Sunday 7 January 2018

Sunday 7th January - Bristol Commercial House League Round 5 Kennet and Avon Canal, Bath to Bathampton.

As I sorted the van out at 06:40 the temperature was 1 degree, there was only a light frost on the windscreen but there was a cutting breeze. I was soon on my way to the Crown Inn at Keysham for a big breakfast which would keep me fuelled up for the day ahead. I got to the pub around 07:20 and there was quite a few anglers already there tucking in.

Team today was ......
Chris Hook (capt)
Sam Johnson
Jack Jones
Leigh Wakefield
Steve Hutchinson
Me

This would be our first match as a Team since mid November, we were leading the league in B Division having had 3 wins and a second and have usually done OK on the canal. Bloodworm and joker was ordered via Tim Ford and being brought to the draw by Ian Pauley. Ian was running late due to a slow puncture so the draw was put back 15 minutes and fishing 10:15 - 15:15.
Chris done the draw and came back with peg 5. I found myself in C section which was at Meadow Farm downstream of Bathampton Village. I had been out there last winter and did not do any good, but it was colder then believe it or not. Still with a match pack of blood worm and joker (thank you Tim and Ian) I headed off full of optimism.

After 10 miles or so I was parked up and soon heading down the hill with the trolley and my peg was right of the bridge at the end. C4 was just downstream of the bridge, a noted good peg and mine was about 4 boat moorings past it. Below me was Nicky Goodhind on C6 who helps run the league with hubby Mike.
As I was setting up Nicky came up and asked if I could take a tree branch out of her margin as she had no boots. I obliged and while I was there set her box up a bit lower to the water to get her off the towpath.
I just needed to set up two rigs today, a 0.4 gram pencil float for down the track where is was about 4' deep with an 18 to 0.09 for initially fishing punch over liquidised bread.  Across it was about 3' deep at the bottom of the slope going up to the shelf. A 0.3 gram choppy float was spot on for this with a 20 to 0.10. The same rig and depth was also OK for my nearside bottom of the shelf.


On the ''all in'' I cupped in two balls of bread and fed to lines across with joker, a few casters and a bit of chopped worm were put in by the boat to my right.
Starting of on a piece of 7mm punch in the hope of a skimmer picking it up soon became a nightmare as the sun came round and blinded me. I could not see the float at all. Pulling the peak on the cap right down and squinting I did pick up a bite about 15 mins in and after feeding another pot of bread. It was a very small roach but happy days blank avoided. I think I saw Nicky swing on in as well. The wind got up and with the sun against there ripple I had to give up on that line for the moment.

Double blood worm fished across to my left brought an instant bite and it was a small perch. A few more followed but it was hard to present the bait due to the wind and the skim on the surface. Fishing a few inched over depth just caught leaves and weed.  I persevered and kept putting the odd fish in the net, nothing big but very welcome. 
I am not familiar with fishing blood worm and joker so was feeling my way through the day feeding a little as a top up in damp leam. The bites dried up on my far left hand line and as the sun had gone around I was able to see the float when I went across directly in front of me. A few decent roach soon came and then a boat went through which seemed to disperse them. Another little ball of joker and a look on my nearside line, nothing after 15 minutes.
A look on my far left hand line produced a good bite and I bumped the fish, it felt like a tidy perch. 

Not sure what time it was but team mate Leigh rang me, he had not had a bite nor the angler next to him. He was in Richardson's turning bay with a lot of water to go at.
Other than giving him the phone number for the Samaritans I simply said,,,, pick two lines which are comfortable for you and stick at it.

Rich Lacey came walking down from the other side of the bridge and reported they were all struggling. He carried on walking down the section and when he came back up said the guys below me were also finding it hard. This gave me a bit more hope and focus.

I had a real good spell catching roach and perch on both the far lines, single or double bloodworm but it was a pain breaking the pole down 3 times to avoid all the walkers and cyclists behind me. 

Rich came walking along for another warm up and not much had changed so I thought I was doing well compared to the others although Rich said Mike Withey on C4 was admitting to 3lb ish.

15:15 came around quick and I packed up as well as helping Nicky get her box out of the water. The scales came my way and the best was Mike on C4 who had tried the bread again late snaring a skimmer in the process, he had 5lb plus. I knew I didn't have that but was pleased with the 3lb 5oz.


My catch

I followed the scales down to Kevin Blotz who was also in my B Div Section. Kev weighed 12oz so I had 3 points from 4 and second in the A and B Div Section overall.

As I was pushing the gear back up heart attack hill team mate Sam came down to give me a hand (care in the community) and I tell you it was very welcome. Sam had won his Section with ..... 4ozs !

Back at the pub our results started to come in. 
Chris, 3 points from 4
Sam, 4 points from 4
Jack, 4 points from 4
Leigh, 2 points from 4 (he did catch...1oz)
Steve, 1 point from 4
Me, 3 points from 4



17 points in total from 24

Section weights as follows (except D as it was too noisy)

               A Div          B Div
A            3lb 3oz        5lb 8oz
B            6lb 8oz        0lb 4oz 8drm (Sam £40)
C            1lb 8oz        5lb 4oz
D            ?                  ?
E             3lb 5oz        2lb 9oz (Jack £40)
F             0lb 14oz      2lb 0oz 8drm

Top 4 on the day.....(paying top 4)

1st     Craig Pinker 7lb 6oz
2nd    Mike Withey 5lb 5oz   ...... so I got £40 Section payout by default
3rd     Nicky Johns 4lb 14oz
4th     Steve Long 4lb 6oz

Teams on the day

A Div

1st        Mosella Bathampton B
2nd      Mosella Bathampton A
3rd       DW Builders
4th       P I Thatchers B
5th       P I Thatchers A

B Div

1st       Sensas Nomads
2nd      Maver Cadbury Angling
3rd      M & N Electrical
4th      Stand and Deliver

Teams after 5 Rounds

A Div

1st       P I Thatchers B
2nd      Mosella Bathampton A
3rd       P I Thatchers A
4th       Mosella Bathampton B
5th       D W Builders

B Div

1st       Maver Cadbury Angling
2nd      Stand and Deliver
3rd       Sensas Nomads
4th      M & N Electrical

So another good performance on a tough venue and I must have been in the top 10.

Final round of the league is next week, back on the canal.

Will be fishing the Acorn Lake Tuesday Open next.

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