Division 1 Practice week, Gloucester canal

Day 1 saw the team descended upon Churchill bridge I believe, it was a pleasant enough day as I was sat on an end peg but try as I might I couldn't catch one of the bream that the Gloucester Canal is famous for and I ended the day on 1.9kg for 2nd or 3^rd on the day.  I learnt a few things about the feeding on the day and I was looking forward to taking this information through the rest of the week.

Day 2 we were in the town itself on Hempstead bend to try and get some of the bigger fish, I was on pole for the first part of the day and managed a few small fish, a skimmer of a kilo and a 2.5kilo bream, ( ieven pleed out of a pound skimmer thinking it was a perch!!) the swap to the feeder was  a damp squib and I got to watch Scott and Pez bag in the last 45 minutes as the bream decided to get their heads down.  I was again 3^rd with 4.5kg.

Day 3 was the first day of selection and I was pegged next to Scott as we all trundled to Purton Bridge, I was pegged next to Scott in the middle of the section for this and all that we found was how hard the venue can actually fish, I managed 1.2kg and was pipped by Scott by a roach, this was enough for third from last on the day and I was hoping for more on the final day of selection.

We travelled to the Sims stretch for this day and I think that it was in this area where I had fished the regional national a few years ago, so I knew that it would be hard, just how hard was a shock and I limped home again 2^nd or 3^rd last with 650 grams!!  Not the best way to end the selection. 

At the  team brief that night I was told that I had squeaked it onto the team so come the next day I was part of the Army B team on the RAF challenge match and Lance drew me a peach that would be boom or bust. Peg 452 was on the end of a 150m straight that was split due to the overhead pylons so I set up a feeder and a positive pole line and prayed.  It took over two hours for my first skimmer and it was only followed by another 3 but 5lb 7oz was enough for a half section win and 8^th out of the 20 peg section that was not too bad considering at the far end of the section the bream fed and there were a few 20lb+ weights.  I had still beaten Will raison and Sean Ashby but granted I should have off that peg.

The Saturday was the Individual national and I drew crap and was home before the match finished, hopefully none of the team draw that area next week on the national but if they do I can at least tell them a few things that will work.