Pewsey Open .........Evening all

A manic rush saw me race like hell to get out to Pewsey for a Open Match 5.30 pm.  Our Open match secretary doing a great job on the advertising and running of these events.  Unbeknown to him several of the lads that would have supported didn't attend as they were preparing for a jollee boys week in Ireland with the gambling, drinking and oh the the fishing that that incurs. So it left the numbers a little low on last time.  Nevertheless quality anglers were here to contest.

I hate rushing but it was a long walk to the end peg.  Yes you heard it right end peg me !!!!! wonders will never cease.

And what a swim.  You would find it hard to understand the joy in my heart when i tell what it looked like. A beautiful warm balmy summers evening a fly hatch hovering, features everywhere , reeds, dougals, shade, shallows and deep water. Fish actually rolling in the swim, a blissful wonderful fishing heaven.  

With Spanners on the other end peg and the Legend (James Carty) inside right. It was going to be tough. Especially right of James , Mike Marsden (on a run)Gary Williamson and the consistent Kev the Bread. Wasn't ready and still rushing when the all in was called. swung out the whip and caught my keep net. Trashed the rig so flicked out the reserve stand by whip .  Float cocked and slipped away immediately. Hybrid (2 lb ) crashed on surface and trashed rig as it ripped of the end of the flick tip.

Talk about unexpected but to normally its a couple of small roach in the net and the bigger stuff later further out.  James had gone across straight away in fact as far as I could see everyone had.

Its surprising when you are in a rush how you don't think logically.  I was approaching the match in team or championship frame of mind, points for the team or points for me.  Wrong everyone else was going for it big stuff not a small fish race.

The mind started to play tricks, James had had three (i think) bonus fish and was racing away from me.  Classic mistake started to chase instead of fish my own match.  Combination of rushing , chasing and falling between the two stools of big fish or getting small stuff, I was doing both badly.

John Dewberry came into my mind " oi do one thing right instead of 3 things badly" 

So I pinched a couple of nice roach across and settled down into a rhythm of small fish.  Hoping bonus fish would arrive.  As joyous as my swim looked. It was surprisingly devoid of fish; and the rhythm was couple of small fish gap of ten minutes before the next bite.  I was unable to see the others but felt I was fishing for second behind James.

Several friends came along and chatted in the pleasant evening sun. Eventually darkness began to fall and the 9 pm all out was called.  My net.

I hadn't done the end peg justice and a couple of lost bonus fish had cost me but we can all say that.  

Lessons learnt.  Well tonight it appeared the winners had fished heavier than me and gone for it, perhaps I should have used more robust kit.  Other thoughts if the biguns ain't there even the best like Mike for example cant catch enough small fish to compete.  

Therefore you have to take it on the chin or chins in my case; if you sit it out for the bigger ones and gamble it may not come off but in a short match you will not catch enough blades to compete.

So I am not gonna beat myself up.  I did ok , it was a lovely evening - bit rushed - but lovely.  Pewsey and the anglers that fish is and are great.

Well done to Kev the bread, bullied in the big stuff to win. James second. My mate Spanners takes a quid (actually its a pound from the Chris Rushton pile a carry with me) from me doing me by 8 ounces.

Me left 4th, looking perplexed as to why I am in the pic. James Carty, Kev the Bread and Spanners

Sorry Chris had to give one of your quids you'll have to win it back from him not me.