SSS R3 Great Bedwyn Strongman holds em up

 Start the day with a mug of tea, feeling good , fishing and practising well two picks up in last two weeks and well prepared for today  fresh elastics in all the top kits, rigs perfectly balanced today is when I could make a mark.

So off we go again north to Marlborough Football club for the draw of round 3 of Ditchers Sensas Spring League. I am hoping for a better draw today as round 2 wasn't so good for me.  Last time I fished these sections was for an Army teams of four back in 2011 and to be honest although mid section that day; it was a day when I almost packed it all in getting frustrated and only catching gudgeon.

Blowing my own trumpet a bit I was and still am a competent natural water angler, and that's down to my brother in law Gordon Rowland http://grfishingmemories.blogspot.co.uk/ who took me fishing from a young age.

 But it took that day, and my team mate John Dewberry (above) to mentor me in the modern ways and for a season following that day at Bedwyn he took me under his wing; beat the remaining "confidence" out of me, and broke me down.  Then from scratch he built me up again in modern tactics and a real back to basics approach.  He never really cured me of my excitable habit of over feeding when the fish get going, and till this day; I still struggle to get feeding right, sometimes cocking up a swim. What Gordon taught me is still relevant especially with rod in hand, water craft is never redundant.  But John was there at the right time for me to learn pole fishing.

I genuinely feel that sometimes he is on my shoulder like that mythical devil , saying "keep it simple stupid" and don't over feed.

The draw that day I remember was a hectic affair held in the pub in Bedwyn the venue was small and not up to it it seemed.  But what else do I know about Bedwyn.  Well I know from my history lessons at school that King Alfred bestowed the area (including Burbage and Grafton, Crofton etc) to his son Edward.

Its on the River Dun and the canal was completed between 1799 and 1809.  Its name is derived from a Celtic word meaning "white grave", a reference to the chalky area.

I know that my mate Chris the Pony Rushton lives there so no woman (and some handsome men) are not safe; and I know there is a rare English apple called the Bedwyn Beauty from the area.  I grow the apple in my garden as part of a conservation scheme.

But bugger all that what about the fishing.

Well the Browning family are doing well so far (considering the impeccable and skillful opposition) and need to consolidate today to truly make a mark on this years competition.  As I rush headlong to the draw to meet my new mates, I am a little nervous, but that's good keeps the concentration up.

Determination is high to do well.  These matches do make for a long day as its not easy herding cats (Anglers) as they say. Especially when its over 100 of them.  By the way; again this weekend this is probably one of the biggest matches in the country, yet still struggles to get newspaper column inches compared to the local fish races bagging F1s in a commercial hole in the ground.  Wheres the justice?

The canal itself was looking clear in the edges, pegging ( by Gary "the fish" Etheridge) could not have been easy.  Gary is a great guy and fisherman whose only concern is that its as close to a level playing field as possible and that as many people as possible have a good days angling.  Besides pegging or not you cant fix the draw that's just LUCK.

So how did my draw go today, well I had peg 23 in section C at little Bedwyn. So I fix in the coordinates to the tom tom and set of with hope and determination in my heart.  The kits prepared the bait has been fussed over, riddled again and again.  Blinkers on its time to fish to team plan. I didn't have the big bush features of the peg to my right and the end peg, or the doogles or reeds of the peg to my left

First off the swim , its around 4 feet deep and with no real features.

Todays rigs, for a change I thought I would show the top kits.

Close ups a cane Drake float for across shallow white top , a Mick Bassett pinkie track float, and fellow Browning member Steve Musitano float

 Dino Roach (black top) and a Dino Genesis 

Drennan Worm, Dino Squatt and Garbolino DS 4 X 12

Lines include Bayer perlon, Powerline and Drennan flouro carbon.  Hooks Sensas 3000, Drennan Fine Match, Gamakatsu, Tubertini and Kamasan.  So thats the kit bait today was Maggot, pinkie , squat, worm, and bread punch.

The match started and to my left he has 3 little skimmers in 15 inches across on far side.  The bites are hard to come by and I struggle to even get a tap in the first hour. 2 then 3 hours in I am not too worried although I have hardly had a fish.  But then neither has anyone around me the guys to my right are struggling , and I cant see properly the matrix guy to my left.  Wonder how big his little skimmers go.

A double boating kills my swim and some boat Captains have no clue.

With an hour to go the heavens opened, and men the my bites died.  On the other hand the two to my right were now getting one a bung and even the landing net was going out!  If it had not rained my landing net would have gone home dry!

I hate that powerless feeling where you know people are catching you and overtaking and you cannot buy a bite.  But thank the lord a elastic stretching fish at last thank you god thank you.  But oh no its a Tesco carrier bag.

Both blokes to my right have had a good last hour, and all i can hope is everyone else has struggled.

So I weigh in 26 fish and 1 lb exactly. Indeed 6 of my fish would not have made an ounce together

Back to the Hungerford football club for the results and although I didn't see my section sheet I am told I am second from last with a whole raft of weights in that 1 to 2 lb area the difference being a skimmer + lots of small fish.. So once again no bonus fish for me , but I am the strongest holding up those above me.

A blow I really thought it would be good for me today, shows what a leveller fishing is.

Time for a mug of tea and see where it went wrong.  Well done to Kinger and Ian Madden both picking up for Browning.