I was a little late getting to the draw and was amazed when there were only six other anglers there! Quite a few people were unable to make this match (probably a good choice, but read on dear blog fan). There was some money carried over from last years league in the golden peg fund and there were to be two golden pegs today, pegs 27 and 29. Both were potential winners and I really fancied peg 27 but of course pulled out 18! I wasn’t too disappointed though as Fieldy did 5lb 10oz off it last week. Heardy paid me his £1 from last week and said he’d have it back today.
I got to the river and it was painfully low and clear and coupled with a frost last night and bright sunshine today, the signs weren’t good. Graham had fished the peg high last week and I could see where he’d sat but I decided to sit lower so I could get to the tree in the water with my pole. I set up a 0.75 gram Drennan Carbo with size 18 B611. There were fish topping in peg 17 above me and I could have reached them if I’d sat where Graham had, was this going to be a costly mistake!
10:30 arrived and I baited up with single caster and started running the rig through in the flow, I started getting bites but only from minnows, after two or three I tried double caster but was still getting minnowed out. I then tried half a lobbie and was still getting loads of digs from pesky minnows. After two hours Robin walked up and he hadn’t had bugger all from peg 22 (apart from minnows) and said Fieldy was the same on 24. He then went up to see Pete on 15 and Steve Parker on 14.
I then had my first proper fish, a 4oz chublet on half a lobbie, Moses turned up to see how it was fishing and I saw a fish flash in the flow, so went back out with a caster on and had a decent dace first chuck. A little while later I had a small one but was still going nowhere fast. Moses soon got bored watching me and then Robin turned up to say that Steve was catching consistently but Pete only had minnows. I stuck at it because there were only four of us in the section and if Steve framed I had a chance of the section.
I carried on getting very occasional dace and ended with 11 (plus minnows) for a 1lb or so – not a good day. Robin packed up early, so I just needed to beat Pete and hope Steve framed. Pete turned up with the scales and said he’d managed a small chublet, he weighed me in and I had a massive 1lb 9oz before I went down to weigh Graham in as Robin had gone on. He’d found a chub and weighed 2lb 6oz but luckily he was in the other section. When I got back to the car, Pete had just got back from weighing him and Steve in. Pete had 3oz and Steve had 4lb 8oz and I was hoping that would be enough to frame.
Back at the results and Neil Dring had won it with 5lb 12oz from 27 and also picked up the golden peg money – well done mate. But how had Heardy got on?, he actually weighed 1lb 10oz which meant I owed him a pound but also that I’d won my section and picked up a tenner, which was better than a kick up the ass! So despite two not very good days fishing, I’ve actually got off to a good start in both leagues with two points in each.
1 – Neil Dring (Ilminster) – 5lb 12oz
2 – Steve Parker (Ilton) – 4lb 8oz
Sections
A – Jamie Rich (Against Men and Fish) – 1lb 9oz
B – Graham Field (Taunton) – 2lb 6oz
Round two of the Crown league is next week and some fish would be nice!
