Match Report

To my knowledge this is the first time that we have fished the Arun this late in the year and having had reports of the Hardham stretch (albeit the opposite bank) producing some good recent match weights we were keen to see what Watersfield could produce. Also on the evening before a certain tackle shop owner and member had sidled up to me in a pub and said ‘Do you want to see the fish I caught in the Arun this week’ and proceeded to show me pictures of 20lb carp and a roach of almost 2lb.

Of course you know that with this big build up the results are going to be disappointing. Firstly the weather was not kind and although I can’t see that it would have affected the fishing it certainly put at least a couple of our matchmen off fishing on Sunday and I can’t really blame them. Our numbers meant that we restricted ourselves to the top section, perhaps that was a mistake!

After three attempts to draw something different Rab was obviously fated to take peg 1 on the top fence. This is always a fancied peg and is always good for a bream or two together with some good roach. It is however a peg that you really need to be wearing boots in to take full advantage. Rab of course had left his boots behind! Despite these set backs he still managed to win even with just one small bream and a few bits and pieces for a total of 3 – 0 – 0.

In second place was Vince who tells us he has developed a new method for catching roach. Firstly you hook your fish, then snap the line off in the reel, just manage to grab it as it is pulling out through the eyes, play the fish fly fishing style and finally just manage to swing it into your lap. This fish almost certainly ensured Vince’s second place as it bumped his weight up to 1 – 2 – 0, just in front of Ray H.

Ray fished the feeder throughout the match and caught 4 small eels and a couple of silver fish for 0 – 15 – 0 and third place

Unfortunately for some reason the Arun just did not fish, we probably won’t repeat the experience next year!