BADEN HALL, DONUT LAKE 23/5/10 ~ Pato devours the donut

How many times have Eggy Ferry gone to venues with the promise of big weights, only to be disappointed? Well, despite blistering hot sunshine all day, and loads of fish seemingly more interested in spawning, Baden's Donut certainly produced the goods.
Neil Paterson was singing the venue's praises for weeks, and justified his confidence by catching a near double figure carp first chuck! Thinking that the lake's carp population must be sitting in front of him cos he looked like a large white loaf, with no shirt on, it was soon apparent that the extra large pot of corn he fed at the all-in appeared to be the real attraction. Pato worked his way through 6 tins of jolly green giant, and ended up a happy pink giant (sunburn must hurt tonight) with a winning net of carp weighing 51lb. Well in Pato, presume you wont be jacking it in after all?
After a slow start on the next peg, the Master Catcher Kenny Stuart soon twigged on to the heavy feeding and started to get a few carp on bread (or a piece of Pato's left breast), and a late switch to paste meant his peg got stronger, and he threatened to win it. However, he fell just short with a weight of 47lb. Nice catch Ken, but that hat......?!?
Following last year's success at Baden, the Coleman clan were again in the money, but this time it was Rod who upheld the family honour, with a well earned 37lb net getting him into third place. Guest are always welcome, but not if they're gonna win money. Only joking, well done Rod.
Even though he was getting a bit cheeky, congratulations to Dave Norman on a hard fought section win with 36lb from a slightly dodgy area of the lake. Along with the other section winner, Jamie Wupass, who had a carp net for 29lb, they fished corn, again fed heavily, at 16metres.
Incidentally, I may have nearly blanked, and did the walk of shame, but I did win the most burnt knees contest, COME ON.

HOLMSTON HALL 9/5/10 ~ The less said the better

Apologies from me, but I can't dress this match up into something special. Given advanced details regarding the conditions at the fishery, I'm pretty certain that everyone would have voted to give it a miss.
Under difficult circumstances, Jamie Pickup was a worthy winner with 13lb caught on pellet and maggot. Well done wupass!
Gary Chambers maintained his excellent form with 12lb 8oz of paste caught carp, to claim the runner-up spot.
Dave Norman improved his section win last time out to claim third this time. He brought 9lb 8oz to the scales.
Ken Pickup won a section with 8lb 8oz, while his mate Ken Stuart had to share the other section with John Edwards. Both had 7lb and remarkably tied in their knockout.
Hopefully the next match will see better fishing and a return of the good humour that normally accompanies our outings. 

Any idea what this is?

Is this the Golden Nugget?
Does the boy weigh 12 stone, or are the scales lying?

LLOYDS MEADOW, Badger 2/5/10 ~ That's better.....but not a lot

Following some optimistic reports, and a couple of good pleasure fishing sessions (ask Pato), this match promised to be a vast improvement on our last visit. However, as is usually the way, it proved to be anything but. Too many anglers struggled for bites, and it became a ramblers convention, there were that many walking the bank looking for inspiration, or was it relief from the boredom?
It was not doom and gloom for everyone, and a few members caught impressively, including our winner, Gary Chambers. Mind you he always seems to fish impressively! He went over to the far bank with 16metre pole and corn to put mainly carp in his net, which weighed 42lb 8oz.
Despite catching a personal best tench of 7lb, the scales only registered it at three, so John Edwards ended up with a level 35lb of paste caught specimens to take second place. We really must let Sumo have a flier every week....saves him auditioning for 'grumpy old men'.
Third place went to Kenny Stuart, who again demonstrated his prowess by winkling out 9 or 10 carp from cyanide straight for a level 20lb, while those around him struggled for a bite.
Dave Norman reckons he 'fished it wrong' but still managed 18lb by using pellet fished shallow, and this was enough for a section win.
Following his ton-up catch in the Good Friday open at Lloyds, Yozzer demonstrated what a fluke it was by only bringing 17lb 8oz to the scales this time. However, it was good enough to secure the other section prize.
This Golden Nugget business is looking a bigger mismatch than David and Goliath. Once again Norman couldn't draw breath, let alone a half decent peg. Well that's what he says anyway. With 12 matches left, Norm would do well to write Sumo a cheque for £12 and forget the whole idea!
Dont forget the meeting on Tuesday is at The Cheshire Cheese