Simple Match Fishing Forum

Report and results for this final 2011 fixture to follow when I get 10 mins

Will look out for it

This time last year we were scheduled to fish the same venue - The Trent at Handsacre/Armitage - and had experienced heavy rain resulting in a heavily swollen river and a switch on the morning to the T&M canal….


So we’d decided to give it another chance……..


On the Thursday night before the match I’m in Palma airport when I received a text from Heinzer advising that he’d had to switch the match from Armitage to Wolseley Bridge due to heavily weeded condition.


‘Hum’ I thought to myself……’the UK is having a heat wave, It’s been dry for ages, its gunna be low, clear and hot and sunny, aint sure I fancy that, wished he’d dropped it on one of our cuts instead’ 


More than  a tad concerned I popped along Friday evening to have a gander……….and my fears were confirmed. Some of the middle section pegs were so low you could see the river bed across

(ps - click on the pictures to blow em up)



I secretly hoped that the next morning would see a consensus of opinion that we dropped on the T&M cut, running parallel with the river…………which appeared teeming with fish topping all over the place 


Onto the next morning


Heinzer and MrV went and pegged out, although only armed with bronze and seed, again I was hoping that they’d return with news that they couldn’t get sufficient pegs in and we've have to go on the cut……….but it was not to be.


I wasn’t exactly sure where they’d pegged, other than it was a bit of a walk to the higher no’s which I knew from past visits here fished aok - I’d won one match  with 9-10lb roach at the back of the garden centre on our very first visit there - and the first couple of pegs were always favoured too.


A bit of banter at the draw and raucous laughter when it turned out that the pegger outers had drawn the two far end pegs  ……………although Heinzer did have the added ‘bonus’ of being on one of the golden pegs, the other being peg 1.


As I jotted down the draw my worst fears were realised as I went and pulled out  a ‘middle peg’  …………I wasn’t sure exactly where, but from my visit the previous day I knew it was going to be one of the pegs I just didn’t fancy and could see blanking 


And so it came to pass - yep those worst fears were certainly realised as I ended on a shallow peg as I gazed from the top of the bank.   


In fact I could walk across the river as I put my keep net in mid river where the level was still below my knee
I set up, plumbing up I couldn’t find any greater depth than 2.5 feet  and with banks of weed I had to shallow up further as I kept snagging up.  Swiftly set up I took a snap or two of a section of river that looked devoid of life  as there wasn’t any indication of fish movement - apologies for the quality of the photo’s the sun was still low, but extremely bright

Wished I was on the otherside of this bank fishing the cut




Out in the middle again.......




looking downstream in Zorros and KODs direction







And upstream but I cant spot MGB




The off and I flogged a particular line for 15 mins without the float looking like it was going to dip,  :(  whilst trickling in a few mags on another line . A switch to the second line……….nowt 


30 mins in I was still dry and couldn’t see how I was going to buy a bite today.


The phone rang and it was JK asking how I was getting on


‘Crap, in fact I’m gunna pack up and fish the cut instead. I aint got a cat in hells chance of catching owt today off this peg’


‘You can’t do that’ she retorted ‘it aint fair on the others’. ‘Fair’ I thought to myself, ‘What’s fair? At least I’ve turned up today……..’


With that parting shot I went back to my original line, whilst I suddenly thought of an old red Indian trick…………….


‘Gotta be worth a try to get out of jail’ I mused


So, in desperation, I did 


Now I dunno whether Zorro downstream next peg to me clocked it as the consequences of my actions may have drifted past him, but if he did, he didn’t mention it.


After another 10 mins a switch back to line 2 which had been subjected to that old red Indian ‘magic


’
And first run through…………….


NOWT 



2nd run through………



The float buries and I’m in 

 

A carefully played minnow  is swung in and unhooked - that will do nicely - the dreaded DNW is avoided  - that’s sufficient points earned today to do the job I came to do 


And it didn’t end there………


Whilst not exactly setting the world to light as both Zorro and KOD continued to be dry for ages and ages, I wheedled out about 40 minnows, complimented with 7 small kinver tigers and a solitary ounce roach


It was absolutely cooking standing out there in the middle of the river and I was glad to hear Heinzer blow up for the end. Packed up and off I trotted with MGB with the scales………as the tale of the scales will reveal, it did turn out to be a match of two halves, although Cotti did admit to loosing a good chub near the end


PEG
1 MICK KENN 0.6.0
2 COTTI 2.0.0
3 MGB 0.5.0
4 TK 1.0.0
5 ZORRO 0.2.0
6 KOD 0.10.0
7 YAMO 4.4.0
8 HEINZER 5.14.0
9 MRV 4.14.0

So another season done and dusted, concluded with Heinzer ‘tidying up’ the end of year accounts with a Golden Peg win of 90odd sovs…………top man too being as I’m in 50/50 shares with him   

enjoyable read that tk like it

Thats how it is sometimes, scratching against adversity.

You might be happy with that catch on a scheduled grueller TK not so far away !

Great report as always TK
and Congratulations as I believe that gives you the Series win over the course of the 15 matches.

Well done tony great report and photo's mate

The 2nd "looking downstream in Zorros and KODs direction" photo should go into groovers fishing photo's

Well done TK another grand report.

As Heinzer tidied up the finances only one thing left unaccounted for. I have an idea BUT

whilst I suddenly thought of an old red Indian trick

?????

Great report Tony and good to see you enjoyed your day

Nice report as usual TK. Perseverance does pay off and a pound of fish with the river that low is not to be scoffed at.    Well done on winning the overall club averages, much deserved after excellent scores on all the different variety of waters we have fished this year 

?????

I'll pm you DaveC

whilst I suddenly thought of an old red Indian trick…………….

He used a bloody bow and arrows I bet!

The difference was I took the arrow head off and superglued a fine wire 22 on MGB

Ta Mugger, Dave & MrV - confirmatory final table thanks to KOD who produses these


TK 355
COTTI & YAMO 336
KOD 318
MR V 283
ZORRO 265
DEAD PEG 241
HEINZER 240
HAHA 218
PHIL B 195
BIG GEOFF 190
BRAMBLES 181
HARRY THE HITMAN 177
BIG BAZ 172
BULLAH 156
RICH C 153
ABUMAN 145
MILLIE 141
TERRY TURNIP 113
TOMMY COOPER 88
MGB 88
GRAND MASTER FRANCE 76
MICK KENN 73
ROBERTO D 66
HOTLIPS 56
FATTY K 55
SPRUCEY 26
LASHER 21
JUAN CHUB 5


Roll on 2012, there's currently 10, with a possible 13, new venues for us to sample the delights of next year

Sounds good Tony, hope you've pick a good mix of fisheries and not all commies

Interesting comment there Geoff - makes me think......

Historically we used to fish 12 matches and I used to book 4 pools, 4 rivers and 4 canals - you can't get a fairer spread across 'disciplines' than that

Then the close season was relaxed and we upped the no of matches to 15 - basically an extra one for each of the 3 extra months (April - June) available........

So I altered the fixture breakdown to 7 pools, 4 rivers, 4 canals


Since then things have also changed as at that time we hadnt our own club waters..........but we do now - perhaps we should make 'more use' of our club waters


Too late for 2012 as the majority of fixtures are in situ, but perhaps for the following season we should consider a 5/5/5 split 

5/5/5 sounds the fairest option but...........I can't think of 5 river venues where parking is "close" to accomodate our "walking wounded. You have some on the Avon, some on the Trent, but can't think of many on the Severn, possibly Stourport (no doubt someone will correct me if I am wrong).
I really think last years has been a really good split, with some chellenging new venues, and some old favourites. It's a thankless task you have TK to please everyone, and no doubt you will please most members with next years venues.

but can't think of many on the Severn

Two brand new park behind your peg venues for us next season there MrV  

Anf they've been recommended 

So no 'lame' excuses allowed 

5-5-5 would give a better feel to the league as it doesn't favor one style and gives the more all round angler a chance

Cant argue with your logic Geoff 

no doubt you will please most members with next years venues

We'll see  ::)