Thursday 11 January 2018

Thursday 11/01/2018 - Bathampton AA Open - Bridge Pool

My first match was supposed to be Windmill Fishery last Sunday. I arrived at the fishery (driveway has been repaired - yippy) and walked up to the Lake and found that the NE wind was excruciating. Four more anglers arrive and I went home.

So today was my first match, the Bathampton AA Open Match at Hunstrete on Bridge Pool. I wasn’t surprised to see only 14 anglers booked in because the fishery is fishing so badly. Everyone knows why except the custodians. We can apparently now use micro barbed hooks, but with no limit on hook size I think is a retrograde step. It’s the big barbed hooks that does the damage. Having used barbless hooks for 20 years it was no change for me.

We all like to start the New Year with a good’un so in to the draw bag and out came counter 30. All I really wanted was a peg I could use the waggler on and this was one of them. For company I had Paul Barnfield who was on end peg 31 and Hughie Evans on 29.

Set up the waggler to fish over to the island where I anticipated I would catch some Carp and a 4x16 to fish at 11.5 metres with maggot over GB and maggot for Skimmers.

After feeding the pole line with maggots in GB and feeding DR’s over I started on the waggler with double LR’s, second cast I had a 1 ½ lb Perch, quickly followed by another. Some more feed and within seconds I had a small Carp, then a small Perch. More feed and another small scale perfect Common Carp. The swim seemed to die so tried the pole and had two decent Skimmers, before going back out on the wag. Another small Carp and a couple of big Skimmers before I went over the re-fed pole line and another big Skimmer before I lost one half way back. Even though I kept trying the pole that’s was it not another bite so stayed on the waggler and had another decent Perch, another small Carp and last cast a 10 lb beautiful Common Carp which tired me out some.

My six Carp weighed 27lb 8oz and my Silvers 11lb 14oz (5lb of this was three Perch) giving me a very welcome first match double bubble with a winning weight of 39lb 6oz. Me pictured right with my Carp net.

 Full Result:

  1. Mike Nicholls 39-06-0 peg 30
  2. Paul Barnfield 10-08-0 peg 31
  3. Chris Ollis 10-03-0 peg 10
Silvers:

  1. Mike Nicholls 11-14-0 peg 31
  2. Paul Barnfield 10-08-0 peg 31
  3. Chris Ollis 10-03-0 peg 10
Weigh Sheets:







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