Storm Arwen as predicted had surely arrived with storm force winds which wouldn’t look out of place of the tip of Cape Horn and knifing cold which would be more at home in Siberia. Well with these conditions what type of people would actually be mad enough to fish a match. Take you pick from the list below.
1) Ones IQ is roughly the same as one shoe size.
2) Ones brain cells are misfiring in all directions.
3) Once arrived at a psychiatric hospital and was instantly turned away as a lost cause.
4) You actually counted the green hairs on the palms of your hand.
5) Searched for a gas leak with a lighted match.
6) Believe in father Christmas.
Originally this match was scheduled to be fished at Parchay on the KSD but owing to the fact that no one wanted to be guy roped to the bank and also as some one suggested because of the inclement weather it would be like fishing mid ocean. Hence the venue was changed to the match lake at Combwich. Probably the only sane element about this match.
In number one spot by a mile was one of the end peggers Paul Smith. Mr Smith Esq amassed a very creditable bag of silvers which tipped the scales at 9 lb 6 oz. In amongst his haul, a bit of a surprise this, was a handy size Tench caught at 8 meters. Paul although caught most of his fish at 13 meters alternating between maggot and pinkie. Hearty congratulations to him on what turned out to a very good weight on a extremely difficult day.
2nd place want match angling stalwart and club secretary Alan Bland. Alan fished to his left from one of the pegs nearest the car park. He struggled in the first part of the competition but the sport picked up later on. Alan bagged a weight of 3 lb 11 oz.
Dave Nash was 3rd with a catch of just 15 oz he had according to the watchet angling grapevine all his fish in the first hour and a bit.
Eric the carp bagger Searle struggled through most of the match. His result says it all 1 skimmer for 8 oz which was caught in the first hour then now’t. Nothing, not a sausage.
Yours truly had a more active time then most, yea straight up. I reckon I caught between 30 and 40 fish. Unfortunately in this game size does matter and on this occasion and in angling terms I wasn’t all that well endowed. My weight came to a meagre, a scantly 6 oz.
Dave Colley our beloved NHS hero who resides in Bristol threw in the towel with about an hour to go. I had a thoughtful visit before he went. In his hand he had his total catch. About 5 or 6 small micro Rudd which appeared to be a day old. I duly took a photo, with that instead of donating them to John West he threw them back. Nothing wrong in that I hear you say but unfortunately when it comes to throwing them back Mr Colley is not all that accurate and all of his fish landed in my keep net. When it came to the weigh in it was decided not to take any action because the fish were that small it wouldn’t made the blindest bit of difference anyway.
Before the match it was decided to do a so called London draw or a rover. Six anglers, so six pegs went in to the bag numbered 1 to 6. The person who pulled out peg 1 would have first choice to where to fish, the guy who pulled out peg 2 would have second choice etc etc and the poor guy who pulled out peg number six would have to take what was left.
Now it seems there is a slight connection with me who pulled out peg one and ended with a meagre 6 oz and this joke.
Q Why is it that the Irish have all the potatos and the Arabs have all the oil?
A Because the Irish had first choice.
The next match for the Watchet club is on the canal at Huntsworth on 11th December, draw at 8:45am fishing from 10am until 3 pm.
Until then take care, tight lines and top of the morning to yer.
Pete C.
