strikes in some mysterious way on the day of the match, but we felt its full wrath in the preceding 24 hours with torrential downpours that led me to believe this match was always going to be in serious jeopardy. :(And so a dozen of the Cashmores Crew assembled over looking the river Trent on the bridge at Armitage - well less than that really, cuss we had guests OBI (who’d booked the night off work months before in eager anticipation of this one on his home turf) that other running line crack, Glyn, not forgetting Jan Porters mate Terry Turnip in tow with us
A surprise show was Hotlips, obviously keen to get back on the river……..
I detected a hint of optimism, which was further fuelled by evidence of small fish sporadically topping as we gazed over the side of the bridge, that this one would go ahead.
However I personally really didn’t think so as I viewed the chocolate coloured water which was carrying swathes of newly scoured weed beds along.
And so it came to be when chief pegger out and bottle washer KOD
ventured along the bank, prodding with his landing net handle into the bank side vegetation and returned with a ‘Nay’ decision………..It was still only 8.35am, so I voiced my contingency plan for all to troop off to the nearby T&M canal. Cars set off whilst myself and Heinzer waiting for any stragglers to turn up………..well there certainly was going to be at least one more member turn up, wasn’t there? Of course there was, Juan Chub was still to arrive and he was still heavily involved trying to secure sufficient points to win the coveted Aggregate trophy………
Waiting on the bridge, as time passed, there was more evidence of fish in the section as a couple of decent fish, not bits, topped with a ‘welcoming’ splash
………wished I’d bothered to get my camera out of my box to take a picture or two of the river from that bridge. I hadn’t ‘seen’ it before, having booked it on recommendation from another member, but it certainly looked ‘nice’. I’m sure we’ll give it another chance sometime in the future. 8.55am and still no show from Juan Chub????????
I suspected he’d had a tel call from one of the other members advising him of the change of plan and that he’d already be lined up by the cut bridge……..so off we set to rejoin the clan at the cut.
Yamo had pegged out, 6 either side of the bridge on Old Road. Dead Peg, Terry Turnip and Hotlips had decided to give it a miss and go for a breckie or a pint, or perhaps both. Or pehps they are still touring Armitage trying to find the cut
But still no sign of Juan Chub at the cut…………..apparently he was running late and had decided, irrespective of the conditions that he was gunna fish that river……….be interesting to hear from him as to whether he bagged up or not…………..
The draw……..I didn’t want a long walk, but pulled out no 2. Fortunately it wasn't too far, but was lengthened by a moored up boat between my peg and MrV on 3.
I quite fancied it for the day………..
My peg - sure to be full of roach!!!!
Zorro to my left
MrV & co to my right once the boat had gone……
The delayed draw meant I wasn’t ready when Heinzer whistled up
- no GB was mixed up.Whilst I spent the next 5 mins hastily preparing some, and setting up that last rig of 4, Zorro stole a march and was into bits straight away, including what must have been a four ounce netter roach……….it was wasn’t it?
5 lines fed - one on my feet, three hard across and one down the far shelf and I was away. I'd also trickle a few casters down the track.......
5 mins on my feet for nowt,
then 5 mins half way up the far shelf and nowt. I swung the same rig up onto the shelf and a small roach instantly snaffled my bait. I was off………..
A change to one of my ‘hard across’ rigs saw me pick up a few bits, but it was ‘slowish’ I was still playing chase up with the pegs either side of me as I felt reminiscent of someone in the crowd at Wimbledon, watching fish being caught at far more regular intervals both sides of me.
A later look onto a a caster primed far line……………….and a decent kinver tiger
………..no roach there, perhaps that was the reason why.......... 
Half way through MrV was bagging……………I was struggling for bites in comparison to the number of times I saw him reach for his landing net.
I had a wander down a little later with the camera
MrV happy with his peg
Next door was OBI on 'home turf'
MrV confided that he was now sacking up on ‘Grumpy’ bait and here he is with yet another Grumpybait netter
I returned to my peg………..Zorro had slowed down too………..I found a few more kinvers, including another of 1lb plus which I was sure was the reason for an absence of roach in my peg - ok I wasn’t on the ‘Grumpybait’, but I’m sure they would have had a peck at a pinkie or caster if they’d have been there………….. wouldn’t they?
The all out. Packed away, I asked MrV whether he’d got 5lb - he nodded confidently. That 5lb was the ‘benchmark’ as I thought I’d got 4-5lb, but realistically I knew I couldn’t live with him today……..
Onto the weigh in………
Weighing in on the narrows
KOD getting ready to weigh in
KOD with a rare smile on a cut
Will OBI trouble the scales?
Now Sprucey would have put up a caption for this one
More weighing in.......
Need a hand with that net MrV?
Who's gunna trouble that weight?
Hurry up with them scales, here comes the bailiff
And here’s the tale of the scales
PEG
1 ZORRO 2.3.10
2 TK 6.11.10
3 MRV 9.0.0
4 OBI 1.5.14
5 YAMO 1.9.0
6 COTTI 1.15.13
7
8
9 KOD 3.0.0
10
11 GLYN DNW
12 HEINZER 1.15.15
So a win for MrV, and with a no show from Juan Chub, Yamo could afford to take his foot off the gas to take the individual aggregate trophy.
And there endeth the Cashmores Curse 2010 season …………….
Just a footnote - we fished the T&M at Old Road Armitage. The section was previously controlled by Bass AC (from whom I’d booked their adjoining section a few times in the past) before they relinquished control a season or two ago. The canal is now being taken over once again, this time by Coors AC…………….nice to see you (and your good lady) on the bank Tony ( last picture above)
[reason]Change pedal for foot[/reason]
(mean the cut not the river)
