Getting it wrong ........AGAIN !
Yes, for the second match in a row I have to admit that I got it completely wrong. Bury Hill fisheries is just up the road from me and not only is it one of the most picturesque fisheries in the country but going there also gives me the opportunity to be insulted by my old mate, former Dorking legend and all round nice bloke Kenny Collings. Although I love the place, I have to say that personally I think the pegging is too tight and I was really just hoping for a peg with a bit of room. Although I drew what turned out to be the best bank (the long bank), Peg 36 was one of those with little room and for close company I had the man with the mind of a 12 year old (Terry Harrison) and Adam Lee - so at least I'd have an enjoyable day company wise ! With me not being the best of feeder anglers, I decided that rather than sit and chuck a feeder to towards the island like everyone else, I'd fish a waggler as I would be the only person fishing that line. I also set up a pole to fish at 14 metres and fed that at the start with a big ball of GB and pellets.
It didn't take me long to realise that I'd made the wrong decision as although action wasn't hectic, all the anglers around me started to catch on the feeder whilst my waggler line only produced a 6 ounce perch and the worlds smallest skimmer. After a couple of hours I had a wander up to Brian Wharton on the end peg (Peg 41) and he'd had nine bream (no, I didn't believe it either) - only joking Brian, and as I walked back passed Jamie Matthews, he was just netting a pole caught bream. I'd so far not had a sign on the poe line but first put in when I returned to my peg I had a fish of about 3lb on a soft pellett. It was however part of a very very small shoal or the hooking of a fish in the shallow water had spooked the rest of the shoal as I then sat biteless for the next half hour.
Having fed the pole line I then went to see Don in Peg 1. I often worry about some of the anglers I fish with and as I passed Bag Up Bob's Peg (Bob Poulton) I did wonder if he'd read the instructions that came with his pole roller !
Anyway, Don had caught 2 tench and 4 bream but not a lot else seemed to be happening on the front bank as our bank was clearly the place to be. Back at my Peg, as expected after resting the pole line I had another fish first put in and then another blank 20 minutes. This pattern continued until the end of the match where I ended up with 5 proper bream plus my baby skimmer and perch for about 12lb but for the first time in ages I decided to put my fish back and go down on the weigh sheet as the dreaded DNW !
Result
Jamie Matthews............Peg 38.................57-0-0
Terry Harrison .............Peg 35.................54-1-0
Geoff Vallence ..............Peg 34.................48-12-0
Lee Perry.......................Peg 32.................45-10-0
Steve Gardener.............Peg 30................45-4-0
So , as you can see I drew in the right area but just gambled on catching on the waggler and it didn't work - When Hathers texted me to ask what peg I'd drawn his respose to my answer was "Good Waggler Peg" so it was certainly worth a try ! Don finished with 35lb as the front bank section was won by Hayden Woods with 38lb from Peg 2. With organiser Russ Evans paying out the Top 5 overall, Brian Wharton won our section by 5th default !
Sunday sees me guesting on the Molesey League at Willinghurst - then next week, unless someone drops out of the Bury Hill 2 day festival on Tuesday / Wednesday then I could well be just pleasure fishing on wednesday.
