Festive period opening times

by angling correspondents Roger Stocks and Stuart Lilley
Roger Stocks: 07733 092237 – Stuart Lilley 07811 923599 – email: roachpole10@aol.com

WITH the festive holidays upon us yet again we thought we would provide you with some information on when the local fisheries and tackle dealers are open and any matches or events that are occurring.
We start with the local tackle and bait dealers. Gateford Angling Supplies will be closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and the first two days of the new year.
Ken Wards Sports will be closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day, the 27th and New Year’s Day and Worksop Angling Supplies will be also be closed on the 25th, 26th and 1st January.
On the fishery front Lakeside over at Ranskill is closed on Christmas and New Year’s Days with only a challenge match taking place on Boxing Day between the tackle shops of Wickersley and Gateford Angling Supplies.
The event is to be a 30-peg open match with each teams 15 anglers’ total weight deciding the outcome of the team challenge.
The entry fee is £15 all-in and anyone interested should contact Geoff on 01909 531115.
Over at Ollerton the Little John lakes will be closed on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and also on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Steve the proprietor tells us that they will be running a festive open match on Thursday 27th, anyone interested can contact them on 07715096738.
At the Scrooby venue the Riverside Fishery is only closed on Christmas Day with John holding a Boxing Day open as well as his usual Friday and Saturday matches. Anyone interested or needing any more information can ring John on 01302 711889.
At Retford the Daiwa Hallcroft Fishery is open right through the holiday season with the tackle shop and café being closed on both Christmas day and New Year’s Day.
They will be running their annual pairs event on the Moat pool with an entry fee of £30 a pair with the draw taking place at 9.30am. To register call the team on 01777 710448.
Finally Bill over at the Lodge Farm complex at Scrooby tells us that he will be open every day except for Christmas and New Year’s Days but advises you to ring him on 07815 030694 to find out if the venue’s café is open.
On the coastal front the Holderness beaches are still producing quality cod and whiting.
Ironically the day after the disastrous Guardian Open the conditions settled down and Kieth from East Coast Tackle took cod to 6lb from Hornsea North and Sam Glass took seven fish for 25 kilo.
As mentioned in last week’s column the Guardian match is now rescheduled for the 29th, again at Hornsea with fishing from 1.30pm to 7.30pm, with the weigh in immediately to follow.
All to register with Roger prior to the match.

CLUB RESULTS
THE Hatfield Arms/Peg 31 held their latest match in their winter series on the boats at Clayworth on 2nd December: 1st Adam Littler 5lb 3oz peg three mixed bag chub/roach on blood worm or caster, 2nd Mick Donnelly 5lb peg three roach and skimmersblood worm and joker, 3rd Ron Smith peg four 4lb 2oz small roach blood worm and joker.

DAIWA HALLCROFT ROUND-UP
VENUE expert Jamie Masson employed the ground bait feeder to good effect in Saturday’s match on the moat pool putting a winning weight of 69lb 8oz on the scales off peg 59.
On bridge and reed pools the maggot feeder is responsible for silver fish nets in excess of 15lb with corn cast on the straight lead also worth a look at on any peg with a feature.

LODGE FARM ROUND-UP
LAST Tuesday saw the regular visit of Micks Maurauders who fished their latest match on the Lily Pond: 1st Stuart Brumpton 41lb 12oz peg 58 wag and mag, 2nd Mick Burrel 39 lb12oz peg 72 pole and pellet, 3rd Pete Scott 34lb 8oz peg 52 wag and mag.
On Saturday the fourth round of the venue’s winter series took place on the Signal Pond: 1st Gary Brunt 87lb 4oz peg five wag and mag, 2nd Dave Fantom 39lb 13oz peg 36 pole and maggot, 3rd Nigel Wheatcroft 19lb 3oz peg 17 pole-fished maggot.

LITTLE JOHN ROUND-UP
STEVE over at the fishery tells us that the aerators have managed to keep the pools open and has provided decent good sport for anglers on both lakes.
Thursday’s open match took place on Maid Marion, 1st Dean Jarvis peg 11 50lb 9oz peg 11 pole and pellet, 2nd Ray Nichols 41lb 8oz Peg 25 wag and mag.
On Saturday it was the sixth round of the venue’s own winter league which was fished on the Robin Hood pool: 1st Ted Davies 25lb pole-fished corn, 2nd Chris Rowlett 9lb 6oz pole and pellet, 3rd Pete Tatley 6lb 8oz pole-fished pellet.

LAKESIDE ROUND-UP
DESPITE the heavy frosts and a thick layer of ice coating all the lakes on the Ranskill fishery, Steve and Neil have still managed to keep the complex open, breaking the ice most mornings.
On Saturday the third round in the teams of four took place in temperatures hovering around freezing but still provided a tight frame with less than two pounds separating the top three: 1st Carl Swetnam 14lb 2oz peg 27 pole and maggot, 2nd Ray Clay 13lb 9oz peg 25, 3rd Mick Donnelly 12lb 11oz peg 11.
On Sunday an all-roach net of 15lb 15oz was bagged from peg seven also employing pole-fished maggot.
The strip ponds are still producing bags of silvers in excess of 30lb to pleasure anglers with Mark Pattison pole fishing maggot pinkie or sweet corn on the second strip for a pretty net of gold fish skimmers and roach.
Over on the trout lake the artic conditions have proved to be more to the liking of the trout than the anglers with plenty of fish gracing the landing nets of fishermen braving the conditions.
John Harris tempted 14 fish to 10lb 8oz on cats whisker on a floating line with Worksop’s Paul Walker casting his black buzzers also on a floating line to bank 12 fish to 5lb.

TOFT NEWTON ROUND-UP
A GOOD turn out of 17 anglers competed for the Toft Newton fur and feather match on 9th December: 1st John Littler 19Ib 8oz cat's whiskers, 2nd Neil Deakin 17Ib 4oz, 3rd David Laing 14Ib 12oz, 4th Mr McGinley 8Ib 10oz, 5th Martin Rowson 8Ib 9oz, 6th Steve Frakes 8Ib 7oz.
Thanks to all who turned out.