Author: Simon

Round 4 of the winter league today and it was also the last round of 2011. The anglers were greeted by a thin coating of ice on the lake today. With it being the last match before Christmas we all brought a bottle for the raffle at the end, one angler would also win the lovely big hamper prepared by John and Pauline.

The draw got under way as soon as everyone was there as we had to break ice today. For the 4th match in a row Team Walker Floats drew peg 10 in B section, so this was the second time for Derek Hammond 😀 It wasn’t long before the splosh of ice breakers filled the air with everyone getting their swims ready for the match. There was no extra time because of the dark nights and the raffle, soup and hotdogs after this match.

Today I was on peg 32 and did not fancy my chances to be honest. I shouted the all in just after half 10 and most people got going but Phil Powell over on 13 was nowhere near ready. Andy Rayment on peg 29 was into some big perch right away and looked to be storming away. Derek on peg 10 was catching small roach at about 9 meters. Steve Waters on peg 7 had fired the bomb across but didn’t give it long before switching to the pole, not long after he hooked in to a carp….

Only problem was the was on his silver fish rig. After about 5 minutes the fish straightened his green gamma 22 hook and said goodbye, probably not even knowing it was hooked 😀 Shortly after he let out another scream as he swung a small perch in and avoided the DNW.

Steve Waters on peg 7

Derek Hammond on peg 10 (again)

Roger Young (Purple Plonker) on peg 9

Phil Powell on peg 13

Looking up towards the big lake carp park bank

Andy Rayment on peg 29

After 30 minutes on the tip and watching Derek catching plenty of silvers I thought I would have a go but without bloodworm it was not looking good. I had one bite and missed it before trying to the bush to my left. The float went under and I missed it before going under again resulting in a tiny perch and avoiding the dreaded dnw and Pee taking from Steve. After that and having no chance of catching silvers in the numbers Phil and Derek were doing I decided to sit it out for carp both on the tip and on the pole at 13m. I missed a few bites on the pole line before dropping the bomb back out.

What I spent most of my match watching.

Filling in for Neil Riddy in the Crabtree’s team today (he was working) was Mick Chappell and he had pulled 34 out the bag at the draw for A Section. Steve was updating me through the match … “He’s got another” … “And another” “and another” so he was winning A section quite easily. Paul fishing peg 22 had caught a carp early on in C Section so I was letting the team down in B section. 😀

With a couple of hours to go the wind picked up and changed direction, a massive black cloud was fast approaching from my left and I could see a rainbow too. The heavens opened up and we got rained, hailed and sleeted on. This made the last bit of the match very cold and wet 🙁 Not nice at all….. The wind and rain also melted the ice a bit causing everyone’s nice holes in the ice to close up, people were having to re break the ice with cold wet hands to open their swims back up.

With one perch in the bag and 20 minutes of the match to go I decided to wrap my pole rigs up, I had just put the last one on the winder and was picking my topkit up to put it out the way when I felt my rod pulling round :O FISH ON …. The words from the lads in B Section were not very encouraging to say the least 😀 After a short fight A nice fat carp was in the landing net and as I was bringing it in I hit my brolly and it came out but managed to land it again, phewwww. From last to first in the section in 2 minutes.

Some stories as the scales travelled round the lake…

Dave Wightman on peg 2. Had hooked a carp fishing towards peg 3 and struggled to ship his pole back at the crazy angle you have to fish and on top of that trying to keep his pole tip under the ice to stop the line snagging on the edge of the ice in his tight swim. He managed to get it out somehow.

Phil Powell on peg 13 with 5 minutes to go hooked a carp from by the boat on peg 12 only to have the ice close up and leave him nowhere to ship back. After frantic efforts to move the ice with his landing net whilst holding 13m of pole the fish got free.

Same sort of thing for Ian McCullock (standing in for Joff rogers) on peg 16. Hooked a carp and his swim and while shipping back the ice closed up breaking his rig.

Jon Walker on peg 18 had spent over 30 minutes chipping away at the ice to make 20 meter bomb line. He then caught 3 carp off that line to win the section. What a superstar 🙂

Results

OVERALL LEADERBOARD

After the weigh in it was back to the hut for Hot tommy soup and hotdogs prepared by Pauline. I think everyone was grateful for the hot food on such a cold day.

Everyone waiting for the results

Steve Waters and Derek Hammond

Mick Lane telling his drawing hand off 😀

John and Pauline

Phil Powell (Top Silver weight Today) and Mick Lane eating all the pies

Frank Hardie and Roger Young

Mick Chappell, A Section and Overall Winner

Me, B section Winner. (Picture from last match)

Jon Walker, C Section winner.

This year Christmas Hamper Winner, Pete Arnold.

Thanks for reading. Hope everyone has a great Christmas and Happy New year. Next round of the Winter league is on the 8th January with the final round the week after.

Cheers from John and Pauline, Eddie and Simon. 🙂

OVERALL LEADERBOARD

A few pictures, Thanks to Peter Morton who called down the lake today…

Simon Mound on peg 7

Andy Rayment on peg 34

John Bennett on peg 24

Steve Waters on flyer peg 22 😛

John again

Dave Wightman on peg 26

Joff Rogers on 29

The Legend that is Lurker Lane on 13

Paul Jay searching for a carp on 32

Jon walker completing the peg 10 Hat trick for his team

Simon again, handsome bugger

Simon with a Carp on

Carp number 2 for Simon

Phil Powell happy to be on peg 5

Purple Plonker, Roger Young on 40 😀

Roger with a fish on

Neil Riddy on 18

Another good looking Crabtree member