- I’d secured a gate key giving access to Fishley Lane Bridge. 
.
As well as suffering from an ear infection that was giving me some grief, I was a bit narked
when I couldn’t find my camera batteries to take a few pickies of this rather Mr Crabtree looking stretch, although JK assured me that somebody would come to the rescue.Arriving at the venue early I received a call from Sprucey who was waiting on my drive back in Wyrley………oooops sorry Sprucey……….these tablets are really knocking me about.
The guys had certainly responded to a call to be ‘early’ at the venue to save hanging around the unlocked gates as car after car filed in down the drive - cheers,
Millicent, was obviously that ‘excited’ at the days prospects, stopped at the gates and confided that he’d walked the lower section the previous afternoon and spotted two large bream shoals sitting off the large sedge beds.
Heinzer had pegged out 1– to 26, 1 running from just past the radar gate to 12 at Fishley bridge and 13 to 26 heading ‘south’. Not all pegs were needed as it turned out with a few late member and visitor casualties, leaving 22 at the draw bag.
Tommy Cooper and Mick Kenn had there ‘short walk draw’ then it was over to the rest. Personally I wasn’t too sure where I actually wanted to be, other than the proviso that I didn’t want a long walk as I still didn’t ‘feel the ticket’, so was chuffed to pull out 10, although not as picturesque as many of the other pegs.
3 golden pegs were drawn for the $233 pot. These were 11, 12 and 20 with Tommy Cooper, Rich C and Millicent sitting on them respectively.
Looking at my peg and after plumbing up I decided to fish 5 lines, 3 lines ‘inside at 5-6 mtrs – seed to a small pad to my left, punch straight in front, gb and some ‘samples’ to a pad on the right. There would also be a good helping of punch down the track at 9 mtrs and the pads right over at 12.5 mtrs would also be fed.
The whistle. A few bits show off the inside punch line, but it’s slow going. The seed is regularly trickled into the left. A look to the right inside line see’s a slightly better response with small roach, small perch and the occasional small bottletop putting in an appearance to the mag. They certainly have gone off the punch – well at least for me – over the last month or two.
Time for a look down the track. A ‘large’ piece of punch is lowered in, the float settles and then continues down. A lift and no 5 lackie shoots out. The fish, I’m sure it’s a bream, skirts to my left heading over to some more pads. But within 3 seconds it’s all over…….it’s off the hook
The phone rings shortly afterwards. It’s Sprucey.
‘How you doing?’ he asks.
‘Few bits’
‘Come on’
‘A few bits, honest’
‘I’ve just lost a carp, bloody thing came off the hook down the track after I’d got him away from the sedges. I’ve got about 3 oz, but I aint fishing for tiddlers down here’
Call over, I carry wheedling a few fish from all except the ‘seed’ line. Two or three oz fish, then nowt, move to another line.
Repeat the process – I’m struggling, but I cant see Tommy Cooper or Rich C both to my left doing much either........ 
Past the half way mark. Sprucey is trying his ‘lets ring TK and I’ll hook a proper ‘un’ routine and gives me another call.
He aint had any more, although he tells me Heinzers had a tinca. He wont believe me when I own up to a pound and half……..well it might just go 2lb. ::)
Despite his best endeavors, Spruceys little ‘routine’ fails to work this time, his float remains stationary so call over.
Time for gypsy’s so I also take the opportunity to stretch the legs and see how Tommy and Rich are doing. I must have been focusing too much on my own match as Tommy tells me he’s got 3 bream and Rich owns up to 2. I’m being blown away…..and I aint seen either of them have a fish!!!
The golden peg pot is in real danger today, as Sprucey has indicated it’s fishing hard down his end.
Head down for the last hour and half, time to plunder the bream shoals and catch up.
Only problem it doesn’t happen and a few more silvers – well a flurry of ounce rudd on a long chuck across at 12.5 mtrs is all I can muster. :(
The whistle goes so I pack up and go to get the scales with Rich C. Tommy Copper tells me he has had another bream……..’Bloody hell, must have 9-12lb, that’s the GP gone unless someone can save it.’
Off down to Yamo on end peg 26. Whilst Heinzer has snared another tinca with 15 minutes to go, on the way down to Yamo Cotti confides he’s lost 4- 1 today, smashed up for times with 1 tinca and bits for his efforts.
Yamo is a tad bemused on the end peg as he puts plenty of silvers in the basket but owns up to getting seen off 7 times.
Next MarkV takes an early lead as he tips a nice bream and bits in the basket for 7lb odd.
With a treasurers hat on, that aint gunna be enough to blow Tommy Cooper away I think to myself. 
Sprucey and Mille have bombed out big time, Millie confiding to me later on the night that he only fished three ‘big’ baits all day after the beasties that failed to show.
With 26 to 12 weighed in, one golden peg has ‘gone’ as Rich C fails to crack the 7lb mark with his couple of ‘weighers’.
‘You’ve got 7lb odd so far to beat Tommy’ I tell him.
’Done that’ he confidently tells me
I’ve told everyone that it looks like Tommy Copper has won the GP, and the towpath talk is reaching ‘fever pitch’ as he will also be last to weigh in because we troop off to peg 1 to weigh ‘back’ so the guys can start walking back to the cars .
The low numbers, scene of Sprucey’s last 16lb victory on the cut have failed to produce any beasties, although Geoff C admits he’s lost two clonkers.
Nobody else troubles the scales. It’s Tommy’s in the bag.
Well if it’s got to go, I don’t mind Tommy winning it, good to see him having a few.
I’ve managed my statutory 3-5lb of silvers, coming in just short of the 5lb mark, but failed to find those bonus lumps to bump up the weight.
Just Tommy to go as the anglers crowd on the bridge and the car park opposite waiting for this moment. This is worth 200 plus sovs.
He pulls out his net………….
‘Now for my next trick………….’
‘Just like that…………’
Tommy Cooper magically makes two bream disappear
Into the basket he tips two bream and some silvers.
‘You told me you’d got 4 bream’ I ‘enquire’.
‘I thought I had’
The GP is safe for another match after all.
Well whether it was being a sunny day and the birds singing, whether it was because all were locked in the car park and couldn’t slope off till I let them out, whether it was Tommy Coopers amazing magical feat, I just don’t know, but I have to say today was the best ‘match’ I’ve witnessed for friendly banter for couple of years with the club…….. long may it continue.
Hope I aint missed any other ‘events’ out of the report, if they come to me during the week I’ll add them……… .I just can’t get over those two vanishing beam……amazing!!!
Sprucey did his David Bailey impersonation,
so hopefully we’ll get to see loads of pickies (when he sends them Simps) and I’ll end with the tale of the scales……PEG
1 BIG GEOFF 1.13.15
2 HAHA 2.7.0
3
4 ZORRO 2.7.0
5 PHIL B 0.14.4
6
7 DEAN PITT (GUEST) DNW
8 HOTLIPS 1.14.15
9
10 TK 4.14.0
11 TOMMY 'THE MAGICIAN' COOPER 5.12.0
12 RICH C 6.9.3
FISHLEY BRIDGE
13
14 MICK KENN 0.14.0
15 HEINZER 7.8.8
16 TINCA TED 0.7.0
17 JOHNA (GUEST) DNW
18 SPRUCEY 0.4.13
19 BRAMBLES 0.7.7
20 MILLIE 0.4.7
21 KOD 0.10.13
22 TERRY SMITH (GUEST) DNW
23 COTTI 5.8.7
24 MGB 1.11.0
25 MARK V 7.7.0
26 YAMO 3.3.10
- can't wait to see all his pickies 
