Bank Match at Busheyleaze Sunday 9^th March

This match was originally scheduled for Saturday 15^th March but because the venue was fully booked on that day it was transferred to the Sunday. With no doubt a previous Saturday’s thrashing and with storms having been predicted a few days earlier the omens were not good. However, the storms did not arrive on the Sunday - but did arrive on the following day. Never the less there was a moderate breeze coming from the west making it very difficult to cast directly into it from the east bank by the club house. That made it difficult for Danny, who would normally fish from the pier by the club house, to cast. A concession was therefore made and he was allowed to fish from a boat that was anchored up adjacent to land. Roy also went with him as a safety measure.

At 9.00am, with the arrival of a mini-bus full of youth fishermen and together with ourselves, the far western bank was completely full from one end to the other. Although the southern end of this west bank looked good, easy to cast and lots of ripple, there were no fish caught and eventually the fishermen who were there dispersed. The northern end of the west bank did produce fish but there was far less ripple. Although John did catch his limit early, it was hard going for remaining Stan and his son Bobby (the Hi-Di wrazzler men), Ken, Brian and Malcolm.

The fish were best found on the eastern banks to where the wind was blowing. On this bank Allen, on the point, and Bill, on the corner just to the right of the club house, both finished by 11am. Roy and Danny, fishing from the island had also finished. Brian, having moved and now fishing near the point on the eastern shore line, finished around noon. Malcolm had got just one fish on the western shore but eventually moved to the far southern end but again on the eastern shore. He then quickly bagged up with another 5 fish. At that point Stan, with 4 fish, abandoned the west bank opposite the club house and moved into Malcolm’s now vacant spot. He also soon bagged up. While doing so he was heard to utter words under his tongue as to why his obstinate son Bobby was not moving from the now dead west bank. Bobby eventually did move, to slot into dad’s now vacant space, and he also bagged up.

Meanwhile Ken who had started to fish on the west bank realized that the place to fish was on the eastern bank and so moved to the east point. As usual, and unfortunately for him, the fishing got harder as the day progressed and furthermore perhaps the fish had moved away from that point. He did pick up another fish (having fished for some time without a fly on the end!) but eventually decided to pack up around 3.30pm.

Around 2pm I saw Ray Janes who said ‘2 down 2 to go’. I explained that it was really 2 down 4 to go at which point he said ‘oh my God’ and was thoroughly disillusioned. It was very difficult to cast directly into the wind around, say, the jetty where he had been fishing. He was seen to drive home around 2.30pm having weighed in his 2 fish.

Most were using slow intermediates or some form of sinker as conditions were not so good for surface fishing. All sorts of flies were used, boobies, small flies, cat’s whiskers, anything.

At weigh-in Danny had the largest bag. Danny and Bobby shared the heaviest fish trophy.

Most fish were around the 3lb mark, nothing exceptional. A few Browns were caught which were returned.

NAME	CAUGHT	WEIGHT	BEST.R
Ken Williams	2	6lbs 12ozs
Stan King	6	18lbs 13ozs
Bill Johnson	6	18lbs 10ozs
Roy Palmer	6	18lbs 3ozs
John Weaver	6	18lbs 8ozs
Danny Peet	6	19lbs 14ozs	3lbs 14ozs Also best bag
Bobby King	6	19lbs 3ozs	3lbs 14ozs
Allen Dixon	6	18lbs 6ozs
Brian Whity	6	14lbs 0ozs
Malcolm Golding	6	18lbs 12ozs
Ray Janes	2