Back the Pony' Ladies you know it makes sense.

I couldn't be arsed today, but thought I better support my friend Mark Russ and attend the Pewsey Match at Lady's Bridge.  It is well known that this is the jewel in the crown of Pewsey stretch but a combination of moored boats and some of the guys going to Ireland in the next couple of days meant this was the lowest turnout I had seen for a Lady's bridge match.  What a shame I feel for the organiser and peggers when its like this.

I asked for a short walk as my back was killing me from gardening yesterday.  Told to F 'off but got what I wanted peg one the problem was I wasn't in the bay and history shows you have to be in the bay to compete..  You can still catch fish, but one fish in the bay could win a normal canal match.

My peg was scummy and not overly promising with a chance to catch but I would have to work at it. It would be squat fish and maybe a big perch if I was very lucky.  The match is 15 minutes old and already the message is coming down from the bay that Martin Aris has a 2 pounder first drop and Alan Gibbs has 4 slabs already.

Most disheartening when you haven't even had a bite! Three quick fish on the whip meant I hadn't blanked but god it was slow.  Simon (us two being the only anglers not in the bay) next to me was doing no better and was also bemoaning not drawing the bay again That's 4 years and many matches since he ha drawn in the bay and he was thinking of selling his waggler rod.

The boats came and went the sun dipped in and out behind the clouds; the fish were few and far between and the news of bagging in the bay continued.

Most depressing.  So I decided just to imagine that was not a match I was in and it was just between Simon and me.  Too long was spent trying to force big fish that were not there, but I plugged away rotating through the swims, Adjusting shotting patterns coming of the bottom trying to tempt the topping fish.  All to no avail.

I was glad to hear the all out and hoped to get home before me and the kit got soaked.

As always the bay had prevailed , there was never any doubt that at least 3 anglers would get into double figures  The corresponding match a couple of years ago I was third with a 30 lb + weight with Chris the Pony Rushton beating me with nearly 40 lb from memory and Bri Shutler winning with 75 lb +.

So with Chris in the bay with Mike Marsden, Alan Gibbs and Mark. As well as last weeks second place Steve Dean and Martin Aris. It would be interesting to see who had what. As we are at Ladies Bridge and its been a weekend for the Horses.  I would say you must back the Pony Ladies.

The boy didn't disappoint after a slowish start compared to Alan, Chris ended up with 15 Bream and some stonking Ruffe. Mike had a slow one till the last hour when the shoal moved into his swim and I started to catch Alan Gibbs.

Meanwhile on planet earth, I was owning up to 10 oz and was certain Steve and Simon would have beaten me, leaving me rank last.

Any how back to the Pony.

Ruffe old day for some.

15 of these buggers he had before the shoal moved on.  Lovely days fishing.

Mike overhauled Alan in the last hour, Mark lost a huge fish (probably a Carp) Martin added a Roach to his Bream and Steve struggled for bites this week.

Well done to all who fished.  A particular thanks to Mark for organizing and Simon for pegging.  Personally I would like to see many more matches at Lady's Bridge as the Bream fishing is superb.

Worth the club fee alone.

Here was my bag for the day and amazingly I wasn't rank last. I suppose after filling my boots with skimmers on my last outing it would have been greedy to do it again today.

So to the scores on the doors.