Wednesday 15 November 2017

Sunday 12th November - Bill Milton Memorial (aka Poppy Match) Bristol Avon, Newbridge to Jack Whites

This is the biggest match of the year on the Bristol Avon with all proceeds going to the British Legion formerly run by the late Bill Milton and now organised by Ray Bazeley assisted by Paul Benson.
The draw was at the new Frys Club on the old Chocolate Factory site at Keynsham which is now all housing due to Kraft (plastic cheese makers) buying then closing the Factory and moving the operation to Eastern Europe leaving a lot of local people unemployed.
I believe there were 86 booked in and it was nice to see some of the more well known local senior anglers attending this match rather than fish the Commercials.
From our Team there was only Sam, Jack and myself fishing this match.

Old friend and Secretary of the Bristol and West of England Anglers Federation as well as the local British Legion Angling Club read the citation at 08:00 with the formal silence.


The draw then got under way with registered disabled anglers drawing the allocated disabled pegs first then it was the rest of us. Sam was near the front and Jack and I were not far from the end.
The river was supposed to be spot on after the rain in the week but it was colder.
Newbridge would be the favoured area to draw due to the pace and colour of the water so a big weight was expected.



I drew 76 which was permanent peg 88 up the Crane so was not looking forward to the walk. Jack drew 81 which was in the bay above the High Wall. We had know idea where Sam drew as he was off like a shot.
It was only as short drive to the parking area near Keynsham Angling Centre and I was soon unloading the van along with a number of unhappy faces.
I decided to lighten up as it was a fair walk over two fences so the trolley would have to be broken down. Fair play though at each fence everyone helped each other pass the gear over the fences.
Matt Challenger was a few pegs above me and I think he should enter the Worlds Strongest Man Competition next year as I have never lifted a rod bag and holdall that has been so heavy. 

Finally got to my peg and it didn't look that good, it was way down a steep bank with a couple of foot holds dug out and was extremely slippery. Rich Lacey who was also above me took a look and advised me to sit up on the bank a bit.
I did get down it the water and it was just above my wellies (yes got a wet foot again).
I set the rigger platform up and although it too a long time it was more comfortable.


Given the time, fishing was 10:00 - 15:00, I only had time to set up a Feeder Rod. To be honest due to the tree above me and being in a bit of a bird cage that was the only option. 
I had plenty of worm and caster plus some maggot and a couple of tubs of lobbys. There was a tinge of colour in the water, not too much and it was quite pacey across by the boats.
I decided on a line just on the edge of the main flow and a 30 gram feeder held there nicely. the business end had a size 14 drennan feeder hook to 0.15.
After a couple of chuck with a lobby head on the hook the tip rattled and a 5 oz perch was swung to hand.so blank avoided.
I missed a bite next cast. Out again and another bite, hit it right this time and it felt a little better and netted a 10oz skimmer. Exactly the same next cast and another small skimmer. 
After about 90 minutes Rich came down for a walk, I don't think he had caught at this point but he said Matt had chucked the feeder out and continued to set up his pole when he looked up the tip had gone around and he had a bream!!!
After another hour or so Rob Jones who was below me came up for a walk. He said he hadn't had a bite! He walked on up and when he returned he informed me Rich had a bream but Matt had now caught a carp around 6lbs...ffs....
I plugged away but was not getting any bites from when I had the last small skimmer.
About 14:00 I heard a smash in the nearside left margin and there was an otter sitting over the branches of a tree lying in the water. I went for the camera but it went back in the water, swam over the top of my keep net and disappeared.
That was my match over, 4 bites in the first hour then nothing.
Matt came down with the scales, he had weighed 11lb 8oz, he also had only a couple of bites but a couple of them resulted in quality fish as well as that rare carp.


Matt with his carp which went 7lb plus

Rich had went early and not weighed. my three fish went 1lb 6oz, the angler above me weighed 11oz and Rob below me DNW. My 5 peg section  was won with 2 lb plus so was worth sticking to the end just in case.

Back at the Club it soon became obvious that Newbridge had fished well with all the big weights coming from there.

1st   Kev Boltz 59lb 1oz
2nd  Craig Pinkett 37lb 10oz


Craig with one of his bream


3rd  Andy Curry 32lb 5oz
4th  Tim Ford 23lb
5th  Andrew Cranston 21lb 7oz


Young Andrew with his catch, he can't go wrong at the moment



6th  Martin Barrett 20lb 14oz
7th  Dean (the bream) Harvey 19lb 12oz (3 bream)
8th  Neil Taylor 18lb 8oz

My good friend and travelling partner for Ireland Steve Vernon was not far off the money with 3 bream for 17lb plus, well done mate (draw bag).

In the raffle I won a Sensas Polo Shirt, is this a sign?????

Sam and Jack also done rubbish but it was all about the draw today.

£1700 plus raised for the British Legion.



I went down on the River Tone in Taunton on the Tuesday following and had a nice day fishing the stick float for a 10lb plus mixed bag plus 2 pike one of which took double red maggot in 2 foot of water.

 




Thats it for me Match wise until the 17th December (Clevedon Club Xmas Match) as I have a few weekends away and a holiday coming up.







Monday 6 November 2017

Sunday 5th November - Angling Trust SW Winter League Round 5, Kennet and Avon Canal Kings Arms to Semmington

I was up earlier than usual for this match as the draw was in Spencers Club in Melksham so needed to allow an hour to get there. It was a cold morning and the in car temperature gauge indicated it was 5 degrees at 06:15. No sign of frost but as I drove towards Chippenham I could see some of the fields were white. A bright sunny day was also forecast ... oh dear.
I had only fished this area once before, last year and managed a section win by default with 2lb 14oz. The team I guest for in the Winter League (Sensas Nomads) also had the individual winner on the day, Jeff Sibley and as a team we also won the day.
I got to Spencers around 07:20 and lined up to order a sausage sandwich. The Upper Thames Winter League was also drawing at Spencers as they had there match on canal sections above us. It was nice to see some of the lads from this league and usually only see them on the Gloucester Canal in the Spring.
Sections with postcodes for parking and access had already been handed out which is very beneficial for those who are unfamiliar with the area i.e. me!


For the second week running team captain Mark aka ''the whippet'' Williams had be be reminded to go and do the team draw when Mark Harper called the team captains. Correction .... only this time as he missed the previous weeks call altogether. 
Draw done and I found myself on G4 at Semmington. A quick word with Mark who gave more info on the location and what to do in order to fish for perch.
I found the section easy enough and met up with Darren Gillman who made a quick call to find out which direction we should walk in once over the canal bridge.
Anglers in my Section were James ''canal basher'' Carty on G1, Dean ''the bream'' Harvey on G2, Shane Caswell on G3, me on G4, then Darren on G5.
I was able to get down in the water with my rigger platform which meant I was off the very narrow towpath. I made sure it was absolutely solid after last week near miss (drowning).
All pole rigs today. 13 metres across in about a foot of water with a 4x12 and 20 hook. Up the ledge at around 11 metres across in two foot with a 4x14 and 18 hook. Down the track at around 7 metres left and right with two 4x14's and 18 and a 20. Down my right hand edge to some reeds in about 15 inches of water with a 4x12 to a 15 hook in oder to fish worm for bonus perch.
The canal was heavily coloured but I started off on the bread down the track feeding a couple of small balls of liquidised. I also cupped in a big pot of chopped worm down the edge and left the other lines feed free.
Starting on the punch it too a while to get my first bite (around 10 minutes) but the float duly sailed away and the blank was avoided with a 2oz roach. During the first hour I stuck with the bread and although in was not fast and frequent I was getting the odd small fish supplemented by a net roach of around 4 to 5 oz. I could hear Shane and Dean chatting to each other and both appeared to be struggling. The trees that had been on the far bank opposite them had been cut back and I could see the pole out across and not coming back in with fish. Darren below me had switched across to the far bank very early in the match and was catching blades fairly regular. 
I had a look across and caught a few blades as well and then for some reason fed a ball of ground bait with dead pinkie and a few casters down the middle to my left. In hindsight I wish I had stayed on the bread as the fish were a better size and they did not really respond to the ground bait.
It must have been around halfway through the match when Shane walked past me with a mixing bowl in his hand. He was off for a clear-out in his van due to having a stomach bug!
I had a look down the edge with a lobby tail and missed a bite after 10 minutes. Shane came back a bit more relieved and while he was behind me the worm rig dipped and I had a perch around 4 ounces. He said he had next to nothing.
I re-fed the worm line again and put on a maggot on my track line. The float dipped and I had a small skimmer. No more followed but I stuck at it looking for better fish. I knew Darren was ahead of me due to catching a large amount of blades so felt this was my only option.
I did have a bonus perch down the edge around 1lb plus as well as a few smaller samples so the tactic was OK, just did not find any more larger ones.
James won the Section going for blades all day, he said he knew the area and how shit it was. 

Heres how the Section looked at the finish.......


So 3 point from 5 .... not a disaster but should have stuck on the bread longer. 

Back at the results the team sheet got filled in and we had 25.5 points. Rich won his Section again and we also had two second in Sections. Mike just missed out on a Section win due to loosing a large perch at the net.
Jeff has now got the Samaritans on speed dial due to and 1 point (well 1.5 this time).


After the draw in the morning I was heading to the van when I over heard Mark Harper informing someone that Tom (Moretti) was on a flyer.
That was very true as he won the day by a country mile.


Nice net of fish for Tom (courtesy of his Facebook page)

Here are the Section weights......
A  11lb 11oz
B   7lb 7oz
C   6lb 8oz
D   7lb 3oz
E    4lb 10oz
F    4lb 5oz
G   5lb 7oz
H   5lb 1oz

Individuals (paying top 4).....
1st   Tom Moretti P I Thatchers 11lb 11oz
2nd  Rob Jones P I Thatchers 7lb 7oz
3rd  Andrew Cranston Die Hards 6lb 8oz
4th  Mike Withey Sensas Nomads 5lb 13oz

Teams on the day......
1st   P I Thatchers
2nd  Mosella Bathampton
3rd   Sensa Nomads
4th   Die Hards
5th   M & N Electrical

League after 5 rounds......
1st   P I Thatchers
2nd  Mosella Bathampton
3rd   Sensa Nomads
4th   Die Hards
5th   M & N Electrical


The final round is week after next on the canal at Bath which I will miss due to going on holiday.

Next week is the biggest match of the year on the Bristol Avon, the Bill Milton Memorial (Poppy Match) so looking forward to that.