Sims reels in the Bream of the crop to win out at Hall’s Road
NATIONAL Fishing Month has just started and Merthyr Tydfil AA has organised three “Try Fishing” days at Cyfartha Park Lake when qualified coaches will be giving free tuition to anyone of any age who would like to see just why fishing is Britain’s biggest participant sport.
The dates, all Wednesdays, are August 9, 16 and 23 and all are welcome between 9am and 2pm. All tackle and bait is provided; there is no charge and anyone wanting more information should contact Tony Rees on 01685 723520.
Work has been completed on the canal at Cross Keys and with the level back to normal the fish showed their appreciation by turning out in force for the Pontymister AC match at Hall’s Road.
The lowest weight was 4lb and Rob Sims, from Cwmcarn, won with an impressive tow path tally of 11lb 12oz made up mainly from bream caught on pole and pellet baits.
Hot on his heels was Phil Thomas with 11lb 9oz and Risca angler John Harvey was third with 9lb 5oz.
Five competitors caught over 100lb of carp in the Wednesday open on Penny’s Pond at Redhill Fishery and the heaviest haul added up to 169lb 6oz and was taken by Sirhowy AS member Mikey Williams. Howard Green was in the money again in second place with 160lb 4oz as was Mike Yandle in third place with 130lb 12oz.
Green was robbed of victory in Sunday’s Cefn Fforest AC match at Mathern Mill when a big carp snapped his carbon pole and he was forced to continue the match with a makeshift repair that cost him a number of lost fish. He weighed in 179lb of carp averaging 10lb for third place behind Gafyn Jones with 187lb and winner Adam Jones whose 210lb catch was made up of carp to 15lb caught on pole and maggots.
Cardiff Nomads member Steve Deacon scored his first win in the Wednesday series of matches for the over-50s at Cefn Mably Lakes when he caught mainly carp for a weight of 128lb 10oz.
Second was Glamorgan AC member Mick Fraser with 125lb while the previous week’s winner Bill Gronow finished third with 100lb 8oz.
Dennis O’Leary, from Ebbw Vale, again took the silver fish pool with 43lb 4oz of roach and bream.
Alan Godrich maintained his reputation as the top man in the Wednesday series at White Springs with a winning 117lb 12oz of carp and bream from the Match Lake in the latest encounter.
Mick Brown’s 110lb 13oz was second best while Merthyr competitor Brian Prothero made it to third place with 88lb 4oz.
Several South Wales anglers headed into Somerset for the Thursday open at Viaduct Fishery and Phil Weaver, from Newport, did best when he netted 190lb 12oz of carp to double figures and finished in third place.
John Cox was way out on his own when he caught 137lb 2oz of carp to win the Glamorgan AC match on the New Canal at White Springs.
Steve Cother was nearest with 59lb and John Calli third with 57lb.
The Sunday open at White Springs was on the Match Lake and won by Dick Brunton with a mainly carp 81lb 8oz that beat Chris Wells with 75lb 2oz and Lew Spinks with 66lb 14oz.
The low level of the River Taff made for hard fishing in the Cardiff Nomads Open where Clive Branson cast a waggler float and maggot baited hook out to the flow and caught a winning 8lb 4oz of dace. Clive Roberts was runner up with 3lb 3oz and Mike Martin Davies third with 2lb 9oz.
Worms fished with a pole from peg 60 in the back bay gave Caerphilly angler Richard Ahearne a winning 78lb 12oz of carp in the Newport Open at School Pool.
The club’s Treasurer Martyn Truman kept up his good run with 59lb 4oz of carp on pole and paste bait for second place and then came Dailis Schneider using worms for bait and catching 42lb 10oz from the next peg to the winner.
Section prizes went to Bargoed angler Chris Murphy who weighed in 38lb 9oz and Steve Ayers, from Cardiff, with 34lb 4oz.
The next Newport Open is at Woodstock Pond on Sunday, August 6 and the popular Autumn Series starts at Morgans Pond on Sunday, August 27. All matches have the draw at 8.30am and fishing from 10am to 3pm.
Pole tackle with worms as bait was Danny Baker’s winning approach to the Sirhowy AS match at Cefn Mably Lakes.
The 114lb of carp in his keepnets beat Cwmbran member Matt Jackson with 86lb 3oz of carp caught on casters and Joel Worgan, like the winner from Tredegar, who legered pellets to the island for the third best weight of 71lb 1oz.
Adam Toomey, from Merthyr, was the best of the Aberglais AC members who fished at Redhill Fishery when his catch of carp from fancied peg 19 on Sophie’s Pond turned the scales to 143lb 13oz.
Philip Jones, from Fochriw, caught 136lb 15oz from peg 9 for second place