Ladies bridge and a combined championship match and match against Kintbury Angling club. We heaved our kit up hill to the Bridge and surveyed the freezing mist curling of the canal.. The crunchy icy frost after the coldest night so far this autumn made for a slippy path how would it affect the fishing?
The draw had all the hall marks of banter and laughter that makes the fishing so good. There was a little distraction when we heard of the sad news of the loss of a Kintbury angler this last week to cancer. We were sad to hear and gave our commiserations to both family and club. Lets hope his rod is bent double into a fish in that heavenly river in the sky.
As always the draw was all about drawing the bay to stand a chance in the match. One of the kintbury lads needed a short walk as he walked with a stick. He was offered 1 or 2 and drew 1. I asked for a short walk too, on the grounds of being mentally disabled. Universal laughter died down and it was made clear that 90 percent of the blokes in attendance were mental.
The bay is the place so any peg between 3 (preferably 4) and 10 (although I wouldn't have minded 11 a good peg outside of the bay. As it was though, I drew 2 !!!!! Close but no cigar. A reasonable peg in spring and summer but not so good as the year goes on.
Okay so not in the bay. No worries head down and just try to beat the Kintbury bloke to my right. It was a full 16 mtrs to fish the far side. So I set up and had a number of simple options. However, the day did not go to plan. First the cows in the field behind me decided it would be a bloody good idea to chew on the end of my 16 mtr section of pole which was overhanging the field fence a little. Then a bloke came along and allowed his dog to crap directly behind my peg . Apparently did the same behind Chris peg a s well.on both occasions refusing to clean it up.
I never had a bite for the first hour but I did have tangle after tangle and ruined rig after another. I caught leaf after twig after branch before eventually hooking a Ruffe. People were starting to catch proper Bream in the bay. My three closest competitors in the Championship, Brian Shutler, Simon Burden and Mark Russ had all drawn on good pegs in the bay and started to make it pay
Alan Gibb on my left had two big Bream in a row for around 5 lb. I piled in the chop worm in the hope of drawing a few of the big slabs my way; but to be honest there wasn't much hope of bringing them my way they don't normally come down the narrows. Morgan was now into a big Bream which unfortunately he lost as it flipped on the surface. Good to see our junior anglers connecting though.
3 quick Perch for me on the worm line but they had no weight. It was a beautiful late autumn day and I had the change to watch and hear the Herons in the trees opposite and watch the blue flash of the kingfisher and its metronomic plop, plop as it hunted successfully through out the day.
All very nice but with the boys in the bay bagging, I looked longingly left to see waggler rod after waggler rod bent at 45 degrees like a wedding guard of honour for the increasing canal boat traffic. I was going nowhere and unless I could get a slab or two, I was never going to close the gap on my championship rivals. I decided just to enjoy the day and practise my punch fishing. This resulted in three more little roach.
Mike the Kintbury bloke to my right has had 2 bites and one fish and decided to pack up with 10 minutes to go, several other DNWs or blankers were walking buy in a rush to put a very tough day behind them and get home for the Rugby.
News was that everyone outside of the bay had struggled except for a couple up the narrows who had bigger fish and lost Tench etc. Me I had 11 bites 11 fish I reckoned on 15 oz.
Team Russ (Marks wife and daughter) came by as they do on home matches and passed on some very pleasant well wishes for my health and seemed genuinely pleased I was back fishing. I packed up and waited for the scales man.
It was good to hear all those in the bay had a good day; but outside of that it was a little dire except for Leo on the end peg - results below. Alan and a few tiddlers to go with his two slabs and if not for those slabs I would have done him. He ho. I actually had 1 lb 2 oz . Morgans lost slab had cost him as he was left with a few embryos to make up his 4 oz.
Brian , Simon and Mark had made the most of their bay watch pegs.
We headed back to the vans for a pay out session. I was ably assisted by Team Russ as they pulled me up the steepest hill to the top of Ladies Bridge.
As it was all down hill from there they wished me well an went on ahead. When I got to the car park the final member of the team - Mark - passed on a mini muffin from his wife to ensure I kept my sugar levels up.
When I say mini, I mean mini. Sometimes the kindest thoughts are the small ones. Shouldn't effect my appetite for tea either. It was good to see the rigs had worked for Martin as he picked up section by default and super pools as Simon had not gone in SP.
Well done also Steve Dean section by default making the most of his bay peg.
As most of the Kintbury guys had struggled Pewsey had easily won the match, but this never dampened the post match Spirits as these terrific guys stayed behind to clap the winners and enjoy the crack. Thoughts ahead to February and the return against Kintbury in the River Kennet.
So , to the usual suspects for the top three Money, Brian winning , Simon second and Mark Russ third. As in the last three years it looks like October will cost me a top championship place. Not going to give up but with missing last weeks Lake match and finishing with 7 points out of 15 today its a severe dent.
Next week back on the WX Winter League trail at Radcot. See you there...
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