Rob Dodd absolutely crushed it and left the rest in his wake. Roberts weight of 87 lb 04 oz was out standing considering the time of year and conditions. The cold nights and the amount of rain we had previous did not thwart once again inform Mr Dodd on peg 10 who implemented the pole at 16 meters to the island with maggot as bait.
Steve Warren who knows no different than to finish in the top four who has now been tagged as Mr consistent. Well finding himself in 2nd place Mr warren on peg 37 used pole and banded pellet to obtain a healthy weight considering, of 34 lb 14 oz. Well done indeed.
The winner Rob looking exhausted after catching all them Carp. 
Steve who got 2nd.
Brummie Ian Townsend in at number three used corn and maggots (five maggots on hook) with pole to catch 27 lb 11 oz on peg 6. To quote Mr Townsend ” it were bloody hard going” We know chum we were there.
What a good result for octogenarian Tony Rchards who just turned 84 years young. This angling veteran finished in 4th spot with a total weight of 20 lb 11oz. Tony’s swim which was peg 16 burst into life in the last half hour with a Carp and many good quality silvers. His bait was bread punch. To boot Tony took top silvers weight of 10 lb 04 oz a very fine performance to be sure.
It’s rude to point Mr Townsend. 
Tony who is 84 years young.
Alan Bland during doing the weigh in was convinced he was going to end up near the bottom but was pleasantly surprised when his all Carp weight tipped the scales at 16 lb 02 oz and earned him a creditable 5th placing. Pole with maggot and meat from peg 36 got him 3 chunky Carp. Oh apparently a lot of swearing again was involved.
Out of sorts and white van man Nigel Coram found himself at number six. Nigel on peg 28 had a weight of 16 lb. Pole with maggot was used. Things could be on the the up.
Yours truly ended the match in 7th place. Fishing on peg 20 which I have named the micro pallet owing to it’s lack of size, I started of out in front at 11 meters with dead red maggots over micros but to use the local angling vernacular only had a few snots. All my Carp came from my left fishing to the pallet on peg 21 using corn as bait. Total weight was 15 lb 04 oz. Didn’t come last “brill”.
Top silvers basher one Paul Smith struggled throughout but managed to scrape together a combined weight of 15 lb 02 oz. Peg 8 was his abode and pole and maggot was method. No doubt things should improve once again for Paul who is never far away in the silvers table. Paul eneded the day in 8th.
Mr Blands moment of truth. 
Oh no not him. 
Mr Smith all ways has a smile for the camera.
9th was Dave Nash, Dave took things in to his stride and just fished the ordinary waggler. On road side peg number 34 he manged to put on the sca a total of 14 lb 08 oz. The bait used was either single or double maggot. This earned him 2nd in the silvers table.
Mr Nash sleep walking with his net. 
Look there he his there’s Bob 
Eric who has had better days.
Mr Philip Dodd occupied 10th spot with a haul of 8 lb. Phil once again employed his favourite tactic that of method feeder with dead maggot. Phil caught 2 Carp as well as some silvers from peg 32.
In at 11 was another octogenarian Bob Pascoe, Bob had drawn peg 39 next to the car park. For his endeavours he ended up with 7 lb 01oz by using pole and maggot. However Mr Pascoe did win a fiver for 3rd top silvers weight.
Mr Phil Dodd. 
Mr Ian Grabham. 
A very shy Mr Jenkins.
12th was Ian Grabham from Taunton who on peg 12 could only bring to the scales 5 lb 10 oz. Plan of attack for Mr Grabham was method feeder with pellet against the island. If I recall correctly this is Ian’s worst performance of the season.
Dave Colley who was Ian’s next door neighbour on peg 14 was pipped by Ian by a ounce for a weight of (do the math) 5 lb 09 oz Dave employed employed the feeder to the island. Mr colley finished in 13th.
Alan Jenkins slipped slightly back to second bottom from previous placings. Alan fished the roadside on peg 30. His all silvers catch came by using the pole and maggot for a total of 3 lb 09 oz. His words were “just couldn’t buy a Carp” in which Dave Nash replied ” you don’t buy them you catch them”.
Eric Searle was devoid of any type of luck on peg 18 poor Eric who normally catches Carp at will was flummoxed by the Carp just simply not obliging. He could only muster a total of 3 lb 02 oz which was caught by pole and maggot. Rest assured that if the Carp were cooperating he would have given Rob Dodd a run for his money.
Mr Coram and Mr Colley taking the mickey out of each other.
For match anglers or indeed pleasure anglers alike over a certain age will remember the time when matches could be held over the entire stretch of the Kings Sedgemoor drain about 8 miles. Back in 1965 when the Bridgwater Angling association hosted the the national angling championships over 600 anglers where peg on the KSD. But now move the clock forward to the present and great swathes of bank are now over grown and unfishable. A good example is Greylake, it is now imposible to hold a match next to the bridge like in days gone by. The the only viable stretches to hold a match now is Parchay. But some of the pegs there are a bit difficult to fish with anglers who got dodgy Knees and bad backs.
Well as some of you know a walk I did from Parchay bridge to Grey lake last year uncovered a really good stretch of bank that was more than capable of holding a match. That said stretch however is a bit remote. It is 1.2 mile from the car park at Greylake and trust me it takes over half an hour walk to get there. The stretch is 400 meters long which is ample for most club matches. The track that leads to it from Greylate car park is only suitable for 4 wheel drives and similar vehicles. The track is mostly on a peat based soil so is very susceptible to becoming very boggy and uneven during wet weather.
The stretch we fished is between the red arrows
Here is the stretch in close up.
About two months ago I was talking to the chairman of Bridgwater Angling Association Nigel Gilland who was fishing the big pit at Dunwear. He mentioned that he often fish the above stretch and drives to it down the track. He also mentioned that the farmer who rents the land is helpful where the key to the gate is concerned. He also added that he could not understand why most matches on the KSD were always held at Parchay when you have got this stretch. Well sorting out the track which wouldn’t break the bank and slipping the farmer a bottle of whiskey, would make matches here possible.
October 14th just gone and game for anything me and my mate John Hughes (ex Somerset angling) decided on fishing some where different, opted on this stretch. Travelling light, of we set from Greylake car park on foot. It took us about 35 minutes to reach our destination. John set up just for pike and me, well I just set up a waggler rod. Results fish wise was very disappointing as neither of us had a bite. Also the swim I was fishing was blighted by streamer weed. But in a positive frame of mind. 1) the track can be sorted. 2) a few days before a match a few people could go down and rake the swims, no big deal. 3) on the way to the match one could stop of at the off license and buy a bottle of Johny Walker for the farmer.
Me and John after the long walk from Greylake car park. 
Me fishing just look at the bank, ideal for a match.
The slighly dodgy track. 
Johns rod in the fore ground my gear in the distance.
Okay we caught no fish but to be honest the conditions wasn’t favourable. But staging a match here is very doable. A plan of action was spinning around in my head. After nearly four hours me and John decided to pack up. It was while I was waiting for John I looked towards my right and about a 150 meters away two men appeared. They were dressed in Hi Viz clothing and were armed with poles and a simple eletronic measuring device. Surveyors that what these two were. But what were they doing in this remote stretch? So curiosity got the better of me and of I went and meet up these two fellas. Point to note here is that these two were very friendly and approachable. And of course I did ask them what they were doing.
The men in question.
The answer astounded me. These men were contractors working for the Environment Agency and they were surveying the bank for a construction of what they described as a wildlife sanctuary. This haven for wild life would measure a 100 meters long. A ditch would be made that would run perpendicular for 6 meters to the bank then go at right angle which would run parallel to the bank and then turn toward the KSD again as to create a island in which plants shrubs and small trees would thrive. They say a diagram is worth a thousand words so have a look. So 100 meters of bank which could be used to stage a match has now been taken away. In fact it puts the whole idea of holding a match here very much in doubt. Bloody typical.
Now I have to say I am all for the saving of the environment and the preservation of wildlife, dont get me wrong here. And I honestly think the angling fraternity are of the same voice. But my gripe here is this. We had to walk over a mile to get to the stretch. Within that mile I would say there where five fishable swims. Only five owing to the bank being left with out maintance.
The rough unkemptand ufishable bank at Greylake.
Talking to the surveyors, there are apparently and don’t quote me here but I thought they said there were going to be seven of this wildlife constructions altogether along the bank of the KSD. So if this is the case then that’s 0.7 km of bank being taking away from angling. No doubt the rent for the KSD which Bridgwater Angling Association pays to the EA will stay the same. If the same effort that is put into the building of these wild life habbitats was also used to improve the certain stretches of the KSD ie that mile of bank from Greylake car going towards Parchay. We could say that the EA rod licence and the rent that Bridgwater Angling Association pay (£10,000 per year for both the KSD and the Huntspill) was worth it. Is it worth it I let the Angling Brethern decide.
Unil next time
Tight lines Pete C