Zone Winner On The Turner 400

A cracking match on the Turner 400 yesterday. This annual event saw 24 teams of four lining the banks of the Upper Thames at Clanfield, Kelmscott and Grafton. The two latter sections traditionally throw up all the better small-fish weights, but there’s always the chance of a bonus chub or two at Clanfield.

As I’d been really struggling with my chest all week, a peg at Clanfield that didn’t involve a platform or big trolley push was very much appreciated. Even better, I’d actually drawn a rare peg with a gate, so no hoiking boxes over a barbed wire fence!

I was on D1 in my 24-peg zone, which is permanent peg 56. Sadly not a proper end peg as C24 was just to my right. However, I’d actually drawn the same peg a month ago and knew it’s a really nice small-fish swim. Even better, it would be comfortable to fish as I’d already gardened it properly! Judging by the crayfish claw on my peg it had been fished pretty recently too…

On my last visit I managed nearly 5lb of mostly dace and gudgeon and hardly any bonus perch, which you usually need to bump up your weight. I caught really well close in that time. This match was totally different as my short whip line was rubbish and I caught mostly roach at 11m! Again hardly any perch though…

I’ve had a load of roach of all sizes at 11m on maggots, pinkies and hemp over a mix of Sonubaits Deep Water, Black Roach, brown crumb and soil. Strangely nowhere near as many tiny eyeballs up in the water that you normally suffer with on this stretch, so I’ve been able to fish nice rigs most of the match. A really nice few hours roach fishing.

I kept occasionally looking down the side on chopped worm, but never had a single perch, just pesky baby chublets and gudgeon and nuisance strands of weed. With 30 minutes to go I’ve hit a positive bite and something very very big just slowly lunged straight into a snag. I pulled and pulled and could still feel it on the end, but eventually something’s slipped and I just came back with a big clump of silk weed on my hook.

I assumed it was a big chub. I really didn’t expect to see one on this peg, but I was straight off my box, swapping to a 2m Short Power Kit with 16-18 Slik. Five minutes later the float walloped under again and this time I was in a proper tug-o-war battle with what was definitely a big chub! With my XTR700 bent right round I somehow hoisted it out of the near-side brambles several times before sliding the net under a very welcome bonus 3lb+ chub.

I obviously sat down there for the remainder of the match and frustratingly fresh-aired four bites before the whistle blew. My bonus chub and a net of mostly roach totalled 9lb 12oz. A great weight for Clanfield and enough to win the 24-peg zone.

As expected, most of the framing weights came from Grafton and Kelmscott, but venue ace Paul Passmore smashed the match for the second year running with six chub for 29lb from the other end of Clanfield! Well done Paz and also a big well done to Daiwa Dorking for a convincing team win.

Thoroughly enjoyed being back on the river, despite all the coughing!