Here you go Joffie
Well this report has been a long time coming - contrary to what Sprucey thinks, I am a very busy bunny some days - hence the delay.
Not sure whether its worth the wait for though - other than for the overall tale of the scales
I was looking forward to this one. Whilst I’d never fished this particular stretch of the Staffs/Worcs I’d had many a match 20 years ago on adjoining sections. 20 years ago!!!
Yep those were the days when 2lb
would stand you in good stead of winning your 20 peg section……….although looking forward to it, I realised that I was gunna be way out of tune with the probable changing moods and methods of the cut - that’s the result of ‘being away’ with club fishing.
Arrived at the canal with Heinzer pretty early. Dunno whether people were eager for this one or whether they had set their clocks a hour forward 24 hours early, because the majority of those expected were milling around.
MrV and the Chockie Munster were in the progress of pegging.
With Cheslynboy in attendance, people soon became aware of the stocking into the cut of some 5-7000 roach and skimmers less than 24 hours earlier. In fact I suspect a fair few anglers fancied a ‘low draw’ - reflected by the expression on their faces when they did actually draw a 'high' number.
As for me, yep whilst I always fancy a short walk, there were a few that I didn’t fancy today.
Some of you will know the BDM, no season would be complete without a bit of a moan from me - and here’s the first one (I think) for 2010.
Two words normally associated with being adept at angling appear to be missing from the vocabulary of a fair few of the Cashmores members………………..
One is
Stealth, the other
Watercraft - supposedly critical according to Mr Crabtree to enable the angler to make the most of his peg.
Or doesn’t this apply to match anglers
Couldn’t believe what I was seeing…………….. 20 odd anglers traipsing on the towpath in the first few pegs.
Why oh why oh why
So any of you guys reading this can we give it a bit more thought on future matches - why we couldn’t do the draw in the lay-by I don’t know? Certainly not near a peg - I reckon pegs 1-4 were wiped out before they were drawn with any self respecting rub a dub now heading down the cut.
Perhaps stealth and watercraft have gone out of the window with the advent of commercials, where you, slap, tap, shoot your water pistol, cup in water etc etc etc……..
Anyway rant over.
With the draw almost concluded, 3 remaining anglers seemed reluctant to dip in the bag, BDM, KOD and Sprucey.
I went for it………………. aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
…………………..peg 28
Little did I realise how far away it was. Don’t reckon I’d have made it there on the hoof but I was fortunate to flag down Fatty Kendall
and cadge a lift of him as he was heading for 29.
Talking of Fatty Kendall, must stop calling him that.
First - he give me a lift
Second - he’s lost a couple of stone
……mind he’s still got some meat on him.
Third - he had a pop at me
for calling him F K on these forums, not that he’d seen it, because someone had lets say, tipped him the wink ‘back in the classroom’
::) …………sorry Fatty
- just think of it as a term of endearment
- besides it’s a bit nicer than some of the things you call me.
Anyway - onto peg 28
Setting up, the Chockie Munster came up early on and threw down the mars bar gauntlet - well it was more of a mugging
- a) he’s in a different league when it comes to the cuts, b) he knows the cut like the back of his hand, c) he was on end peg and finally d) it was a ‘renowned’ flyer.
Bet, I mean mugging accepted, I prepared for the off.
FK 
and the Chockie Munster to my right…………..
And to my left…………..
All I could see from those in view was everyone appeared to go straight over - and start picking up bits - while I had a dabble on the inside line. It was a little slower as I wheedled a few bits out, but couldn’t build the swim up and get em coming faster.
A look across and I picked a few up, rotating lines including the inside.
I could see the Chockie Munster periodically netting a few
, whilst my landing gear just lay unused as occasional 1oz pongos were my ‘stamp’ fish.
As the match wore on, news filtered through that Big Baz had lost a couple of chub, but also netterd a couple.
Cotti too was also bagging apparently on his beloved punch.
Talking of punch, it was intended as one of my lines, but whilst I’d bought the micro’d slices, I’d left the liqqy at home
……..and Ball It In was nowhere in sight (on the lower pegs) for me to cadge of couple of sackfulls off.
Plus with the Chockie Munster seemingly ‘easing away’ I was out of the main frame, although I thought I was possibly leading the chasing pack.
With 40 minutes to that main frame got turned upside down when a big bronze bream decided to put in an appearance on adjoining peg 28.
After what was I think a 15 minute ‘battle’ the fish which later tipped the scales at 6lb 4oz
had blown me apart and wiped out the current guys in the coin.
As for myself on 29, the peg was dying in the last hour – think I only snared another dozen or so bits to finish up with 127 fish, whilst the Chockie Munster reckoned he’d got 200+, possibly 250 including a few netters.
I never needed the landing net during the 5 hours, with caster only resulting in 2 fish a pongo and a smaller sized silver.
Anyway – enough of the waffle, here’s the tale of the scales………..
PEG
1 BRAMBLES 0.2.14
2 HARRY911 0.12.6
3 TOMMY COOPER 0.7.8
4 PHIL B 0.1.13
5 SIMPS 0.6.15
6 HEINZER 0.5.7
7 SPRUCEY 2.5.3
8 G CASHMORE 0.8.12
9 HAHA 0.11.6
10 ZORRO 2.1.8
11 N VAN HOEK DNW
12 R CASHMORE 0.6.4
13 BALL IT IN DNW
14 HOTLIPS 0.5.3
15 BIG BAZ 5.0.11
16 M EVANS 0.13.7
17 BLUES4EVA 1.8.7
18
19
20 KOD 1.14.3
21 CHESLYNBOY 2.5.7
22 MR V 3.10.4
23 VESTE 2.5.12
24 COTTI 8.9.13
25 ABBUMAN 3.2.2
26 NESSANDORMAR 1.12.12
27 YAMO 10.0.0
28 TK 4.3.8
29 M KENDALL 1.11.15
30 CHOCKIE MUNSTER 8.8.5
Now over to
David Sprucey
Bailey to show us some of those super duper pictures he took on his 50 mega pixel camera – you know the sort that the BBC use to cover outdoor sporting events
8-)
what part of the canal is that its not the one where the green gate is 
- I'm looking farward to Sprucey Duceys 