On Saturday 22nd of May 2021 Watchet Angling Club was once again used as cover for a covert meeting for some of the southwest most notorious undesirables. Subjects discussed ranged from embezzlement to making use of the dark web. The venue for this meeting of criminal minds was Sedges Brick lake. After tips and suggestions where swapped to increase ones ill gotten gains. it was time to carry on with the deception and delve in to the art of match fishing.
The intellect and finesse of Denise managed to persuade the club members that it was better to chose the swims for the match by selecting numbered balls from a bucket instead of an all in brawl.
First on the day and in his usual position was top rod or should I say top pole because that’s what he always uses, was none other than the man himself Rob Dodd. Fishing corner peg 11 Rob fished to his right with long pole with baits corn and maggot over pellet for 77 lb 12 oz.
Second spot with 53 lb 04 oz went to new kid on the block Mr Steve Warren. Steve who fished peg number 1 had most of his action in the last hour. Steve fished meat and pole in the margins.
Ian Townsend found himself in third spot with a haul of 44 lb 6 oz from peg 4. Pole at 8 meters with sweetcorn on the hook was his method.
Fourth position was relatively new kid on the block Nigel Coram on peg 14. Nige alternated between pole and feeder and main bait was wait for it banana and strawberry paste. Uhm. Mr Coram put 42 lb 4oz on the scales.
Match secretary Alan Bland occupied fifth from peg 12 using his beloved paste and meat on the pole. His catch was 37 lb 07 oz.
Dave Nash was sixth with a weight of 24 lb 13 oz. Top silvers bagger used single and double maggot on top 3 and 6 meters. From peg 18 Dave managed the top silvers weight.
Paul Smith who was seventh like Dave Nash just had an all silvers weight from peg 5 of 23 lb 12 oz. Method employed was mainly pole at varying distances swapping between dead red maggot and caster. Paul had the 2nd highest silvers weight.
Tucked away in the corner on peg 20 was veteran Bob Pascoe. Using pole and maggot at varying distances managed a weight of 21 lb 14 oz. Bob finished in eighth place.
Ninth position was laid back angler Phil Dodd who employed his tried and trusted method of feeder and dead red maggot of peg 17. Phil put 18 lb 10 oz on the scales.
Phil Dodd (right) explaining how he made a few quid by getting around the Iranian arms embargo.
NHS hero Dave Colley fishing corner peg number 10 fished the pole and maggot and caught 14 lb 13oz for his efforts.
Here we are again, last again but and it’s a big but, but for one calamitous moment things could of been a little bit different. Around about 2.45 float goes under and before I could strike the elastic starts shooting out. And for next ten minutes this Carp gave me the bloody run around. 3lb bottom and a size 18 hook ain’t much help in these situations but fate would have it and I use the word fate here in the strongest possible terms. I managed to land it. It is in the landing net and on my lap. Paul Smith to my right on the next peg stood up and had a look , this carp is a fair old size. “do you think I stood put it on the Scales ?” I asked Paul (Any fish weighing 15 lb or more has to be weighed, the weight recorded and the fish put back, no fish bigger than 15 lb to be put in keep nets). “can’t quite quite see from here” Paul said “Better err on the side of caution”. With that this beast of a Carp decided that he had spent enough time in the landing net told me to go forth and jump out the net back in to the water. Bast**d. This disastrous episode happened on peg 6. I fished most of the time with red maggot at 12 meters. My weight and by the way I did bother to weigh in was 6 lb 13 oz.
The top slivers table.
We had some bad news before the draw. We were informed by Paul Smith that our dear old friend and club member Alan Jenkins was taken to Musgrove hospital (I believe Friday just gone) suffering from pneumonia. I did get in touch with Alan through Face book and he’d seemed perky enough and seems to be recovering slowly.
This was unfortunately Dave Gartenfeld’s (r) last match with the club. The reason being is that he is going to spend more time with his wife down in Devon in his caravan, Where apparently there is a nice fishing lake on the campsite. Hopefully we will see this die hard Birmingham city supporter again if he decides to fish as a guest.
I am pleased to say that work at Dunwear ponds is coming to fruition in terms of the development of the railway pit. Nine pallets has now been installed on the far bank and I have been informed by the Bridgwater Angling Association chairman Nigel Gillard that the Railway pit come match lake will be ready for June 16th this year. It will be interesting to see how this project will pan out. I really do hope that this adventure will be successful. The time and effort that has been put in to get this of the ground has been enormous and on this basis it deserves to be a great success.
The pallets now installed on Railway pit. Sorry for the crappy photos.
Yep it that time of the year again, for this coming Saturday is the first round of the Bait Tech cup. Both Watchet teams, the black team and the red team are drawn against Cwmbran Nobblers. The venue for this jolly old threesome is Avalon.
The next club match will be the week after on Saturday June 5th at Trinity.
Until next time have fun.
Pete C.