26/06/22 - Durleigh

Weight - 12lb 9oz

Catch - 2 Bream, plus perch, roach, skimmers

Weather - Shower to start. Mostly sunny and windy.

Match - So Simple League rd 5 (18 fished) - 3rd overall, 2nd in section

The fifth round of the So Simple league and I’m not sure anyone was really looking forward to it as Durleigh has been fishing hard. I found myself on p2 by the sailing hut and not where I wanted to be, although a couple of regulars tried to convince me otherwise.

Will Bate was on p1 and the only advantage we had was that peg 3 was 50m away so we at least had plenty of water to ourselves.

I had intended to bring a pole, but when I saw the forecast wind of 30mph I decided against it. However, my peg would have been perfect for the pole, as it was nice and deep close in and sheltered from the worst of the wind.

On the all-in 8 balls of groundbait (river : FA1 : worm meal) and caster was deposited at 16m and then I tried to use a spomb for the first time. Let’s just say it was interesting and if I am going to do it properly I need to upgrade to a suitable rod. I managed to deposit a mixture of FA1 micros, 4mm pellet and corn at 50-55m (most of the time), as well as showering myself in micros, 4s and corn when the spomb opened on the cast. Will didn’t laugh much!

After 3hrs I was bite less. I kept both lines topped up and didn’t see the point of fishing longer than 55m, particularly in such deep water. Eventually I caught my first fish, a roach on the 16m line, fishing a small cage feeder and worm on the hook.

Up to this point Will had managed a few small silvers and reports filtered down that it was fishing hard elsewhere. I managed a few more fish on the 16m line, including a pound skimmer and was really regretting not bringing my pole.

The short line didn’t last long and I topped up with a couple more balls of feed. A couple of casts on the 55m line didn’t produce, so that was topped up again.

Back on the short line and a couple of small fish, but it just wasn’t happening. So, with 90mins I decided to stick with the long line, hoping for a pull and was very surprised when it went round with 70mins remaining on a 6mm yellow gofter, fishing a 60g XR Banjo feeder. That was a relief.

My 2^nd bream came when I added another 3m. With 15mins remaining I cast out thinking it would be my last, only to have a bite within a minute and another bream to secure good section points.

So, a little bit of luck to finish 2^nd in section and a surprise to find out I had enough for 3^rd overall.

1.    25- 4 - Gary Dennis – p4

2.    19-13 – Karl Turner – p8

3.    12- 9 – Ken Rayner – p2

4.    11-15 – Chris Ware – p17

5.      8- 5 – Andy Seery – p14