Tribute to stalwarts Harold and Mavis

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

This week we are paying tribute to two of Bassetlaw’s stalwarts – Harold Wells and his wife Mavis.
Until recently, Harold was the secretary of Retford AA and Mavis the match booking secretary, positions that they have held for the last 15 years.
In total Harold has been associated with the club for over 40 years, initially as a member then serving on the committee in various positions.
The association was initially formed in 1902 and at its peak boasted over 3,000 members and had water on the tidal Trent, Chesterfield Canal and a lake at Woodlands at Lound.
Unfortunately Harold had to retire from his position due to ill health and, despite giving a great deal of warning over his impending retirement, no-one came forward to take over the reins and a famous old association has disappeared forever.
Harold and Mavis are still fishing at the age of 73 and 67 respectively with the Retford Liberal Club and would like to thank all the friends they made, many of them from the Worksop area.
In the last 15 years they raised over £12,000 for the Bassetlaw Hospice when the first match saw 107 anglers lining the towpath of the Chesterfield canal with a further £841 to pay to their favourite charity.
They are also holding a garage sale this summer selling all the association’s equipment with the proceeds also going to the Hospice.
Harold has negotiated the lease of the association waters on the Chesterfield Canal to a club and a local syndicate, while the stretch between Woodcocks Bridge to the Railway Bridge and Ranby Canal Bridge to the Barracks has been taken over by the Retford Canal Anglers Society, where a yearly membership book will cost £20.
For more information contact David Heath on 01777 708908.
The stretch from the Railway Bridge to Barnby Moor is going under the control of Derbyshire County AC with season tickets running from 1st April to 31st March costing £18. No day tickets are available but matches can be booked for £3 per peg.
Some of you will already know the club through its leasing of the River Idle from Hallcroft for a length of 6.5 miles.
This is also available for the cost of £18 from 16th June through to 14th March, and if you choose to purchase both books, you can buy them for £30.
They have made some changes to the canal where you can fish between the locks, and you can fish from the opposite side to avoid the power lines at Barnby Moor Road.
They have acquired a car park behind the locks which is accessible from Botany Farm. For more information contact Ron Trevis on 01246 851571.

Now for news of a length of canal a bit nearer to home, we have heard from Mick Simpson of Grafton AA that they are to break with tradition and allow all year round fishing on its on waters between Bracebridge and Shireoaks Road Bridge.
The permits allow for fishing from 1st April to 31st March at a cost of £15 for adults and £7.50 for OAPs and juniors, available from Ken Wards Sports on Carlton Road on a first come first served basis from 1st March.
If young anglers are under 16 on 1st April they will qualify to pay the reduced rate and day tickets will be available on the tow path for a cost of £2.50, matches can be booked between 1st June and 31st March at £3 per peg, contact Melvin Webster on 01909 472007.
Please note however that between 1st April to 31st May, no fish will be allowed to be kept in keepnets.

The second Guardian Open Beach Match turned out to be a non-event. It was obvious to all competitors after the first cast that fishing was going to be nigh-on impossible with a strong northerly wind blowing and blankets of weed clinging to the line as soon as the lead hit the water.
Some stuck it out while others retired to the pub, but everyone remained philosophical as it is all part of the perils of beach fishing.
With the tides exactly the same in two weeks time we can’t help wondering if the organisers of the British Beach Open have got it wrong this year and this weekend’s experience has put off quite a few who competed on Saturday.

CLUB RESULTS
The Worksop United regular Saturday match took place on their own length of the Chesterfield Canal
1st S. Moore 14lb 4oz peg 30; 2nd P. Brown 7lb 8oz peg 20; 3rd P. Strong 7lb 1oz peg 24.
Also members please note that club membership fees are now due. Contact Rob on 01909 473324.

LAKESIDE ROUND UP
Saturday saw the eighth round of Linda’s Lakeside Winter League taking place in cool overcast conditions.
1st Malc Thompson peg 26 37lb mixed net wag and mag; 2nd Ben Holmes peg 12 30lb 5oz silver fish wag and mag; 3rd Dave Wright peg 25 26lb 6oz silverfish taken on pole fished caster.
Pleasure angler Paul Todd tackled peg four on the second strip employing pole fished sweetcorn and pellet where he achieved a 50lb plus net which included 22 goldfish as well as perch, roach and skimmers.
Over on the trout lake, Harold Price cat his segmented bloodworm fly on floating line to net 13 fish with fellow fluff chucker Chris Watson of Worksop landing 31 rainbows to 5lb on a yellow and white fritz on intermediate line.

RIVERSIDE ROUND UP
Tuesday’S Rover match – 1st Geoff Bennett peg 15 Sandmartins 49lb pole and pellet and sweetcorn; 2nd Jamie Masson peg 16 main lake 37lb 9oz pole and pellet; 3rd Les Richmond peg five strip pond 24lb 5oz small feeder.
Saturday’s Rover – 1st Mick Cook peg nine Sandmartin 28lb 13oz pole fished pellet and sweetcorn; 2nd Geoff Bennett peg 26 main lake 28lb 12oz pole fished pellet and meat; 3rd Roy Abbs peg one match lake 26lb 14oz pole fished pellet and meat.

SHERWOOD FOREST FARM PARK
Holmedale Lake, Wednesday Fun League Open – 1st Pete Ellis Sherwood Forest Fishery peg 17, 37lb 8oz pole and corn over pellet; 2nd Dave Madin Mossella Ultimate Anglers peg 32, 35lb 15oz pole and corn; 3rd Pete Hodgetts Mansfield Angling peg 41, 26lb 6oz.
Next week’s draw is at 9am at the cabin £14 all in. To book a peg, ring the fishery on 07721 316334.
Sherwood Lake, Tuesday – 1st Neil Wilkinson Sherwood Forest Fishery peg 20, 43lb 4oz pole and pellet; 2nd Geoff Storer Peg One Angling Pinxton peg 12, 19lb 15oz pole and maggot over pellets; 3rd Fred Bispham Dynamite Mayfair peg 22, 16lb 8oz.
Next week’s draw is at 9am at the cabin, £10 plus £1 golden peg.
Holmedale Lake, Sunday – 1st Jason Singlehurst Sherwood Forest Fishery peg 45, 28lb 15oz pole and pellet; 2nd John Wooff Sherwood Forest Fishery peg 32, 20lb 1oz red maggot over pellets; 3rd Neil Wilkinson Sherwood Forest Fishery peg 15, 19lb 10oz.

DAIWA HALLCROFT ROUND UP
Daiwa Hallcroft Open (Saturday) Bridge (21 pegs) – 1st S. Gray Worksop 19lb 14oz peg outer 52 long pole with pellet; 2nd G. Wilde Fishing Republic 18lb 6oz peg outer 46.
Daiwa Hallcroft Open (Sunday) Moat/Reed (48 pegs) – 1st M. Edgcombe, Hallcroft, 65lb 8oz peg Moat outer 110 pellet; 2nd A. Newbury, Hallcroft, 39lb 14oz; peg Reed 24 alternating between corn and pellet on the hook.
Daiwa Hallcroft Tournament League (Monday) Reed (14 Pegs) – 1st N. Speed, Dynamite Baits, 57lb peg 24 pole and pellet; 2nd S. Gray, Worksop, 39lb 15oz peg 31.
Daiwa Hallcroft Tournament League (Wednesday) Bridge/Reed (22 Pegs) – 1st I. Temple, Hallcroft, 52lb 4oz peg Bridge island one pole and pellet at 10m; 2nd S. Robbins, Leegem, 47lb 15oz; peg Bridge island 10 pole, pellet and corn.
Pleasure Fishing
Moat – pleasure anglers continue to have good sport on Moat using the bomb with meat or corn.
Pole with pellet is still catching carp and skimmers.
Bridge – new carp are showing well with pleasure nets of up to 40lb being reported.
Reed – plenty of bites on the pole using pellet or maggot. Good nets of skimmers showing with catches of over 20lb reported.
Croft – despite the carp shoaling up in areas pleasure days of up to 50lb are still regular. The main tactic is long pole using pellet. For further info and advice ask on arrival at the fishery.