Working Mans Club #11 – Josh Bennett

Well things took a little turn for the worse after my last update. With some really interesting trips coming up, I really should have known that a spanner would turn up somewhere and most certainly a ‘spanner’ did!

Just two days before the upcoming BCAC semi-final, I was training at work. Part of the process involved some physicality and as a result, I ended up dislocating the AC joint in my right shoulder and fracturing a couple of ribs. In some pain and a sling, I arrived at the draw with Dad. Dad understood the task in hand and we had to be really clever with our swim choices if we had any chance of qualification. The match line up was ridiculous. It was more like a final and with some big names being called ahead of us, we avoided certain sections. ‘A’ section was at the shallow end of the lake, and with ‘Henman Hill’ being called first, we knew we were up against it. However, with only three swim choices left, we deliberated for some time, eventually ending up in A1; ‘Kempy’s Point’. We didn’t believe we would qualify, but we were confident we could get some fish on the board and if something went wrong in Henman, then maybe we could challenge

As a result of the injury, I had to refuse an invitation to the Embryo social which I was gutted about. It was local too at their syndicate lakes in Abingdon, a venue I’d really like to fish. As such I haven’t managed much fishing really through July and fished three fruitless nights in total for the month on the syndicate. I have walked it plenty though and am continuing to learn what I can of the place. August continued in the same way initially. I did manage a small common one night, however towards the end of the month I managed an overnighter in the ‘Barbel’ swim that proved more fruitful. The night time passed and my son was dropped off the following morning as it was my turn for childcare. As we sat there, the late morning provided a violent take on my left hand rod. The fish powered 60 yards immediately and on a long line kited into the reeds to my right. Readying the boat, I winched myself out and saw a good common thrashing around in the reeds. As I freed it, it quite literally towed the boat through the reed bed and out into the lake. Eventually, she rolled over the net and I slowly rowed back to shore. As I was sorting the fish, the middle rod lifted and was away. With a fellow member helping out and Riley (my son) running around with nets and slings, the fish was secured whilst I did battle once more. It found a weed bed half way in and again I took to the boat. Once above in the boat, it simply popped up and another smaller common was secured. Back at base I was busy readying rigs and clipping rods up when the recast middle rod went yet again. Three takes in the space of an hour. By now the swim was chaos and with a big smile I was again forced to the boat.