Airsprung Open and triple boating makes you sick.

For the first  time in absolutely ages I was attending a match where I knew nobody.  The lads were either on Ditchers Spring League or doing their own thing.  I had several invites after closing my blog last week with not sure where I was going.. So thanks to the lads at Tisbury etc; but I needed to know I can still catch on a canal or give it up as bad lot.

Airsprung Angling kindly accepted my request to fish their open at Trowbridge on the K and A.   £12 all in, saw me programming the TOM TOM to fish a water I have never fished before.  I had a rough idea thanks to Devizes MG angler Mike Marsden, who had given a few tips.  So as the Pet Shop boys belted out a rendition of "Go West" I headed west down 303 and then cut through Shrewton, Market Lavington and Devizes.  Before I knew it I was on the ring road and multiple roundabouts of Trowbridge with the Tom Tom getting me to my destination.

To the draw then.

I was delighted to see some people still going fishing on a bike.  It is 38 years since I strapped a rod to the cross bar of the bike and flung a wicker basket over my back. Fun days.

Unfortunately there was only 6 anglers (paying top 2) as many of the local bigger competitions had attracted those guys to fish.  I was delighted I did know at least one angler.   Rich Whitmarsh was fishing and he very kindly topped up the tips given to me by Mike Marsden.

Rich pointed out the shoal of skimmers feeding heavily on peg 1 and said he thought Peg 1 or 3 would win it today.  We drew and the last out of the pot was me with Peg 6, Rich had peg 5, and as he explained on the walk to our pegs, 5 and 6 used to be good but the fish seemed to be in the lower numbers now.

Our Pegs, my trolley in foreground and Richs just distant.

We quickly set about our stations and the 9 am start approached way to fast.  I was a little concerned at the volume of boats going through and their speed.  Rich said you would get used to that, but not to worry to much the fish were used to it.  

His worst weight on this stretch was 5 lb 8 oz, so it seemed it had a head of fish, just hoped the locals would be gentle with me.  If I could stay with Rich, I would be happy but there wasn't much chance of that.

The whistle started us and I was strangely nervous.  Not wanting to embarrass myself I suppose. So head down keep it simple and concentrate  The supposed good inside line produced one Tommy Ruffe and it was huge, if I was on home water  would have claimed the club record, it must have gone 3 oz.

The three quarter line next and gudgeon after gudgeon preceded a nice hybrid.  On home water I would be in prime position with that fish, but here it was run of the mill.  Rich was flashing the landing net out, and I had the feeling I was being hammered.  The boat traffic was horrendous as the fist of the days double boatings occurred.

It seemed the tactic was to get up and walk away and let it settle.  But I flicked the whip down the inside of the point of the boat to my right.  I did manage a couple of roach a gudgeon and another tommy.

The Canal detritus settled and cleared quite quickly as it pulled rapidly left to right.  I ditched the normal rigs and put on a 2 gram flattie and held it against the flow.  3 quick skimmers to double pinkie helped before the bites died again as it slowed up.  Now that it was still I put in more ground bait and dropped the normal rig over it.  Before the bait had hit the bottom it was ripping right and sliding away.

That's more like it, fat roach few more of them would be nice.  But it was slow and the boats kept coming.  Roach became tiny, Gudgeon were small still and the skimmers well 1 oz perfection in miniature.  

Rich said the the fish would get smaller after the first hour and he wasn't wrong.  More ground bait and a change to caster.  Twenty minutes bite less saw me back on the double pinkie and the first of three more skimmers.

Game over though as I was triple boated.  

This time I had the delight of a first for me.  One of the three boats was a booze cruise; and to my absolute delight one of the passengers decided to wait till he was in line with me before projectile vomiting into my swim.  Great thank you very much!! Charming.

Trying not to vomit myself as his pavement pizza gathered around my feet and keep net.  I decided to walk away for 5 and have a pee.  Grabbed a drink from trolley and strolled back to note with panic that Rich was already back in and catching.

Quickly back into it I caught a few more but the last hour was a grind as the bites slowed in the vomit / alcohol slick .  Managed one more skimmer.  Tiny fish abounded as the whistle went for the end.  I turned to Rich asking if it fishes like this all the time and he said no, he thought today had been bad.

So to the weigh in no doubt smashed up by the local boys, but I had enjoyed somewhere new for the first time; and the local lads seemed very friendly and welcoming.  Busy tow path and loads of boats but at least there were fish there to be had.  I pulled the net out with some trepidation hoping I had flew the flag for Pewsey and put up a reasonable show.  

End peg it maybe but I spent half the match learning how to fish this stretch.  Will be better armed next time; and there will be a next time.  If I have a free weekend and there's an open on , it will be my first choice.

The weigh was refreshingly quick with so few anglers, and as we came back down the line hope rose that I might stand a chance, certainly I wasn't embarrassed.

Back down to Peg 1 and the fizzing swim (lovely looking peg and clearly the first place people sit down and fish after crossing the bridge) from this morning had produced well and the lad on it had done well, he'd had a busy day.  

Amazingly near the end some youngsters had say near him and instead of telling them to bugger of it was a match he gave them some bait!! What a Gent.

  Not only a gentlemen but also the winner he had a net full.

I would like to say thanks to all for the invite it was a nice day.  Particular thanks to Bill Turner for organising and to Rich Whitmarsh and Mike Marsden for their tips.

Back on home water next week.  Days Carping tomorrow maybe?

Pewsey Sitting around without much to do

Round one of the Pewsey 2015/2016 canal championship.  Slow start to the day as nothing seemed to be going right. Got under way 15 minutes later than I thought I would, but the vibes soon perked me up and I was soon shaking my " thang " in the driver seat.

This match last year was cold and wet and I won it.  Normally I cant get past peg 4, but last year I was up by Perrys turning bay.  This year just as cold this year and I drew peg 2 so was just about as far away from the guaranteed fish as you could be. Still the colour of the canal was returning to normal after weeks of 500+ Kayaks ripping it up. Under pressure I went a pound with the northern boy Marc Kay who is full of himself at the moment, what did he draw well only prime peg in Perrys bay, so goodbye to that quid.

Chris "Endus Pegius" once again draws on a hot peg 1.

Short walk past Chris. To my peg at number 2.  The peg looked ok if devoid of life. Completely different to Milk house on Friday Fish fizzing everywhere and one a chuck.

 Everyone else was making as much noise as possible as they stomped their way up to Perrys bay and the higher numbers . Tackled up and stepped up the bank for the customary pre match pee. and for once I was ready with 10 minutes to go.

The canal seemed painfully shallow to me and although some thought it wasn't I did hear the boat living community bemoaning a broken pump at Burbage for low level.

How low can you go well some of my mates are can go very low; but when the canal is 3 foot deep at its max down the track at my peg.  Boats like today start to scrape the bottom.  This didn't help at all but to be honest even before a boat gouged out another couple of inches ( had to re plumb). Chris had 3 foot 6 and Steve Dean on my left the same.

So began the sitting around baited up on the minimal side, had a feeling it would be easy to over feed today.  One bite ten minutes in produced a tiny cray fish to my worm head. Then nothing for an hour. Tried off the bottom up the shelf laying on etc etc, but absolutely no movement.  As I said devoid of life.  Just to make sure I asked Steve Dean and Chris how they were doing and the reply 2 bites, 2 fish from Steve, and Chris 3 for 3.

At last a pin prick of a movement and I hit it.  Result 1 x quarter ounce Perch which could barely fit the pinkie in its mouth. Rapid change to size 24 hook and single squat, toss pot on end of pole and sprinkle 6 or so squat with dry ground bait in 18 inches of water at the end of "Sunrise" the boat opposite.  Although you couldn't get a fag paper between my rig and the canal boat with no joy.

Same again of the rope ball next to the rudder at the stern and the float dipped into an ounce Perch then two more half ounce. At last fish, float dipped again and I bumped a fish as the line wrapped around the toss pot stopping the elastic working. Bugger it wasn't big but hey fish are a premium today.

Untangled the mess then hooked my sleeve, resulting in my launching the rig behind me and putting on new. Set depth against my plumbed marks and looked to ship out again.

Unbelievably the bloke from the boat to the left had parked himself on the stern of "Sunrise" his boat as well apparently and he had decided to do some maint work.  So not only did we have "Sunrise" but we had "Moonrise" as well; as he hung his plumbers cleavage out of his jeans and over the edge of the boat whilst he proceeded to sand down; undercoat and paint the stern of the boat right above the rudder.

Can you believe I say to Chris.  Hes done that deliberately.  Some people are spiteful says Chris.  So that ended that swim. Still couldn't leave it that when he went for a tea break I fired a pouch of pinkie over the stern (by accident of course) and when he came back his beautifully glass smooth paint job was dotted with crawling "black" pinkies trying to free themselves of the black gloss paint.  He was not pleased.

"Sorry" said I "the wind caught them and blew them onto your boat" (Pinocchio nose ). He seemed to accept.

After another boat dragged through stirring up the winter detritus of blackened leaves and twigs. I baited again.  The Northern boy (Marc Kay) came along which surprised me as he was on prime peg.  Mike Marsden was with him.  It appeared a few pegs in the bay were bagging especially Si Burden who had em crawling up his pole.  I had not had a bite for 2 hours but then again only the inevitable Brian Shutler was catching in our section.  I threw him his quid as I contemplated packing in with an hours to go.

Stubbornness saw me see it to the very bitter end.  Chris reckoned he had 10 fish, Steve on my left had, had a run of gudgeon and he was up to 7. I had a gudgeon as well and when the weigh in began I was packed quickly and waited for my five fish to be weighed in.  Chris lied he had 9 fish and I was closer than I thought, but to be honest it didn't matter.  It was day when the float had barely moved.

One extraordinary thing did happen today. At one point my single pinkie bait had attracted attention.  The dimpled dotted down bristle moved a microcosm. I hit hit and nothing there.  Oh but there was I had hooked another pinkie!

You know its a tough day when you start hooking your loose offerings!!!

Some special mentions. Steve Hiscock new club record Ruffe.  Martin Aris back after a while and making a great job of the wires peg. Simon Burden, smashing everyone around him.  Mark Russ gets a nice third after 4th last week. Seems all the fish were the other end as expected.

And so to this weeks winners three different faces with Leo left, Simon middle and Mark right, see you next week , where I don't know yet.

Army 6 Todber bogey again on longest day

An early start required needed fuel had a flat tyre etc etc. Still got to Skevys Cafe on time for my heart attack on a plate.  Good job too. 49 Anglers all wanting a mega breakfast is no mean feet to get through.  Well done to Sue and her team .

Pushed forward to draw I once again drew well for the team but not for myself.  Having been told by the guy in the shop last week the new lake would not be used it was and although I had some inkling from Chris Perry it would be in.  I went armed for F1 fishing on white posts or Park lake.  But oh no I drew in the middle of the new lake not good.

Straight away I realised it was going to be an easy day , virgin water (although well stocked with fish) barren of feature , a long strip two shelves either side and 5.5 to 6 feet down the middle of sticky blue clay.  To top it all we were sat in a construction site as new lakes were being dug and shaped all around .  The deafening sound of tracked caterpillars and dozers, mots unwelcome.

After plumbing up I set up my rigs not realising that the fish were going to be so small ( 4 to 6 ounces)  So it was clear early on I had prepared all wrong.  Having practised White Posts and Park, I was trying to keep it simple on bait.

This lake though was different, my 8 mill meat cubes, 4 and 6 mill hard pellet hollow 10 and 12 elastic plus one top kit with double 8 in were all too heavy.  To lighten the load I had left my light elastics at home.  I did have a Carp on the method across straight off but after 20 biteless minutes and everyone around me catching it seemed I came in and fished the pole.

It took a while and many changes of rigs to find a bait and set up that would work but eventually sussed a method.  Ultimately though the stamp of fish in front of me were to small.  A busy day bagging four ounce fish is ok , but it ain't gonna win anything.

Neil Gaff three pegs left of me and Pez were catching much bigger fish and more of them.  Ben Bentley he of the named peg

were going great guns Ben having tench after tench and Tree Sansom was matching him, if not in front.  If I was to fish this lake again I would fish it different certainly bait wise, they simply didn't want 8 mill meat or hard 6 mill pellet.  

If I was thinking straight I should have bit the bullet got of my peg go back to the shop and get the right bait.  But I didn't want to leave my peg i just kept thinking Pez's bigger fish would or other bigger fish would come into my swim.  

I did have 4 skimmers jigging a 6 mill hard pellet but that didn't last.  So Todber continues to be a bogey water 9th with nearly 15 kilo it certainly was MIDSECTIONBLUES today. My bigger fish below + 37 four ounce stack carp, a busy day till 1.30 when the bites stopped suddenly and only had a few more bites in the last hour

Brian came along for a chat; and said with an hour to go he only had a kilo.  Then caught 6 lumps in the last hour for 18 kilo so he finished one place ahead of me again.

Kev East did the scores on the doors for the last time before moving on.  He has run it brilliantly for the last two years.

So the scores on this very long and noisy day, i ll be glad to get home.  One day I will get Todber right in a match, and watch out. 

 Well done to my team mate Mike Poolman, Dave Burns and myself let him down today.

Well done to Rocky, Chris Glover, H , Mike Poolman and the other winners of dosh.  Back on the canal Sunday see you there. PS well done 1 RHA team winners. Scores below mine and Dave's 9 and 10 are round wrong way but doesn't affect the scores

Pewsey - I have a feeling I have forgot something...

So here we go again 2015/2016 Season gets under way with Lake match 1.  It had been a funny morning , unexpected frost and I couldn't put my finger on it but had a feeling I was missing something. Anyhow better get the dogs out and exercised and the chickens fed.

The dogs looked comfortable and were not keen to go out and greet the day.  So i gave them an extra 5 and loaded the van.  Still couldn't put my finger on it, but something was wrong.  Perhaps it was thoughts of the lads already on their way to the teams of four spring league.  I wanted to be with them but not enough places in the teams, so the lake it was , not a bad replacement.

Got underway and a bit of White snake "Here I go again , on my own" appropriately sad really.  Still got to the lake met with the other new season hopefuls and waited for Steve to arrive and draw. Banter was ok and the morning was nice in general.  But there was that nagging feeling.  So back to the van to see  what I had forgot.  Nothing. Oh well put it aside and get on with the draw.  Everyone showed their new rod licences and we drew.  I drew first for a change and got peg 9.  Going to call this peg Gary's peg I have drawn it so many times.  I thought a new season might see me down the Carpy end but NO.

Robin had drawn end  peg 15, Steve Dean 14 and Jimmy 13.  With Gary P on 12 Roly on 11 and Mark Russ on 10 that section was full.  I had my work cut out taking on Neil Pegrum, Will T, Si Burden, last years Lake Champ and the talented Nic Worters.

It was at this point the nagging issue was settled. I set up and realised I had no keep nets!!!!!  Because I had been fishing venues this week that didn't allow them I had put back in the garage and forget them what a wally.  You can imagine the name calling that followed. Questions about my mind and the onset of dementia; and general loud laughter and piss taking at my expense.  I held my hands up and took it all , it was all I deserved. After the kind loan of a net we got underway.

As always all the fish topping rolling and leaping stopped 1 minute before the match.  They know you know!! method feeders crashed in to signal the start.

The bombardment over . I started pinging maggot to the far edge in the hope of mugging a chubb or two.  30 minutes gone and no bites so it was back over the ground bait line.  Two instant Crucians (the ones we stocked at 2 oz last year) probably about 4 oz a piece good to see them growing.

Mark on my right was catching at same rate as me, and no one else seemed to e getting a bite.  So we went fish for fish for a while before even our lines dried up.  Mark then had a tiny mirror carp around 4 oz. Then he had a bonus Perch which was stuffed full of red maggot I had been feeding.  Had to be me as he wasn't feeding maggot.

I suppose Mark had a lead on me, that until Nic to my left had a Carp of around 2 lb and immediately followed it with a Chubb all on the feeder.  That's torn it.  Do I stay on the small stuff or go for it.  So I gave it 45 minutes on the method with no bites.  Another 30 minutes on the waggler equally blank.

I couldn't see how the Carpy pegs were doing other than Gary Perryman who had hooked a huge lump of a carp on his pole.  He couldn't shift so was pulling the elastic in by hand and got it to the landing net before losing it.

Jim too had hooked and lost a carp as had Robin on the end.  I was getting beat up.  Not an auspicious start to the new campaign.  Just stick the blinkers on and try and catch.  The peg though was drying up , Mark had stopped catching and the others in my section apart from Nic were not even getting a bite.

I decided to come of bottom string out the shot and fish on the drop .  The fish were painfully small but at least I was catching . Mark soon caught me up when he nicked a small net-able skimmer.  But I kept going.

With half an hour to go Nic had two more Chubb on the feeder which took him out of sight. I kept going with the small stuff bumping a few here and there.  So it was same old same old, needing a bonus fish.  At least I had upped my rigs to cope with anything of size, if I were to hook it. But no joy.

Jim called the all out and the first match of the new season was complete.  Much to my surprise the weigh in gave me hope I thought I had around 3 lb.  It was going to be close between Mark and I he might just have me with that Perch.

Jim weighed in his 3 lb 4 oz and then Mark his 3 lb. It was going to be tight. Nic had clearly won, but who was second? I tipped my net in and the dial went around to 3 lb 3 oz. Done by Jimmy by 1 ounce that hurts should have stayed on the small stuff and not chased the win.

Nic had really done us all; his three Chubb went 10 lb 2 oz and he added a Carp of 2 lb 6 oz. for a total of 12 lb 8 oz.

As we called it  day the clouds built with the promise of rain.  Jimmy did the honours and paid out, as he didn't go in the super pool I picked up 3rd in match and second super pools. So free days fishing, 7 points on the board and we are off and running.

I wonder how the lads did in round one of the Spring League?? Below me on the left (didn't realise how white my hair is going!! need a haircut) the Winner Nic Worters in the middle and Jim Broomham on the right.

Going back to my roots and fishing is fun after all

Easter and some enforced leave, use it or lose the bosses instruction; and why your at it switch off and forget work.  If I see you near this place or hear that you have called in I wont be happy.
So following the instruction I decided to make the most of the dry spring like weather and take a few days.  The wife has a long list of DIY but I just had to wet a line.

So after car boot sale duty I nicked a few hours up the lake with Brian and Will Tapper catching Chubb, Perch, roach Bream and assorted goldfish and other species whiled away the BH Monday afternoon.  Bag of chips on the way home and the day was complete.

So after another day doing other stuff the water side called again.  There are two main stays in my fishing that of my brother and my old work colleague and mate John Dewberry who coaxed and coached me back into match fishing after a long break caring for my parents.


Wednesday saw me going back to John and asking if he fancied a pleasure session / practise at Todber ahead of next weeks Work match.  We agreed to meet at the normal point and whack a fry up before we started

After a chat over breaky and a coffee unleaded of course we headed lake side .  The plan was to fish the newly dug lakes at the venue; but unfortunately they were not ready and the guy in the shop said they wouldn't be ready for the match next week. Good didn't fancy listening to the bulldozers and heavy plant  and certainly didn't want to get my kit across the ploughed field that led to the platform pegs

So we headed to one of the venues other lakes and had a brilliant day in the sun.  I felt like a student getting a gentle bollocking as John picked me up on my skills.  He kindly went through the tackle bag saying, you don't need this you don't need that , you definitely don't need that. God your a sucker for gadgets and magic baits aren't you.  How many times have I told you to keep it simple??????

So it was going back to my roots and to be honest I was grateful.  The session was simple as could be and the fish flowed one after another with remarkable ease.  No super dooper bait, just balanced kit correct and accurate baiting and the fish were crawling up the line.  How could I have got myself into such a state recently chasing the alexia of fishing nirvana it was right in front of me just need to relax and enjoy it.

Did struggle a little bit with the accuracy of wag up in the water tight to a bank but even that came good as I became metronomic.  John did come and stand with me for a bit and just like at school with the teacher over your shoulder I started making mistakes.  But after some gentle piss taking it was slow down you prat, what is your hurry?  take your time and get right. Concentrate.

Of course he was right and again the fish came and the rod bent. The drive home was great , a warm breeze through the window, accompanied "Summer Breeze" on the sound system and that was followed by Mr Blue Sky and "Walking on Sunshine".

Thursday and a great day for me.  My brother is up from Devon and wanting to fish.  In his 7th decade illness has knocked him back but recent changes in drugs sees him gathering enough strength against a muscle wasting disease to hold a rod.  This really was back to my roots.  I thought our days on the bank were finished so to get another chance to sit in the warm sun and catch, was god given.

Set Gordon up with a waggler and a comfy chair and before I had plumbed up he was in to his first fish.  He was always a good angler and had fished for Salisbury, Pewsey and a number of other clubs had given many a good angler a run for their money.  He recalled his fishing memories to me and to be honest I wish I had the easy chair and some alcohol in hand just to sit back and watch.  It wasn't about the fish today it was about the company.

 I listened with no shortness of pride at his fishing knowledge. To use a Dave Moody saying, "I didn't feel fit to carry his tackle". He explained that much of his fishing these days was on the tidal river where he lives and although he watched fishomania and other stuff on Sky TV.  He missed the 5 rivers of Salisbury and wasn't keen on the fish race that was commercial fishing.  It lacked watercraft.

I mentioned the canal, and he recalled his most perfect match at Honeystreet on the K and A. It was by all accounts his most perfect match and recalled in a time when 10 pounds was a good match weight and he did every thing he wanted to do and everything without fail, had come off.  Not one missed bite, snag or any other failure.  In a time when poles were just coming in; just perfect and a waggler caught 20 lb + of fish.

Today it was great to see him hook and play the fish as the years dripped away.

  Arthritic hands don't help with fish presentation for photos but who cares.

We had a lovely day and the sun shone, the fish flowed and I hope to do it again sometime this year.  So back to the DIY and look forward to Sunday.  

Shear delight with my little Pony

Easter Sunday and instead of hosting the Angling Times Super cup, Pewsey and I had a free day as our opponents Wests Tackle had forfeited. I was looking forward to a lie in or possibly an easy day in a bed chair behind buzzers, or a bit of fluff chucking for some big rainbows.  Instead the offer to go with Brian and a few others and fish an old haunt Shearwater lake on the Longleat estate.

Def Leppards "Animal" was followed by Rainbow and since you've been gone, blew away the cobwebs as I zipped down the A 36 toward Warminster.  Happy memories of whizzing through the dawn chorus with my brother in his RS 2000 Escort crammed to the gunnels with Fiberglass waggler rods Efgeeco nets a bucket of brown crumb groundbait and gozzers topped of with swing tip rods and target boards and whopper dropper catapults.

Times have changed clearly as we found "No night fishing"sign ignored and nearly every swim taken by the bivvy Carpers. We found the only place where we could get six pegs in a row we started tackling up; as bleary eyed Carpers crawled out of the sleeping bags and stretched away their carp dreams.

I had the excellent Brian Shutler to my right and the terrific trio of Leo, Spanners and Chris the stallion Rushton to my left.  We tackled up and flipped the first feeders to the horizon in almost synchronicity fashion.

I found the lake sloped gradually away to 5 or 6 feet at 30 yards, then dropped of to 9-10 feet.  I decided to make this the main line and after prodding around with a bomb.  I found it was pretty rocky and boney and a little snaggy but it did it did seem promising.  So ground bait mixed and sieved a few times I dug out the whopper dropper and started the aerial bombardment.

The banter and excellent humour flowed as various piss taking comments were made up and down the bank.  It was good to be enjoying the fishing again after recent discontent.  Brian was casting disparaging remarks on my accuracy  which wasn't as bad as he was suggesting but continuous pole work recently had affected my rod work.  The boys were also laughing at ground baiting.  I explained you needed to lay a carpet of bait around the size of a car bonnet down to give the Bream something to to graze over.  Brian said he agreed, but i wasn't doing a car bonnet more like a car park!! Harsh and untrue.

Last laugh on them as the Bream started to flow interspersed with beautiful Roach the Bream were all around 2 lb and nine of the Roach under 8 to 12 ounces.  Fin perfect the Roach.  Fish whacking it on the drop meant the bites were a little hard to hit. So I shortened the link and the bites became more positive.  So much so cries of boys peg started to flow as I stretched a small lead.

But today was not about competition and conversation soon got around to manly conversation as Chris the stallion tried to make us all feel our age as explained the conquests of his love life.  Clearly it was because of his equipment he said.  Thoroughbred stallion.......at which point Spanners said more like "My little Pony" well cue the raucous laughter as we all fell about.  You just know that's going to stick for a while.  Even Chris was laughing.

I had to get of my box and go and have a wee.  And so the day went Bream after Bream for all of us now.  The others started to bait heavier and we all started getting one a chuck, Brian even had carp topping in his swim.  Leo did catch a Carp and even Chris who had a very slow start was now catching quickly.

After the tiny fish on the Canal we were all enjoying the clonking Roach and the Bream.

Most of the Bream were  2 lb + and it was dawning on us all what a great day we were having.  If only we could use keep nets it would have been good photo op.  At twenty Bream I stopped to allow the others a chance. Well that's what I said to howls of disdain; but I needed sugar and some liquid.

On resumption the boilie  queens to our right started to fry up the bacon and eggs and suddenly all of us would have given £20 for a bacon butty there and then.  So cruel to let the smell waft our way.  I really was catching some clonking Bream now, I was having a job to grip them across the shoulders.  As always the bigger ones (the biggest 4 and half to 5 lb)were darker in colour; and the head and shoulders were covered in tubercles.

Brian had switched to the waggler and upped his catch rate, he missed loads too as he tried to bait up with a catty the float kept sliding away.  We all were catching well until Brian and I realised the others were including everything caught in their figures as opposed to just Bream. Chris had gone over to worm and was catching bigger fish.  Me I was alternating between groundbait feeder, method with pellet and micro pellet and block end feeder trying to eeck out my bait.

The snaggy rocky bottom to the lake was taking its toll as hook lengths and feeders.  The boaters sailed majestically passed us and the tip kept going round.  As I hit 40 Bream Brian went to 41 and passed me.  The waggler was obviously faster.  We decided to give it to 4pm and call it a day so I aimed for 50 Bream.  Not to be though as Brian stretched away and beat me to it.  I got stuck on 46 Bream and 14 Roach to his 51 Bream and 9 Roach.

Not a match but the competition crept in inevitably with Brian Pipping me back to second; but can't complain all of us had over a hundred pound of Bream each and is traditional Spanners took his customary pound coin from his "little pony"

The lads got some practise in for their pilgrimage to Ireland, so great day all around.  The boys will be back on the cut next week for the first round of Ditchers Spring League.  Sad not make the team(s) but everyone wants in and there are only 8 places.

On leave this week so could get in a few more trips.