Fly-fishing and beach matches on agenda

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

THERE is a definite hint of spring in the air this week so over the next few weeks we will be going to have a look at the year ahead, but for now we will start with a couple of things that will be of interest to local anglers this weekend.
To begin with, the show that launches the new fly-fishing season at the George Stephenson Centre at Newark show ground occurs tomorrow and Sunday from 9.30am to 4.30pm.
The show is also incorporating the first round of the UK casting championships and is sponsored by local game fishing tackle dealers Rob Clarke.
There is a top prize each day of a rod/reel and line outfit and a reel and line for the runners-up and a quality fly line for third spot. For further details you contact www.carrilion.com/ukcasting.
Also Rob informs us that this year’s new fly-fishing catalogue is out and to order one you can use the free phone number 0800 9170898.
The other big event this weekend is of course the British Beach Fishing Championship held between Bridlington and Spurn, over both days.
There will be quite a quite a few anglers from this area heading up to the Holderness coast to compete and local angler Colin Roscoe from Treeton has already been up this week practising, taking bass to 3lb, cod to 4.5lb and plenty of whiting and dabs from a Mark South of Skipsea.
This is ironic as Colin was one of the anglers competing in the Guardian match last week where we were totally unable to fish due to the problems with weed and weather.
We are also pleased to report that the Grafton AA stretch of the Chesterfield Canal is fishing exceptionally well all along the Tigers Den/John Shaw stretches with Worksop rod Andrew Rex taking a mixed net of tench, roach and skimmers for a double-figure net taken on breadpunch.
Many other anglers are using bloodworm joker to great effect to bag nets to 9lb including a verified perch of 2lb (weighed and witnessed) and many lost carp on light gear.
We would like to remind you all that the permits for the Grafton AA stretch of the canal are now available from Ken Ward Sports on Carlton Road.

RIVERSIDE ROUND-UP
MONDAY’S rover: 1st Les Richmond 38lb 12oz peg 10 strip pond bomb and pellet; 2nd Ian Temple 35lb 4oz peg 16 main lake pole fished pellet.
Friday’s open rover: 1st Ian Littlewood 40lb peg 16 main lake bomb fished corn; 2nd Alan Wordsworth 33lb 13oz peg 10 strip pond bomb fished pellet; 3rd Pete Ware peg 22 33lb 10oz main lake pole fished pellet.
Saturday’s open: 1st Reg Turner 71lb 10oz peg 35 main lake pole fished pellet; 2nd Mick Crook 32lb 12oz peg 15 Sandmartins pole fished pellet and corn.
John tells us that Maver backed Jamie Masson was doing a feature for the Angling Times advanced magazine and landed 70lb+ mixed net of rudd, roach, carp, chub, skimmers, tench and ide, using pole fished pellet – so keep your eye out for this feature in the coming months.

LODGE FARM ROUND-UP
WE have two matches to report this week from the Gateford Angling Supplies’ Wednesday Open match, the first being on 14th February on Lily Pond: 1st Mick Simpson 31lb 15oz peg 67 maggot feeder; 2nd John Dickenson 31lb 5oz peg 63 maggot feeder; 3rd Stuart Brumpton peg 51 mag and wag.
The second match was also held on Lily on 21st February: 1st Bernard O’ Conner 64lb 12oz peg 74 maggot feeder; 2nd Mick Hill 37lb 7oz peg 53 wag and mag; 3rd John Dickenson 35lb 10oz peg 59 wag and mag.
Good weights on Field Pond are coming from around peg 36 fishing the wag and mag shallow where nets of carp, skimmers, chub and ide have been taken in match nets to 32lb.
The fish on Signal Pond are more spread out with weights above 39lb coming regularly to anglers using pole fished corn.
Long Island anglers are taking carp using the wag and mag to great effect, but if this fails Bill informs us that a little maggot feeder cast up to the island is accounting for nice nets of fish. On another note the railway side is fishing better than the car park side.

DAIWA HALLCROFT ROUND-UP
DAIWA Hallcroft Open (Saturday) Reed/Moat (39 pegs): 1st Kev Vickers, Merlin Baits, 110lb 10z peg outer 99; 2nd Jason Skipper, Crooked Billet, 84lb 12oz peg outer 97; 3rd Jamie Masson, Maver BCUK, 81lb 1oz peg outer 94.
The return to milder weather heralded more excellent weights on this Saturday open, split between Moat and Reed. Moat outer was the place to be with the top three coming from the high numbers. Kev on peg 99 caught carp to 5lb steadily throughout the match on pole and pellet at 13m and Jason two pegs away, fished similar tactics.
Daiwa Hallcroft Open (Sunday) Moat outer and Reed (53 pegs): 1st Steve Masson, BCUK, 71lb 2oz peg Reed 42 fishing pellet at full depth; 2nd Dave Fantom, Leegem, 45lb 2oz peg Reed five pellet; 3rd S. Robbins, Leegem, 37lb peg Moat 81.
Daiwa Hallcroft Tournament League (Monday) Bridge (11 Pegs): 1st Ian Littlewood, Triana North, 84lb 5oz peg outer 43 on the bomb and then pole and pellet; 2nd Luke Sears, Daiwa Hallcroft, 69lb 13oz peg island 10 pellet; 3rd A. Crouch, Garbolino Ossett, 33lb 12oz peg island seven.
Daiwa Hallcroft Tournament League (Wednesday) Moat (22 Pegs): 1st Ian Littlewood, Triana North 38 8oz peg outer 17 fishing pole, pellet and corn at 13m; 2nd Geoff Bennett, Peg One, 38lb 2oz peg island 39 pole and pellet; 3rd Terry French, Leegem, 37lb 8oz peg outer 11 bomb and feeder.
Daiwa Hallcroft Veterans League (Thursday) Moat (23 Pegs): 1st Joe Simms, Hallcroft, 40lb peg outer nine pole and pellet at 10m; 2nd I. Temple, Retford 26lb 8oz peg island 50 mixed net of carp and skimmers fishing at 11m alternating between meat and pellet on the hook; 3rd A. Payling, Peg One, 16lb 2oz peg island 60.
Daiwa Hallcroft Tournament League (Friday) Bridge (18 Pegs): 1st Alan Crouch, Garbolino Ossett, 37lb 6oz peg island 13 pole and pellet at 13m; 2nd Nigel Shipman, Hallcroft, 28lb 14oz peg outer 52 pole and pellet; 3rd Rich Teigh, Handsworth, 26lb 6oz peg outer 49.

SHERWOOD FOREST FARM PARK
HOLMEDALE Lake, Wednesday Fun League open, 21st February, 18 Fished: 1st Pete Hodgetts Mansfield Angling 49lb 2oz peg 14; 2nd Dave Madin, Mossella Ultimate Anglers, 25lb 2oz peg 41; 3rd Rob Wragsdale, Young Vanish AC Glapwell, 20lb 8oz peg 32.
At the start of the match it looked like records were going to be broken but with an hour gone so had the fish. It was only Pete who kept them coming through out the day fishing pole, corn and meat down the margins and out; he had 12 carp, his biggest going 12lb 12oz with most around the 4lb mark.
Dave caught well in the first hour having seven carp, only adding three more (5lb) to his total in the last four hours, fishing pole and pellet.
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 20th February, 18 fished: 1st Lee Payling, Peg One Angling Pinxton, 66lb 9oz peg 13; 2nd John Mosley, Sherwood Forest Fishery, 52lb 4oz peg 19; 3rd Neil Wilkinson, 42lb 9oz Sherwood Forest Fishery, peg 12.
A lovely spring-like day and the fish fed like mid-summer. Lee fished pole and pellet at 14m over pellet for an all-skimmers net with fish from 4oz to 1lb, catching non-stop from start to finish feeding two pints of feed pellets to finish with a net bulging 66lb 9oz and very tired arms.
Runner-up John fished the same method at peg 19 on the point. He had skimmers to 2lb plus half a dozen small carp to 3lb. Third-placed Neil spent most of the day watching Lee on the next peg and still managed to weigh in over 42lb.
Next week’s draw is at 9am at the cabin priced £10 plus £1 golden peg.
Holmedale Lake, Sunday 25th, 25 fished: 1st Pete Ellis, Sherwood Forest Fishery, 89lb 2oz peg 31, 89-2; 2nd Pete Hodgetts, Mansfield Angling, 71lb 8oz peg 21; 3rd John Holmes 49lb 10oz peg 17.
Pete Ellis didn’t like his draw on the bore hole peg because you have to fish the pole at 14m, but at the end of the match he did say he had enjoyed the day. Fishing the pole at 14m alternating corn and pellet on the hook but not feeding anything, he had carp from 8oz up to 5lb catching all match and ended up with over 40 fish and the third best weight of the year of 89lb 2oz.
Runner-up Pete Hodgetts alternated between the straight lead cast to the island and pole fished at 12m both with corn on the hook. He had 12 carp between five and 8lb plus a few stockies and roach to 12oz to take 71lb 8oz to the scales.