Christmas cheer in short supply, but Bolton stars

THE Match Lake at Holgan Farm was in a mean mood for the Christmas fixture and only winner Carl Bolton had more than the odd fish.

He cast a waggler float to the edge of the island where his pellet baits attracted enough carp for a weight of 42lb 8oz.

A couple of good sized carp helped Ian Heaps to a second best 29lb 8oz and it was also a few chunky carp for Derek King in third place with 25lb 4oz.

The River Wye pike stayed well out of the way when Glamorgan AC held the Bryn Hedges Pike Cup competition on the club’s stretch of the river at Monmouth and Dave Carnell took the trophy with the day’s only fish that weighed 7lb.

Both lakes were used to accommodate the sell out entry for the Christmas match at Mathern Mill.

Cardiff butcher Steve Shaw drew peg 16 on the top lake and the carp were there in sufficient numbers to give him a 123lb 15oz match winning catch that was well ahead of the others on both lakes.

Cwmbran Angling Nobblers team captain Rob Skellett was on the motorway lake and runner up with 55lb 6oz and then it was back to the top lake where a weight of 44lb 10oz put Andy Fuller in third place.

The Christmas Eve fixture on the top lake had prizes for total weight and also the best catches excluding carp; but it was hard work for most and won by Newport competitor David Turberville. He legered sweetcorn from peg 18 and netted carp to double figures as he built up a weight of 59lb 13oz.

Just beaten into second place with 58lb 5oz was Neil Morgan who had drawn the golden peg and would have trousered a useful Christmas bonus had he actually won the match.

There was some consolation in the fact that his net included 21lb 1oz of bream so he took first prize in the silvers payout.

Phil Weaver, from Newport, was third with 45lb 15oz and also took third prize in the silvers result with the 19lb 6oz of bream that included while match organiser Norman Sterry has the second best non-carp catch weighing 20lb 5oz.

Cwmbran angler Neil Dibble was a member of the Wales international squad back in the 1980s and he showed he is still a force to be reckoned with when he overcame difficult conditions to win the Wednesday Over-50s match at Cefn Mably Lakes with 51lb of carp caught on pellet baits.

Cardiff competitor Gary Charles kept up his good run in this popular series with a second best 39lb 12oz while Glamorgan AC member Mick Fraser in third place with 35lb 4oz also pocketed the silver fish pool money thanks to the 3lb 4oz of roach and bream it included.

The Wednesday gathering at White Springs also had to work hard for their New Canal fish and the effort paid off best for Andrew Ford who was the winner with 37lb 2oz.

Steven Beresford and Scott Odam followed with 35lb 9oz and 31lb 4oz.

Matthew Edwards was out on his own when the Match Lake was pegged for the Christmas open at White Springs.

He drew peg 2 and pole fished pellets to the island to end up with a carp and bream catch that weighed 70lb 8oz. His nearest challenger was Sirhowy AS member Rob Jones who managed 24lb 2oz while his club mate Nigel Morris was third with 22llb 9oz.

There was also little Christmas spirit shown by the fish in Steam Mills Lake where there were a number of dry nets n the Forest of Dean Christmas open match and first place was shared by Bernie Fraser and Lee Thomas when both caught 4lb 4oz of roach and bream.