Pocock nets victory in good river conditions

The fourth round of the Commercial House League was fished on the Bristol Avon from Swineford to Jack Whites. The river was still clear and low with bright conditions, fishing well with 15 double figures weights from the 30 anglers.

The winner was Jerry Pocock (Midland Spinner) who was drawn on the first peg in the second field at Swineford and fished the pole over groundbait. In the first hour, he had about 4lbs of small fish and then 8-12oz of skimmers to finish with 30lbs 6oz.

Second was Andrew Cranston (guesting for Sensas Nomads). He was drawn on the last peg at Jack Whites and fished an eight metre whip, putting in eight balls of groundbait at the start. He caught roach most of the day on castors, feeding odd balls of groundbait, hemp and castors for 21lbs 14oz.

Paul Purchase (M&N Electrical) was third from peg 6 at Swineford, finishing a long rod with a bolo float two rods’ length out. He fed groundbait and loosefeed to catch mainly roach all day, plus a couple of 6oz skimmers for 17lb 14oz. Nicky Johns (Mosella Bathampton) was fourth with 26lb 9oz, ahead of M&N Electrical’s Lee Warden (15lbs 1oz) and Sensas Nomads’ Jan Mazyk (14lbs 2oz).

Midland Spinner won the day with 21 points, one ahead of Sensas Nomads who take the lead overall, by three points from Mosella Bathampton who stand on 70. Both M&N Electrical and Midland Spinner are a couple of points behind, with Crown down on 42.

Before that, the third round had also been fished there, with Leigh Wakefield (Sensas Nomads) winning with an outstanding 31lb 9oz of mainly chub. He too was on the first peg of the second field at Swineford, beginning on the whip at five metres before changing to crowquil three-quarters of the way across. He fed two pints of bronze, one pint of castor and one pint of hemp before changing to the waggler at six feet with double castor or double bronze maggot on the hoot.

Second was Andrew Cranston (guesting for Sensas Nomads) with 21lb 9oz of mainly dace and roach. He began on a six metre whip which he balled at the start before fishing with maggot and hemp and also caught a chub on the waggler from the fourth peg at Jack Whites.

Third was Jack Jones (guesting for Sensas Nomads) with 17lb 8oz from the crane on the cattle grid, catching on a pole at 13 metres on hemp. Mosella Bathampton’s Andy Britt came fourth with 15lb 11oz, ahead of Paddy Merret (14lb 14oz) and Lee Warden (14lb 2oz), both of M&N Electrical.