A message from Alan Bland
As you know owing to the current situation with the on going pandemic many things are up in the air concerning when we can get back to match fishing. The emphasis is on the word when. When determines what will happen to our match calendar. If and I stress if we can’t get back to match fishing until March next year then there would be a continuation of the 2019/2020 season. But if match fishing is allowed to start sooner then we will play it by ear, with respect to the remaining fixtures and how the results table would be formatted.. Alan has heard from the captain from Exeter who are Watchet Black team opponents and the venue if match fishing is allowed has been confirmed as the carp lake at Kia Ora lakes Knowle Lane Cullompton. Although Alan is concerned about the longish walk to the lake from the car park If any concerns contact Alan. . It is however the opinion of Alan that it is unlikely that the bait tech cup (formerly the Van Den Eynde cup) will go ahead due to covid 19.
Probably The Worst Fishery In Somerset
There is a phenomenon that can’t be explained but when some thing is bad, in rare cases it kind of passes a threshold and starts having a cult status. I became aware of this occurrence when one Saturday night way back in the late 8o’s I came home from a night out and slightly worse for wear slumped in the chair switched on the telly and on channel 4 was an introduction to a series of films that had acquired a certain cult status owing to the fact that they are indeed extremely bad. This particular night the viewing public of channel were treated to a film which had achieved by many critics the accolade of the worst film ever made. The film in question is a British made film with the tittle of Fire Maidens Of Outer Space. Go on have a look.
Now when certain things in angling become bad or are bad they never seem to have the characteristics where they can achieve cult status. Now I have hand on heart found some thing in angling that is bad and will definitely never ever achieve cult status. I came across this while visiting the Langport Angling Association website, Now under the section Somerset Levels Angling Club (SLAC). There is an explanation about Langport AA being members of the above said SLAC formely known as the Wessex Federation of Anglers which in turn means that anglers belonging to Lanport AA can fish these waters. As it happens Bridgwater AA and Glaston Manor AA are also members. Any how there are few maps on the Langport AA website which shows where the SLAC waters are .
Now I was intrigue by one map here it is.
This shows that members have the fishing rights on the River Brue between the town bridge in Highbridge and the outfall (sluice gate). Well looking at this stretch on the map it looked ideal. Close to home, not difficult to get to, a road parallel to the bank meant a possibility of easy parking. Yea really looks great on paper. So off I went to see this jewel in the fishing crown. This so called utopian water.
So there I was in Highbridge standing on the bridge over the river looking towards the sluice gate/ outfall.As places to fish goes, this was bad, this was terrible. This was the ultimate dilapidation. A venue (if one could call it that ) in a absolute no holds barred state of decay. Hedges, brambles, shrubs and trees took precedence over open space. This was a place where undergrowth and jungle ruled the roost. A dishevelled non entity of a fishery. Places on the bank that had not been invaded by the local flora ie an open space was meet by two big negatives, one, was to get to the water level was a sheer drop of at least 15 foot and two over hanging trees made casting impossible. All in all as I walk along the road parallel to the river (Clyce road) and up to the Sluice gate I came to the concrete and absolute conclusion that there was no where to fish on either bank. This a place where nature has firmly planted a imaginary sign and on it in big neon lights it simply says No Fishing.
But there is a couple questions here, Why is it on the license and do the angling clubs pay rental. One final thought this so called fishery will never reach a cult status as that crappy film as mention above.
A sheer drop. 
Another sheer drop. 
A so called entrance from Clyce Road. 
Spot the swim.
It seems so long ago when we fished our last match. This was fished on March 7th on Tile lake at the Sedges. Before the way of life changed, when the world was a different place.. He is a reminder.
Finally here is the results from last years corresponding match. It was the last match of the 2018/2019 season.
| Position | Angler | weight |
| 1st | Dave Nash | 49lb 15oz |
| 2nd | Shane Dutton | 43lb 07oz |
| 3rd | Eric Searle | 42lb |
| 4th | Paul Smith | 37lb 11oz |
| 5th | Phil Dodd | 36lb 08oz |
| 6th | Alan Jenkins | 36lb 05oz |
| 7th | Bob Pascoe | 26lb 13oz |
| 8th | Rod Dodd | 22lb 15oz |
| 9th | Dave Gartenfeld | 17lb 09oz |
| 10th | Alan Bland | 13lb 07oz |
| 11th | Pete King | 9lb 05oz |
| Baz Morgan | DNW |
Just to say we are living through a period that no one on this planet as ever experienced before. Life however seems to be creeping back to in some sense the world as we used to know. There is light at the end of the tunnel. And when we step out from the end of the tunnel in to the broad day light of normality. The good lord will once again be able to look down with a smile upon Watchet angling club fishing their matches. And then with a chuckle he will utter “Curnow you’ve got no bloody chance”.
Take care and tight lines. Pete C
