Simple Match Fishing Forum

The Grueller Gang were greeted by a Kidney Pond once again looking quite coloured as a result of the midweek weather with no pumping in progress.
Everyone was hesitant to put their hand in KOD’s recently won angling Times clubman cap so Simple dipped in first……….peg 16 and a whoop of delight because it meant ME possibly fishing a new peg.
This provoked a rush to the draw bag. Some smiles and some cussing followed, particularly when Yamo drew peg 13, the one that BDM had wanted all week. Mr V couldn’t get into the first 6 pegs again, drawing 14 with The Wedge looking dangerous on 15. Golden Balls had got off his sick bed to come along but whether he was vulnerable because of his ailment or whether his drawing arm has truly deserted him he pulled out 10. Not to bad a draw though, although not fancied, a couple of 4lb weights have come of this during the series. Zorro, now rechristened CPM (Cock Peg Master) seemed reluctant to announce he’d pulled out 2 for the second match in a row. ME pulled out 5 to experience the brambles – would that Vespe 25 survive? Come the end two pegs in the bag, 1 & 11. KOD wouldn’t draw. So BDM dipped in an guess what, BDM mode kicked in and he pulled out 11 on a 50/50 shout.

Well after all that, not a lot to report on. Yamo was soon walking the backs after 50 minutes. BDM was struggling with a few gudgeon. Although he’d fished the peg a few times before the roach where not showing. News filtered through that young Shaunie was pasting the BDM with a decent perch, simple had a few small chub and gobies but everywhere else, including the low numbers were struggling. Simple with his nose in front!

Less than an hour to go and BDM made a big mistake in leaving his peg to take a few pickies – this could prove costly come the scales.

A large shout, a few choice anglo saxon words and we learnt that Yamo’s chance had gone out the window – he’d been seen off on peg 13 by a beastie. Apparently the same happened to Ginger Tom and Phil B, but to quote Heinzer, ‘Seen offs count for nowt’.

Whistle for all out and some desperate looking faces at the top of the bank packing away.

Sounded like a few had been gruellered. Simple was first to weigh and set the benchmark for the day…….1lb 1oz 4 drams.

Quite a few pegs had returned just ounces with Golden Balls and Phil B not bothering to weigh. Cotti had got out of jail with a 1lb plus rub a dub to ounce the BDM…….costly that David Bailey session, 2 more gobies and the result would have gone the other way.

Well that’s the end of the waffle………here’s the results and current table

[table][tr][td]PEG MATCH 5 WEIGHT POINTS
1 KOD 0.14.6 12
2 ZORRO JEFFERY 5.13.0 20
3 ROY COTTERELL 1.7.0 17
4 GEOFF CASHMORE 2.2.10 19
5 ME 0.1.3 7
6 RICH CASHMORE 1.5.3 15
7 GINGER TOM 0.5.1 10
8 HEINZER 0.3.0 9
9 PHIL BROADSTOCK DNW 3
10 GOLDEN BALLS LUDGATE DNW 3
11 BUM DRAW MASTER 1.6.0 16
12 SHAUN DAVIES 1.2.0 14
13 YAMO 0.1.11 8
14 MR V 2.1.0 18
15 THE WEDGE 0.10.3 11
16 SIMPLE SIMON 1.1.4 13[/td][/tr][/table]

MATCH 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
ZORRO JEFFERY 11 18 16 18 20 83
BUM DRAW MASTER 16 20 15 15 16 82
KOD    15 12 20 17 12 76
ROY COTTERELL 14 14 17 11 17 73
THE WEDGE 18 16 18 8 11 71
MR V    0 17 13 19 18 67
YAMO   17 9 12 16 8 62
PHIL BROADSTOCK 12 11 10 20 3 56
GINGER TOM 3 19 11 13 10 56
SIMPLE SIMON 0 8 19 9 13 49
SHAUN DAVIES 3 15 9 7 14 48
GOLDEN BALLS 20 7 0 14 3 44
HEINZER   13 10 0 10 9 42
GEOFF CASHMORE 10 0 13 0 19 42
ME     8 6 0 13 7 34
GEZ FRANCE 19 13 0 0 0 32
RICHARD CASHMORE 9 0 0 0 15 24


It aint called a Grueller Series for nowt  

Excellent report, as always I'm on the edge of my seat reading this

Nice report TK. Grueller by name, grueller by nature :( Real toughie yesterday, you had to work hard for what you got. All those years of tough Winter Leagues have taught me to keep my backside on the box, and concentrate for the full duration of the match.
I lost one fish all day, and that was a rogue chub which took a liking to the squatts testicle I had on a 24 hook and 12oz bottom with 3s laccy
Never mind, 2 more to go.
Question for Zorro and KOD....... How much to draw my peg on the next one??

Yep Mr V - that 5 min walk about taking pikies may have cost me that extra ounce and extra point.
I suffered a strange scenario of phantom bites but nowt on the end.........all on double and single pinkie. Mind I had to resort to fishing right under the tree and could only strike right to left, plus the gale was blowing in a vee ...........straight down along the length from the low nos and from the right to left from your corner.
A few people during this series have mentioned to me those fantastic unmissable bites that result in nothing!  
Another question..........are we really that crap or does the curse kick in every match   Be interesting a 9 a side Grueller squad against a Rugeley PS team............could we bring them down to our level    

Excellent report, as always I'm on the edge of my seat reading this    

HA HA - wait till I zapp you the pickies - there's one of GT really looking like he's on the edge of his seat

Photo's added.

Look at them HERE

The fish are very well spread out without the warm water pumping ain't they.
Someone needs to slip the guy incharge of the pumping a fiver before the next match I think

I slipped him a fiver so that we had a grueller..............

Can't beat a good scratting match..........just like the good old winter leagues  (not)  :P

Will we ever see any warm water again  

Mind when I scooped some up for my casters/groundbait mix it didn't seem that cold

I asked the workers there to build some great mountains of soil and stone round the pool the protects us from the wind
I would have done ton if it wasn't windy

Looked fine in The Wedges (and Mr V's) corner.........not a ripple.
I said before the off the one peg I didn't want on the day was 16 with the wind in your face all day. Usually when I pull em like that it chucks it down as well so there's no shelter