So to the draw and finally everyone arrives and the golden peg is drawn first. Number 5. £38.00 on that peg today. Then to the draw itself. Everyone drew, leaving Si Burden and me last. Si drew both and put one in each fist. I said left hand to Si and he unraveled his palm to reveal peg 7 for me and the Golden peg 5 for himself.
I settled in on my peg. Couldn't fish long as the number 8 section was in for repair. So did a swim at 10 o'clock 7 meters with ground bait and pinkie; and one at 2 o'clock 7 meters, with chop worm caster no ground bait. Caster on far bank with waggler and a feeder swim. Inside right under a tree I had a whip line to hand.
On my left Steve Dean. Steve has this unusual habit of vocalizing his thoughts throughout the match, so much so that I was beginning to think he was schizophrenic. He chuntered away all day holding full blown conversations with himself , most entertaining.
The wonderful Steve Dean
On my right my mate Martin Aris, Martin like me is in a little bit of a slump at the moment. So as the day progressed and he got hooked up in trees , twigs, and tangles. The language just spiralled down in fact I was wondering if he was suffering from that neurological condition Tourette syndrome
He was getting his head down though and really trying. Martin is a novice and new to the sport, so his gear is begged and borrowed and I am sure if he could get a little coaching and smarten up his kit hes really gonna fly, because nobody has more enthusiasm or want to do well as Martin.
The match progressed and some of the fish I was catching must have been born yesterday they were so small. My heart wasn't really in it and I wasn't really trying to hard; but the fish kept coming. Steady but not spectacular. Steve Hiscock had, had a Carp first chuck so was leading, and the inevitable Brian Shutler was catching a few skimmers. But that was in the other section, that end of the lake is much more Carpy than ours. The best we can hope for is a Chubb or a small 4 to 5 pound Carp.
Chris Rushton ( I never draw the end peg!!!) had drawn end peg 14 end peg opposite the bull rushes. For the record I have checked back and oddly enough 3 times last year Chris yes three times you drew end peg. Next to him Will Tapper, winner quite often of the Lake match. Will doesn't muck around its shit or bust with him and all out feeder for the Carp. Rumour has it Jimmy has a couple of small Carp and Chris has a lump.
In our section Roly has a nice skimmer and perch, but no one else is catching. SD is scratching away and catching a few then hooking the trees and losing his waggler. Si and a few others are starting to pile in the bait. So much so that the levels have gone up and I am fishing of the bottom!! They day slips by and although not really in to it, I may be in front in my section. That is till Simon on the Golden peg hooks and lands a Carp. Once again my inability to hook a decent fish plagues me and my despair deepens.
Brian has continued to bag and Chris apparently another Carp. The best I can hope for is good section championship points. A rash of tiny fish in the last 10 minutes with a five ounce roach on the "all out". The whistle fish was like a bar of soap and in dropping it into the net it flipped onto the edge of the keep net; tipped back and forth like a playground see-saw and then fell back into the lake and not the net. That sums up my fishing at the moment.
Chris and Will walk by, scales and boards in hand as they make there way to peg 3 to start the weigh in. So its our section first. Chris tries to feign disappointment knowing full well hes in a strong position. Well, who wouldn't be from the end peg flier.
The weigh in begins and Rolys fish are not as big as I thought. On the other hand Simon's Carp is bigger than I want it to be. Coupled with his few 'blades' for 9 oz, I am sure its tight between us. My net is lifted and my busy day of scratching comes into view.
Its not enough 3 ounces short of a section win. That"bar of soap 5 oz roach " flipping" left and outwards into the lake had cost me. Such is my continuing bad luck at the moment. Fourth in match and one of the money. Many more fish than anyone else in my section just no weight. So frustrating. To the scores on the doors:
Fair play to the winner Chris, made the most of the end peg with 2 Carp for 9 lb. Never out of the money the skillful Brian Shutler; and well done to our club President Simon Burden pipping me for 3rd. I suppose my net was pretty creditable when you consider I pipped a few people who even weighed in Carp. Still its not enough to lift the spirits and I still think a break from fishing is required.
So to the usual suspects and good luck to Chris in the middle on the River Huntspill next week. As Pewsey couldn't muster a ten man team, he will be fishing for Swindon ISIS.
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