WL2 - Conway - 19th November

Back to Conway for the second round and alround a much tougher proposition with the carp proving elusive and the roach also unwilling to settle it was a scratch around for a few roach and skimmers and hope for a bonus carp or two for many.

Rob Dickinson topped the frame with 35.0lb, pegged next to the point Rob found nothing feeding towards the point and caught on pellet at 11m in open water. Billy Gore took second pegged by the gate as you walk in on the middle bank he had a mainly roach net with just 1 carp for 26.7lb with some real 'dog' roach down the edge of all places late on. Jeff Gratham drew opposite the point and went long at 17.5m with paellet and snared a few carp and with roach to add took 3rd with 23.4lb.

Result
1st - Rob Dickinson - 35.0lb
2nd - Billy Gore - 26.7lb
3rd - Jeff Grantham - 23.4lb

12th November - Meremoor

With this being such a shallow lake it was always going to be interesting in November but after the October match with such good weights hopes were high as the average fish are a good size.

Ian Simpson made the most of the wind off his back to fish 18m towards the island and a bed of lillies managing to win the carp fight with the said lillies 8:5 to weigh 36.1lb of maggot caught carp for the win. Rob Dickinson struggled for several hours before a few carp arrived and 8 fish later weighed 26.7lb for second on the pole and pellet in open water. Keith Williamson swapped and changed before we managed to find a few carp on the maggot feeder to take 3rd with 15.3lb.

Rick has booked this again for 2012 but earlier in the year as clearly a 3-4ft venue that is virtually all carp is not great for November.

Result
1st - Ian Simpson - 36.1lb
2nd - Rob Dickinson - 26.7lb
3rd - Keith Williamson - 15.3lb
Sec A - Rick Keeley - 8.9lb
Sec B - Steve Glimour - 11.4lb

WL1 - Conway - 5th November

With the point out all the talk was who would be pegged either side. Dougie Walsh and Ian Simpson took those honours and spend 5 hours egding ever closer and further together towards the point peg to no avail.....the carp just hadn't moved off the shallower island bar area yet!!

Jeff Grantham drew the shallow bar and from the middle bank fished 17.5m and pellet to extract 54.6lb of carp, F1's and a some roach. Billy Gore fished with banded pellet to take carp, F1's and some big early roach from 2 pegs down from Jeff for 41.1lb for second. Rob Dickinson drew the bottom bank and persisted with the pellet landing some decent carp on light gear to record 3rd place with 35.2lb

Conway was not at its best with silver weights well down, fewer skimmers and only pockets of carp but still great to see you float going under as it gets colder!!

Result
1st - Jeff Grantham - 54.6lb
2nd - Billy Gore - 41.1lb
3rd - Rob Dickinson - 35.2lb

22nd November - Gorsty

We were greeted by Gorsty at least a foot down after work to repair the far bank had dropped levels and it seemed to disrupt the usual busy fishing with even the silvers seeming to be a little put off with less water over their heads.

Andy Walsh made what feels like a guest appearance this year and despite a bad back/neck to contend with he stuck to the feeder for a hard earned 18.3lb of small carp for a well deserved win. Billy Gore continued his tremendous form this year with a mixed net on both pole and tip for 17.5lb followed by 16.9lb for Ian Lloyd.

Result
1st - Andy Walsh - 18.3lb
2nd - Billy Gore - 17.5lb
3rd - Ian Lloyd - 16.9lb

8th October - Partridge - Spey/Marsh

Well it was wet, and god did my coat stink!!!

After clearly forgetting to dry it out when I took it out of my bag the usual Preston Drifish blue had turned a white/milky greeny/grey and the smell was rank. I lasted 20mins before chucking it up the bank in the rain to have a wash!!

Ian Lloyd managed to find some larger samples tight to his inside margin and extracted enough for an easy win, although a fair few managed to reach the sanctuary of the next platform. Dave Gentile and Ian Simpson had similar approaches with very little over but managed to snare a few better fish for 15.2lb and 15.0lb for 2nd and third.

I had a great view of the leg end tat is Dougie Walsh as he lost fish after fish down the margins and across....he should have easily won but the fish showed no respect finding platforms, going behind his keepnets, diving in the rushes and reeds.....his peg was like a tackle shop at the end!

Result
1st - Ian Lloyd - 22.7lb
2nd - Dave Gentile - 15.2lb
3rd - Ian Simpson - 15.0lb

1st October - Meremoor

Well a new venue for Wirral and with only a small turnout we took one of the two lakes on offer. Shallow throughout on Lake 1 and predominatly carp with vitually everone having an island to chuck to as well as open water, margins and even lillies it looked the part.

Ian Lloyd managed to bag 91.8lb on maggot down the margin with many making the sanctuary of the reeds only to have the hydro kick in and winch them back through. A top diplay by Lloydy and another big weight as he moves towards the Matchman of the Year title.

Rick Keely took 63.2lb form the inside marginal lillies and a few up in the water in the open for second with Graham Aveyard third with 59.3lb. After starting fash with some early method fish Graham's swim slowed and he managed to sneak a few on the pole to secure third.

With a 39lb average per man including John Heald's blank after disappearing very early (and buggering up my margin line as he packed up) it was a good match with 48lb needed for 5th.

Result
1st - Ian Lloyd - 91.8lb
2nd - Rick Keeley - 63.2lb
3rd - Graham Aveyard - 59.3lb

Sept - Glebefest 2011

Well the long awaited Glebe weekender arrived and overall the records tumbled for a second year with 3000lb of fish caught over the three days (2500lb last year). But with only 2 just breaking a ton it was all about the backing weights this year as the 5m line was difficult for most and the margins were hit and miss.

The draw for Day One threw up some interesting draws. Ian Simpson on Peg 1, an end peg, not the best one but definitely worth a few and Jeff Grantham on 30....the flyer.....to be fair its a marmite peg and Jeff hates it having done 2 ton's but also had 2 blowouts on it previously!

As the match progressed the usual 5m corn line was struggling and the feeder wasn't great either. Rob Dickinson resorted to pellet it at 12m and managed to keep the carp coming in the second half for a well deserved 105.3lb win. Micky Flanagan drew in the 20's and had most of his fish on the feeder with a few late margin lumps to boost his total to 85.7lb for second. Jason Jones stuck to the longer pole lines and secured 3rd with 63.1lb.

No mention, you notice, of the end pegs that the early banter had suggested might win it. Ian S had a nighmare as the builders doing Roy Marlow's house and garden decided to landscape the margins around peg 1, build a path way (you could feel the vibrations) and plant some trees (30ft trees using a huge digger) oh and watering it with digger buckets from the lake. 42lb later, a headache and 9th overall wasn't great.......but how did Jeff fair, no landscaping, no diggers, no vibrations and no fish!!! ...29lb and 13th in the match and its 3:2 to peg 30 against Jeff (can't believe he says I'm a draw bag when he has had it 5 times now!). Overall 882lb caught at 42lb average.

Result - Day One
1st - Rob Dickinson - 105.3lb
2nd - Mick Flanagan - 85.7lb
3rd - Jason Jones - 63.1lb

Day two and the talk was of a high draw away from the landscaping but we needn't have worried the builders didn't work sat (why couldn't I draw it on day 2!). Peg 1 went to Alec Rioch and marmite peg 30 stuck in Graham Aveyard's grubby mitt.

As the day unfolded it became a similar story with longer pole doing the business and the 5m line struggling. Most had learned a bit from the day before and 1121lb was weighed in at 53lb average. Jeff Gratham got a draw in the middle away from his nemisis (peg 30) and he fished long pole for exacty 100lb. Second went to Pete Walsh with 88.9lb from peg 20, mainly at 5m and Dougie Walsh took 3rd with 76.5lb. Fish of the day was a 13lb grass carp that Ian Simpson had that came in like a sack until netted then went absolutely ballistic!! On the day 10th had 52lb and it hadn't fished at all well compared to earlier in the year.

Oh Peg 1, Alec managed 38lb but Graham on Peg 30 weighed 16lb and came 21st.....told you its a marmite peg....now he hates it as well.

Result - Day Two
1st - Jeff Grantham - 100.0lb
2nd - Pete Walsh 88.9lb
3rd - Dougie Walsh 76.5lb

Day three and a new test for most as we moved onto Lakes 5,6,7 with 7 being the favoured draw this year, or so we were told. Another 1002lb (48lb average) came to the nets but it was Lake 5 that fished best with some real lumps and tales of those that got away (Ian Simpson lost 3 estimated at 15lb+ in the last hour alone taking hook lengths then straight through rigs and then entire elastics with them!). With 6 end pegs there are always lots with high hopes for the day and so it turned out.

Jason Jones who had won the Ronny Ashbrooke pairs over the previous 2 days with Mick Flanagan went even better and won out right from end peg 85 on Lake 5 with 90.5lb caught at 12m and down the margin. Lake 6 was won by Ian Lloyd from the Little Girls end peg (86) with just 65.5lb as Lake 6 fished tough and Rick Keeley took Lake 7 from another end peg (98) to weigh 83.1lb and break his best match weight for the second time in two days!! (looks proud but dim to me!) With 12th place weighing over 47lb the backing weights were again good.

Result - Day Three
Lake 5 - Winner - Jason Jones - 90.5lb
Lake 6 - Winner - Ian Lloyd - 65.5lb
Lake 7 - Winner - Rick Keeley - 83.1lb

Ronny Ashbrooke - Pairs Winners - Mick Flanagan & Jason Jones - 5 pts (293.12lb)

So overall despite being later in Sept, the Glebe broke the club records and we will be back in 2012 but hopefully earlier in Sept. Dates will be confirmed in December and a book opened with 3 days planned again.

And Jason said the carvery is great value at £3.85 for a plateful!!!!!