Angling: Wharncliffe AC gives Oak Tree Fisheries top marks

The club secretary’s verdict said: “We were welcomed by new owners who were top class, coming round twice offering a drinks service, hot or cold.

“They are putting a lot of time and effort to make this a first rate fishery. Solid weights all over the pond, highly recommend anyone looking for a club match venue to consider this place.

Shane Morgan set a brisk pace on Day One on the Carp Lake. He led right until the final hour when Steve Newsome switched from fishing long pole shallow to the margins where he found carp queuing up. He netted 51lbs in the closing stages, enough to overhaul Morgan’s lead.

Result: 1. S Newsome 126-10; 2. S Morgan 125-13; 3. T Newsome 91-7; 4. T Leigh 66-4; 5. G Laheji 55-6 ; 6. K Morgan 51-0.

Day Two - Oak Tree Fisheries, Silver Lake

With anglers catching a mix of ide, barbel and bream from all areas of this ‘snake’ lake, another close finish was on the cards with no clear leader evident. Trevor Leigh thought he might have won it with a mostly barbel catch of 61lbs 2oz but he was pipped by ounces by Ian McKenzie’s mixed bag taken on pole and maggots.

Result: 1. I Mackenzie 61-12; 2. T Leigh 61-2; 3. S Morgan 57-11; 4. T Newsome 57-2; 5. S Newsome 52-3; 6. A Smith 44-11.

Ranch Fishing Club

Barnburgh Lakes, Top Pond

Barnburgh remains an ever-popular fishery due to its stocking policy of F1 hybrids rather than king carp. The carp’s smaller cousin feeds readily and anglers are kept constantly busy with upwards of a hundred bites per angler not uncommon in matches. Les Jones caught from the off fishing shallow with maggots and never stopped, building a comfortable lead over Pete Spooner who fished the same tactics.

Result: 1. L Jones 123-13; 2. P Spooner 101-10; 3. M Smith 87-3; 4. D Rose 84-5; 5. M Bailey 73-5; 6. P Chapman 68-14.

Arnies AC

Sykehouse Fisheries, Twin Islands Lake

A close finish between Alan Redfern and John Pearson saw Redfern thankful for the silvers he caught on maggots before switching to bomb and pellet to target carp. Runner-up Pearson had a mixed net on pole and corn.

Result: 1. A Redfern 64-11; 2. J Pearson 62-13; 3. K Walker 48-0; 5. S Grayson 42-11; 6. S Hinson 36-11.

Walkley AC

Hayton Lakes, Little Grebe Lake

A walk in the park for Andy Sellars on the face of things but his tactics were dictated somewhat by breaking the number 4 section of his pole on the first carp he hooked. Though he managed to land the fish he now had an unusable pole giving him no option but to switch tactics. Picking up his quivertip rod and throwing out a feeder proved to be a masterstroke as he never looked back, netting carp steadily until the end of the contest.

Result: 1. A Sellars 131-8; 2. C Machin 51-8; 3. R Smith 51-4; 4. J Clark 41-0; 5. C Garlick 33-8.

Hogshead Angling Annual Match

Messingham Sands, Island Lake

Secretary’s Venue Verdict: Well looked after fishery. 9 / 10

85-year-old Ray Nightingale showed age is no barrier to successful match angling catching well on banded pellets and red maggots with a feeder but there was to be no holding Lee Dungworth who set a scorching pace at corner Peg 7 where he caught from the off on corn and banded pellets up in water.

Result: 1. L Dungworth 143-5; 2. D Devine 86-8; 3. R Nightingale 73-3; 4. L Flynn 62-5; 5. L Beresford 61-11; 6. R Orvice 55-10.

Boundary AC

Hayfield Lakes, Big Adams Lake

On a lovely sunny day, loads of fish were seen cruising near the surface that showed no interest in feeding Winner Martin Froggett won from Peg 38 fishing using a method feeder whilst his brother Brother Clint, who wore a t-shit with his late father’s picture on the front to commemorate his father’s love of Hayfield Lakes, his favourite fishery and the location where his memorial match was held. Clint caught in the margins with pellets.

Result: 1. M Froggett 72-14; 2. C Froggett 62-7; 3. P Deakin 61-6; 4. P Hurt 40-9; 5. N Foottit 37-9; 6. S Beckingham 34-7.

Boundary AC

Portland Waters, 4 Islands Lake

Strong winds made for heavy going on the long pole, putting almost everyone off but winner Geoff Hurt made use of the easy option, fishing with just two sections plus a top-two to catch carp throughout on coarn and luncheon meat at Peg 21.

Result: 1. G Hurt 172-1; 2. N Millward 146-6; 3. S Beckingham 101-5; 4. P Butler 98-4; 5. P Hurt 82-14; 6. N Foottit 77-1

Woodseats Dale AC

Lakeside Fisheries, Ranskill

After a slow start on the feeder produced just one carp and a couple of small skimmers

Mel Tate was going nowhere fast but a switch inside feeding micro pellets and dead red maggots in the last 2hrs produced carp to 12lb. Runner-up Richard Bowler had a fine net of skimmers boosted by a solitary carp but he needed more of them to make an impact.

Result: 1. M Tate 68-8; 2. R Bowler 49-13; 3. S Alcock 48-12; 4. R Tate 23-0; 5. J Mellor 18-13; 6. D Bower15-9.

Noah’s Ark AC

Norwood Fishery

Large carp dominated at Norwood, the best falling to paste fished in the margins, from where John Hubbard romped home at a canter in an otherwise keenly contested match.

Result: 1. J Hubbard 117-4; 2. N Johnson 66-11; 3. J Speech Ley 66-4; 4. J Tunstall 63-2; 5. A Johnson 60-9; 6. R Derrett 50-13.

Tuesday Club

Lodge Farm Fisheries, Signal Pond

An all-carp net taken on pellet feeder at Peg 8 gave Keith Walters a comfortable lead over John Harding on Peg 20.

Result: 1. K Walters 142-2; 2. J Harding 115-6; 3. B Richardson 110-10; 4. A Hill 103-1.

Woodseats Angling

Little John Lakes, Maid Marion Lake

Result: 1. Kev Pinder 181-11 (Winner had carp on maggot fished close in at Peg 11); 2. M Holmes 144-10; 3. D Tomkinson 141-2.

Woodseats Angling

Messingham Sands, Island Lake

Result: 1. Mark Holmes 153-14 (Winner caught shallow with casters at Peg 15) 2. T Oldfield 110-10; 3. D Tomkinson 105-2.

Woodseats Angling

Little John Lakes, Maid Marion Lake

Result: 1. Steve Holberry 309-4 (Winner netted a remarkable triple-ton at Peg 7, first fishing short and shallow before going down the margins to catch carp steadily throughout the whole match). 2. M Holmes 201-12; 3. I Varley 191-3.

Brilliant Barnsley Make It Two In A Row As Canals Hit Top Form

(Image: Barnsley’s Triumphant team)

The Angling Trust Division 1 National Angling Championships were staged across the New Junction and Aire and Calder Canals at the weekend and our local venues hit top form, producing one of the best Nationals ever. Just one angler blanked and that was because he somehow never made it to his peg. Apparently he disappearing after the draw.

Reigning Champions Barnsley Blacks made it back-to-back National wins, finishing 10 points clear of Hull and District AA, a remarkable result for a team that is much changed from the days when it featured the likes of Tom Pickering, Denis White and Dick Clegg. Careful nurturing of youngsters and shrewd recruitment has kept the team at the top of the game uninterrupted for over four decades.

Barnsley gave Tom Barlow a National debut and he took full advantage of his opportunity recording his team’s only section win with a fabulous 22lb 5oz net of roach from permanent peg 620 on the Aire and Calder Canal.

Bream dominated and to give an idea of how well the canal fished, 20lbs was not enough to make the top 20 whilst more than 35lbs was needed to get in the top six. The individual winner, Rob Jones, fishing for Preston Innovations Thatchers, weighed in a whacking 63 and a half pounds of bream.

Overall a massive 1613.785 kilogrammes of fish were put on the scales, an average of almost 7 and a half pounds per angler. I make no apologies for mixing up these units. Nationals may well be weighed in kilos but anglers still think in pounds and ounces, rather like we fish at 14 metres with a pole at 6 feet deep or target a 2lb roach, a twenty pound pike and so on!

Individually the top local rods were Scott Rispin (Hull and District) finishing second overall, Steve Winter (Scunthorpe Tackle) third, Sean Wright (Daiwa Doncaster DAA) fourth and Peter Kitwood (Sensas North) fifth.

Team-wise the result read: 1. Barnsley Blacks 392 points, 2. Hull and District 382; 3. Drennan Oxford 369; 4. Team Daiwa Dorking 349; 5. Wayne’s Tackle Matrix Southport 347; 6. Daiwa Doncaster DAA 343.