VERULAM ANGLING CLUB

MATCH RESULT

DATE:            2nd March 2008

VENUE:         Felmersham

TROPHY: Championship #18

Commentary by Stan:

What with it being Mothers Day and clashing with the IPA Championships, attendance was lower than usual, just eight hopefuls looking forward to a day on the river.

Weather was mild but very windy and the water was running a little clear yet still fast after the earlier floods. Typically we all went off to our favourite pegs with Dan and Malcolm electing to fish the Church section, Kev at the Island point, Phil on the Island Pool and myself in Paul Bang's middle carrier peg. After an hour without a bite both Kev and I decided a move was necessary but Phil was happy with a few small roach and a 1.5lb chub already in the net. I settled in at the tail of the Islands run-off, a nice comfy peg with the strong wind over my shoulder and set up a 1.5g pole float as all my river floats were still back in the car. Kev was on the feeder a little upstream and Phil was now catching small chub and dace. No news from the others.

First run through and my float buried and a 3lb+ chub was soon in the net. Two more trots and a second bigger chub was landed. After a hour of no more action a swap to worm found another fish which shed the hook in the nearside snags. A little later another worm tempted fish was bumped off after a brief struggle and, with one hour to go, a switch back to maggot produced another fish which also shed the hook. I couldn't blame the hooks, each one was fresh as I was snagging the bottom every fifth trot. Ten minutes from the 3pm whistle and the float dragged under again but this time the bottom moved...a much heavier fish which proved to be a battle scarred chub of 4.13. But it was all in vain. Phil had fed over three pints of bait to keep a large shoal of 8oz chub feeding and won easily with 18.13. He also hooked and lost three lumps in the fast current. Still, he had enough to record one of the best weights in a Felmersham match for some years. My three fish went 11.03. and, with Jay and Malcolm both reporting 5.02, my last chub made no difference. It turned out that way downstream Jay had found a small pool for some roach and a big (1.13) perch so he was happy... as was Ian who managed to pick up 3lb of small chub on the tip in the gate pool.

If only Felmersham was nearer !!

POSITION	NAME	WEIGHT	POINTS	COMMENTS
1	Phil Rule	18.13.0	100	mostly small chub
2	Stan Kiddle	11.03.0	95	3 chub to 4.13
3	Jay M	5.02.0	90
3	Malcolm Jeffery	5.02.0	85
5	Dan Patrick	3.0.0	80
5	Ian Waugh	3.0.0	75
7	Kevin Hawes	0.06.0	70
8	Pat Waugh	DNW	65
	Total Weight - approx	45lb
Total Fished	8