Division One National

G8
1kg 70 grams
22nd out of 49
Team was 8th overall

This years National was the Shropshire Union canal, as I decided to fish a few more natural venues, I thought this would a good venue to go to and it's not too fair away.

I feel I peaked too earlier on the practice matches as I won my section first visit and unfortunately it went down hill from there, as my other two practice matches were a little rough, lack of bites and no lucky bonus fish, depsite giving it a proper go... I learnt a few things on the way

Chop Worm

This was like a lot of venues I fish.  First hit (feeding) is normally always your most productive.  Topping up normally becomes weaker.  No issue with this.

However, rigs were so wrong, soon realised that 1 gram rigs are better, fished over depth with PROPER lines and hooks.  Eels were big and a few landed and more lost.    Bait droppers also important.  Potting weren't a good idea.  One thing I'd like to say, I never hooked or got an eel.  But speaking to locals (very helpful), you can see this was right. 

Colmic Stream floats  (1 gram)

Bread 

Know I wrote this off, as I felt the canal was too coloured and too many boats.  Again I was wrong, and this potentially cost me my section on the Individual national, as the guy next to me on the Individual National caught more roach than the whole section put together.  But he caught them against the far bank,  so got caught out?  However, come today, I had two gudgeon on it and only managed managed a couple of roach on squatt..... also either side never caught many roach.  Shaun Townsend fished bread down middle of canal on today's match and never had a bite.  Thanks for three punch, despite never having a bite on it.

Double leam mix

Targeting gudgeon at 2 meters with the hardest balls of leam with a few dead pinkies was a good through away line and good for a couple of fish and good way to rest lines and hopefully put some fish in the net.  49 people in the section, grams to count.  I got done by 10 grams and another 100 grams would of gave me 5 more points.  Massive across a team of ten.....

Squatt line

For me, normally find two of water and that is your squatt line for roach.  

You are able to see the results for the National below...

Results