LINGMERE, 27/12/15 ~ Jigga Bells, Jigga Bells, Jigga all the way for Sumo

Praise the Lord, it must be Christmas! Hands up if you've ever fished at Lingmere when it was flat calm. A rarity indeed, and coupled with the maximum turnout of 21, all on the top lake, it didn't look conducive to a decent day's fishing. As always however, what do we know? Within half an hour I think everyone had put a fish in the net. How often does that happen?
The 'predictive text' facility on my computer has caused a few problems for this report. Whenever I type in 'Su' the machine fills the following in automatically..... "mo was struggling until 11.30, at which time he packed up and did the walk of shame to the Caernarvon, where the barmaid had 2 lagers waiting on the bar".
Well I had to edit it this time!
John Edwards put on an exemplary display of shallow fishing to empty his peg to the tune of 68lb 02oz and earn a runaway victory. No need for a fat lady, it was game over after an hour. I say exemplary, which is not strictly true, but as near as damn it.
Now Sumo shops at Waitrose. He gladly pays £5 for a tin of corn that you can get in Lidl for 35p. He translated that into his fishing this week. While everyone else would use a BB shot for the 'monkey rig', John insists on spending £3 to buy the completely needless 'Jigga float' to do the same job. It was a superb job though, so fair enough.
Trailing in his wake was venue regular Yozzer. Now, predictive text would be useful here. The Gnome fished pellet at 6metres! A 57lb 14oz return was sufficient for the second step on the podium.
Congratulations to Dave Edwards. On his first outing as a fully paid up member, Dave showed everyone what he is capable of. A great display saw him put 52lb 11oz on the scales to make the frame at the first time of asking. Jeez, another Poulton legend to contend with.
The original Vics legend that is also known as Tony Wilson, was on the list of section winners. His 46lb 04oz was enough for a brown envelope.
Lee Pickup put an end to a little quiet spell he'd been going through, his 46lb 01oz also putting him in the money.
Buck Rogers gets his customary mention, and more money, as his 39lb 10oz was good enough for section glory, while Kenny Pickup put venue knowledge to good use with an excellent return of 51lb 10oz.
Finally, the duff section was won by Jamie Pickup. Duff weights compared to the rest of the lake, but a really tight little section, with everyone around the 20lb mark. 21lb 11oz was enough to bring home the bacon for Jambo. Well Done to all the section winners.
A little mention for another new boy. Phil House, sea fishing legend, had his first proper taste of pole fishing today, and marked the occasion with his first ever barbel. I'm sure you'll all help him along in the coming year.
I wish you all a happy and lucky New Year, and I hope you draw the pegs you want. Hope to see you all at the AGM on Tuesday 5th Jan 2016.  

Xmas match at LINGMERE, 13/12/15 ~ The Gnome pulls off a hat-trick

The spirit of Christmas enhanced this match, putting an edge on the already brilliant camaraderie that exists between members. Gathering in the Lingmere café for brekkie and banter, several of the lads exchange little cards and gifts. Les Thompson presented Yozzer with a ski-style bobble hat with tassels. Particularly striking were the lime green, pink and black colourings to match the lime green coat he has been sporting recently. From a purely functional point of view, it was perfect for keeping the ears warm on as cold a day as we've had so far this winter.
From a psychological point of view it seemed to bedazzle half the field, who were more concerned with ridiculing the said gift than actually fishing. Having drawn a dolly peg too, The Gnome took full advantage. Pellet at 5m was the successful approach, as he put 49lb 04oz of skimmers and F1s on the scales to complete a hat-trick, and win the fish-off for the 20lb challenge too.
Drawn next door was the King of the Ling, AKA Dirk Wriggler. As daft as it sounds, he attracted too many fish into his peg and spent half the match struggling with foul-hooked fish before losing them. It proved costly, as he finished off the pace with 39lb 14oz. Still an outstanding effort to take the runner-up spot.
Knocking on the door yet again, another venue regular, Nasty Nick Harrop just can't get his head in front. The 'faggot with the maggot' put on another fabulous display but again fell short, his 36lb 04oz impressive, but only good enough for bronze.
Section prizes were keenly fought over, with some close encounters. Steve Coleman's excellent 29lb 14oz beat Cargy by 7oz, while  our little rotund friend Les Thompson saw his generosity rewarded as his 19lb 05oz pipped Col Cook by a mere 6oz. Buckall Rogers completed the top lake prize winners with a comfortable section win with his 28lb 11oz return. A big well done to them all.
On the bottom lake it was a different story. Struggling to show any real form for a couple of weeks now, it again proved a tough nut to crack. It was, however, a very fair contest as it was hard for everyone. Best weight on this lake was from Jamie Pickup with a modest 15lb 01oz catch. Ken Stuart maintained recent top form with a section winning 12lb 07oz, while Sumo wiped his feet on the way to success, his 10lb 07oz net inching into the money by a mere 3oz. Good efforts from all three.
Hot food after the match was a godsend. It gave everyone a chance to get warm, and for post-match information and banter to be shared and discussed. Pity it couldn't happen after all matches. Those who attended exchanged good wishes for the forthcoming festive season. For those who couldn't get there,  I wish you and your family all the very best for Christmas and 2016. See you at Lingy on the 27th.