11th July Everitts Park
It was a cold wet winters evening when we all sat in the Pot Black and Banjo piped up “fish Everitts park end of July, loads of bream and roach”, marvelous fishing off the concrete said Mark Coleman, so the date was set a Saturday night rendezvous at 6pm fish 7.30pm – 1.30am.
Come the day of reckoning Banjo decided a good beer up at a wedding was a far better proposition and Mark Coleman “got a better offer”, our team leader was off to warmer climates and Nigel was over the water subsidizing his pension with a little contraband, so the numbers where going to be on the low side but 6 hardy souls and the two juniors turned up.
In typical Pot Black style Trevor and Daddy Bulti took over the draw (no draw required), due to the forecasted inclement weather the times where rearranged now fishing a much more sensible 7pm till midnight, walk off go where you feel like, all in a line together.
Local boy Dingit had been practicing at the venue several nights during the week and was favorite, with Paul Chilvers being given a heavy coaching session by the venue proposer the very absent Banjo, plus the very local young Lewis could be a dark horse a match was defiantly on.
At the off Paul and Lewis went on the pole and roach started to show in good numbers, the Paul Chilvers barmy army fan club turned up on mass (9 spectators at one point) and this slowed him down as there was not room on his peg for them all to stand. Aaron arrived with what everyone thought was a very large tub of ground bait, but this later turned out to be the family Waters BBQ and evening snack.
As daylight turned to twilight Paul Chilvers was in front but then he lost a hook and the poor eyesight and the bad light cost him valuable time, as young Lewis crept into the lead, then it started Big Daddy Bulti who was having a family reunion on the end of the line, 3 children, one dog and the wife (I know there was an opportunity there but even I am not that brave).Landed the first bream of the night, only a small skimmer but still equal to 3 roach, then another then another, then Bob Morris on the next peg hooked a nice bream about 1 pound only to use the Blowers “catch and release method” and throw it straight back into the broad. Daddy Bulti was now well into the fish and looking like he was going to be unstoppable.
Further down the line Ardo was being pestered by birds (not the first time this has happen to him in Everitts park I am reliably informed) but these where the feathered variety and they really took a liking to him. Bob Morris demonstrated how to encourage then to go away by breaking your landing net on them but nobody else was keen to try this method, and the Dingit family BBQ was in full swing.
As midnight beckoned Paul Chilvers landed a good bream of about 3 pounds and brought him back into the running, as the evening turned to rain the weigh in was taking place with Daddy Bulti putting over 10 lbs of fish onto the scales for top bag, Paul Chilvers was second and young Lewis a very admirable third putting the rest of the “grown ups” to shame.
As everyone made a dash for the cars and home Lewis settled down to fish through the night and into the daylight hours ( oh to be young youthful and foolish). A good match enjoyed by all but if Banjo puts it forward for next season it is compulsory he has to fish it !!.
May your groundbait be sticky
The Other Bank.
