Pewsey AGM the Beer and the prizes flow

Well a short blog to showcase my club.  It was the end of the season and to be honest I was glad to fall over the finish line and think job done.

Job done as I was stepping down as Club secretary and even stepping back by a long way from fishing to try and regain the enthusiasm.  But as I said in the last blog you cannot change the way people feel and despite my vociferous protestations I was press ganged (at least it wasn't gang banged) into one more year of duty.

And those who are reading this.  I heard the whispers "don't worry we have a year to work on him he'll do one more" No I bloody well wont!.

So with the best of friends moving on to their new projects; lets see what this year brings.  I might just join another club as well just for some variety.

So to the pictures and presentations.  House wife's favourite and our Chairman Leo presents Simon Burden (our President) his trophy(s) as the Fisherman of the year and overall Club Champion

Simon takes over as presenter and starts with our Junior Champ (again) Morgan Plank.  Its Morgans last year as a Junior, so the new rod will help him out in the senior ranks.

Next the inimitable Brian Shutler this years Canal Championship winner

Sorry to Leo I somehow missed him picking up his third in the canal Champs and Simon second in canal Champs.

So onto the Lake Championship Simon the winner and Brian and Mar Russ tied for third.  Mark picks up his trophy below.

Now to Andrew Chatterley and Alan Gibbs our Pairs Champions.  With neither showing to collect. James Carty very kindly will pass on trophies.

So to me then.  Incredibly after the worst ever season of draws I somehow managed to scrape together enough points to collect second in the Lake Championship, fourth in the Canal championships for an overall third in the combined Pewsey Club Angler of the year competition.  My friend Christine Moody has put a more positive spin on it than I would have and said " just look at it as a positive, if you can pick up when all is against you it can only get better"

Well done to all who picked up, and commiserations to all those who came close.  A special mention for Will Tapper who picked up his award for "The Outstanding Achievement for the past year" Will receives a free membership for next season for his outstanding contribution to work parties, attending every single organised party and many other days when he worked alone (safely) for the benefit of those who fish the Lake

So raise your glass

Here's to the survival of small Club Fishing

Double header ends the season

The season came to an end with a bit of a whimper really.  So much has happened in recent times, that I have realised that in life you have very little control; and as much as you wish for good things.  You have to take em whilst they are there, as within a flash they are gone and its all change.

I suppose its natural to re-evaluate where you stand in life and with your friends.  But being a naive soul, I hope for good times not to change.But you cannot change or be surprised by those around you.  Things inevitably change and people move on.

Talking of moving on - it could well be time for the new dog to go.  He is pushing my patience.  Bought a pair of Chubb Thinsulate boots at Christmas for fishing.  Worn them once and decided to wear them today as it was unlikely I would be getting in the "Basey" Canal.

Chewed to bits and Jake looking like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth, big brown eyes of innocence were the only thing that saved him.

So to the last of the Basingstoke Winter Canal teams of four.  I have missed one of the 5 matches but paid for a replacement so as not to let the team down.  It started badly and to be frank why wouldn't it, I am in the worst run of my fishing life.  You cant turn up at a new rarely fished venue (at least by me) and expect to set it alight.  But even those that now the venue were struggling.

But as its gone on I have got better and in regards to our team have fared well.  Today though Brian couldn't make it (Car MOT) and we one down and on back foot from the start.  Nevertheless see it through, we are after all fishing for the club Pewsey not ourselves.  Doesn't matter where you finish just that you do Pewsey proud.

If I was honest though I would say that's the root of my sadness.  Pewsey have tried to build a solid match team over the past three years; and although on our day we can beat or compete with all comers.  Sure enough this last season has seen far too many anglers drift away.  I suppose my hopes viewed through halcyon rose tinted glasses of seeing Pewsey being the force they were in my youth have died.

I don't think its RIP club fishing, just time to choose between ambition for the club, personal ambition or an acceptance that perhaps fishing clubs are a thing of the past.  Certainly, despite a rise in the popularity of natural venues.  Commercial venues, and matches with big money prizes and Kudos seem to be at the forefront.

Our team leader Kev did the draw and not only did I have a long walk I had the scales .  My swim was much of a muchness , no features full of twigs and detritus and sod all else.  I could of course sit it out for the big fish and hope or just enjoy the day.  The thick, thick fog clung to every patch of uncovered skin, leaving a dewy drop of moisture joining with another to cause a rivulet to run between the goosebumps.

I had a bite straight away and another and another.  All the fish were small but at least it was fish in the net.  That was until they guy to my left had a skimmer, and to my right he had 3 Perch all over 2 lb in ten minutes.  The guy to his right was also bagging with Bream big Perch and even a big Roach.

The match went reasonably quickly , tow path bikes and dog walkers causing there issues with the guy on my left breaking his 7 section (expensive) trying to appease a impatient dog walker.  I caught steadily all day and probably had the beating of the guy on my left and a few others in the section.  However, indicative of this past season, no bonus fish would cost me.

Weigh in, and a decent roach on the whistle from the guy to my left meant he he pipped my 50 fish (1 lb 14) with 2 lb 1 oz. The two to my right (1st one) 8 lb 4, 7 lb of which was 3 Perch. To his right the Bream, skimmer and big Perch accounted for 8 lb 9 oz and a section win.  I ended up mid section and with that anglers tale said by all " If only............"
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Above Mark and Brian stare lovingly at the wallets held in their marsupial pouches.  Mark is  amazed by the size of Brian's packet

A pathetic gathering on the last day of the lake series saw us shivering in the morning fog waiting for the sun to burn it off.  It meant only one section so for only the second time this year I got down the Carpy end.

The fog took a while to burn off and the cold easterly right to left wind made for an uncomfortable  hand numbing morning.  Simon the championship leader on the favoured 13 peg had one 11 lb Carp and a 5 pounder in the net in the first ten minutes.  Me a couple of squat Roach.  Mark Russ was doing his normal on 14 catch one , lose one; and Neil on the end had a 1.5 lb skimmer.

I plugged away trying to catch the elusive Carp and Chubb.  Brian tried the mental stuff by asking how many times I would hook my float in the tree.  Of course I did, but I got my float back.  This led to complaints and much angst by all, as they apparently rely on me to decorate the trees.

Of course I took the bait.  No fair says I, this entire season as much as sure as I have had the mother of all draw bags I have only lost 2 floats to the trees.  To try and be clever I then offered to buy them all a complete set of floats boasting ( not true) that I was rolling in money and could afford it.

However, Brian did make me laugh and up staged my floored boasting; by saying " if you have that much money you should spend it on fishing lessons you need em"!!!

Sometimes a comment like that makes you laugh and realise fishing is more than big prize money, its about being with your club mates.  Everybody was laughing loud and heartily and I didn't mind being the butt of the joke - fair play Brian.

Proving his skill even more Brian then lassoed a Perch, and after announcing Carp o'clock finally hooked a huge Common Carp.  After dollying it in for a good 15 minutes he finally got it close and reached for his landing net.  At which point the hook pulled and his terminal tackle flew behind him.  A mixture of delight for me and sadness for him ( we have all experienced it).

Will Tapper has had 4 Carp but I don't know how big , but as it stands I was last for sure.  I just kept plugging away but it was the staple diet of this past year plenty of fish but all tiny.  I don't get it its not bait size some of these fish are taking bait bigger then them!

I then hooked my keep net and ended up with a mother of a tangle I mean it looked like a snakes wedding - knot on knot.  I rigged up again and resumed the Gary can catch small roach routine.  Before I knew it, it was all out and stared at last on the last day.

Simon weighed in a lovely 11.5 lb Carp.

and four other Carp.  For 20 lb + and another win  As for the rest of us, I expected to be last but as it was not so.

Neil first to weigh in and having chased Carp all day, breaking his feeder rod, his Bream was the only fish. Mark Russ (cant one lose one) 4 roach and four Carp for second and 10 lb 1 oz.  Me 35 fish for 2 lb 7 oz.  Brian next and a painful half an ounce behind me.  Then Will , his four carp being "pups" not enough.

So amazingly I was third. As Simon never did super pools, I got cash for third , second in super pools and the silvers.  Brian was not looking pleased.

Never mind Brian after beating you today " I will put the money towards fishing lessons!"

AGM tomorrow night we look back on what has been Simon's year. Next weekend I am under orders from the wife to put her first so no fishing blog next week.

Sorry in advance to Cliff Dutton and others who complain in a nice way when I don't go to print.

Kintbury V Pewsey return Match

Out with the dogs early today and what a lovely day too. Jake's puppy feet found the snowy/sleety frosty ground a little too much.

But another new experience for him out of the way he dived straight under his warm bed when we got home and promptly went to sleep saying you go fishing I am staying here.

Even though I have been nesh lately; the frosty start had left me wanting to keep walking. Indeed I was neither mickling or muckling today as my mum used to say, about going fishing.  I have enjoyed having a few weekends off fishing and one more wouldn't go a miss.

However the fact I had put my name forward to Leo.  I couldn't back out now; and Kintbury lads are a good bunch of fellas and there stretch of canal offers something different.

So I arrived last to the draw. With old friends all the lads shaking hands and welcomes abound, as we dressed against the northerly and loaded the trustee barrows all of us hoping for a good draw.

All of us wished for a low number draw top 6 would be nice although Kintbury secretary explained peg 27 won it last week with 18 lb. Although someone else shouted that was 3 pike!  On that Pike don't count neither did trout.  Trout? you might say but as I said earlier this stretch of the Kennet and Avon offers a little more in that the River Kennet runs in, and then out of the stretch in a diagonal way.

This leads to Bream, Chubb, Trout and a whole range of other fish as well of all sizes.  Last year I had won my section with a 3 lb Chubb from peg 26.  It would however be good to draw single figures that's where the weights normally come from.

Short walk draw first for the old infirm and disabled.  I tried to get in on this saying I was mentally handicapped but it didn't wash.  The first 4 pegs taken the rest of us drew and Nic drew 6 Chris drew 7, spanners 8 me 9 and then the others had the long walk with Brian on 12 to my left.  Leo the long walk to the other end.

The good thing about the first pegs (see photo below) is they are in a calm non moving flat water.  A canal boat permanently moored of the end of the spit that separates the River / Canal offers an all year round holding spot.  Nic and Chris had the advantage of the crease as the river comes in from the left.

By the time it gets to Spanners (fore-ground) there is no slack just flowing water so for me the first choice was a John Allerton stick float and Drake waggler.  Both of them set I went for a 4 gram flat float and a couple of variants on shouldered body up garbolino floats.

I ran the stick through but it seemed a bit light, so being of capricious nature I snipped it off and made quick change to a heavier John Dean this "sat" better and ran through lovely. Match under way I baited the main line and ran the float through for 40 trots without a sniff.  Fiddled with shotting moving away from shirt button style to a bulk dropper, dropper. Through again getting longer and longer until the guy to my left frowned as I encroached on his swim..  I haven't had a bite yet he says.  I took it as a " oi fish your own swim" and backed off considerably.

No joy on the waggler either, so with the first bite less hour out of the way I stopped for a change in tactic.  Flat float and hold was the tactic but twenty minutes with no bites made me give up on that.  Spanners was doing no better to my right , his pole feeder tactics producing nothing.  Chris however to his right had been catching from the start and some of them were net-able fish.

Spanners made a change and went long were the main track shelved up into slower moving slightly shallower water.  Brian Shutler the guy to my right and James Carty were all walking the bank now.  With tales of woe , no bites as you went further left of me.  Except one of the Kintbury guys who had a bush feature opposite and had , had, three Perch for 4.5 lb plus.

Bugger.

I flicked out the feeder whist I sat up a shallower rig for across, as Spanners was now one a chuck and Chris was going even better.  As I finished setting up the tip belted around and the first of 2 trout came to the net.

I dispatched the Trout into a small Kennet tributary behind me so it could live to fight another day.  Then went across.  Straight away the float dipped and a Roach came to hand followed by 5 Dace.  9 oz in the net was not going to win but at least I wasn't blanking and there was a number of very good quality anglers wandering the towpath with bemused looks.  Brian and JC were asking a few questions.  It appeared they were doing no different to those catching, so the fish were not in their swim  - bugger all you can do about that.

Me I was now catching one a chuck but they were 2 to an ounce.. The Pike were playing havoc with Spanners and me.  We both had pike on for three times only for the Pike to eject shredded tiny fish at the landing net stage.  Chris too had Pike trouble and the more he slowed down the more I started to catch.  Just couldn't get the nice size Dace and Roach going.  In fact the fish were getting smaller and I was now onto minnows and Bleak.  So I came of feeding fish and tried the stick again. Thirty trots through saw nothing so a little ground bait some hemp and dead pinkie and I was back into the Dace and roach. Small that they were , at least it was fish in the net and you never know a bonus fish could grab the bait.

Chris got his nose in front with a big Perch and it looked as if he had  us beat... But on the whistle Spanners had a 3 lb Bream.  Me I ended up with 45 fish for 2 lb 2 oz. Spanners second in match with 6 lb 14 oz  Kintbury bloke on peg 1 won it with 8 and half pound of whip caught Roach.

In fact, the first 8 pegs all had over 3.5 lb . Shame my trout didn't count.  Still at least 7 anglers including Bria, Kev Chubb, Steve Dean and JC, had walked by me early doors going home and with all the dry nets to my left I couldn't complain.  Even Paul Giddings and Leo only had an ounce.  John the Kintbury guy ended up with 5 bites 5 fish for 6 and half pound all Perch.

So with that and Peg 1 it was going to be close for which club had won it.

Scores checked and double checked saw Kintbury with a total of 23 lb 9 oz.  Pewsey though had pipped them with 24 lb 10 oz. Great for the 3rd year in a row we had done the double over our Kintbury friends - can we keep it going??

Finally the journey home offered some action too.  A complete knob head in front of me was all over the road  - slowing too 20 mph and then up to 50 mph, and back again.  I got quite frustrated trying to overtake, but not having the guts in the vans engine.  First long straight I came too I built up momentum and went for it.  Only for him to pull across the middle of the road to stop me.. He then stuck the 'v's up' out of the window!!!!!!

By the time I got near Bedwyn I was fuming but hanging back a little to avoid and accident .  He turned Salisbury way and so did I.  Then right on the junction inexplicably he did an Emergency stop and with a mighty slice of luck.  I don't know how I avoided ploughing into him.  My stop left 2 inches of rubber on the road and all my fishing kit slammed into my back through my drivers seat.

I looked up amazed that I had stopped within a fag papers gap of his bumper.  Gobsmakingly he was getting out of his car and heading toward me. I don't know what possessed me but I was fuming and I too got out and stridded toward him.  My blood red rage must have spooked him as he jumped back in his car, and lowered the window a bit. He then said

" I am out for a Sunday drive and I don't expect to be bothered by White Van Man!!"  Well says I you listen to me you F'in Knob Head you could have killed me , you and your mum here with that stunt " Other drivers were now getting out and joining in the abuse of Capt Slow. 

Meanwhile his passenger was having a go at him and me.  Me because I had called her his mum and she was his wife and younger than him!!!! And at her husband for not sorting me " the ruffian" out.  I told her to get some wrinkle cream and him some driving lessons from age concern and went back to the van.

I left other driver s given him the bird and various other hand and knob head gestures and drove home.

Don't know why I was so angry its not like me  - blood must be up.

Double header next week last round of both Basingstoke canal and Pewsey Lake Championship.

PS any Pewsey members or potential members its the AGM next Monday 14th March at Royal Oak 8 pm all welcome.