Pewsey Canal + Interclub match against Kintbury

An extra hour in bed this morning, but made the most of an early start to get to Ladies bridge and get a parking spot.  Bit of AC / DC "dirty deeds done dirt cheap"to rock me to the venue, certainly wakes you up when the I pod seems to want to shuffle through the heavy stuff.  Not that I am complaining.  Bit of Motorheads Ace of Spades and Iron Maidens "the Trooper"  I was deaf but happy on arrival. Apart from a close call last minute.  Pheasant took off and I thought it was coming through windscreen but instead it ripped of the passenger wing mirror - more bloody expense its ever ending.

Still very mild but the colour is beginning to drop out of the canal. Punch will soon come into its own I am sure.  After a good weekend on the river last week and a good mid week result from the canal I hoped for the form to continue.  Brian Shutler is six points ahead of me now; and its clear he has sussed the lake so its the canal where I need him to have a bad match and me a good one.  I was leafed out last year on this match hope this year is more successful.  I suspect the normal lucky ones will be in the bay.  Its funny how Brian, Steve Dean, Chris Rushton and Paul Giddings seem to be there or there abouts every time.

Leo does the draw but cant stay as he is being measured up for a suit for his daughters wedding.  It was this week or miss next weeks winter league, and that wasn't going to happen.  We all want section 1. Pegs 1 to 7 in the bay, so a mad scramble for the draw hat sees, Simon Burden and I left with the last two me peg 11 and Si peg 13 both down the narrows. So we trudge toward our pegs, those with 1 to 7 with big smiles on their face. Brian and Steve not in the bay!!!

I had drawn exactly the same peg as I did in the last match at Ladies bridge.  Nice colour but the water was freezing.

The match starts. I cup in the choppy and caster and within a minute the first boat comes through and churns up the baited area.  What a waste. Re-bait and start on the whip with punch .  

Ten fruitless minutes sees me change to a pinkie and a further waste of time. Over the choppy and another 20 bite less minutes.  Chris is catching across.  Last time I fished next to Chris he did the same.  This time I learnt from it ditched the track kit and went across.  

Fifty five minutes saw the first bite and its yes you have guessed it a Pike around 10 oz.  The run of Pike continues.  Three squat fish for around an ounce and then it goes solid.  Pike number 2 a more impressive 3 lb that severs the line at the net.  

Ping some maggot and caster across and set up and plumb another kit for across.. Job done I lower in a single caster and its away another Pike heads right to the bay and the 3 elastic pulls hard, as I bully it back trying to snap off, I suddenly get a view of a hybrid!! Its not a pike!  

Gingerly I coax it back and slip the net under it.  At last a bonus fish in a club match.  It goes around a 1.5 lb.  

The day gets harder and colder as autumnal cold fingers begin to tighten all around us.  The water is colder the wind is whipping up the narrows and its a struggle to fish to the far shelf. An hour without a bite prompts me to scale down to a 24 and start grinding out the small stuff.  But at least I am catching.

Simon and Marc to my left have had a 3 lb Tench and big hybrid and those in the bay are catching big we hear.  The first bloke in my section (one off the bay) has had two big hybrids so it looks like I am under the cosh.

I manage to grind out about a 1 lb of bits to go with my hybrid.  Danny is catching but Chris has stopped some time a go.  I think I may have the two either side of me beat; but the section has gone to Simon surely with that Tench.

So to the weigh in

My pound and half Hybrid is joined by 1 and a half of bits for 2 lb 15 oz and 8 drams. Sure enough Si and Marc with their respective big fish do me, but they have been pipped by Kintbury's Steve Young his two big Hybrids give him 5 lb on the nose. So its mid section blues.  

The only consolation is I have picked up a few points on Brian who has struggled a bit by his excellent standards.  As expected you had to be in the bay to win it.

Chris weighs in his flying peg in the bay

Robin shows of one of his Bronze Bream that gave him double figures

The queue backs up on the bank as we trudge to the End Pegs. 

 Paul Giddings has won it with 14 lb dead, and well done to Robin for second place.  Chris Rushton scrapes third.

Scores on the doors

Back to the van for the pay out and announcement of whose won the Team match.  Kintburys 6 weights will be against our best 6.

Kintbury total = 10 lb 13 oz

Pewsey Total = 41 lb 6.oz and 8 drams.  Pewsey are the winners.  Pewsey take top three slots and one section, whilst Kintbury have the consolation of two section wins.

Round four of the Winter League next week at Radcot.