Sunday saw us return to Willinghurst for the first time in over a month for the final round of the Southern Angler Club League. The fishery hadn’t been fishing well and with severe weather warnings being issued for the South of the country, I really wasn’t looking forward to the match at all.
Anyway, the weather was much better than expected, with far less rain and wind than predicted and whatever the fishing is like, you are always going to have an entertaining day on my league as most anglers fishing are nutters !
Yesterday I had yet another rubbish days fishing but was kept amused by the banter on the lake and especially Ged Cooper and his amazing collapsible brolly which seemed to fold up every time the wind got above 5 MPH !
Being the final round of the League, my team – Leatherhead DAS just needed to avoid coming last to win the league title for the second year in a row. And, with Paul Taylor, Mark Smith, John Swann and Hathers in the team, that was never going to happen.
Our team draw didn’t look too bad although I didn’t fancy Ross (Peg 17)or my peg (Peg 6) on Top lake as the lake was chocolate brown with all the rain we’ve had lately and unlikely to fish well. I set up three pole rigs to fish in the edge, at 7 metres and at 12 metres with maggot on two of the lines and corn and pellet on the long line. I also set up a waggler and a lead to fish by the aerator in front of me at about 20 metres.
To cut a long and boring story short – I think I’ve said that in most of my match reports in the last month or so, I caught 7 roach, taking a few on each of the maggot lines and a couple on the waggler and never had a bite on the long pole or lead.
Squeeky (Stu Wilson) at the next peg managed to spangle a small carp and a tench – between foul hooking carp to take my pound as I also lost another quid to “Haisman the draw bag” who had 16lb from Horseshoe Lake to beat my feeble 1-2-0.
Teamwise, despite Ross (2-0-0) and me contributing 3 points each to the team total, Hathers won the match from Peg 10 on Pittance with 8 carp and some skimmers for 37-8-0 on a maggot feeder, Paul Taylor won Horseshoe lake (and his section for the 5th time out of 6 matches) with 21-14-0, Swanny won his lake with one carp (the only one caught on the lake) and some roach for 9-2-0 and Smiffy was second on his lake with 6-0-0. All this gave us a total points score of 41 which put us half a point ahead of second place Willinghurst Cabin on the day.
Thanks to everyone who made it a fun league to run and fish for me, despite my performances in 4 of the rounds. I look forward to running it again next year.
Results
Mark Hathway Leatherhead DAS Pittance 10 37-8-0
Tony Kent Willinghurst Cabin Pittance 12 30-8-0
Dan Cooper Molloy’s Mob Top 2 26-0-0
Paul Taylor Leatherhead DAS Horseshoe 7 21-14-0
Joe Clark Molesey Top 20 17-0-0
Derek White Foxy Five Horseshoe 15 17-0-0
Top 6 Teams on the Day
Leatherhead DAS 41 pts
Willinghurst Cabin 40.5 pts
Total Fishing.Com 39 pts
Molesey 27 pts
Decca 25.5 pts
Foxy Five 23 pts
Final League Positions
Leatherhead DAS 14 pts
Willinghurst Cabin 22 pts
Foxy Five 26 pts
Molloy’s Mob 32 pts
Molesey 32 pts
Total Fishing.com 33 pts
Alan’s Upbeats 33 pts
Willinghurst A 36 pts
Decca 37 pts
On Wednesday I am missing the usual “OAP’s, Skivers and General Layabouts Match” at Sumners Pond as my “Nearest and Dearest” is off work and I said we’d spend the day together for a change and next Sunday I am due to be fishing the final round of the Surrey Winter League at Gold Valley but I’ve had such a crap time fishing wise lately that I am desperately trying to find a replacement !
Pop back here occasionally to see what has been updated.
JPZ's from Marukyu - "The Dogs Danglies"
Jordan Whitby with a PB Carp of 18lb from Newdigate
Maggotdrowning.com
Exclusive Pictures
Fred Davis with his personal best chub of 7-2-0 from the River Lea
and his 6-8-0 tench !
Neil Humpage with part of his 89-10-0 match winning chub catch from the River Wye
Mike Spragg with his personal best Barbel from the The Wye, a whopping 10-1-0.
Davey P's Locker - Tackle I would recommend
Drennan Lake Floats - I used to use these floats for crucians and have recently started using them again for my silvers fishing, The cane bristle makes them especially sensitive.
I use this hook for nearly all my carp fishing from Size 10's with paste, 14's with the knotless knot on the lead and 18's for Hook in the loop rigs and they have never let me down.
How smart are this lot - Andy May and his wife with some of the motley Total fishing.com crew. There is a small pond just out of the picture and they fished a small sweepstake between the wedding ceremony and the reception ! Andy May won, Haisman was last - no change there then !
Myles Levy and his mate Chris with a 59lb catfish from France.
When I was writing in the Angling Times I promised some friends that I would try and get "Fish Cakes" mentioned in an article. However, as I was sacked before I could do so, I thought I'd put them on here ! So Mick and Karen Jones, here they are as promised !
At least one member of the Baxter clan can catch fish ! Young Dylan with a 4lb bream.
Hathers at Stafford Moor - Let this picture be a lesson to you all, those last couple of drinks the night before are never a good idea !
World Exclusive !!!!!!!
Andy Toplis playing a fish.
Ryan Hughes with part of an 80lb bag from White Springs Fishery in Wales
Mick Bull wont have received many points for this dive - but having just won the Fisho Final and £25k I don't think he really cared !
Another exclusive for Pikey's Progress - Terry Molloy not talking ! Oh yes and with a decent River Thames Pike.
OK Own up - who lent Mick The Bookie some fish to pose with ?
Martin Harper with a superb 8lb tench from Farlows Lake
Young match star Tony Curd with an 11lb barbel from the River Kennet - he didn't say where, these spessy hunters are so secretive !
Total Fishing's Justin Laundon with a fine net of fish from Lindholme Lakes
Fred Davis with 3 chub over 5lb and a small one from the River Lea.
http://www.carpvader.com/index.asp
Jeff Moors took part in the recent Catfish Challenge and caught this one - more of a "kitten" than a cat really !
And here are some proper ones that the winners had.
BNF - with part of a near 100lb haul from the Glebe
Scone - Angling writer, float maker and all round good egg !
"Hathers" with his 3-8-0 roach from Timsbury Manor - some claim it was really a hybrid, I couldn't possibly comment !
"Fordy on the Telly" with 40lb of prime River Kennet chub.
.........and this one weighed 5-2-0
Alan Dove with a small Skimmer Bream of 15-8-0 from Walthamstow Reservoir
Fred Davis plied Alan Dove with coffee all day then when he went to attend to a call of nature caught this one with his gear !
Colin Ormston (Billy no Fish) with the reason that some anglers still fish rivers !
Phil Stone (Pebs) with a fine net of roach and rudd from Witherington Farm
Total Fishing.com ventriloquist Gary Haisman with his two new dummies - Billy No Fish and Pebs.
