Quick update

After being asked "what's happened to t'blog?" in the car park yesterday, I decided to do a quick update for those who are still bothered about looking in on here.  Not having been among that number for a good few weeks, I thought I might as well post summat new...

For those who didn't know, yesterday was the Foster Cup on the canal at Bosker.  There were a good number massed in Stanley Court cer perk and with the match pegged from beyond the wires (on the sunken boat that's not there any more according to Smithy - well, it's not been there for over twenty years...) up to the Slipway, there were a fair few cars shifting about too.

I was drawn on peg 25 (permanent peg 674), which was two short of the well-known gable-end peg at the flats.  I had fellow Lostockers Gary Kelly and Baz Charnock either side of me and we weren't that optimistic really.  Appley Bridge was a grueller on Saturday due chiefly to the big drop in temperature and yesterday proved to be more of the same.

From the off, we knew we were on a hiding to nowt when Danny (on the gable-end) dropped on a fish first dob-in.  He then followed that with another few and had about 5lb in the first 20 minutes.  We sat there agog (well,  pretty pissed-off if truth be told) and waited for summat to happen.  There's always a good chance of skimmers or the odd slab close-in along there, but after half an hour of waiting for the big butty to go, I gave up and moved across to the nearside of the track.

I picked up a few small roach and even a couple of gonks on the bread, but nothing to get the pulse racing.  I'd fed a groundbait line to one side and it produced a few more small roach and a couple of billies.  After a while that went quiet, so I gave it a little top-up and went across to the far side and a few more micro-roach and billies were snared.  A daft cabin cruiser towing a dinghy came past right across my swim and promptly buggered that up, so back I came to the track for another look.  Nowt stirred, and with frequent looks on the sniggery trap also drawing a blank, I had to content myself with around a pound and a half before chucking back and going home.  Gary and Barry hadn't faired that well either - although Danny went on to 2nd place on the day with a big 6lb.

The spoils on the day went to Sensas NW new-boy Pete Lucas, who it seems had spent the day predator fishing - counting a pike and a big snig as making up his 7lb odd winning weight.  I must have a word with Gord & see if he fancies doing a video with you Pete - Piking on the Pole with Pete & the Pirate - it's got a ring to it, don't you think??

Back to the Sams Tackle & Bait Autumn League next week - a 'proper' breakfast at the Slipway, followed by five hours of fun on a length of canal, somewhere in West Lancashire...