Spanish living suits Tommy

This week we have news of former Worksop rod Tommy Harper who has emigrated, with his wife Vikki, to the little village of Freginalas near Tarrigona in the Catalan region of Spain.
Tommy has previously suffered health problems but, we are pleased to say, that the Spanish climate suits Tommy and Vikki and he is feeling 100 per cent better.
When they first moved, their dream was to find a property near the banks of the mighty river Ebro and run cat fishing excursions.
But they could not find anywhere suitable and settled for an olive farm 20 miles from the Ebro and 20 miles from the sea.
They now own 150 olive trees and seven grapevines and are kept busy with the farm as well as renovating the property.
However, they still find time for some incredible fishing sessions on a local canal with Tommy banking over 100lb of Spanish carp in a six hour session.
Recently when grandsons Carl and Daniel visited they charted a dinghy on the Ebro and boated catfish to 57lb.
They now hope to have two static caravans on site in the near future and may take bookings from old friends for fishing excursions.
But beware the ‘chopped worm’ anglers among you as the ground worms are between one and two foot long.

LAKESIDE ROUND-UP
Silver fish are still dominating the match weights at the Ranskill venue with Paul Garrick putting 19lb 6oz of them on the scales to win Shell UK’s match last Wednesday from peg 29 using pole fished caster.
Jim Robertson claimed second place with 14lb 12oz from peg 27 with Mark Shaw third with 11lb 10oz from peg 13.
On Saturday the second round of Linda’s Lakeside Winter League took place where Retford rod Daz Godley bagged 23lb 14oz of silver fish from peg 11 using pole fished maggot and caster over a bed of ground bait for top spot.
Danny Hodgkiss claimed the runner-up position with a weight of 20lb 1oz from peg 4 which included a carp taken on bomb-fished corn and silvers caught with pole fished pinkie over groundbait.
Andy Pickersgill weighed in 196 fish weighing in at 13lb 9oz caught on joker for third place from peg 20.
On Sunday Frank Grundi (is he a relative?) won Northern General’s match with 7lb 13oz caught on pole fished maggot and caster from peg 25.
Rob Smith fished the first peg on the first strip pond to land four carp as well as roach and rudd using the maggot feeder during a pleasure session.
On the Carp Lake it has slowed down a little but Ian Jackson still managed three fish the best a common of 21lb 6oz from peg 3 using boilie.
Over on the Trout Lake the fish are still responding with Dinnington’s Shane Thomlinson netting 12 fish to 12lb plus on cat’s whisker and intermediate line.
And Worksop fluff chucker Ian Robinson landed a rainbow of 11lb 6oz in his 13 fish bag taken on bloodworm and floating line.

Lodge Farm ROUND UP
On Saturday the Walkley Winter League was fished on Lily, Long Island and Field Ponds with the Lily Pond producing the leading two weights.
Dave Roseavear took the honours with 51lb 1oz off peg 71 using the maggot feeder with Garry York second with 46lb 9oz from peg 56 using the same method.
Third place came from peg 35 on the field pond, John Sutton claimed this with 45lb 12oz also using the maggot feeder.
On Sunday it was the latest round of Mick and John’s Winter Series on Lily Pond where Mick Hill ran out the winner with a weight of 39lb 6oz from peg 51 using the top method of the moment – the maggot feeder.
Ian Mellish took the runner-up position with 28lb 1oz from peg 57 and Pete Scott easily took third with 24lb from peg 69.
Also on Sunday the members of Hodthorpe WMC held their match on Long Island where George Aidy cast a maggot feeder over to the island to bag first place from peg 97 with a weight of 37lb 8oz.
Mick Pickwell claimed second spot with 34lb 3oz from peg 95 with Barry Godley third with 17lb 10oz off peg 98.
Bill informs us that pleasure anglers are still netting skimmers from the deeper water on the Top Pond with pellet or maggot hookbait fished over marine pellet groundbait the chosen method.

DAIWA HALLCROFT ROUND-UP
Daiwa Hallcroft Winter League
Saturday – Moat (24 pegs), 1. N. Speed (Merlin Sensas), 4lb 8oz, peg 50 island; 2. A. Payling (Peg One), 4lb 6oz, peg 57 island.
Sunday – Moat Island (17 pegs), 1. G. Gibson (Worksop) 11lb 7oz, peg 26; 2. D. Coxford (Hallcroft) 9lb 11oz, peg 38.
Monday – Reed (14 pegs), 1. A. Boulton, (Tightlines Shaw) 24lb 9oz, peg 4; 2. P. Morgan (Triana North) 18lb 10oz, peg 12.
Tuesday – Reed Pool (11 pegs), 1. A. Sellars (GOT Baits) 18lb 14oz, peg 11; 2. C. Williams (Hallcroft) 11lb 12oz, peg 7.
Wednesday – Bridge (17 Pegs), 1. P. Morgan (Triana North) 12lb 14oz, peg 27 outer; 2. J. Masson (Maver BCUK) 9lb 10oz, peg 15 island.
Friday – Reed (12 pegs), 1. S. Butler (Notts Fed) 37lb 4oz, peg 13; 2. S. Clarke (Daiwa Trentmen) 10lb 11oz, peg 31.
Daiwa Hallcroft Veterans, Thursday – Bridge (19 Pegs), 1. A. Payling (Peg One) 9lb 6oz, peg 15; 2. H. Barton (Hallcroft) 8lb 2oz, peg 45.
Tigra Tackle Silverfish League, Sunday – Bridge Pool (28 pegs), teams of four.
1. I. Littlewood (Triana) 15lb 2oz, peg 26 island; 2. C. Owen (Tigra) 7lb 2oz, peg 5 outer. Teams on the day; 1. Triana, 2. Hallcroft, 3. Tigra.

SHERWOOD ROUND-UP
Winter League (Saturday, round eight) – Cavendish and Maunside lakes, 22 pegs.
1. L. Payling (Peg One AC) 75lb 15oz, peg 3 Maunside; 2. J. Darby (Sherwood Forest) 58lb 7oz, peg 2 Maunside; 3. P. Batty (Featherstone Farmers) 37lb 4oz, peg 1 Maunside; 4. R. Butterfield (WDAA) 35lb 7oz, peg 5 Maunside; 5. Steve Shepherd (WDAA) 34lb 10oz, peg 6 Maunside.
All the top weights came from the Maunside with the chub and orfe being the main catch.
Payling drew unfancied peg 3 and nearly went home, but at the end he had a bite every put in.
He finished with a mixed net of small carp to 2lb and chub and orfe to 1lb fishing pole and maggot at the bottom of the far shelf at 12m.
On the next peg Darby fished the same has the winner ending 17lb short and in third Batty also fished pole and maggot for an all golden orfe catch.
League standings – Mick Langton and John Woodland 20 points, Jason Thomas 21 points.

THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE
As predicted, the recent storms have brought the cod within casting range and last weekend a number of Worksop anglers took mixed bags of cod, bass, rockling and pollock taken on lugworm from Thornick Nab at short range.

A snippet here about local angling superstar Sean Storey who was waiting for the weigh-in on the first winter league match at Ranskill.
When asked if he had got double figures he proclaimed: “I haven’t got double figures, but I’ve got more than 10 pounds though!”

We are pleased to report that Mick Simpson rang us last Saturday night from his home after being discharged from hospital.
He is feeling a bit tired and tender but is well on the road to recovery and wishes to thank everybody for their concerns and hopes to beat you off the next peg in the near future.