River Parrett – Huntsman Cup – 5th July 2026

The following day we were back on the river for round two of the Memorial Shield and after scoring 8 points in the first match, I needed a better result today or my campaign would be all but over already. 14 of us fishing today with all the pegs in the first field (with the exception of number 21) and on my wish list were 1, 2, 8, 9 and 16. Dave P announced the draw and I pulled out 15 which I wasn’t too excited about.

When I got there it looked nice but plumbing up it was very deep, starting down the middle with maggot on the hook I missed a couple of indications before catching a plump gudgeon to get off the mark. A smaller one followed but then I snagged up and it happened several times costing me a few hooklengths. With two hours gone it just wasn’t happening and I’d only added a dace and another gudgeon to the net.

I fed some chopped worm down the middle and after only ten minutes, the float sailed away and I’ve struck into a decent fish which I initially thought was a chub so was playing it quite carefully only for a trout to pop up. A few minutes later, I missed an indication and then a positive bite resulted in lots of elastic coming out and this definitely felt like a chub but nope, it was big trout and my day was going from bad to worse!

Thankfully the next fish was an eel and with two hours left, there was still time to catch a couple more and salvage a decent result. The next sixty minutes ticked by without incident before I had a second eel and there was still an hour remaining. I’d heard Nick P below me on 16 say he’d had three eels and apparently Dave P down from him was catching quite well so I needed at least one more eel. Unfortunately that was it for me while Nick added a small chub and I knew another bad result was on the cards.

I packed up and went to watch the weigh in, Nigel C on peg 9 had a 1lb, Norts weighed 1lb 3oz and then Gordy on 13 had 12oz. My fish went 1lb 7oz, Nick P weighed 3lb 7oz and Dave P had a nice net of fish for 4lb 15oz. With just Harv on 21 left to weigh I was lying third in the section and although not the result I wanted, I’d take 8 points but it wasn’t to be as he’d caught lots of small fish for 2lb 5oz.

Nigel weighed a 1lb on peg 9

Norts looked overjoyed with his 1lb 3oz!

I had two eels, a dace and a few gudgeon for 1lb 7oz

Nick was second in the section with a quality roach, small chub and three eels for 3lb 7oz

Dave P won the section (and match) with 4lb 15oz of roach and chub from peg 17

Harv was third in the section with lots of small fish for 2lb 5oz

Back at the results and in the other section Danny B was top with 2lb 14oz from peg 3, Wayne C was second with 2lb 12oz which included a nice chub of 2lb 2oz and Derek and Cliffy tied for third with 2lb.

Section A
1 – Danny Blunn (Stoke) – 2lb 14oz
2 – Wayne Cooper (Stoke) – 2lb 12oz
3 – Derek Goad (Stoke) – 2lb
3 – Cliffy Gaylard (Stoke) – 2lb

Section B
1 – Dave Pope (Stoke) – 4lb 15oz
2 – Nick Payne (Ilminster) – 3lb 7oz
2 – Steve Harvey (Stoke) – 2lb 5oz

So after two rounds Dave Pope and Nick Payne are both on 19 points followed by Steve Harvey and Wayne Cooper on 17, Dave Hilton on 16 and then me on 15.

A very generous £5 from Norts saw the Nugget-O-Meter reach £463.

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