On every
grueller match this series I’ve taken a flask of hot soup but on this occasion I couldn’t be bothered and decided to join the rest of the crew and have a breckie at a the draw at Yates.Mistake no 1.
The had already kicked in as I arrived to learn that a gas pipe had been cut the day before and no brekies were available, 
although the gaffer did offer everyone a free brew. 
Was that an OMEN of what was to come…………….?
Talk was what section of cut we would be fishing - the Cannock Extension or the Wyrley Essington.
Big Baz arrived with Mick G and Mark O in tow………..that was sorted then, they’d pegged the Common.
With a couple of late night casualties declared, only 12 hardy souls had turned out for this final match in the
series.Reading between the lines quite a few didn’t want to draw the ‘other side’ of the walkover bridge on the junction, where a few had struggled last match on that section.
With pegs flying out of Mark O’s hat, rather than ending up being what peg was leftt, I changed tactics and asked that noted peg pincher Cotti to pull me one……….he pulled me peg 13 - anyone superstitious?
YIPPE it meant an end peg……….,
AAAAAAAAAAAGH wrong end. Series leader, Blues4eva was on next peg, peg 12 on the junction. In previous years it’s been a ‘flyer’, but hadn’t thrown up much last match. At least I could ‘keep an eye’ on him. Sitting in second place was Sibeck who once again had Mick G for company and a bit of banter.
All on my jack jones.....nobody to my left
Only Blues4eva to have a natter with
I only set up two rigs, one for the punch and one for the joker. I then had a wander up to Chelsynboy to drop him off a couple of permits and offer a few words of confidence that he’d catch today with some of that best Polish and Russian he’d had off me………..he wouldn’t dry net again today…………..would he
The off. Punch and joker fed. I’d made my mind up to flog the punch for longer than usual, even if not snatching nowt before moving to the joker after a hour.
I was just starting doubt the wisdom of that decision after 20 mins without a touch. I wasn’t alone though……….. Blues4eva also hadn’t had a touch. Bet they are bagging the other side of the bridge I thought…..especially as Mark O has drawn the same peg that he had his winning 7lb net of roach from last time down here..
Then out of the blue, float slips away and I lift. The double no 2 comes out a treat
and I’ve a ‘decent’ fish on. ‘Play him gently, don’t lose this and the dreaded dry net will be avoided’ I think to myselfPole shipped back and I’m on the top 3. I can see it’s a decent ‘skimmer’. Turn to the side to pick up my landing net…………….aghhhhhhhhhhhhh
I aint set it up.I’m in the fertiliser,
but a plea to Blues4eva and he sorts me out and lends me his. Fish netted and it’s a debate between us as to it’s size……….’About a lb ‘ I reckon, 
Blues4eva reckons it’ll go 1lb12oz.With that showing, we both are a bit more upbeat and I look forward to putting another half dozen of his brothers in the net over the next 3 and half hours.
An hour in and no further bites………….and Blues4eva is still dry. The phone rings………it’s the Chockie Munster.
‘You catching up there?’ he asks. I crane my neck looking for him. ‘No, struggling. Where are you?’ thinking he’s pulled up on the pub car park.
‘Fishing the match at Beechdale. We are struggling, just odd fish coming out’
Conversation over, it’s head down and back to the job in hand. Not long after I’m paid a visit by a few walkers who are also being well and truly gruellered. Cotti , then Tweety and later Sibeck wander down dry. News is that only Mick G appears to have caught, he’s snared a kinver tiger about the lb mark
Time marches on and Tweety and Sibeck ultimately have had enough as they traipse over the bridge to load up and head off to the pub.
With an hour to go, leader Blues4eva decides to call it a day and go and watch the match
Blues4eva well and truly gruellered
25 minutes to go. OBI wanders down and lets me know that Mick G has also snared a tinca, allegedly over 3lb, to go with his perch . I’ve been biteless for 3 hours plus so I’ve ‘converted the near punch line with a pot full of Russian , hoping to snare another slimey. Suddenly the float goes……….
is it another ‘1lber’………….nope it’s an half ounce stripey.. With OBI still by me, next put in and away it goes again…………but I miss ‘it’
Looking for another slimey on the 'short' line
Encouraged by that, OBI trots off to give it a go for the last 20 mins.
That soon flies by and it’s all out and the sorry tale of the scales……………this hardly makes for good ‘publicity’ for the cut……………but reading results elsewhere, it’s nowt unusual this weekend. If they don’t want to open their mouths and have a munch there aint a lot you can do………. :(
PEG
1
2 GOUGHY 0.3.11
3 OBI DNW
4 SIBECK DNW
5 MICK G 3.12.12
6 YAMO DNW
7 BIG BAZ DNW
8 COTTI DNW
9 CHESLYNBOY DNW
10 TWEETY DNW
11 MARK O 0.1.0
12 BLUES4EVA DNW
13 TK 2.4.0
A bullhead contributes to Mark O's weight
I got up a bit too close for this snap
Well that’s another GRUELLER series done and dusted. On a GRUELLER Richter scale of 1-10, this year has been a ‘cracker’ and must rank as a 9.
Must say despite the nightmares we’ve experienced, we’ve had plenty of banter and plenty of laughs along the way amongst us.
It’s been good to meet and fish in the ‘new’ company of OBI,Blues4eva, Snowie, Sibeck, Tweety, and co over this winter……….hope we do it ‘all again’ next year, but with a few more fish between us next time. Oh and cheers guys for those of you who purchased season tickets off me….……anybody who’s been in the frame and picked a bob or two up will probably realize I don’t take a peg fee for the gruellers…………..so cheers for that as it all helps ‘pay the rent’
