Welcome to my fishing blog… August 2023
August 20th – Kingswood RBL Club Match, Gloucester Canal, Hardwicke – The Not So Glossy Gloucester Cut
It was a case of tales from the towpath on Sunday, except there wasn’t a towpath as such, which was great. I am of course babbling on about the private stretch of the Gloucester Canal at Hardwicke where we had our recent Kingswood Legion club match. Being able to drive and park behind your peg is priceless and not having to endure cyclists, dogs and dog walkers or joggers and ramblers is a massive bonus. The icing on the cake would have been a hefty net of fish but alas this wasn’t to be.
So, we all met up at the Michaelwood Service Station on the M5 at 7.30am, so far so good. Then we set off in convoy up the M5 to junction 12 where we joined the A430. So, because there were 14 of us, I suggested we pull into the Mcdonald’s car park for a head count prior to continuing our journey. With everyone present and accounted for, I set off in front, leading my band of merry men to the usual impromptu tour of the countryside before getting back on track. I’m sure my satnav was having a laugh…
Anyway, we finally arrived safely at our destination, parked up and got ourselves sorted out. While the peggers walked the stretch putting out our own peg numbers alongside the permanent pegs, (for ease), we paid our pools and then got the draw underway. I drew peg 13, which was permanent peg 25 and just a stone’s throw from where we had all parked up. The parking areas behind each peg had some well-compacted stone scalpings and the pegs were spot on. There were no platforms just bevelled out, flat areas of short green grass. You could immediately tell that this was a well-cared-for and well-loved stretch of water.
My plan of action was to first lob out a groundbait feeder to the far side with either maggle or worm on the hook. I would only give this an hour during which time all I had was one small perch. So, my next line of assault was pole short at 7 metres. I cupped out 3 small balls of groundbait laced with chopped worm, caster and dead reds. I also cupped out 5 balls of the same at 11 metres. I had 12 feet of water at 7 metres and 15 feet of water at 11 metres. So after an hour on the short line and with no bites, it was time to go out long.
On my first put-in I had a small roach of about 2 ounces. Then I had a skimmer about 8 ounces but I had to wait a long time for the next bite. This wasn’t going as expected and from what I could see to my left and right, didn’t inspire me either. With more than 2 hours in, it was beginning to look like a struggle for everyone. I tried the short line again but nothing and so I decided to completely focus on the 11-metre line. I did try going out to 13 metres but the side wind was just too strong so I quickly gave up on that idea. Even at 11 metres, the gusty wind made presentation quite difficult at times.
Well, into the third hour and a couple more small skimmers succumbed to my single dead red maggle. None of the bites I had were easy to see with the ripple on the surface, and the only indications I had was of the float very slowly disappearing like I was catching on the bottom. The fish were not very enthusiastic about feeding at all. With that, I decided to stop feeding and just keep working the rig by lifting and dropping. When the canal began to tow I let my bait move with it and this sometimes enticed a bite from a small ‘blade’ or a tiny roach.
Well, that was all I could do for the rest of the match and I was pretty sure everyone else had suffered the same fate. When the scales got to me there was a top weight of just 1lb 3oz winning my section. It had been worse than I thought. My catch went 2lbs exactly and Ian Brice on end peg 14 had just 1lb 4oz and so amazingly I had won the section. When everyone else came back from the other section the picture became crystal clear. It had been rock hard all the way along apart from permanent peg 55, which was our peg number one. Alan Maggs was on this end peg (he often draws end pegs) and finished up with a total of 7lb 1oz for a very comfortable victory. Well done to him.
In second place was Leigh Wakefield with 2lb 8oz and third placed John Treasure only needed 2lb 2oz. The weights were pitiful but there might have been a good reason for that. The Glossy maestro himself, Mike Shellard, paid us a visit late in the day and told me that the National teams had been filling it in for weeks before the Division One National. There were practice sessions going on almost daily and matches on each section at weekends leading up to the National itself. So the last thing the fish needed was more food. I guess we should have realised that beforehand but sh*t happens.
Nevermind, we’re planning on going back next season for another session. We’ll certainly stay well clear of any big match dates next time. Well, my next match is next Sunday when I’ll be fishing with the Alcove boys and girls again on Georges Lake, Whitehouse Farm. Keep you posted.
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August 2023
13th – The Clamp, Henfield, Nr Westerleigh
20th – Gloucester Canal, Southfield Farm, Hardwicke
27th – Georges Lake, Whitehouse Farm
September 2023
October 2023
November 2023
December 2023
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December 2022
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