The plan for match 2 was to fish the Fishley section, including the wides.
Access is via a locked gate with a key provided from BWB. It’s a dual BWB and EA site so access is for bona fide matches, not for individual pleasure sessions (you can obviously if you are prepared to leg it from Wood Lane) Additionally both parties EA & BWB require advanced notice of planned matches, just in case of reports that ‘security has been breached’.
Having given notice a few weeks ago of the match, on the Tuesday beforehand I received an email from ‘Lego’ informing me that the gate lock had been changed and could I remind him of my address and he’d get a replacement to me. This promptly arrived the following day - cheers Lego.
Saturday morning and Heinzer and I roll up. There’s already a few cars parked up with eager gruellerites. I jumped out to open the gate and was greeted with a call from one of the guys ‘Watch out for the horse’
As I approached the gate - sure enough there was a horse the other side of it staring at me.
But after a few seconds, off he trotted in the direction of the canal. Now I was immediately hesitant as whether to open the gate. Where had the horse trotted off to? Would he be back? Would he bolt past and escape? Would he cause any problems/damage to parked cars? To anglers?
I needn’t have worried. As I looked at the new replacement lock it soon became evident that I wasn’t going to be unable to open up anyway……………somebody had covered it with a plastic bag(?) or some other plastic substance and melted it so that you couldn’t insert the key into the lock.
Was it a ruse to stop anyone opening the gate and losing the horse out? Your guess is as good as mine.
So a quick decision to regroup back on ‘Dogger’s Bridge’
and fish the Extension instead. Everyone wanders off while I stop with Heinzer to redirect those still to arrive.
Thought I’d clocked that everyone had arrived and been advised of the change of venue and so we shot off too, but realised I’d forgot one when unloading the car as Blues4eva comes searching for us - sorry mate.
Now we had, shall I best describe it, as a ‘difficult match’ down on the south side of this bridge a fortnight before. I’d expected our ‘pegger outers’ to drop on the section above. But no - they obviously were entering into the spirit of the ‘grueller’ series - as they pegged the same section again.
I aint moaning guys, honest - I relish a challenge……..
plus I’ll always defend any pegger outer from the moans off those that never get up off their jackcies to peg out or do owt.
Now I don’t know why it’s locally called ‘Dogger’s Bridge’
- but if you go down to the woods today you’ll be in for a big surprise guys………
Draw done and I’m on 9 this time - yep DaveC - got it right this time
………and a bit of a traipse in the distance as there’s a bit of space between pegs this week.
Although I was a little uncertain how it was going to go today, must admit to a little bit of intrigue as I’d never ever fished the particular area I was in………………and I knew it threw up some decent pleasure weights in warmer climes.
But we’d had another sharp frost.........
Big Baz had drawn the same peg as I fished last time - be interesting to learn what the w&j would produce on it today.
Down the far end for company today I’d got Dead Peg on the end to my left, with Blues4eva to my right - both were managing a smile or two as they set up.
Here’s Dead Peg
And Dead Peg in ‘night portrait’ mode
And local cut crack Blues4eva
Further along the bank were Heinzer and Mark O obviously expecting a few
N C C setting up
Terry Turnip must be in the distance somewhere.........or has he popped into the woods
Surveying the territory my peg looked aok except…………………………
It was gin clear and I could see the bottom on my feet.
So I plumbed up to predominantly focus on a couple of areas with a bit of depth, but would also feed further across into shallower water on the sedges, but was doubtful whether these lines would produce……
The off…………..and a bite, a fish (small roach) and the dreaded DNW was avoided on the first put in. It was slow, but after 20 mins I’d got 4 - for all of 2 oz.
Then disaster - bites 5 & 6 resulted in fish coming off - that was another oz gone for a burton. Think they were just ‘hanging on’ to the punch :(
A quick look across - nowt as expected.
Back into the deeper water. I’d got fish in the peg - as I was receiving the merest indications on the float (which was virtually submerged and could have done with a touch of grease) but despite rotating punch sizes, altering shotting, depth eyc I couldn’t convert those indications into owt - even tried lifting at the indications - but nowt.
Blues4eva was owning up to a few small roach too whilst Dead Peg was struggling. Now the last time I did battle with Blues4eva on the next peg on the cut I’d fluked a ‘skimmer’ that went a couple of lb to 'do' him - today was revenge time for him.
Getting on for half way through and I looked across and saw his lackie was well out
- after a brief battle he netted a ‘proper un’ - a stripey that had some right shoulders on him taken on the chop - it went 1lb plus easy.
Knowing I was going nowhere on these micro roach that I couldn’t actually catch, it was time for me to drag a worm around looking for a get out of jail bonus. The net result for the next couple of hours? No bonus………just 5 wasps. But at least you could say I fished it ‘positively’
In fact I intended packing up with 15 mins to go, to walk my gear back to peg 1 so I could take some ‘weigh’ snaps - but I was obviously enthralled at watching that motionless tip of the float that Heinzer on the whistle surprised me to signal the end of the match.
Well I’d avoided the dreaded DNW but been well and truly gruellered today and also thought that Dead Pegs late flurry of fish - caught after I’d told him he was crap
- had done me the other side too.
Having put away the pole and 1 of my rigs I looked across the fields in the distance ‘ Seen what’s coming our way?’ I shouted to Dead Peg……………
Within a minute it absolutely howled it down - along with hail included. It didn’t relent for the next 5 minutes - a real stinker of a storm.
again to pack up in - just what you want.
As soon as it stopped I ‘raced back’ - overtaking Dead Peg with his motorised trolley on route - to the cars.
Here’s a dishevelled band of anglers making their way back.
Anyway onto the tale of the scales………….
PEG
1 COTTI 0.11.1
2 BIG BAZ 0.13.2
3 TERRY TURNIP 0.4.10
4 N C C DNW
5 KOD 0.2.10
6 MARK O 1.8.12
7 HEINZER 0.14.0
8 BLUES4EVA 2.13.0
9 TK 0.5.11
10 DEAD PEG 0.3.7
Roll on match 3 that will be the same bridge, but the ‘kennels’ side in a fortnight’s time. If ‘leafed out’ we’ll move to the boat section………..
