I've been reading this thread with some interest.
After over 20 years of team fishing, winter leagues, summer leagues and Nationals……… I have had a couple of years off from team fishing in general.
My reason being, i felt my team fishing was getting a bit stale and I wanted to fish matches on venues other than the normal winter league / summer league venues.
Saturday was my first national for some years and by and large the good feeling i used to get was just the same........ After several weeks of practice matches plus the odd team line up, a few evenings of preparation I was ready for any peg I drew.
The night before was also the same……. i couldn't sleep, often waking up at 4:00 that is if I could sleep at all, this year was no different. A quick coffee and then a steady drive over to the venue HQ...... first in the draw queue, as I have been for many many years.
As time went by the atmosphere gradually increased as did the noise from anglers chatting in anticipation about what pegs and what team will do the business….. Those same old faces all with one thing in common, they love team fishing………..
The lads from AT (some with wife's) turned up and started to get things in order for the team draw. Team changes done and the room was a buzz.
after a few words from Mr Kent the draw started, teams huddle up to discuss who's where and a brief discussion as to where exactly does the draw put you on a given section and then its off to your peg………..
Finally you arrive to your section, some have a mammoth walk with a ton of gear, the fortunate few drive behind your peg……. Deep down we all want an easy time with no long walks, stile or fences to climb over… but you tell yourself it will be worth it….
You arrive to your peg and asses what you have to do, The clock ticks by and you never have enough time to set up, sort your groundbait out set up feeder rods, stick and or waggler rods, possibly a couple of pole rigs and perhaps a whip just in case…… just time to have a last look at your peg and ponder if your plans going to work???
The call for time filters down the section and then 5 hours either fly or drag by depending on your fortune…….weigh in and then back to the HQ for the results….. you exchange stories with your team mates, explaining the highs or lows of your day, deep down you think was it worth it ?????
The buzz is getting frantic some teams think they have a good chance of doing well some just except its not been their day…… if everyone is in luck the AT lads will have sifted through the section sheets and will be ready to call the results, or they will be scratching heads and thinking what's gone wrong, lets go through them again……
Mr Kent finally clutches his sheet of paper and reaches for the mike…….the times come to put everyone out of their misery ….
First the section winners, then the individuals, then it's the results everyone dreads…… who's been relegated…………. Its then time for the main event… top ten in reverse order, the big teams are all holding their breath, with each team called position called a few more are thinking it could be us…… have we counted or points correctly??? Jubilation or despair 3rd 2nd or 1st it was worth it after all…..
this is in part why we do it..
