Recent match results/event info

Gary's day

After last week's match I was not looking forward to today, however, with everywhere else frozen, it was the River or nowhere. It was a very cold start to the day with the car registering -4C as I set off and it stayed pretty much below zero in the shade all day. Thankfully though it was dry and the Backwater was sheltered from the bitterly cold wind.

On arriving I was surprised to see the Backwater had started freezing up and we just managed to find 5 pegs that were pretty much ice free for those crazy enough to be at the match today. Phil drew the short straw of peg 8 which was not as ice free as we had thought - sorry Phil.

I was up on peg 16 today - some flow but not as much depth with about 4 1/2 feet down the middle. It was a standard Backwater start for me: some breadcrumb/liquidised bread for fishing punch; a bit of worm near the boats for perch; and a few maggots/pinkies drip fed in. After 30 mins on bread punch and quick try by the boat I was biteless. This was not a good sign as bread punch is normally pretty instant. Darren down on peg 14 had managed a couple of small roach so at least there were fish present. What we had both been seeing though were plenty of pike strikes.

About 45 mins in I popped on a single white maggot and let the float run down the peg to try and find anything. Towards the bottom the float shot under and I struck into something that was not a small roach. After seeing all the pike strikes I was certain it was a pike. After a couple of minutes I had not been bitten off so thought I may as well try and get it in the net so I could move it out of my peg. I was very surprised to see a silvery flash that was not a pike as went to net it - chub! After the inevitable dive for snags near my feet it was in the landing net and looked a pretty solid 2 1/2 - 3lbs. That was going to be worth a lot of micro roach.

After the commotion I refed my peg and had a quick wander to thaw my feet. Phil had had a 4lb pike and a tiny roach but Mark on Peg 10 was getting a few perch. He was looking the man to beat today. Tony on peg 18 was struggling for a bite and Darren was busy watching pike swirl around his float.

The rest of the day was a lot less exciting and it turned into a real grueller with tiny bits of bread punch being the only thing I could get a bite on. And when I did get a fish they were tiny - they must have been 60 to the pound. I never did get a bite on maggot or even a single pinkie. I ended with a dozen small roach to add to the chub.

It was a tough day with bites at a premium and the fish that were caught being on the small side (mostly). Mark managed 9 perch in the end for 2lbs 4oz but my rogue chub was bigger than I thought and went 3lbs 11oz - I suspect it might have eaten a few of the small roach as I am sure I had a few more than were in the net. After that it was down to ounces with Darren's 20 fish coming in at 10oz for third. Hopefully next weekend we will be ice free and get a few more fish.

Gary's day

After a chilly day on Saturday the morning started off pretty mild although the wind that picked up later soon dropped the temperature. At the draw out came peg 2 for me which I was pretty happy with. It is quite narrow but pretty deep which I thought would help with the lack of flow and the River being crystal clear.

An hour later I was not so sure as I was bite less and Tony on peg 4 was also struggling (apart from a small jack pike). Phil up on peg 6 was doing OK though with a few small roach and perch. At last, I had a tiny dace and a small perch but after these 2 the swim died again. Despite searching all over with worm, maggot and bread punch I just could not get a bite.

Tony suddenly had a couple of decent perch around noon and I was a long way behind without even thinking about how the top half of the River was fishing. And then Phil had a decent perch of around 1lb and I was a very long way behind. Up at the top of the River and out of sight there were quite a few fish being caught.

With half an hour to go and out of desperation I set the float to half depth (4ft - I said it was deep) and put on a tiny piece of bread punch and the float went under. It was only a small dace but a bite at last. And then the small fish were suddenly there and it was a bite as soon as I could get a float in - they were pretty small though and I needed the better roach to show. Sadly, there was no heroic come back as a canoe suddenly came round the corner and the fish disappeared for a bit until they turned around. My flurry of small fish did not save from a miserable 8oz and bottom of the weigh sheet - if only they had been there from the start.

The River had fished much better as you went up towards the weir with quite a few reasonable sized roach and more perch coming out. Darren had a busy day on peg 15 for 4lbs 4oz of mostly small fish which pipped Steve on peg 10 with 4lbs who had a mix of roach and perch but Phil was the clear winner today with 5lbs 12oz including a couple of perch over a pound - the best was 1lb 3oz.

Gary's day

The last pre Xmas match had us at Home Farm's small lake today. It had not been fishing well recently and we feared the worst. I was surprised to see it was pretty much at its normal level and was very coloured.

It was peg 7 for me today, pretty much in the middle of the far bank and a bit hemmed in by pegs 6 and 8. I really wanted peg 1 which Rob was in as the carp seem to be down that end at the moment.

The match started better than our last visit with most people getting a few bites off roach early on. A try on expanders and corn for carp was a waste of time so I swapped to maggots to get something in the net.

The first 90 mins flew by the odd roach coming out but they just did not seem to settle. You caught a couple and then they disappeared.

After a quiet spell the float went under and it was not a roach. After a brief fight the rig came back with a large scale on the hook - foulhooker no. 1. Another 30 mins with a couple of roach and this time when the float went under with a carp it made it to the net.

If the match ended then it would have been job done. Sadly not and Rob then started catching whilst we all looked on.

Darren on peg 6 and Fred on peg 5 were having a good run of small roach with lots of splashing through most of the afternoon.

A few nice roach and 1 more foulhooked carp towards the end was my day done.

There was only going to be the one winner today with Rob wiping the rest of us out with 7 carp for 32lbs. My carp made all the difference giving me second place with Darren putting a good net of roach on the scales for just over 7lbs and 3rd. Photo today is Fred with his bag of roach.

Rob's day

At Hall Farm for the last Wednesday match before Christmas. Thanks to everyone for putting up with me at the draws and weigh ins over the last year and for the good turnouts this year. We started on a good note on a pretty cold morning despite the ice on the car this morning and mist driving in. Thanks to everyone who brought sausage rolls and mince pies and to Peter for his pre-match Gin.

Onto the fishing – I drew peg 20 in the middle of the high bank – thought there may be a few fish today with Gary’s 70lb coming off peg 18 on Sunday. Set up a feeder rod, bomb rod and a pole at 11m in about 9 foot of water. At the start went out on bomb and corn and second cast had a slow pull round and a 3lb F1 in the net. No more on the bomb so after an hour went onto the pole where I had been feeding maggots. After half an hour had 2 bites – a 4oz roach and a 6oz skimmer – then no more.

Alternated between the bomb/feeder and pole and eventually had a couple of carp on a hybrid feeder/wafter. Looking over to the far bank, Phil looked to be having a good day on peg 2 catching the odd carp on the feeder from the off. Apart from that very quiet on that bank although Jeff seemed to drop a carp off at the net near the end – no one likes to see that!

Whistle at my lips the tip flew around but to my surprise nothing on the end!! It was obvious that for some reason the fish wanted to be in the shallower water today with the top three weights coming from the car park end. Tony’s 29lbs 10oz from peg 24 beating Bill's 24lbs from 26 – Gary came third from peg 16 with 14lb 4oz beating my 12lb 6oz

On the low bank Phil’s 29lbs 5oz from peg 2 easily won the bank with the next best weight a solitary carp from Barry at 3lbs 5oz – Jeff only needed 2oz for third place. Some DNWs on that bank today. Photo today is Tony.

At the end a nice surprise with a collection handed to me from all the Wednesday club members – thanks a lot for that – much appreciated.

Gary's day

It was Hall Farm today for the Club's Xmas match and, at long last, we were going to have a dry day. The last few weeks have been tough with me seeming to just need one more fish to get in the frame. Surely, I would get a decent peg today? Finally, the draw gods waved at me and I pulled out peg 18 - not a flyer but an end peg today and a reasonably warm wind was blowing my way.

Again, it was box in the water time as the level is still very low. Then it was a gamble as to how long I dared fish the pole as the weather forecast was for it to be breezy. I settled on 13ms where I had a full top 3 (11ft) of water and then over to the left a bit shorter where I could hopefully still fish if the wind got up - it was still 7ft. After a quick feed of the pole lines I started off on a small maggot feeder hoping for a quick fish. The quick fish went to Darren on peg 4 and John on peg 2 but I finally had a small F1 after about 30 mins. After another 30 mins on the feeder I had no more bites only a couple of liners. Darren though was off to a flyer with another couple of carp in the net.

It was time to try the long pole line as the wind was OK. After a few minutes the float dipped and I nice 6oz roach was in the net - no blank today. A quick re-feed with some groundbait and the float went under again this time with a nice little carp of about 3lbs. I was still behind Darren and John though as they had both had another carp each.

About 90 mins in the peg changed and suddenly the fishing was good. It was not hectic but every now and again the float went under and a carp or F1 was on. A try over to my left also produced a couple of quick fish but then it went quiet. By swapping between the 2 lines a steady run of carp kept coming - a bit of a handful playing them on a top 3 when they came from the deep line. Phil over in the corner on 12 was also getting the odd fish and so was Peter who was pretty much opposite me on 8. Daniel to my right was also getting a few on the feeder. The lake was fishing a lot better than I had expected.

At the all out I had 18 carp in the nets after one of the best days out on the bank I have had in ages - I can't remember the last time I caught a decent fish on the float. Phil ended up winning the Low Bank with a quick run of fish near the end for 37lbs and I had the High Bank sown up with 76lbs with Rob second with 20lbs 7oz. Second place on the Low Bank was ridiculously close with less than a pound separating 3 anglers with John just edging out Darren by 1oz with 21lbs 6oz for second on the Low Bank.

Many thanks Tony for organizing the prize table. Today's photo is a very happy me with a few fish at last.

Rob's day

On the Stort Backwater today for the 3rd round of the Winter League. Twelve on today with the River looking pretty good after the recent rain – a good colour and a decent flow. I drew peg 7 which looked ok but no slack water except close in with the current flowing towards the far side barge.

Set up a couple of whips and a pole rig for the Perch by the barge. Had limited bait today as my Willy Worms delivery was lost by Royal Mail (next time go to Stansted Angling!) Tony did give me some pinkies to go with my 2 worms dug up in the dark last night.

Started on bread punch and after a couple of quick roach about 2-3 oz caught small fish steadily for the first hour. After that, bites tailed off – not sure why, maybe the pike that was swirling in the swim a couple of times or my feed was drifting into the downstream peg? Next door Tony on peg 6 was catching a few roach including a few better ones around 4-6 oz – also quite a few splashes from Bill on peg 8 – obviously a few fish being caught today.

Tried close in on the 2 metre whip and had one roach then a better fish hooked – felt like a good perch but unfortunately slipped the hook. Apart from one or two small roach on maggot near the barge that was it from me – no sign of perch over and the roach never came back.

At the weigh in it looked like everyone caught and a few good weights today. Phil took the lead with 4lbs 7oz including a nice perch (that was bigger than it looks in the photo) but was overtaken by Bill's catch that went 5lbs 4oz. Peter came third with 3lbs 15oz and Tony completed the frame with 3lbs 11oz. My fish weighed in 2lbs 14oz for seventh.

Good to see the River fishing so well, hopefully still producing when we go back in the New Year.