mentally you look at the opposition and you think might struggle to beat him, but think I can beat him today etc. Ultimately the idea being that you narrow the odds. You condition your mind to a point of instead of having to beat 17 others ( in the case of today) ; you find yourself with a smaller more manageable number.
Problem is with Pewsey matches its hard to discount anybody. All can do well on their day so its hard to make the number smaller. However I set my target which involved giving the normal advantage to the end pegs, traditionally pegs that produce. Its not a given on the end pegs you still gotta catch em but nobody is ever sad to draw an end peg.
Today Steve Hiscock had 1 and Mike Marsden 18. I drew unlucky for some 13. So again as I walked the tow path to my peg I eyed the opposition and applied the same rules of discounting some and finding I couldn't do that with ease. There was talent in the section some of whom can catch in a puddle and some that even when they have a bad day still frame.
My peg was next to a moored boat. Milk house has recently been worked on by EA so the banks are soft and not really firmer enough for mooring in fact the boat next too me was moving badly as the mooring pegs were pulling free from the soft mud. Still apart from the slightly brown uninviting water the peg didn't look to bad. Just wish the rain would stop and give us a break.
Set up a worm rig, pinkie rig on the bottom one for on the drop and one for across . The across line was very snaggy and brambly, with black thorn and berry bushes hanging in the water. So not a lot of options there but might get a few tiddlers.
The all in called we were away and faced the those vital early minutes that give you the gut feeling that its going to go or not very. In fact I am finding more and more you need to make decisions very quickly; find the fish quickly and capatilise. Don't sit there doggily trying to make a bait work just because it worked last time.
So after counting to one hundred over the Perch choppy line, I left it and went over the ground bait line. Again not a flicker. Inside whip line off the end of the boat to my right., the float slid away and a quarter ounce Perch came to hand. Great we are away found them, but no another 5 minutes and not a flicker. So rotated trying different things but no joy. Steve Dean just to my right, has just had a 4 ounce skimmer and Mark Russ had 2 or 3 little fish.
Flicked the whip out again and the float didn't cock so I hit to hook a 3 ounce skimmer. Ground bait line produced 4 gudgeon one after another, and I felt I was away but it went dead again. Save a few swirls and fish leaping clear of water.
Midday saw me double boated and I was getting increasingly frustrated with the mass of crap floating on the surface including a massive volume of spring blossom making presentation difficult. In addition a wicked surface tow left to right and and just as strong undertow right to left. Mark and Steve looked on with caution as my elastic was pushed to the limit. They needn't have worried it was the obligatory Pike good one too. Three or four minutes passed and gradually I got it to the edge. It was around 6 lb and way to big for my tiny speed fish landing net. I am used to handing Pike out and it wasn't going to let go of the gudgeon in his jaws. So a in a flash fingers behind the gills and lift, at the same time the hook ling pinged the gudgeon flew upwards and back in. Bugger.
Drama over, set up again and back in. The normal mass of small fish were not showing so I found the deepest part of the canal put in three big balls of ground bait in a row laced with caster and red maggot. If the small fish weren't having it might as well go for the big stuff shit or bust.
Rewarded straight away with a hybrid and followed by a roach and another tiny Perch. Then nothing. Alternating between half depth and bottom I tried. As the boats came and went I dropped in behind them and found another roach on the drop. The heavens opened and it really belted down, the rain smashed into the canal the wind swirled. We huddled in our goretex and hoped it would invigorate and turn the fish on the feed.
The all out was eventually called and I new I had probably pipped guys either side of me, but what of Mike on the end, Brian Shutler two to my right, Chris Rushton and all the other good anglers in my section.
So to the weigh in. A miserable experience in the pouring rain trying to keep paper dry and the pen working. Devizes MG Mike Marsden had given us all a lesson and bloody good hiding catching quality Roach etc for 8 lb 10 and half ounces . Miles ahead of me and others in the section.
As we worked our way down I realised I was second in the section and second in the match , so at least section by default. With my 2 lb and half an ounce. As we got into the lower numbers hope rose. Well done to young Morgan Plank good weight on the day including a club record equalling 2 oz Ruffe.
8 Pegs to go and it was Kev the Breads turn to weigh in. Bang went second place as he pulled out three skimmers and a load of small stuff. Counting down to peg 4 and my mate Ian Spanners Spanswick. Sod it he had pipped me too and I was down to 4th. A good show from Chas Short and Simon Burden was it as, Steve Hiscock had gone home from peg one. Apparently double boating the down pour and sticking is float in the tree was all too much.
So to the money grabbers ( more interested in championship points me 12 good ones today). left to right section 1 Simon Burden second place Kev Chubb, winner and all round good bloke Mike Marsden, me section 2 winner and finally Spanners third in match.
Had a song going round my head all day. Think they call it an ear worm in modern slang. It fitted nicely with Mike today. Hes the man.
Johnny Cash
Hear the trumpets , hear the pipers
100 million angels singing
Multitudes are marching to the big kettle drum
Its Alpha and Omegas kingdom come
the wise men will bow down before his thrown
and at his feet they will lay a golden crown
"When the man comes around"
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