The Boilie Queens had been asked to pack and clear from the venue by lunchtime, leaving us to fish into the evening before they back in and camping up again. No pressure on this water then. First order of the day was the free BBQ.
Got to say the cheese was that dubious sliced stuff that comes individually wrapped and without glasses it was bloody difficult to find an edge to peel and I almost whacked it on the burger plastic and all! As good as the food was I wanted to draw and get going. The Lake looked different from the practice trips and the gin clear or acid clear water of practice sessions had been replaced by a dirty almost algal bloom which in places looked phosphorescent.
Anglers started to drift from the free food ( a miracle in it self) and put their game faces on for the battle ahead. Kit was kit and double checked, and as the rain became heavier; the draw was called. Dazzer pulled us together and re-iterated the rules. Including anything over 10 lb to be weighed in immediately and returned not retained; and in this lake it was a real possibility. The Bream were there in numbers and if you hooked one under 8 lb you were unlucky with 12 to 14 lb the norm!!
Carp too were in abundance. However with the massed weedy areas, you had to have the "knowledge" and find the cleaner gravel bars. Even if you hooked one you then had to get it and the weed back to the bank. So the one only decision was do you sit it out for the big Tench, Bream and Carp or do you get something in the net. Even one 1 oz Rudd is good section points if there are Blankers around you and after all its a team event so team points count.
With Chris in Ireland fishing one of the big comps, Chas Short very kindly filled in for him. The names and money went in and the draw began. I ended up with D4 middle of the section and permanent peg 13. Not my first choice and not an area I could win from. Good anglers either side me in Brian Jackson(left) and Lee Pollard (right and Lechlade Venue expert) with Paul Rice down the bank as well , gonna be tough.
I waded out and planted the platform, and looked enviously back across the lake at 10 o'clock to see Dazzer and a few others setting up in the favoured Car Park swims. I thought its only 3 weeks ago I had had 38 lb of Rudd on the waggler next to the white toilet hut. Still I would continue with the plan of getting team points we had to beat Swindon and Lechlade to win it. Fish in the net and section points over Big fish and personal glory.
After plumbing around in a 50 square yard grid it was clear it was very shallow (tops was 4 feet) and chocked with Canadian pond weed etc. Nevertheless I set up a heavy tip rod to fish a bag and pop up sweetcorn. A second tip rod with a cage feeder and a helicoptored pop up barrel pellet, a 4 meter whip to hand and a 13 foot soft spliced tip waggler. Half an hour to go, set up ready I went for pre match adrenaline piss. Walked around to Leo on the point(peg 38) favoured by the Carpers, we had a chat re his options. Before I knew it I was on my way back gulp of drink and pack of Maltesers and ready for the all in hooter.
The hooter blasted and I thought I would send the bag rig into where the weed was " thinnest" at 30 yards. Whilst I began to ping caster and bronze maggot 20 yards for the Rudd. Pulled the catapult back and the elastic snapped sending the maggots everywhere just in front of me. The wind and rain blew most of the dust and a few of the maggots straight back at me leaving me looking like the proverbial yellow Chinese man. After getting a new catapult out of the bag, I looked left and right I noticed both left and right to note Lee and Brian already on the whip and catching.
I thought Tiny fish close would be a back up and after 20 minutes and nothing in the net, the bag rig was reeled in and out came the 13 foot Ian Heaps Silstar rod and although 30 years old its beautiful soft tippy action sent the waggler straight into the baited area with the ease of a something that was meant to be. Before I could sink the tip and turn the handle on the ABU 506 it was away and a 3 oz fish came to hand. Bit small, but hey they can only get bigger. Wrong! The fish were if anything smaller. Feed rate, colour of bait, caster or maggot, sweet corn or flake nothing doing.
Stop think. As much as I was enjoying the joy of waggler fishing, if the bigger fish are not there then might as well come in on the whip and grind it out. It would be quicker.
Two and Half hours in Lee launched a bag rig into the next county ( well a good 65 yards). Why so far I asked? Its the only clean spot he said and with that struck into a heavy fish. Bugger, I was just thinking I was catching up and now after a 10 minute fight Lee landed a big fish and called for the bank runners to come and weigh. After removing the weed it came in at 8 lb 12 oz.
Another bag and pop up to the horizon and conversation began about his knowledge of the lake. Well he knew every swim and was confident another fish would fall. The anglers in our section panicked somewhat and out came the big guns and the feeders , bombs and bait bags landed a fire storm on a grid far and wide.
What to do? Do I join them? I am catching fish but there so tiny? It was gamble, could get the section by default and good points, especially as the others were not guaranteed to catch, Carp , Tench or Bream. The Devil in me lapsed into personal glory territory for a moment and I joined them on the horizon. After what seemed like an eternity (actually 10 minutes) the argument between the devil saying personal glory, and the angel saying, think of your team - its team points that count you are mad to come off feeding fish even if they are small.
It was no good , I reeled in and got the waggler out again. The lack of feed meant the Rudd small as they were had gone , so back inside where I had been flicking maggot. Straight away they were there boiling on the top. I was just saying to Lee - "are there any Perch in.........he....re"! and the whip was almost wrenched out of my hand and a double figure pike was airbourne and tail walking in front of me. Kin hell I exclaimed not knowing if I should enjoy the vision of nature so close; or be in dismay at the smashed two sections of whip that lay drooping limply before me.
The Pike continued to plague me all day, I shouldn't be surprised they have plagued my swims all season. In fact people are surprised if I don't hook one. The match ground on, you could see people were struggling with the same mind games that I was big fish glory or team points.
The dusk came early courtesy of the rain and dark clouds , Bi-planes from RAF Fairford flew a low sorty over us, trying to convince us the RAF are still well funded by the government; and the clock ticked down to the end of the Summer league.
Lee added a 4 lb plus Carp. I wont catch him now, not that the tiny fish I was getting would ever get even close.
The fish became finicky and far too many flicked off the barbless tubertini hooks as I tried to get them in faster and faster. I hit on a rythm of watching the float disappear and counting to one, to be sure the fish had it in their mouth before lifting and swinging in. That seemed to work
The hooter blasted, Leo shouted fish on. After 5 minutes he called out to ask how long he had to get it in. Local rules stated 15 minutes but as he was Pewsey I said he could have half an hour! Five minutes later he slipped his net under it.
Paul Rice to weigh first and 2 lb 1 was his number followed by a DNW. Lee next and his two Carp + 1 lb of bits gave him 15 lb. As I thought fishing for second in section. So to me and I weighed in 380 fish for a total of 5 lb 13 and half ounces.
Brian next and just 10 ounces for this good competitor who admitted he had chased the big ones to no avail. On around to John Williams (ISIS) and after all had weighed John was 7th me second section by default. Good news picked up 5 points on Swindon ISIS, Lechlade were neck and neck with us going in and Lee on his home water had gained a point on me. Wonder how the others had got on. Both Chas and Steve Dean had not disgraced themselves in tough sections. Down to my pairs partner Steve Trevett. His section had been a disaster. Leo had won it with his whistle Carp added to a pound and half of bits. Swindon had blanked "Yes get in" ............. down to Trevett and Doug Foreshaw Lechalde. Amazingly Steve had also blanked "oh no".................... and Dougy well he got section by default after an argument. Somebody else had an half ounce fish and Dougy was convinced his was a whole ounce!!!!. He won the day.
It was back to the Bull hotel in Fairford for the prizes and a pint.
First order of the day was take the pound back of Spanners from last week .........told him it wasn't his and I would have it back.
Then for the results. Controversially (at least I thought so) Pewsey and Swindon were tied for second. That was until it was announced that on accrued points over the competition. We thought it was on weight but that was dismissed. Not to worry it was all taken in the spirit of friendliness that this competition is based on. What it meant was the worthy winners were the excellent Lechlade and Clanfield A. Photo below has a shadow bottom right. Didnt notice it on the night, but now think its Pete Gilberts deathly shadow coming to contest the result ha ha ha.
Well done lads 3 section wins on your water well worthy of the title. How different it could have been Doug and Steve T were head to head for the individual title before the match. What a one ounce fish can do in match fishing!!! That one ounce fish was all Steve needed, and come to that the avoidance of a blank could have given us the title as well. Still no reproach from me, Steve's results up to the last match had put us there.
Still some comfort for him in joining me for picking up the top Pairs Title. Added to that my section by default meant an even more profitable day for me in the cash stakes.
The Final table.
See you next week
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