It’s tough going as cold weather puts off the fish
WITH a frost nearly every day for the past month, the weather has had a big effect on local ponds. The fishing has deteriorated in the past week. The water is very cold in the mornings and it is not warming up. Previously, the fish would come alive later in the day - but this is not happening in many ponds.
Or if they are, it is the silver fish that have been making up the bulk of the weights.
I was at Willow Springs, Messingham, last Saturday with LOR Angling Club. This venue has been a banker for big weights for several years. But not this time - the cold nights had put the fish off. There was no movement of anything showing. Bites were hard to come by. It did not matter what you did, the rod tip or float lay motionless. The occasional fish fell to the feeder cast over to the far bank.
The winner on the day was Rick Colman; he was fishing on peg 18 and had 37.6lb. Then there was a bit of battle going on in pegs 10 and 11.
Both anglers used the feeder casting towards the far bank. Roger Bryant edged it by just three ounces over Steve Leary. Roger had 26.3lb. The sections were won by Derek Brook with 21.14lb and Ernie Armitage 17.14lb. Novartis AC fished at Laurels on Lindholme Lakes. Mark Pettit, the expert when it comes to fishing maggot for smaller fish, fished the margins with the pole for 83.15lb. This was nearly double what second place Jon Smith had he finished up with - 44.7lb. Then it was Tim Chapman, who could not make it three wins on the trot - he had 41.7lb. The sections were won by Wayne Childs with 40.14lb and a guest angler, Craig Glover with 37.1lb
Last Sunday it was off to Clayton’s Fishery for the Silver Fish Pairs.
It was horrible weather, it threw everything at us and yet another frost in the morning put the fish to sleep.
On the front pond it was poleonly. Ray Garton, who is a wizard on the front pond, used his pole like a magic wand to get a few bream out.
He finished up with 11lb, which was actually the best weight over the two ponds. Then it was the ever-present Peter Bensley with 7lb, closely followed by Dave Robson with 6lb.
On the front lake, only a running line was allowed, so no poles. Steve Crosskill, a master and top coach on the use of the waggler, found some better roach later on in the match.
He had 6.14lb. Then it was George McKay with 6.5lb and then Dale Jobling 6.4lb.
It must have been warmer in-land as the Jubilee AC had a decent day fishing at the Westwood complex.
First place went to Bill Sheppard with 133.7lb, closely followed by Jamie Green with 130.14lb - then it was Jono Freshney with 114lb. The sections were won by Danny Reynolds - well done young man - who did well to catch 93lb and Dean Marshall with 112lb.
The veterans had a wet and very windy day for their match on Tuesday on the Gold Lake at Wold View. Section winners were Dave Blanchard with 49lb 14oz from Peg 7; Roger Codd with 25lb 7oz from Peg 17 and Mick Allen with 33lb 5oz from Peg 21.
Onto the sea fishing and the Fishing Friends Club descended on Humber Creek. They were met with strong winds, rain and a higher tide than what was predicted. So Instead of being on the beach, you were fishing off the bank.
It called for gently lifting the fish up - and this certainly made the rod tip bend, especially with most of the flounders being over 30cm. First in was yours truly with 11 fish for 338cm. This included the biggest flat fish of the day, a nice fish of 37cm.
Then it was Jack Barlow with five fish for 151cm and third was Steve Robinson with three fish for 75cm.