I made arrangements with Mike and Simon Bozward to hold the event on the Match and Snake pools. Thirty three anglers had booked in and this was more than the match pool alone could cater for. If the Match pool were fishing well then the Snake, nor any other pool for that matter, would compete with it. With this in mind I decided to run two matches within one, with the field being split between the two pools. A top three and two section winners would then grace the stage from each pool, with the angler with the best weight overall taking the Talkangling Trophy.

Clive Nixon, (WMP Fosters) Richard Noakes, (Fosters VDE) Pete Jones, (WMP Fosters) and myself travelled down to Docklow the night before, to meet up with Giles. This was to avoid the morning traffic jams on the motorway, you understand, and not to sample the local brew although I must admit we did partake in one or two!

Anyway having got to bed at about 2am, Simon came and woke us up at about 7.30am to get ready for the days fishing. Jose, Simons mother was busy making breakfast for us and the other anglers that were starting to arrive, and the smell of the food was delicious but, having had a belly full of beer the night before and the mandatory Donna kebab, it was all to much for a man to take!

Still bleary eyed, over I went to the tackle shop. Simon was as chirpy as ever getting bait ready along with the new wares that had arrived from the different tackle companies for display. He was probably the only one not nursing a monster hang over. How he does it I don't know.

The draw was delayed for a little while so that I could sort the pegging on both pools with Giles, and at 9.15 am things got under way. We had decided with everyone's consent to run a six hour match and the off would be at 10.30am. And so it was.

The sun was shinning, the sky was blue with not a cloud to spoil the view (now, now your not a song writer. . .Ed) and I had drawn peg 24 on the Match. Grant was in my section on peg 30, one of two pegs I had fished previously, so I had to give him a few tips as to how to go about things!! Just because he didn't win the match is not MY fault, you understand, I cannot make the fish feed where I told him to fish can I? Rich Noakes, aka Jonaha, was also on the Match on peg nine, with the sun shinning directly at him. Great for someone nursing a hangover.

Giles, Clive, and Pete all drew on the Snake along with Scott Smith, whose father is the late great Clive Smith one of the England's top stars of old. Now Scott must love these Talkangling matches because he has picked up money on both up to yet. That's it, by saying that a curse has now been sent his way and we shall have to wait and see if he picks up coin at the Talkangling pairs match!

The match started and I was still setting up, infact I was still setting up at 11.15! In this time I had witnessed Chris Toal catch a good sized carp on the waggler and Steve 'Jock' Pickup to my right on peg 28 do the same. A few fish to be had today.

One pm, with a skimmer and a few chub in the net, I decided to go for a walk to see what was happening and take a few pics.

Jock was still picking up the odd fish, and so was Grant, but nothing major. Kev Saxelby on end peg 34 was emptying the place and so was Mark 'Harry' Blackburn in the opposite corner on peg one.

Now Harry was sorting out his kit the night before, in anticipation of a brilliant days fishing, and after cleaning all his gear left his pole holdall in his garage! Harry was rescued by Adam 'Two poles' Toal who was heard to say ' If you win anything I want half!' before going back to his own peg. Was that to be?

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