WL4 - Conway - 17th December

Well the good news was the snow had cleared and no frost but thats the end of the good news.......

The snow water was in the lake, the windy was blustery and we had hail, rain and sun within the same hour on several occasions and a few rainbows thrown in. At one point it looked like the pellet fairy had topped my baitbox up with 6mm white pellets until they melted turning my real pellets to mush!!........that hail actually hurt on cold hands!!!

As for the fishing Dave Grimes set off after roach from opposite the point as did Ian Simpson on the boulder and they just about matched each other all through....even having a few side bets who could swing the biggest roach....Davy won but he cheated....standing on his box to lift one in particular. Dave then surged ahead with a stray 5lb carp and with everyone else struggling it looked like everyone was going to stick it out for a lump or two to get back in it.

At the weigh in Ian Simpson had clawed Dave back and added 2 carp in the last 30mins going long on pellet to sneak the win with 21.9lb. Dave finished a galant 2nd with 18.7lb and a muddy seat. Dougie Walsh claimed third with a hard fought 15.4lb from 2 down from the staging but with only 2 other weights in double figures it was Conway at it toughest.

Sonny and H drew the far end and thought they were okay with brolley's up but the swirling wind had no respect for our elders and Sonny was nearly Mary Poppins until he let, go arms in the air, and had to retrieve it from the hedge. H faired worse, his was attached to his box, it got ripped inside out and now has a novel L shaped pole for keeping the next peg dry. Not sure he appreciated my comments "thats great at last I know what to get you for xmas"

To finish off the day Dave Gentile took the goldfish sweep with one bar of gold to much whooping and sounds of the 'battle of britain' at the payout...........he was also seen trying to net what we can only think were red admiral butterflies up a tree next to him. Looked a bit weird, rainbow behind him, a broken pole in one hand a landing net in the other jumping up to a tree in full wet weather gear and moonboots.......some excuse about losing a big carp at the net......nah.....butterfly hunter........gay!!!

Result

1st - Ian Simpson - 21.9lb

2nd - Dave Grimes - 18.7lb

3rd - Dougie Walsh - 15.4lb

10th December - Lower Ridge / Saughall

The Fur & Feather was greeted with frost on the ground and ice on the brook but Saughall despite being a good 18inches down was ice free but with little wind and bright sunshine (unusual for Saughall) it was always going to be hard.

With 3 golden pegs it was going to be interesting. Keith Williamson drew the first but blew out, Ste Brew (my partner.....and only feckin just at the mo!!!!) drew the other and also blew out.....Ste come on lad your getting really heavy. The final one was Ian Lloyd who looked like he had done enough to snatch it at the last match of the year and only two to weigh in......

....then Ian Simpson weighed and claimed top spot with 15.7lb from the far side in the middle of the first island. His catch was half ide on maggot at 6m and the other half small brown goldfish on pellet at 14.5m. Ian Lloyd was second with a hard fought, near golden peg claiming, mainly ide catch for 12.0lb from the top left corner. Ian finished the year as Matchman of the Year for highest weitht and Billy Gore finished the year as Angler of the Year with a solid third place with an 11.6lb pole caught mixed bag from the far side off the tip of the second island.

Result

1st - Ian Simpson - 15.7lb
2nd - Ian Lloyd - 12.0lb
3rd - Billy Gore - 11.6lb
Sec A - Dave Gentile - 7.5lb
Sec B - Dougie Walsh - 8.6lb

WL3 - Conway - 3rd December

Conway seems to be a little unpredictable of late but the wineer was far from unpredictable. Rob Dickenson walked it sticking to his tried and trusted pellet for half a dozen carp and some big roach for 30.4lb off the staging peg.

Ian Lloyd looked out of it after struggling for roach, 2 to the right of the staging, until the last hour when he spotted some bubbles over his pellet feed and went on to plunder 22.7lb in no time for second........if only there was another hour Ian may have hit 50lb! Third and mister consistent was our newly crowned Angler of the Year, Billy Gore with 20.7lb of roach and an odd carp from opposite Ian.

Result
1st - Rob Dickenson - 30.4lb
2nd - Ian Lloyd - 22.7lb
3rd - Billy Gore - 20.7lb

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