Doing Dad Proud - Steve Swan

This entry was posted on 17th March, 2017

On the 12th of March, my brother and I fished an organised match down on Riverside Road in the city centre. The match was organised as a memorial match for my late father, as he used to run a series of matches every winter. So, this year, the organisers said that they would have the last match of the season as the memorial match.

The forecast for the day was meant to be wet most of the day but, lucky for everyone, the day was overcast and it was lovely and dry and nicely mild all day.

At the draw, which took place at 8am at Norwich City Football Ground, there was a fantastic turn-out of anglers (the most there had been all winter!) which I was extremely proud of.



Everyone wanted to draw a peg on the yacht station and not the section between the bridges (D section) as everyone knew that the winner would could from one of those pegs. As normal, my draw was useless I got the bottom end of D section. It wasn’t where I wanted but it couldn’t be helped. I knew that I would have no chance of winning the match, so I decided to go out and out for small fish and try and to win my section of 12 anglers.

Halfway though the match things were going okay and I was catching small fish most chucks. I had heard that there had been some bream caught down on the other section, so I knew I had one chance. I got my head down and tried as hard as possible.



At the end of the match I knew I would be there or thereabouts in my section but at the weigh in the weights were a lot better than the last series match.

I weighed in 14lb 14oz and won my section, which I know that Dad would have been proud of.

The match was won with 23lb 7oz by David Gooch. In joint second place were Wayne Anderson and Kevin Humphreys, each with 22lb 8oz and in fourth place was David Richardson with 20lb 7oz.

We all met up in the Red Lion pub for the results and a raffle with a good mixture of prizes. On the day, we all raised £385 for the East Anglian Air Ambulance, too.

After thanking the organisers, they said that they were happy the run another match the same time next year – so hopefully next year my brother or myself will be able to win it and get our name on the trophy!

The most disappointing thing about the match was that my brother beat me by 1oz with 14lb 15oz from the yacht station, although he came last in his section!

Tight lines, Steve