J Sainsbury’s National Angling Championships 2003.
I arrived at 7am and the car park was already filling up, so it was straight into the clubhouse for Brekkie and a chat over the prospects for the day. With 110 fishing spread over 4 lakes a good draw would be all important. The lakes in use today were Syndicate, Middle, Bat & Bungalow,and everyone was in agreement that you wanted to draw Syndicate or Middle to be in with a chance of some coin.
8.30am and time for the draw, and with my usual dexterity I managed to come away with peg 149 on Bungalow.
With the match being fished from 10.30am – 3.30pm I made my way round and started setting up. It looked a lovely peg with an island a gentle lob of the feeder away so I decided to make the most of it, come what may.
As I was getting set up John Raison (the owner) walked round so I decided to pick his brains.
“Don’t waste time on the island, 10 mins at the most, if there’s no indication come inside and concentrate on the silvers.”It turned out that there was a separate match within the match for the best silverfish bag and with most people sure to target the Carp for which Gold Valley is so well known, there might be a chance of salvaging something from my draw and getting some coin after all.
So all set up and waiting for the off I phoned Trogg to congratulate him on finally getting his firdt Barbel, and then Dave to wish the lads who were fishing an Intersite Match at Stockton reservoir Good Luck.
10.30am, the All-In is sounded and we’re off, straight over to the island with a groundbait feeder containing 50/50 Sensas Gold & crushed hemp mixed as dry as I could get away with so that it would explode out of the feeder, and a piece of hair rigged meat on a 16. 10 mins later and nothing, so into silver mode feeding a walnut of the same groundbait and a few loose maggots at 4 mtrs and I’m straight into small roach skimmers and perch, nothing more than an ounce, but at least I’m getting something.
On the hour back over with the feeder, and after 10mins and nothing back to the silvers, and that was the way it was for 3½ hrs until the silvers vanished.
Over again with the feeder, a couple of knocks and round went the tip and Carp no1 is slipped into the net and in the remaining time 7 others joined it, the last hooked on the final whistle.
Round came the scales and with 11lbs of silvers and those carp I get a weight of 40lbs 11ozs, which is enough at least for me to have won my section.
Having packed up I made my way back to the clubhouse for the results to be calculated and the presentations to be made. While the results were sorted everyone tucked into a very welcome buffet that had been laid on for the competitors.
Presentation time, and 1st ,2nd & 3rd receive their cut glass trophies from John Raison…………
3rd, 1st & 2nd.
4th?………….. It’s Me, and low and behold I’ve also managed 2nd place in the Silvers match. So 2 trophies and 2 envelopes for me.
The Spoils…………
A lovely surprise and a great end to the day, Back to reality tomorrow though with a 20 peg club match on the Old Estate Lake at Old Bury Hill.
No comments:
Post a Comment