Lots Of Bites And A Belt

Lots of bites this weekend on two totally different venues. Saturday I was on the AT Silverfish qualifier at the Riddings. It was the first time I’d ever seen the venue… although you couldn’t actually see much of it as there was thick fog all match!

I could just about see my float at 13m and managed 3rd overall with nearly 25lb of skimmers. Well done Graham West winning with 30lb. I’ve tried all sorts to keep catching, but worm over the new Sonubaits Supercrush Expander Dark and a bit of F1 Green was best.

Sunday was the annual Stratford Classic, held on an extremely clear River Avon. 70 anglers spread across Luddington, Bidford, Stannels, Seven Meadows, Lucy’s Mill, the Lido and the Rec. I’ve drawn two pegs below the ferry on the Rec, always a decent area, and managed a nice 18lb 5oz for 4th overall.

Mostly chunky roach, plus some perch, dace and one little chub. I caught early on maggots and casters over Sonubaits Deep Water, Sweet Skimmer Dark and brown crumb. They were hard over my groundbait for three hours, but I then had to fish right down the peg to keep putting something in the net, plus two late roach on the waggler.

I’ve also bizarrely caught a long belt thing over my groundbait. I thought it was a karate belt at first, but it was a bit more ornate than that. As usual, the town centre was crazily busy, but it was also great to hear and watch the Remembrance Day parade on the other side of the river. Lest we forget.

Well done Paul Field winning the match with 27lb of chub from Seven Meadows. Thanks to Kelvin Tallett, Andy Bruce and everyone else involved, as well as Garbolino for sponsoring it.