Pewsey Wilcot road. Bad day at the office

Its the penultimate canal match in this 2014 / 2015 season Brian Shutler is almost in-surpass able.  Its not impossible and I am going to make him and Simon Burden (who has been sneaking up the outside to nose in front of me  -just), work for it - it ain't over til its over.

There are two canal matches and two lake matches a lot can happen. Especially as the well attended Pewsey matches are going from strength to strength; many talented anglers can throw a spanner in the works.

A crystal clear night meant the van was frozen solid so much so that I had to poor a boiling kettle around the door to break the seal.  A 24 hour stomach bug had left me with a backside like a Japanese flag, so it was a dose of Imodium and a cork and I got under way.

Only fisherman know the joy of going fishing I find it hard to describe.  It can be an oxymoron, full of contradiction.  If it was a work day would we get out of bed so readily?  Yet we get up its cold, its dark, we are going to try and tempt the tiniest fish from the coldest of water. We are going to probably give money away to people who will take complete joy in rubbing it in for 7 days until the next match.

There will be both miserable and happy people on the tow path, runners, the dreaded self centred cyclists and Kayakers. Dogs and dog mess and finally the canal boats themselves. We don't mind them.  Without proper canal boats we wouldn't have a canal to fish and for that we are grateful.  Just need them to go down the middle and slow please.

Yet all this negativity is blown away when the float dips and the elastic stretches out, or the lightning Blue flash of a Kingfisher graces our vision. Welcome to the natural joy of being on the bank with your mates sharing a laugh.

Parking was tight and muddy for the Wilcot rd draw.  Stories from the Pewsey team who attended yesterdays team competition on the Basingstoke canal. Left us all with a feeling of dread.  Sections had been won with ounces by some of the best canal anglers around.  It was hoped the day would bring better weights on our home stretch.  I nipped behind the van for a quick pee before the start, and even with 15 layers of clothing on the cold temperatures had a negative effect on my parts. Still looking down it did make me think I might catch a bigger one on caster today.

After Chris had had his number 6 section broken by a fellow angler stepping over last week; I had brought along a spare from my Tourny pro.  Lets hope it fits his Diawa not sure it will. As it was he didn't need it.

The draw got underway and would you Adam and Eve it I drew a midway peg number nine. Yet again I miss out on the peg I wanted number 1,2 or 3. The canal was frozen and where I was to thick to break with a cupping kit. Loathed as I was , I had to use the ice breaker. Chris Glover was lucky on peg 8. His boat had kept the water free of ice in part.

The match got under way and Chris had 5 fish before my float moved and that was twenty minutes in.  Clearly my thought that punch would be the way forward in the clear water was not working. A change to pinkie saw the first fish of the day.

The ice was reforming around my float when the first boat came through.  Ice swirled around and adhered itself to my rig.  Another couple of fish then it died again. Thirty minutes later the float moved a smidgen to the right and I lifted into another snotty which grew wings and ripped away under the ice. Pike!!!!!! The first of three or was it the same one three times???

Chris had stopped catching and H Harris to my left was into a big hybrid. He then had a nice Perch and a nice roach to go with it.

I am not sure where it all went so badly wrong but disappointment enveloped me as I realised any possible chances of catching Brian in the championship or even Simon come to that was fading and it would take a miracle to get back in the hunt now.  I thought it was all over it is know. I slumped on my box and sulked like a three year old.  I did manage in between the Pike to scratch 13 fish, but I didn't even have enough weight to register one single point.  The only thing I can do is keep going and try and overhaul Simon and get second place.

The weigh in began and the lads gathered to exchange pound coins on the side bets; and although all were happy and banter was high.  I was too disappointed to really join in.  I was mad with myself not just with losing. That's life.  But I knew where I had gone wrong and I could have done should have done better; and that leaves a bitter taste.  I tried to chase it and I had overfed it and killed it.

School boy error.

As expected the first 4 pegs had done well. Well done to Spanners winning of peg 14. Second from last for me. Second Mike Marsden, third Simon Burden.  Several lads had bonus Perch etc but that's cold comfort.  I just wasn't good enough today and need to buck up.

Well done to H on my left some nice bonus fish and Chris on my right who was unlucky not to get weighty fish

To add insult to injury Spanners took a quid of me. The first one of them I have lost for a while as well.  In the wide scheme of things its not the end of the world, but right now as I type I am so disappointed, need to bounce back soonest. Or take up golf.