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Patience pays off for Covell in
Allsorts match
Mike Green and Bob Church enjoyed a productive day at Ringstead Grange recently catching 10 pike between them. The best, weighing 21lb 0oz, was taken by Green (pictured). They both caught all their fsh on artifcial lures from a boat from numerous spots on the lake. If you want to get in on the predator action here then it has to be this weekend as its the last in a series of open days for pike anglers. Bookings are still being taken on 01933 622960. Photo supplied
I think we were all expecting the worst at the weekend after a few very heavy frosts. Yet there were some surprisingly good results considering the conditions.
I popped down to record the weigh-in at Ramsey Narrows where the Allsorts lads lined the banks.
I got there just before the final whistle went and with a bitterly cold wind blowing down the drain I was sure most would have struggled for a bite.
As it turned out it was not too bad. Match-winner Dave Covell fished the chopped worm and caster approach for most of the day and his patience paid off. He caught a couple of decent perch and a few smaller samples for 4lb 6oz.
Runner-up fishing to the right of the Forty Foot Bridge was Bob Moulton. He caught a good net of small fish and but for a lot of pike activity could well have gone on to take the top spot. In the end though he fell just short on 4lb 3oz. Third place went to Paul Dotchin, who weighed in 4lb 1oz.
Fishing at this time of year can be very patchy. Ten days ago on the River Welland through Spalding it was almost impossible not to catch double-figure nets of roach.
I spoke to one Peterborough rod that fished round one of the Bourne League and he weighed in 38lb plus of quality roach and did not win a penny.
Fast forward a week or so and nobody can get a bite on the exact same venue.
So Deeping St James had to hastily switch the John Harris Memorial Trophy match on the venue over to the River Glen at West Pinchbeck. The colour and flow had also gone from the River Glen but thankfully there were small roach showing and a few perch for good measure.
Top rod from peg 10 was the in-form Andy Wilson, who put 5lb 15oz to the scales. It was a tie for second place between the ever-improving Jason Wilmer and Mel Saggers, both with 4lb 9oz.
This week’s match will be on their own stretch of the River Nene at Wansford. Any members wishing to fish please contact Carl Fisher on 07734 583567 or Andy Wilson on 07787 352762
n If you think you had a bad day on the river bank at the weekend with just a few pounds of fish to show in bitterly cold conditions then spare a thought for the anglers lining the banks of the backwater of the River Nene at Warmington.
Top rod and winner of the George Smith Memorial Trophy with just 6oz of fish was Geoff Wells.
No one else could catch a single fish despite five hours of trying.
I would like to say they will have better luck next time out but it could well be a case of a change of venue to ensure a few more trouble the scalesman this weekend.
n JVAC anglers approached the Six Island pool on the Decoy Lakes complex with some caution. After the frosts everyone knew it was going to be difficult in some areas especially with ice covering pegs.
First was Dave Parsons with a very respectable 73lb taken from peg 18. He fished across to the far side with a pole and red maggot approach, feeding six maggots every drop-in. He took carp to 8lb and a few smaller samples to take a very comfortable victory.
Second was Alan Warren with a level 53lb. He fished pole and pellet followed by Adrian Wylde on 48lb and Kev Wilmot with 40lb.
n It was a change of venue that saw Whittlesey AA anglers fishing the Nene at Benwick after arranging an exchange venue with the Benwick club.
The conditions made bites hard to come by but in the middle of the match length the consistent small fish angler John Taylor came out on top with an all roach and rudd catch for a match winning weight of 4lb 11oz caught on the pinkie over ground bait.
Second place went to Chris Bishop fishing the pole and pinkie over groundbait for a total weight of 3lb 14oz.
Towards the end of the length John Hudson started on bread punch and then switched to pinkie over loose fed hemp seed to come home in third place with 3lb 11oz.
n The Old Nene at Ramsey St Mary’s must be one of the top winter venues right now.
At the weekend when most of us struggled for a bite the Ramsey lads filled their nets, Paul Kilby bagging over 400 small fish for a match-winning 11lb 6½oz.
Ivan Steels came in second with 10lb 14½oz followed by Vern Edgley, who had two good tench on chopped worm and caster and topped them up with roach to record 9lb 7½oz.
n The first big March Open of 2012 saw a good turnout line the banks of the Old Nene through March, many I expect still anticipating some big roach weights.
It was never going to happen though. The two very heavy frosts saw ice covering many of the sections and that should have told everyone tough times lay ahead.
Cambridge rod Dave Cooper is a regular to the venue and after drawing well in the town centre he got off to a great start with a good run of roach taken on bread punch.
It did go quiet through a mid match period but thankfully roach to 4oz came back and he finished top with a modest 11lb 5oz.
Sensas Mark One rod Martin Roper pushed him all the way with an excellent 11lb 2oz taken from an unfancied peg just below the by pass bridge. Third place went to Steve Slater, the only other angler to break into double figures, he weighed in 10lb 10oz.
Result: 1 D. Cooper, 11lb 5oz; 2 M. Roper, 11lb 2oz; 3 S. Slater, 10lb 10oz; 4 T. McGregor, 9lb; 5 R. Lamiter 8lb 7oz; 6 M. Asker, 8lb 2oz.
n Not the best of conditions greeted Tydd Gote anglers in either of their matches.
Top rod in the Wednesday event was Mick Asker, the Emneth tackle dealer finishing top with 5lb 8oz of small fish taken on the whip with pinkies.
It turned out to be a very profitable match for Asker as for the second week running he took the £50 golden peg prize.
Runner-up with 5lb 3oz was David Parlett followed by Andy Greenwood with 4lb 10oz.
Sunday’s match proved to be a real struggle for most. Top rod with 4lb 3oz was Colin Gibbons followed by Ray Groome on 3lb 9½oz and Phil Parnell with 1lb 11oz.
n Once again it was the hot pegs in the 20s on the Beastie Lake on the Decoy complex that produced the better weights topped by Chris Barley on peg 23.
Barley fished the long pole with red maggot taking carp to 3lb for a match-winning 43lb 4oz. Alan West came in second with 36lb 12oz.
Despite a bitterly cold day there was a good turnout for the Saturday open match at Decoy. Venue expert Nigel Baxter took the honours with 34lb 11oz, most taken on the waggler with maggot.
Stuart Bracey came in second on 28lb 15oz, followed by Martyn Freeman with a level 23lb.
Sunday’s open match saw weights again below par, John Whincup putting 29lb 9oz to the scales to secure first place. He drew peg 10 and took a net of silvers and small carp on red maggot for 29lb 9oz.
Rob Anstee came second with 28lb 3oz followed by Ted Sargent with 21lb 7oz.
n Raveley Drain was in cracking form last week just before the big freeze with 15lb plus winning a small RAF match. So hopes are high for much more of the same on Sunday when the venue will be used for part of the HAJAC Winter League.
With the likes of Ramsey St Mary’s and the Narrows also included I do not think you could pick a much better venue to get the league under way.
But like several other leagues around the area, organisers have had trouble this year attracting teams to join up. Hopefully with some reasonable venues chosen most should enjoy a good day’s action.
There is still just enough time to enter a team of six, but you will have to contact competition organiser Roy Whincup pretty quickly now to get booked in. You can call him on 01487 822333 for all the details.
FIXTURES & CONTACTS
HAJAC Winter League Round One: Sun 22 Jan, Narrows/St Mary’s/Raveley.
Bourne League Round Two: Sun 29 Jan, TBA.
HAJAC Winter League Round Two: Sun 5 Feb, Factory Bank/Benwick.
Open: Sun 12 Feb, March.
HAJAC Winter League Round Three: Sun 19 Feb, Narrows/St Mary’s/Benwick.
Bourne League Round Three: Sun 26 Feb 12, TBA.
HAJAC Winter League Round Four: Sun 4 Mar, Narrows/Factory Bank/Raveley.
Open: Sun 11 Mar, March.
End of season HAJAC Open: Wed 14 Mar, TBA.
Bourne League Tound Four: Sun 18 Mar, Westwood Lakes.
Contacts
HAJAC/Rookery Waters, Roy Whincup - 07817 694359; Bourne League, John Spalton - 07808 750779; March Opens, Bob Fitzjohn - 07970 673439.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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