New Competitors Experience the South Pond's Wily Ways

September and four summer competitions completed already. A warm up for the longer winter match series perhaps? Match Secretary Andy Weavil has encouraged five new members to participate in the matches run so far. They are what is known as 'Carpers', and so are starting to learn new match style tactics to catch our fish.

Inconsistent results from the Evening Match series

The 4-match Evening Series was completed with very inconsistent and low weights being landed. Ten members fished overall and the winner was Rod Langthorne who effectively won on the first match landing 31 lb-13 oz from swim 1. Everyone else then tried to play catch up for the rest of the matches. Rod's final total was 54 lb-04 oz and he was always in the top three in each match. Andy Weavil was placed second, fishing consistently for 31 lb-10 oz in the end. This even included a blank for match 4. Three or more blanks were common in all matches. Third was "Prof" Moriarty with 21 lb-09 oz recorded over three matches before joining his ship in the Caribbean.

New match in June was a success

The inaugural pole whip match in June had 6 members fish Station Road pegs for a total of 42 lb-07 oz. Chris Shepherd won with 21 lb-12 oz, catching steadily. Weights increased from swim 13 up to 19. In fact Roly Palmer blanked on swim 13! We shall run this match again.

A big turn-out for the Martin Eustace Memorial match

The Martin Eustace Memorial Match had 10 competitors draw pegs on an overcast morning. Pegs for both banks were used. Work parties the week before had cleared some marginal and mid water weed that has returned this year.

Sad to report that seven of the competitors did not weigh in; not seeing a bite. Four blanks were on Station Road swims but Andy Weavil did land 12 lbs. with one carp to 8 lb-7 oz. Roly Palmer netted fish to 14 lb-06 oz.

On cold Winchester Road swims, only Steve Edge saw action. Four bites in 5 hours. He landed bite one (after 3 hours of nothing), lost bite two playing the fish in the weed, missed bite 3 on the strike but hooked bite 4 and landed it. Yay! His total was 10 lb-14 oz for third place.

Not an auspicious start for competitions but we shall plug away. The Carp Only Match is to come and the start of the winter series.

Lots of work completed during the August work party

Work was done both from the boat and the ground to cut back and control the vegetation. The initial challenge was a luscious jungle. Andy headed up the work on cutting back the hedge.

  

Steve and ‘The Prof’ spent four hours in the boat clearing vegetation from the pond itself. Unfortunately, ‘The Prof’ also went for an unscheduled dip as he attempted to cut back a bush near Swim 9.

An emphasis is being placed this season on getting more members along to work parties. There is a £5 supplement to the annual membership charge this season, refundable for attending a work party.

October and November activities

The first two matches of the new Match series began in September. The 2019-20 Match Calendar is available on the website and a copy can be downloaded for reference. This is an extract of the October and November activities:

Joining the Club

If you are interested in joining the club please contact our membership secretary Cathy Naylor on 07934-895513 for an application form. Alternatively, applications can be made by downloading a membership form from the website and sending, with an SAE, to our membership secretary (details above and on the web site). The membership year runs from mid-June. Membership renewals and applications for the 2019-20 season are now open.

Membership is open to anyone who lives in Bishops Waltham, plus a number of Associate membership places (for those living outside the Parish). Priority is given to Parish membership (especially juniors), but anyone living outside of the Parish wishing to join should contact Cathy for an Associate Membership place.

Club web site

For more information about the club and its activities, the club's web site can be found at: www.bwpfc.org.uk

Steve Edge and Barry Jerome