Although I was on a jollie in the week leading up to this match, I continued to be reminded of the ‘interest’ in this fixture as the phone continued to ring with a number of requests for a supply of the now ‘infamous’ dreaded bait………(well infamous and dreaded by a vocal minority within the Cashmores circle) which I couldn’t accommodate because of a combination of the ‘orders’ being too late to process, plus ‘difficulties’ in picking them up on Fri evening from you know who.
In fact, I was quite surprised as to some of the members who were looking to secure this bait, not individuals I might normally associate ‘with it’.
The dog and bone also rang with also some concern and discussion as to how the venue would fish………..I’m the first to admit we’ve had a grueller or two down on the common………..but there again we tend to fish it in inclement conditions – as a replacement venue after flooded river conditions, during gales etc……plus I think many forget about the decent matches we’ve had on there – a number of these matches being BEFORE the club secured the fishing rights to the canal, and when we used to pay peg fees to the then controlling club.
And finally news of the infamous grueller series had obviously spread far and wide, with telephone requests for places for further ‘new faces’………..never of problem on the cut, plus the ‘new faces’ would I was sure at least replace the expected stay away deserter or two for this one……………
Anyway I digress………….
Armed with ¼ pint of both mixed pinkie, red squat and caster from Cotti who duly picked up my bait for me – Ta Cotti
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- along with a bag of punch and a slice of bread, plus a couple of lobs I was quite looking forward to this one. No w&j today to ‘confuse’ me………just wanted to see what ‘traditional baits’ would produce for me on the day.
Arrived fairly early to suss it out…………would it be too windy and a late change to the Extension be the order of the day?
Well there was a ‘fair’ ripple on it, but a walk along the two sections either side of the walk over bridge and I was quite happy, at that moment in time, to fish any peg………….although I really fancied 2 – 12 which carried more colour than the other side. Peg 1 was excluded as a season ticket holder was already in the process of setting up there.
In fact by the time I returned with the pegs, a further positive vibe was that he’d had 4 roach on the big mag and wag.
Draw time…………..17 hardy souls had turned out, although Goughy had had to shoot back home as he’d forgot his punch.
Down to the last 3 pegs in the bag, nos 6, 9 & 17……………’come on Simps, draw for me, pull me either 6 or 9.’ Simps dips in for me……………..ta mate…………pulls me out 17.
Now whilst I fully expected to have a few off the peg – Cotti raves about it in ‘practise’ but to see the best off it you have to fish right over to it according to him – it was a bit blowy, plus I was going to do ‘battle’ against cut crack Dave Berrow on 16………..who was armed with a ruck load of joker.
In fairness to Dave, before the off he did offer me a pack of his best, but despite being tempted, I decided to stick to my guns and give that punch a go……….
The off. ‘Short’ and ‘long’ punch lines fed. Slop BM with some squat and a few caster fed hard across on top of the shelf against the reeds………still a decent depth across there – about 2 ½ ft.
First put in a blade off the long punch line. Lets try the short line. Same result………..in fact it was a bite a chuck for the first 40 mins or so off that line before it was time to ‘refeed’ and try to regroup the fish. Had a pike gone through the line as bites hadn’t tailed off, but suddenly just ceased ? Budgie on the end peg to my left had reported he’d had one strike at one of his fish. Dave B to the right also suspected ‘predator’ problems as his catch rate tailed off too.
At this stage things were going to plan……….apart from the bites drying up that is. I’d probably held my own against Dave B, in fact probably got my nose in front with the help of a bonus 8 oz skimmer………but that was the end of any hopes I had of ‘glory’.
The next 3 hours fled as I chopped and changed lines trying to buy a bite………..another couple of punch fish for a combined ounce or two that’s all, whilst Dave B regrouped his fish and continued to blow me away.
Down at the other ‘end’ of our section Simps was the man in view to beat………..a 3lb plus tinca plus a reported 1lb plus perch.
News filtered down of a further two tincas putting in an appearance………..so with D B blowing me away it was a case of sit on the caster and chop for the last hour or so, in a last ditch attempt to play ‘catch up’ but all that was in vain as only a couple of small stripeys put in an appearance.
The whistle and the 4 hours have fled by…………….
PEG
2 BRAD BERROW 4.11.3
3 SHARK 1.6.0
4 ZORRO 2.0.11
5 GERRY 6.7.0
6 GOUGHY 1.0.7
7 COTTI 2.14.5
8 TWINK 2.7.5
9 KOD 0.12.7
10 BRAMBLES 0.5.10
11 TIGERBAY 0.10.10
12 PHIL B 1.3.9
13 SIMPLE SIMON 5.3.8
14 YAMO 1.11.8
15 COLIN 1.12.5
16 DAVE BERROW 6.2.11
17 TK 2.9.3
18 BUDGIE 1.1.0
Well I’ve had a pasting off the next peg, but have continued to learn a thing or two……….my education never ceases.
On a personal footnote I really enjoyed the day, and felt I fished a relatively ‘tidy’ match and had some good banter before and after the match.
What was also pleasing was the result………not too bad for a 4 hour match, no DNWs, plenty of ‘small’ roach showing that they continue to to breed which augurs well for the future.
And it just goes to show what a decent angler can do on the water in reasonable conditions………….
One last question though…………the wind got up during the match and made presentation extremely difficult on my long line, the pole whipping round in the gusts.
Just why oh why, 15 mins after the all out whistle was the cut like a mill pond…………………
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