Clevedon Club Match. River Bristol Avon, Crane Section

This was my first trip to this stretch of the Bristol Avon and although I had been warned that this section doesnt't always produce, I was full of beans and ready to give it a go. My chauffeur for the day James Gunter and I set off early and were greeted with a hard frost and -3C!

After topping up our fuel levels at Macdonald's we met for the draw and Keynsham marina.

Adie Baker, Scott and Ivan had already walked and pegged the bank for us hardy souls.

I drew the furthest peg upstream, a bit of a walk but an end peg so I was happy. A few lads remarked that this peg would win the match! No pressure then!

I got to my swim and was pleasantly suprised at how comfortable it looked, no rope needed to get into the swim!!!

I setup a 2.5g Rive sliding body pole float, fished at 13m, straight waggler and a groundbait feeder, fished pasternnoster style.

I had mixed my groundbait the previous night, a kilo of Sensas Gros Gardons, a kilo of Sensas Noire and 2 kilos of damp leam. To this I added a pint of casters. I balled in 10 large 'double hand squeezed' balls in on my 13m line and flicked out the feeder near to the boat on the far side while the bait settled.

Nothing came to the feeder in 5 casts so I had a go over the balled in bait. I was running the float through on the pole and had signs of life straight away, a couple of bumped bites. I pesisted and caught a 3 decent roach on double bronze maggot.

Three more roach followed, not a bad first hour given the conditions and time of year I thought.

As the wind picked up fishing the pole became impossible, the river was tripping through at a brisk pace and with a strong down stream breeze the float was hammering through.

I went back to my feeder, loaded up and went for a double worm section hookbait. I had a decent bite after about 10 minutes, a small chub, which fell of at the net!!! I recast and was immediately rewarded with a skimmer of about 8-10oz. I did also bag a small gudgeon on the feeder after that.

After that my peg went swiflty downhill. For the next 2 hours I didn't have another bite. Adie and Scott walked up for a chat and said they had both a few roach and everyone was struggling so I was quieltly confident of what I had already caught. I kept in touch was James on the phone through the day nd he said he had been struggling to get bites in his swim.

The results were as follows:

1st. Myself 2lb 8oz
2nd Scott Smallwood 2lb
3rd Adie Baker 1lb