The Kennet & Avon Canal Fish-in 07

A date was arranged and then it was just a matter of sorting out directions and B+B details for the visitors that would be staying over.

That was it, sorted I thought! Then the rains came! What a headache, anglers from all over the country were coming to fish 'my' Avon and it was bank high! What was I going to do? Cancel and let everyone down or try to find a backup venue? I chose the latter, I couldn't let everyone down so I had to think of a suitable venue to fall back on. I knew that some of the FM members were predator anglers so that made the choice even harder, the obvious backup venue would be a commercial carp water, but they don't hold pike and perch. Then it came to me, the A+K canal (the Avon and Kennet) just outside of Bath, it holds carp, pike, perch and silvers, something for everyone. So it was decided this was the backup venue and what a backup venue it turned out to be!

The day started well, we were all meeting at a local café, apart from Neil who was meeting us at the venue. Paul and Wendy missed a few turnings, but got there about ten minutes late. Then Wendy's mobile burst into life - Claudia was lost! A dozen hectic phone calls later we found her and set off. First stop was the tackle shop to pick up the day tickets, the look on the owners face was a picture when we all descended on him. He said to me 'is the A+K ready for you lot?' I just chuckled, this was going to be a right laugh.

We arrived at the lay-bye to find Neil unloading his car too, he was also late after getting a puncture in Warminster which needed the help of the AA or RAC to get his stuck wheel off. We were all about an hour behind our original plans, but now we could get started. I chose to fish the basin with Ian, Jeff, Sam and Neil, while Paul, Wendy, Claudia and Cakey headed further along. What an inspirational choice of swim that proved to be for them!

Anyway, we started fishing the basin and it was good, roach, skimmers, gudgeon and ruffe all obliged.

I hadn't been fishing ten minutes when Wendy came flying along the bank towards me, 'Steve you've got to come and see this, I've caught a perch! It's massive! We ran back to her swim to see the fish, I've never seen or caught a perch that big! What a beauty! Wendy was chuffed to bits, I just stood there Gobsmacked! I'll let Wendy share the weight of her fish with you, I don't want to steal her thunder.

I returned to my swim and continued to catch steadily until a boat moored right in front of me, which killed it! After a few obscene words were given to the owner I moved up the canal to fish next to the other guys, I'm so glad I did! Paul had got in on the perch action too, he had three perch all over a pound and a half, I really was amazed to see such large perch coming out of the canal.

Shortly after moving I got a call from the missus telling me they were on their way along the canal to see us, which was perfect timing as I was just unhooking a pike. So I left the pike in the landing net in the water for my youngest son to see. Then all hell broke loose, I heard screams from my daughter who was quite a long way down the canal. Paul shouted 'Steve, I think your boy's gone in!' I dropped everything and legged it along the bank, Paul was there in a flash! To my relief, I got there to find it was my bloody stupid dog, he had launched himself like 'Bambi on ice' into the water and realised he was out of his depth, the missus dragged him out and it was panic over, phew!

A short time later it seemed like someone flicked a switch and the pike went crazy, I had a pike in the net, Claudia and Cakey also had pike on so I left mine in the net again. Claudia and Cakey both got their fish in (Claudia's first ever pike) and I went to get mine, three on the bank at once, what a lovely photo that would be, I looked in my net and the bugger was gone! Oh well.

As the light started to fade Wendy latched into another pike, this time we could tell it was much bigger. After a five or ten minute battle Wendy's prize was on the bank, it was a big double, Wendy's face was a picture. She was knackered and could hardly hold the fish up for pictures, I had cleverly positioned myself in front and to the right of Wendy. Don't ask me how or why, but the pike made a lunge out of Wendy's arms, my instant reaction was to try and catch the fish………BIG mistake! Somehow my right hand thumb went straight into its mouth……….ouch! I pulled it out in a split second and gush! Six of its teeth got me, one very badly, Wendy just kept on saying sorry, but it was my fault.

Despite everything it was a fantastic day, my backup venue produced the goods, we all had a brilliant day and forged new friendships, including Terry Ellis who popped up from the flooded Avon (barbelling) to say hello. All the planning and all the headaches don't matter now, it was well worth it.

Thanks to everyone who turned up, you all made it a very special day.

What a fish-in! Avon and Kennet Canal Winter Pred fish-in, Jan 2008. Anyone fancy it???

Wendy Perry

I met Brummie (Paul Williams) half way and piled my gear into his car and off we went. When we got on the motorway I had to sit through an hour of why Paul is not a Brummie and there is Brummie land on the left and there is the black country. I amused him by just nodding my head!

When we arrived in Bristol I decided to put my sat nav on so we would get straight to the café. He did nothing but moan and tell me to turn it off. She (the female voice on the sat nav) was explaining where to turn and Brummie kept on telling her to shut the **** up!

Anyway we arrived to be met by the cakester and Ste, but no Claudia…. Mmmm I better ring her! Her words screaming at me down the phone were, “I am ****** lost, I hate ******* driving, I'm following my ***** ** instructions!” She was totally lost! Eventually, after another half hour, Ste and Jeff went to fetch her!

We all set off to the canal but stopped at a tackle shop to buy day tickets and arrived at what looked like a beautiful canal. When we got to the canal Neil was already waiting for us.

I was the last to get to the bank and Ste, Jeff and little man (I didn't know his name) had got their spots. I just followed Cakey, Paul and Claudia and was last to my peg. Cakey did his usual wandering trick so he didn't have any particular peg. He pulled his already made up rods out and said, “who's gonna get me some bait?” I hadn't even pulled my rods out my bag!

Next, Brummie was already in with a nice perch and I was shocked at the size of it and thought I'd love to catch something like that!

My new reel has 8lb line on it but I decided that I probably would only need 4lb line, so I added 100m of 4lb line to my reel. I set my rod up with a rig which my local tackle shop man had showed me a few week ago for when I am feeder fishing. Then I put a tiny maggot feeder on filled with bronze maggot, a size 16 hook and cast in. After 10 minutes I recast it and it'd only been in the water a few minutes when I saw my tip move. I told Paul and Cakey that I thought I had a small carp on, but never in my wildest dreams did I think it was a 2lb 12oz perch! Wow! When I picked it up for the photo's it felt like a dinosaur! I couldn't understand what all the fuss was about; it wasn't a big fish? Then paul told me that they don't get much bigger!

Cakey told me to go tell the others to come look at it so he put it back in net whilst I ran down the bank to get the others. They were all cooing at it like a baby in a cradle!

Brummie then had a nice bream, I also had another perch of 1lb 7oz, then It went quiet for a little while and we were all having the usual banter. Claudia was winning on how many canal barges she could hit as she cast her bomb in and I then set her up with the same rig as me to try to get her a pike or a perch. When she cast in this time she hit the plant pot on top of the barge!

Then all hell let loose. Steve had moved up near us to fish as a barge had parked right in his first swim. He shouted out he was in and as he was putting his pike back Cakey was in. Then I was taking photos of Cakey when Steve's daughter ran up the bank screaming that someone had fallen in the canal. He thought it was his son, so everyone apart from me and Cakey, ran to help. Luckily it was the dog and they pulled him out!

As they were walking back Claudia's bite alarm went off and she started to scream: “I have a pike!” We all helped her to get it in telling her to keep calm. I netted it for her and she was running about screaming. Wow, three pike out in less than 20 minutes. I then decided I would try for the pike, seeing that they weren't that big. I left my 4lb line on and just added a bomb and a wire trace with a treble. I put a gudgeon on and cast in and soon had a lovely pike on. Then Brummie had another perch and things quietened.

Cakey was soaked to the skin and said he was setting off home. It was starting to get dark . I hate the end of the day when we have to pack up as I always like that last cast. So as Brummie, Claudia and Steve were packing up I cast in again and thought I'll pack everything else up and leave my rod till last. Neil came across to say well done on the perch and as I was showing him the pics of my perch on my phone I saw my rod tip move very slightly. I said to Neil, “did my rod move then?” So I gave him my phone and stood over my rod. It moved again slightly so I picked it up slowly, saw the tip move again and struck. Jesus, what the hell did I have on the end of my rod?

I shouted to the others I was in and that it was a biggy, Brummie said don't take the piss, is it big or are you making it up? I said NO Paul, it is BIG. It was taking line for fun and all I kept thinking about was, oh my god I have only 100m of line here to play with AND it's only 4lb! Eventually I lifted its head out of the water. WOW! Everyone was just gobsmacked at the size of it. We weighed it and the result was a 16lb 9oz pike. I straddled it to get the treble out and then someone went to move the net from underneath me and the pike jumped out of my hand and took a chunk out of Steve's thumb. I felt awful but he never bothered. I then held up my baby for the photos and said I had to put her down as my shoulders couldn't take the weight any longer.

I packed up with a smile on my face and very shaky arms and legs!

In the evening we all met up for a meal and drinks and I got a picture from Martin that he'd done on the computer and printed already. When we were in the pub we were talking about my set up. I picked my handbag up and pulled out the rig that I used. They couldn't believe I had one in my bag! My picture went all over the pub and people kept coming and saying well done, etc. Then one guy came up to ask if I'd like to go to the Predator Festival in February, and guess what, he was A BLOODY BRUMMIE! He said to Paul, you're a BLACK COUNTRY LAD! Paul was screaming at us by this time that this man knows what he's talking about! We all fell about laughing and the guy obviously didn't have a clue what we were laughing at. Then paul told him the tale of what we all call him.

I got a lovely water colour painting from the pub of the River Avon as a memory of my days fishing! A fantastic end to a fantastic weekend's fishing and, as I say, they get better and better!

So was it worth travelling 500 miles for? YOU BET IT WAS!

Paul Williams (Brummie - from the Black Country)

Anyway, off we go, me giving Wendy a brief on where the Blackcountry and Brum are and telling her the difference between a Blackcountryman and a Brummie. Yeah, right, was the reply. “Anyway, if a Brummie and I got together we would tell each other apart no problem,” was my last retort on the matter and Wendy again said, “yeah right!”

We chatted on the way and as we were approaching Bristol on the M5 wendy decided to switch on Mrs sat nav. As I left the M4 Mrs Sat nav decided to take us a different way to the straight in route I had in mind. Result? loads of phone calls to Steve to find the way in! I think at one point I may have very politely asked Wendy to tell Mrs Sat nav cease talking! In the end I got my Bristol A/Z out the glove box and went straight to the cafe!

After a fine brekky and many calls from our other lady member Claudia, we eventually headed for the local tackle shop to get day tickets, and for Wendy to tell the owner she was on the telly! Cakey fell in love with Claudia at this point when, standing directly in front of it she said, “vhere is da tackle shop, Cakey!” Really tickled him did that!

We arrived at the venue to find a lovely section of what can only be described as olde worlde canal. I was reared on canals but this one was different as it had something the Midland canals haven't, and it smelt of predators, laugh, scoff do what you like but waters can do that after over 45 years of fishing em! Some of the lads who were after silverfish settled in a nice large turning basin, while I had a walk along the canal and saw a row of permanently moored barges that screamed perch and decided that was the spot for me. I told Wendy and she decided to fish there to.

First thing i did before making up my rods was to send out a few 'pultsful of red maggot and chopped worm. Then a bit of banter with Wendy about her bronze maggots and my reds and my Lob followed. Wendy said she was sticking to her bronze, so there! First cast I dropped a bait perfectly at the stern of one of the barges and a nice perch took the lob on the drop. Wend, who was still tackling up said, “I'm not even ****ing looking Williams.” But we did have a little side wager on the go!

It didn't take Wendy long to get those pheromones working though and before long she was into a fish. I went to have a look and saw a very, very nice perch break surface. “Wend, this is going to be a special one, so be careful,” said I, just to steady her nerves....not!

The rest of the fish-catching is just a blur in my mind, we all laughed and poked fun at each other all day and the fish came along!

One highlight was Claudia's pike, she wanted one so badly and missed her first chance after I set her up, but the girl came good and her picture tells a better story than I ever could!

A mad five minutes of piking happened and Cakey, Steve, Wendy, and of course Claudia all caught pike together, Cakey having had a nice one come off earlier.

The day was now complete, most of us had caught a fair few fish in horrible conditions, we were all soaked through but happy and we started very, very slowly to put bits away. Cakey was travelling back home so it was handshakes and hugs for him first.

“I'm gonna start packing up Wend,”' said I.” “Well I'm gonna have another cast with this gudgeon,” said she!

Neil was chatting to Wendy when she had a 'touch' on her Quivertip - yes Quivertip! To 4lb line! She hooked into something then that definitely was not a perch! It moved up and down the cut, making runs with our Wend playing it like a good 'un whilst Neil and myself debated on what it was! Anything from a pike to a fish loving carp!

I sunk the net ready and Wendy did a great job in bringing the 'monster pike' over the net and once she was in it, because 'she' it was, both myself and Neil knew it to be a very nice fish. Wendy's pictures tell the story better than I can now!

I have been on a few fish-ins and meets with FM members now, made some friends I know will be lifetime pals. If you are the hardened specimen hunter or the loner type this sort of day brings it all back into perspective, it's meant to be fun. Thank you Claudia and Wendy for reminding me! And thank you Steve for setting it up.

I had (eventually, after a major phone problem) a great night out, it was nice to meet Steve's missus. But the highlight of the night for me was a loud fella who was from Brum strutting about with Wendy's photo of her pike. “Paul's a Brummie too,” says Wend, only for a resounding “IS HE ****K, HE'S A ****ING YAM YAM! I bought the big mouthed Brummie tw*t a whisky for that!

Neil Maidment

Probably for days like this one! I arrived over an hour later than intended but was almost the first to get there! Stories of damsels in distress lost somewhere in Bristol and calls for interpreters to decipher who was saying what were quickly replaced by “Where's the canal?”

Down the hill into the oasis of calm that was 'Dundas Basin'. Even in the torrential rain, which was to get even worse later in the day, the canal looked good. I chatted to Steve and Jeff and decided the far bank looked OK for a few fish. Meanwhile the 'Midland & Northern - Predators Are Us' group marched past and disappeared into the distance! Did they know something we didn't?

I managed a few roach on the pole only to hear a jubilant Wendy yelling about a '2lb-plus perch second cast'. I decided to go and have a look. Cakey was doing his usual roving Piking routine and managed to hook (and lose) one as I walked past! Once I'd got 'chapter and verse' from Wendy and Claudia (Paul was strangely quiet!) I returned to my swim to find an armada of boats had turned up in the basin. I was OK on the far bank but Jeff and the others had boats coming at them from all directions! The constant manoeuvring and churning soon put a stop to any thoughts of a bag of fish.

The rain eased so I decided to pack up and stroll down to the 'Pred Heads'. As the light faded the hilarious wisecracks were interrupted as Wendy's deadbait started to move and she was in! Even more banter followed as we all watched and offered so much advice. “Come on girl, stop messing about.” But it soon became clear this one was a bit special. When the pike surfaced, I'm sure both Paul and I thought it was a '20'. Not quite, said the scales, but a superb fish, brilliantly played and landed on light gear. A great ending to the day.

Thanks to Steve for the organisation complicated by the last minute change of venue. Good to meet another fine bunch of FM people; I had a great day.

Claudia Crowther

I had my alarm set early to allow myself plenty of time to find my way to our meeting place in Bristol and what happened? Well my alarm went off, I switched it off and went back to sleep, waking up an hour later.

So in panic I packed my car and set off, hoping to make it in time. I managed to get to Bristol when I had the next panic attack as I was totally lost, so after hundreds of phone calls to Wendy (only number I had), Steve and Jeff came to my rescue and picked me up.

We went back to the café where I met all the other members. What an excitement it was for me to finally meet them all. Bless Steve, who had my breakfast ordered for me anyway, which was packed up for me to take away, as we wanted to set off straight away.

One more stop at the tackle shop to get the tickets and soon we arrived at our venue. The weather wasn't kind to us, as it was pouring it down but that wouldn't stop us having a great day's fishing. Soon we all picked our swims and started to set up. Wendy, Brummie, alias yum yum, alias Paul, and I set up next to each other and soon the rods were in the water.

Paul had the first catch, soon followed by Wendy, shortly after that my first catch of the day. I was hoping it would be a perch but sadly it was only a little skimmer.

Nevertheless we had great fun and I have never laughed so much in my life, Paul, Wendy and Cakey who joined us shortly after trying for a pike, had me in tears of laughter all day.

Half way through the day, Steve changed swims and set up next to Wendy. That's when it all happened…..so fast that I can't remember where, when, who and what, haha.

I think Steve had the first pike, followed by Wendy, when all of a sudden Paul jumped up, ran over to my rod and before I knew what had happened he handed my rod over, calmly talking me through what to do. I couldn't believe my luck, I had a pike on my line and a good size one too. But I was out of luck, as the pike spat the hook before I could land it. I was devastated as it would have been my first pike ever. But I wasn't prepared to give up, so I rebaited and out my line went again.

Not long after that Steve had his second pike and as I was in the middle of admiring it, Paul pointed over to my rod when suddenly I saw my drop-off arm lifting. Oh my god, I thought, what do I do now? Soon Wendy and Paul were by my side, talking me through it once more, and this time, BANG! I landed my first Pike of 7lb15oz.

Soon Paul, Steve and Wendy took over , showing me how to safely unhook a pike. Whilst still in the process of doing so, Cakey was into his first pike of the day too.

It was a fantastic experience for me to see so many pike caught and to be able to learn how to handle and unhook them.

Well, too soon it was time to pack up to head back to Bristol for a cleanup and a gathering for a meal and a few drinks.

Wendy wasn't going to give up, she fished until the last minute and all I can say is respect to that lady, she is one hell of an angler.

I could carry on writing about the day, as it was the best day's fishing I had so far, great venue, great fish and fantastic company, a great bunch of brilliant anglers. I'm so glad I met you all and really hope to meet many more.

A BIG thank you to Steve for organising the fish in. It was simply fantastic.