League honour for Lynda

Lynda Woodcock received a special presentation when the Ashford Netball League held their awards evening. Lynda has stepped down after running the Dolphins team for 40 years and she also served on the league committee as vice-chairman and press secretary.

She will continue to umpire and play for the Dolphins who were this season’s Division 1 champions, with ANC Jets finishing runners-up.

Polar Cooling won the Premier Division title and Goldwyn were the runners-up. Mantarays were the Division 2 champions with East Hill Ninjas runners-up. Mantarays are a team who have developed from t he l e ague’s “Back to Netball” group, which re-launches at the end of September.

Last season, the league also ran a new “Teen!” group which this season has been expanded to cover under-14s and under-16s (school years 8&9 and 10&11).

The winners of the Star Player awards were: Premier Divisi on, Leah Sexton (Silver Aces) 8; Division 1 , Vi c k y Gates ( ANC Allstars), Aliyah Napolitano (Breakaways Blue), Sarah Flynn (Dolphins), Kirsty Samson (Marshmallows) all 6; Division 2, Charlotte Reardon (Mavericks) 10. The good news this week is that catches are improving in the sea with more codling reported among the odd sole, school bass and this week the mackerel showed along the south Kent shore on their autumn migration journey south. The best mackerel fishing spot in the region is the Admiralty pier at Dover but check before travelling because the pier entrance is being refurbished and this will mean its closure over coming weeks. (phone 01304 225138). The bad news generally is that the small pest whiting numbers are on the increase and they seize any bait thrown at them keeping the other fish off. Venues in the region worth a try include Dungeness point and Dengemarsh or Galloways when the sea is onshore and the surf running. Samphire Hoe is also worth a long walk to the wets end when it is calm for mackerel, pollack, pouting, wrasse, dogfish and the odd bass. Around the sea angling club evening competitions, catches are still slow until it gets dark, although those pin whiting can be a nuisance because they are undersized and don’t count in competitions. The latest Fountain SAC evening event was fished at Dungeness as a rover. Winner was Robert Harwood Brown of Folkestone with 1.420kg with Herbie Tyler of Folkestone in second with 1.170kg and Michael Warne of Hythe third with 1.038kg. Coarse fishing results include a best carp from Cottington lakes, near Deal for Ashford angler, Joe Maher. It weighed in at 40lb and was a mirror he hooked on Main Line Cel boliie from Lake Pepper. Folkestone and Shepway angling club held their charity competition at Chequertree Fishery at Bethersden. Match winner with 101lb of carp was Paul Foot, of Folkestone, who fished the feeder and a banded pellet. Second was Darren Smith of Capel with 70lb and third Geoff Spearpoint of Folkestone with 67lb. During the week I fished Chequertree and landed a surgeon on the pole and meat. What an amazing species which looks and fights like a smoothhound. Chequertree can be fished on a day ticket. Contact details are: 01233 820078; www.chequertreefishery. co.uk

Picture: Dawn Cox Left, The retiring Lynda Woodcock (centre) with members of the Dolphins squad, who were champions of Division 1

Pictures: Dawn Cox Above, Division 2 champions Mantarays, and left, Division 2 star player Charlotte Rearden

Picture: Dawn Cox Two of Division 1 star players Kirsty Samson and Sarah Flynn, who received six awards each during the season