reid's tackle was exemplary.  The benefit of having an angler prepare your caster means it was perfect. Even the "Flyer" (Van) was feeling unwell so I decide to take "Kate" my cross country Volvo.

 Kate and I enjoyed the drive up, although the scenery was beautiful I did get twitchy when I saw the fields of (opium) Poppies, considering the opposition today was Swindon ISIS!

Of course in this case the ISIS was a reference to a section of the River Thames; and the fact that many Angling clubs in the Oxford-shire area adopt the ISIS name for their use.

Phew relief they are not the Wiltshire branch of the ISIS organisation in the news at the moment; so shouldn't react badly to the beating they were going to get today.

Wendy James with her backing group Transvision Vamp was telling me " she wanted my love" and baby should could have it. I am sure any red blooded man who was in his late teens or early twenties, between 85 and 1990 would agree.

So after the draw at the Bridge pub in Lechlade, we whizzed of to the venue.  It was nice to be in comfort, but I did miss the ability to pile tackle in to cover every eventuality.  As it turns out I was fishing next door to the peg I was on last year. Not good and as Shania Twain was singing on my arrival "That Don't Impress me much". Kill the vibes and start looking at the swim

This peg was shallower (max 4 feet) and stuffed with Canadian pond weed. Pegging was a bit dodgy, the Boilie Queens had not read the signs and had bivvied up in various swims.  After their refusal to move a hasty re-peg was required which meant my section was spread out over a massive area of the lake and there was no real continuity of us all fishing similar level playing field swims.  Still I suppose every venue has flying pegs and dog pegs.

My swim as I said was solid with weed , leaving me the same option as last year of trying to find a patch in it to fish. To be honest I struggled.

This year I was prepared and brought my 14 foot Drennan Acolyte  waggler, because in short it was ping magott, drop crystal dumpy waggler (fishing on the drop) in the amongst the baited area if the float dipped) strike and hold rod high to try and pull the fish through the weed.  

I decided to lob the feeder first, (cage feeder , pinkie and ground bait, chopped worm and mashed caster), whilst I started pinging maggot to bring the Rudd to the surface.  As with last year the first fish was a Carp (which of course don't count). I was just pinging the second pouch-full when the rod ripped out of its rest and I just caught the butt of it, as a violent Carp tore off.

A strange fish long, very wide across the shoulders and with a massive paddle of a tail.  Its mouth could have easily swallowed a golf or squash ball.  It was a low double. I was glad I had set up two landing nets one big one small.  Still it got the heart pumping in addition to destroying the swim.  So it was a good hour and a half later that I got my next bite.  Still not to worry the ISIS man on the next peg hadn't had anything yet. In fact looking around at what I could see nobody was catching much except over in the corner at the entrance to the lake Steve Dean and those around seemed to be pushing out the landing net.

The afternoon passed pleasantly, the sound of the lawns being mown on the trout lake behind us, only broken by the roaring motorcyclists ripping through Lechlade.  I think the overdose of antibiotics taken to enable me to attend today were starting to kick in. 

I was on my own personal trip as I watched the willow herb float gently around my head and onto the water.  Each piece of fluff resembled a snow flake falling on a silent winters morning in the countryside.  Each piece landing like a butterfly with sore feet on the water.

The psychedelic experience was complete as my normaly poor hearing detected a humming from the masses of Damsel flies that were lining up along my waggler rod like Swallows departing from telegraph wires at the end of summer. The boilie queen to my left seemed to think he had carte blanche to "spod" his bait copiously far and particularly wide into my swim.  So off the peg and walked around to him .

Excuse me mate appreciate you have to feed your swim, but you are now landing your spod in my swim.  I would be grateful if you could keep within the tramlines of your peg we are fishing a match here, says I.  The blank look of incomprehension said it all.  The expletives and explanation that he was bating up (clearly!) made me feeling like walking away and giving it up as bad job.  However an explanation from me that if he didn't show a little more consideration, I would show him how a spod can resemble a sex toy in where it can be inserted.............. He climbed back in his bivvy.

I did manage a few bites later on but suffered the frustration of losing fish in the weed way to often.  Even those I got to the net were covered in pond weed, and easily flipped of the barbless hook with a little twist and turn.  I was starting to get mildly angry, maybe the floaty effect of the anti biotics was wearing off. With a few minutes to go ISIS man on my right who only had one fish then hooked and landed a Tench. That's torn it me thinks as I had been watching Steve Dean and others across the lake catch regularly. So the all out was signalled by the hooter and the weigh in began and what a weigh in, the massive (distance) section took an age. Quick messages on the mobile phone meant I felt reasonably confident I reckoned I had 3 lb and the message was some weights were as low as an ounce!

 Results below:

Clanfield on end peg had 10 lb + and with other weights in the ounces, the Pewsey contingent had showed well except PMG 4 who were one team member short.

Leo had won the section for P2 , ISIS 2nd and Clanfield again in top 3.

C Section my section despite my reasonable weight , 

I had been beaten like a ginger step child; and was disappointed to be so low down, if only with the lost fish he ho.  Well done to Steve Trevett in PMG 1 2nd, and particular well done to Steve Dean for his third pushing Clanfield and ISIS down the leader board. 

D Section well done to Derek Hillier knocking down the Clanfield crowd and Isis.  Chris Rushton doing the biz for PMG 1 and Danny Jones; despite his worry that 12 oz wasn't enough his points were still better than mine. Commiseration to Lee Knight few days before had practiced and bagged 25 lb.

So the lads enjoy a post match socializing drink while the scores are totted up.

Its been tight and with some teams drawn on points its a weight count back.

Points first, Clanfield(16) take the win and PMG 2 and 3 tie(17) with PMG 1 faltering with 18.  Poor old PMG manfully bringing up the rear after being one man down, due to a no show.

League Position after 2 matches.  Not sure on this seemed to have cocked up on photo.

But if I have it right PMG 1 are 4th on the day, Swindon ISIS 8th that's a result, PMG 2 are second . PMG 3rd by virtue of count back on weight. Clanfield the winners. Ill confirm later.

Well done to Steve Trevett highest placed PMG member on the day.

Back on the cut next week its Ladies Bridge - yippee!!!!!!!!

Army Group 2 - Withy or Won't he?

Not raining for an Army match that cant be right but I'll take it.  Don't feel great bit like the last Army match where I had to leave the bank early due to ill health.  Still I think I should make it to the finish line today. Whilst the fields of Barley at the end of my garden may not be "Fields of Gold" as Sting would say but they were certainly shimmering with the silvery morning dew.

I get underway Meatloaf is on the IPOD singing "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" and it makes me laugh out loud.  Happy memories of listening to the track on a cassette player in the car of my then girlfriend.  A mark one Silver Ford Capri.  Back seat, not the most ergonomic place to have sex, but any port in a storm for an enthusiastic teenager.  It was warm and dry the car that is, not the girl.  The sticking point was she required I wore a french letter, or a condom as they now known.

I hated condoms, 20 p in the chewing gum machine in the pub gents toilets and then struggle like bloody hell to open the seal fresh packet without damaging the contents.  They were never normal, pot luck for colour, flavour and style.  In this case I had a pink french tickler , little nobbles of rubber all over it, it looked like some sort of sea anemone.

The next problem (by the way I am grateful to Billy Connolly on this) as many years later he did a sketch. I swear he must have been in my head.  To quote my brain and Billy's sketch, "at which point in the proceedings, do you put the damn thing on?  I mean do you you arrive with it on or what? Well just as the song was playing the girl/ boy conversation was "do you love me (boy replies) let me sleep on it" My girl wanted commitment or condom.  So condom it was, and a rush to seize the moment without damaging the impossibly thin rubber.

So tune in next week to see what happened. Just kidding mind your own business.

So to the match, will my friend and fishing mentor Yoda (JD) continue his dominance of recent matches with yet another win. Added to the fact he is a venue expert at Witherington Farm its a case of Withy or wont he  win today.

Breakfast first dished up by the terrific Rachel and Glenn and then the draw. I was true to my team name today as I was an Orphan, no others had turned out. I presume Dave C is still ill, and Carl etc are working. I drew peg C1 or permanent peg 28. So no team mates , a bad draw, oh and to top it I was on the boards. Just a kick in the balls and my day will be complete.

Never mind lets enjoy the day. Already regretting going a quid against John but you never know.  The match starts and I take the chop worm and caster approach across, and feed 6 mill expander down the track.  The match is slow the Carp are cruising under the surface and basking in the sun.  All I can get are Rudd but they are reasonable size and quality and how can you not appreciate the beauty of such lovely fish.

The far side dries up, well it was never really wet. So I try the track with pellet and although the baited area is fizzing, I try a variety of baits with no action . Even maggot is not cutting it.  I decide to get of the tackle box and root around for a tin of corn; and at last I start getting a few bites, with skimmers and hybrids coming.  Still I have good company the brilliant Dave "Docs" Docherty and hes catching a few so it gives me something to watch at least.

Marty Bray is next to him relaxing in a deck chair to ease a painful back and fishing the method, with not much joy.  The pegs to my left are in the next section but they are very quite nobody is catching and its very quite.

I wonder how my Pewsey mate Bri Shutler is doing, hes on a good run at the moment and has drawn the flier on the venue peg 55 first of the Car park. News is hes catching but losing a lot as well.

The match moves on , I wont say drags, as it is nice to be there and not working. Very pleasant. Kev East the group secretary has once again organised a very good day. Top angler top bloke, and the house wife's favourite I believe.

Eventually I managed a four small Carp under 2 pound nice little stockies but all in all I couldn't do much more from this very quite stretch of the venue. So to the weigh in Docs is on the scales me on the boards. We start at the far end and Dave Hydes who is on an end peg with nothing between him and the Carp park, permanent peg 10.  Hes smashed us all. with a huge 33 kilo + Graham Dixon pushes Ivan into third by 30 grams.; and there is only 30 grams between myself and Chris Perry so we have mid section blues. Docs is surprised about how many Carp he has and how big they are so he pips that other good angler Mike Poolman.

B section has been won as expected by Bri Shutler. With almost double his nearest rival Rocky

The section of death A section is on the inner snake and I am surprised the bridge across to the middle has stood the weight of the egos that crossed it to fish today but it did. Eventually Ian Ross a guest of JD on the day comes out on top with the house wife's favourite second and Mick Craddock 3rd.

A lovely day with good friends draws to a close and I hand over my pound coin to Yoda who doubled my weight on the day.  I am not giving him the bird in the photo, it was to someone behind the camera who was taking the P.

Finally the top three , Brian wins (again) JDs run comes to an end. Davey Hydes is second and Ian Ross third.  Brian is getting fed up of my camera.  Brian if your reading this I am getting fed up of photographing you !!!!! See you next time.

Pewsey Lake Match 3 and its the Life of Brian!!

Dave "Georger" George

Firstly a big get well soon. Went to Tackle shop yesterday to pick up bait etc, where normally I would see all the normal gang getting bait for the weekend matches and throwing the normal good hearted abuse and banter in each others directions in addition to getting a sneaky peak at who's buying what and whats hot .  

I said to Dave and Christine Moody, "did you see the blog last week?" DG did well.  "Didn't you know - came the reply - Georger has suffered a heart attack!".  I went bloody cold and was genuinely shocked I knew he was a little poorly, and I had noted after last weeks match he was struggling to get up the bank with his kit, and in fact offered and did help - if a little late.  Hope that struggle didn't add to or bring on the attack.

Still the good news is hes out of hospital (see told you last week Jedi powers). Rumour has it with the help of his friends (carrying him and his tackle to the bank) he will be on the "bank" this weekend!!!  He truly must be using the force.  May the force be with you mate, and speedy recovery.

To the match........

After the Thunder and lightning ( I love thunder storms) and jet black clouds of yesterday, the day broke beautifully to a proper summers day.  So after the normal morning chores the consumption of a meagre breakfast and a catalogue of drugs for my own issues which considering the above pale in significance. Van loaded I plugged in the toon-age and started getting "jiggy with it" bright and cheerful tunes from Katy Perry,'M' People, Chaka Khan and as Sylvester was currently singing, I was feeling "mighty real".  As I got to the lake I was already surprisingly warm (hot flush) so it was appropriate the last tune before fishing was Snoop Dog and "Sweat"

Anyway back to me (my favourite subject according to the wife). Find a parking space and unload, make sure I have the scales, boards, golden peg money, booking in sheet, draw bag, camera, my bait, Ian's bait; oh and most of all Fishing Tackle.  Lot of tackle today as well.  When your fishing the Lake the difference in the pegs is quite marked.  For example the far end of the lake the lake widens, so the Carp tend feed better there as they push across to the far side away from the bank side disturbance.  I have been gagging for today to come the Lake is fishing really well.  I say that guardedly as with all waters they all fish better when not under that "organised match" pressure.  Come match days although everyone will catch I am sure the weights wont be big on some pegs.

Lower attendance today as some of the lads are on their annual (jolly boys week) filling their nets with the slab Bream of Ireland - lucky gits. Plus three no shows. So only a disappointing 11.  Still the mood was good banter and friendly abuse/ mickey taking was rife.  Re jigged the pegs so section 1 ran from three to nine, and sec 2 10 to 14.
Draw underway and Spanners draws an end peg 14, boy that boy can draw.  All the double figure pegs are capable of Carp, so I was after 12 , but that one went to Roly. I drew 9 and Brian 10. So for the second Lake match in a row we were side by side. Hope its not the same result.

Brian fished right across at 17 meters last time on 9. I couldn't do that today the trees had grown thicker and more droopy than a month ago, and my way was blocked how frustrating. Brian is affectionately known as "lucky" .  That is angling speak for skillful angler "we" the other anglers cant accept so it has to be luck.  I don't think so hes just bloody good.

The match started at a frantic pace with Brian and me fish for fish for a while before his started to be a slightly better stamp and he began to creep away.  He was kind enough to give me a little worm for hook bait but as I had left my worm at home I didn't have enough to cup in.  This I think left me short of one or two good Perch in the swim.

Half the match gone and its dead in my swim and I am getting increasingly frustrated at not being able to access the carp cruising under the trees opposite.  Brian is now into a waggler caught Carp around 5 lb

In the other section they are all catching Carp etc, Neil Pegrum has around 6 x 2 pounders, Roly and Si are also on Carp but surprisingly Spanners is quite on the end peg.  In my section Steve Hiscock has had a 4 lb Chubb and Chas apparently has a small Carp. So I have my work cut out to get section points, absolutely no chance of winning anything unless a shoal of feeding Carp get their heads down in my swim.

 I must offended this Lake at some point, when I am pleasure fishing it I really bag and always catch Carp; but in a match I just cant seem to get the Carp going.

So by the end its tight in my section between me and  Steve H, have enough to beat his 4 lb Chubb.  My net says its going to be tight no big fish loads of little ones a 1 lb skimmer and a 1 lb + Hybrid Roach / Bream

We start the weigh in and the first surprise is end peg Ian Spanswick has not had any Carp and only a small bag of silvers, highly unusual for him.  Neil on the next peg has bagged a load of small 2 to 3 lb Carp to easily win the match and with only 1 ounce between Si and Roly take the section as well. 

Scores on the doors below. Neil first, Brian second and Si third by 1 ounce. Me well consolation of top section points as I pip Steve Hiscock and Chas Shorts Carp.

So destroyed off the next peg by Brian two in a row on the lake.  Still as Its the Life of Brian, I should "always look on the bright side of life" and move forward.

So to the top three photo, which looks like a WWF Wrestling tag team with Si (right) being the corner man, well done lads good going.  Enjoyed today everyone caught something and the Lake continues to produce.

See you mid week as I have a match with my work colleagues. 

Pewsey V Andover - Return of the JEDI

The best laid plans of Mice and Men a saying that has haunted me throughout my life. From a Robert Burns poem 1786, and subsequently used as the title of the excellent novel by American author John Steinbeck.  It's meaning of course - the most carefully prepared plans may go wrong!

As I have said it is a cause of great frustration that plans I make are often blown out of the water by my lack of ability and anyone else's ability to control every detail.  Perhaps I should relax a little and let the butterfly effect (chaos theory) happen just smile and let it wash over me.

Take today's return match with Andover Fishing club.  The point behind this event was an attempt to encourage or reignite local rivalries and refresh the club angling scene.  To give all club members a chance to fish, and dispel any unfounded thoughts that match fishing is for the elite only.

We had won the first leg away and were hoping to do the double.  Some like myself had taken it seriously and got in a few practise sessions.  Others just did their normal turn up and fish, which is equally fine.  With Leo and Chris and a few others preparing for the Pewsey pilgrimage to Ireland it fell to me to organise; and as normal I wanted (pride) to make sure it was a success and everyone caught something.  

So having tried several pegs to get a feel I decided on the pegs and spent a couple of hours cutting out the pegs through the 5 foot high nettles and bank foliage. Pegged from Wilcot Bridge (peg 1) down to Iron Bridge, I was certain the top six pegs would probably produce the winner but everybody should catch even down to Iron Bridge.

Plans laid I arrived to actually peg it and yes you've guessed it Boats had moved in yesterday and blocked the first 4 pegs. I was smiling and a boater asked why and I told him how I had sweated cutting out the swims.  Thanks he said we chose this spot to moor, as there was a "nice gap!" in the bank side foliage. 

So as a couple of the lads joined me on the towpath, I was frantically trying to maintain the "right spacing" between the pegs , make sure they had a feature opposite to fish to.  A little real estate behind for shipping the pole etc etc.

Next set back and change was that Andovers Team turned up, well I say Team.  Two members had showed.  Whilst they were never going to have a massive squad, I was disappointed with two!  Thanks to Gerry Blunt Blunt and Les Thirlaway for showing.  It seems the sponsorship scene and the open match circuit in the Andover area has bled the Club dry  - what a shame.

Pewsey also welcomed back after a long gap Mr Dave George, a former successful Pewsey team angler from the last century. Lol.  I do him a disservice, despite now being retired he is still a quality angler producing the results.  In fact he is friends with my mate John Dewberry (Yoda); it is true they share similar Jedi skills.

Still we all agreed we might as well fish.  Paid our £10 pools.  So it would be our best two weights (from 10) against the two Andover lads.  Prizes would be 50 for 1st 30 for second 20 for third and £10 for section by default.  Draw done I drew peg 8 next to Spanners 

who had a lovely little feature opposite.  Don't know why, especially considering his flying looking swim but I offered a side bet of a quid. Big smile from him and a go on then.

Started the match and inevitably the boats started coming through; but I did get a few fish on the inside whip line before the boats had done the damage.  Wilcot Road is quite shallow (probably the shallowest of Pewsey waters) so the fast speed the holiday boaters were doing was flinging up the silt badly.  Still I did have about 12 inches deep across at 14.5 mtrs as a good get out.  Whilst the canal looked fantastic there were fish topping and rolling everywhere we were struggling for bites.  

A local lad had told me on Friday that the fishing was far better early and at dusk it really turned on; a point that seems to be more and more prevalent lately.  Perhaps I should have made these evening matches.  Whilst the better weights are coming during pleasure sessions, match days we are struggling to be honest.  Our club matches have gone with an earlier start, but today's was 10 o'clock to allow the lads from Andover plenty of time.

Spanners was sneakily dragging the fish in from his "bay" swim, but insisting I was in front and he was beginning to polish the pound coin.  

The day was pleasant enough, sun shone and the warmth of the summer sun on my face which was most welcome.  Just needed a few bites.  Still the pleasant "thwack" of willow on leather from the cricket pitch opposite as Wilcot village took on Burbage, and the ripple of applause provided a nice distraction and a pleasant backdrop.  Some of the bowling though was atrocious but it was the quintessential english scene.

On my left was new club member Lee Knight, he seemed to be catching a few but also losing a few.  In fact he lost two roach around 6 oz that he tried to swing in!!!  You're gonna regret that I said anything over 2 oz has got to be netted my friend.  His withering but nice look told me he had got the message. 

 News from along the bank was that Brian had had a bonus hybrid and dropped/lost a decent fish maybe 3 lbs. How true this was I didn't know but I didn't despair.  I was in a different section so was fishing against the others in my section.  More boats kayaks and dinghies came through and I managed to sneak a couple of fish in the last two minutes.  I blew the whistle for the end.  It was tight between me and Spanners (19 fish) me 23 fish.

Brian and Dave G, came through to start the weigh in and work back to their pegs 1 and 2, and Gerry Blunt looked heavenward in search of assistance from the man upstairs in boosting Andover weights.

Still the scores on the doors don't lie, and gods assistance or not I had taken Gerry's scalp.  In addition a quid from Spanners  - most welcome.  Lee Knight was now cussing the wisdom of trying to swing in 6 oz Roach.  Lesson learned there.

Well done to Kev "the Bread" for his third - amazingly he used a whole slice of bread today! Just show 40p worth of bait, third place and £20 thank you very much.

Well done to all for catching something, even Steve Dean who had caught but had went home after tangling three rigs and having a teddy in the corner moment.

So to the top three, cruel age comments aside,I think it shows with age comes experience and the Jedi skills of the old masters.

1st Brian Shutler (right)

2nd the evergreen Dave George (middle)

3rd Kev "the Bread" Chubb

And the winners are Pewsey, doing the double over Andover.  Total weight for Andover 1 lb 8 and half ounces. Pewsey (best two) 5 lb 14 oz.

Pewsey total weight on the day averaged a pound a man totalling 11 lb 3 and half ounces.

See you next week on the lake.