It was great to meet up with all the guys again the laughter was immediate as the banter began in earnest. So good to laugh again a completely different atmosphere to some serious professional matches.
Keith Taylor can fill in as a 4th today as we could only muster 3 for round one. We paid our dues and pools and did the draw. The best pegs were quick to go leaving our team peg 2 and the scales. Effectively I was in the middle as far away from end pegs as possible.
I was roughly in front of perm peg 17. Recent matches have thrown up low weights in this area with bonus fish helping the fortunate.
It was a good 1.5 hours before I had my first bite. I wasn't unduly worried as in my section it seemed to be the same for all. Martin and Chas came along for a chat and said that others were struggling but Steve Dean (PMG) had a round a pound which seemed to put him in the driving seat.
As Martin and Chas were there I had my second third and up to seventh bite. All small fish but it seemed they had arrived. I then bumped a small hoped I wouldn't regret that.
Chas and Martin left and took the fish with them I didn't have another fish until the last 15 minutes where I had three more. Then with 5 minutes to go the float moved sideways and I lifted into what i thought was a snag only to find I had foul hooked a huge slab in the tail. Number 2 elastic bottomed out as I had six sections of pole up in the air trying and failing to pull it in backwards. Even as I tried manfully I couldn't really do it, and as it came within 4 feet of my net I realised it was too big for my tiny speed canal pan landing net.
The inevitable happened as I pulled I don't think it even knew it was hooked and the 8 oz bottom hook link snapped. I may not have won the match with it but I am sure I would have won the days golden fish comp for biggest fish.
So the all out was called and we set about the weigh in.. It was tight in our section; and some normally good pegs even with good anglers on them had struggled.
A section down by the bridge. 2.5 ounces of the end peg with Lee Pollard on it , Our boy Steve a solid third with 1 lb 6 oz. Tied for first Brian Webb and Bob Ballard with 2 2.
Steve Deans section next and the people with one Bream each make the difference here.
My section ( c ) next and 5 oz separate the top 4.
A confusing mess of a board but D section next and first and section from this section. A well known fishy area first was Lee on D4 with 9 Bream for 20 lb a lovely weight. Thanks to Keith getting a creditable 3rd . Lee also takes the golden fish. If I did get mine in it would have smashed that 2 lb 8 oz. But I didn't so no use moaning.
Overall scores and double comp next
A slow start for Pewsey with ISIS gaining a 6 point lead on us.
Pairs next.
Steve picked up his summer league winners shirt from last year
Well done to Lee 9 Bream a lovely day on the canal and he lost a couple of big ones !!!
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