Silverfox Match Angling: Thursday 12/03/2015 - Bathampton AA/ Veals - Silvers Championship - Round Five

Thursday 12 March 2015

Thursday 12/03/2015 - Bathampton AA/ Veals - Silvers Championship - Round Five - Bridge Pool

After a three week layoff due to, as Tony Rixon eloquently put it – “sick note had Newmonial”. Tony was phonetically correct as usual (which I don’t have a problem with) but I actually had Pneumonia (drowning from inside).

I must say that I had the best care from the NHS that anyone could expect. However, this experience left me fuming how the Labour party have politicised the NHS. How must the hard working staff feel about the continued unfounded criticism by “Wallace”. The twat won’t be getting my vote.

Although not totally fit I couldn’t stay home any longer. So I persuaded the Special One to release me. The weather forecast swung it as it was expected to be good. The BBC weather forecast was reasonably accurate with it dry, low winds and temperatures up to 9 degrees.

I didn’t mind where I drew as I was just happy to be out wetting a line. In to the draw bag and out comes peg 31. Happy with this one but would have preferred end peg 32, which John Fry had drawn for the second consecutive match. On peg 30 was matey Pete Greenslade.

I set three rigs – a 4x12 Jolly for caster over caster in the RH margin (which nearly got wet), the Ronnie rig also for caster for further down the shelf in the LH margin, finally a 4x16 Jolly to be fished initially at 7 metres.

I have a little some niggling doubts today because I was using a new keepnet, not that I am superstitious!

I started by feeding a knub of my Skimmer GB fully laced with Pinkie and wetted micro ay 7 metres into the dark water with a yellow tipped Jolly with double Pinkie on a 20 - 808 hook. It wasn’t long before I had a 3oz bottle top. I then had a 1lb Skimmer followed by one about 1 ½ lb. Feeding another knub I had a few more Skimmers to 10oz. The swim died so I fed again. The Ronnie then put in an appearance, which I was happy to catch. I then had a 3lb Skimmer. I reckon at 2 hours in to the match I had about 8lb so decided to sit it out for the bigger fish. So I put a whole pot (250ml) of dead reds in at 10 o clock at 10 metres. With double red on the hook first put in I had a 2lb Skimmers quickly followed by a similar Skimmer. The swim died so in went another pot of dead reds which produce one Ronnie. Time to try the Ronnie rig with single caster over the loose fed caster I had been feeding from the start. It was soon apparent the Ronnie’s weren’t in the feeding mood only adding four of the smaller species’. So I put on another section taking the 4x16 Jolly to 11.5 metres at 11 o clock where I put a big pot of wetted micro in and a repeat of two immediate decent Skimmers, then it died. So I fed a big ball of GB laced with micro and Pinkie out in front again at 11.5 metres and had a 4lb 12oz Tench followed by a 3lb Bream. With now 15 minutes to go I hooked another 3lb Bream however, the line tangled around it’s pectoral fin, which meant it was coming in side ways which makes playing the fish easier, but I bumped the fish because I had to double unship taking the line from the pectoral fin pulling he hook free – bugger – another yellow card from Mike Jones. As it worked out this fish cost me.

I weighed 21lb 7oz for a section win and fourth overall – letting in “Jones the Default” for the section.

The Keepnet is a "Good un".

The match was won by Tony Rixon (pictured right) from his regular peg 6 with 24lb 12oz. Dave Wride was runner up but unfortunately for him he had Tony in the knockout, so once again it was a wheel spin out of the car park for Dave before the results were announced. Tony caught … see his blog. But I could see his pole tip from my peg so he was fishing very long. I hope he mentions how he was nearly beaten by the one armed man in peg 5!!

Full Result: