After some decent performances and some duff ones on Saturday, the Wirral Raiders WhatsApp group had set standards at both ends of the spectrum for Eggy lads to match or better. Of course we had the worst of it following persistent rain and low overnight temperatures. Hence the poor showing from the Pickup boys. Both matched the low end standard as they left early so catched nuttin.
At the other end, following an intense training camp at Tunnel Barn in mid-week, Nick Harrop, maggot maestro and tormentor of F1s, scored a runaway win. A magnificent demonstration of angling prowess saw Nasty bring 41lb 09oz to the scales. Let this be a lesson to you all. It's your bait that he beat you with, having collected "old" bait after every match for the last God knows how long. Fermented maggot and sweaty caster proved a winner this time. Well done Nick.
One of the chief bait donators is The Wriggler. His generosity proved unwise on this occasion as he was a clear second with another decent weight on the day. 29lb 07oz gave Derek some much needed bait money and, as the other half of the Leasowe Gentry was also in the money, it was a happy ride home. Andy Lawton put together a late run of F1s to clinch section glory with his 15lb 11oz return. Good performances from both.
Finally making the frame after about 50 attempts was The Cookie Monster (he's my cousin you know). His 18lb 05oz catch put him on the podium, and also inched Yozzer off it. 18lb 04oz was only sufficient for section honours so congratulations to Steve, about time too!
The final section again went to John Rogers, and amazingly it was with another embarrassingly low weight. After collecting with 4lb and 5lb in the last couple of outings, 3lb 08oz was enough to do the business this time. Good lad for sticking it out though. You could endure the full course on Ninja Warrior I suspect Bucko.
Monday, 8 February 2016
Tuesday, 2 February 2016
LINGMERE, 31/1/16 ~ Super Spadge earns Sumo submission
How many times do you turn up at Lingmere, take a look at the lake, and think..... conditions might be ok today. Then, as soon as some idiot shouts "all in", the wind instantly picks up and spoils pre-match plans.
This week, those plans included a 'How do I beat Sumo, who's on peg 20 and has brought the awesome Jigga rig with him?' strategy.
Pegged next door, Dave Lynch formulated a plan and then executed it perfectly. It went something like this: Offer John a £2 side bet, start catching from the off, then after 2 hours tell him the Caernarvon is open. Sumo duly packs up, hands over the sovereign and toddles off to the pub...... job done. Spadger ended up with a respectable 39lb 14oz, good enough for victory, so well done Dave.
Taking conditions into consideration, Lee Pickup decided upon a 'tip only' plan. After an hour he was on the short pole and bagging??? A cheeky 35lb 12oz eased him into second place. Nice one Lee, good plan.
While 3/4 of the field couldn't fish comfortably at 5 metres, Col Cook somehow managed to wield 19 metres for the entire match, and was rewarded with a bronze medal, 30lb 05oz being enough for a deserved podium spot. Well done you Crazy Fool.
Reflecting the differing conditions in different areas of the lake, section winners were as follows: Dirk Wriggler 23lb 12oz, Dennis Jones 24lb 14oz, John Rogers genuinely had F A (well 5lb 09oz is near enough), Dave Harrop 10lb 11oz, and Tony Wilson, away from his beloved peg 31, still managed 29lb 12oz.Well done to everyone on a difficult day.
This week, those plans included a 'How do I beat Sumo, who's on peg 20 and has brought the awesome Jigga rig with him?' strategy.
Pegged next door, Dave Lynch formulated a plan and then executed it perfectly. It went something like this: Offer John a £2 side bet, start catching from the off, then after 2 hours tell him the Caernarvon is open. Sumo duly packs up, hands over the sovereign and toddles off to the pub...... job done. Spadger ended up with a respectable 39lb 14oz, good enough for victory, so well done Dave.
Taking conditions into consideration, Lee Pickup decided upon a 'tip only' plan. After an hour he was on the short pole and bagging??? A cheeky 35lb 12oz eased him into second place. Nice one Lee, good plan.
While 3/4 of the field couldn't fish comfortably at 5 metres, Col Cook somehow managed to wield 19 metres for the entire match, and was rewarded with a bronze medal, 30lb 05oz being enough for a deserved podium spot. Well done you Crazy Fool.
Reflecting the differing conditions in different areas of the lake, section winners were as follows: Dirk Wriggler 23lb 12oz, Dennis Jones 24lb 14oz, John Rogers genuinely had F A (well 5lb 09oz is near enough), Dave Harrop 10lb 11oz, and Tony Wilson, away from his beloved peg 31, still managed 29lb 12oz.Well done to everyone on a difficult day.
Monday, 18 January 2016
LATHOMS No1, 17/1/16 ~ Blankety Blank Cheque book and pen anyone?
Winter has well and truly arrived. While keeping the aerators working produces an ice-free lake to fish, it also makes the water unnaturally cold and puts the fish off feeding. It happened this week. With 18 members starting this match, little did we realise how many cheque books and pens would be needed. Eleven DNWs, and half of those CFAd (catched fook all).
Still, the verbals flew round the lake as usual. No jigga, no fish for Sumo. No peg 31 Lingmere, no fish for Tony. Seems only Pato kept up his usual standards. Unfortunately for Neil, Buck Rogers managed 3 fish to his 2 and won the section with a level 4lb.
The Garden Gnome found 13 F1s to weigh 17lb 10oz and won comfortably.
Nasty Nick Harrop practiced the venue on Friday and the effort paid off as he produced 5 fish for 9lb 01oz to grab the runner-up berth. Well done, Nice boy.
Third place went to Jamie Pickup. Ingenuity triumphed! Jambo filled it in with a pint of casters at 13metres. This frightened all the fish in the area onto his short 5 metre line. 8 fish for 8lb 06oz was the result. Must bear that one in mind for the future.
It seems that if you caught, you picked up. Steve Cookie Monster had an F1 weighing 2lb 02oz, while Lee Pickup had one of 14oz. Both were section winners, so good stuff for sticking it out until the end.
Despite a bitterly cold day with nothing to get excited about on the fishing front, everyone was still in reasonable spirits at the end, and the camaraderie shone throughout the contest. Well done to all for that.
Still, the verbals flew round the lake as usual. No jigga, no fish for Sumo. No peg 31 Lingmere, no fish for Tony. Seems only Pato kept up his usual standards. Unfortunately for Neil, Buck Rogers managed 3 fish to his 2 and won the section with a level 4lb.
The Garden Gnome found 13 F1s to weigh 17lb 10oz and won comfortably.
Nasty Nick Harrop practiced the venue on Friday and the effort paid off as he produced 5 fish for 9lb 01oz to grab the runner-up berth. Well done, Nice boy.
Third place went to Jamie Pickup. Ingenuity triumphed! Jambo filled it in with a pint of casters at 13metres. This frightened all the fish in the area onto his short 5 metre line. 8 fish for 8lb 06oz was the result. Must bear that one in mind for the future.
It seems that if you caught, you picked up. Steve Cookie Monster had an F1 weighing 2lb 02oz, while Lee Pickup had one of 14oz. Both were section winners, so good stuff for sticking it out until the end.
Despite a bitterly cold day with nothing to get excited about on the fishing front, everyone was still in reasonable spirits at the end, and the camaraderie shone throughout the contest. Well done to all for that.
Monday, 11 January 2016
LINGMERE, 10/1/16 ~ King Edwards makes everyone look like a spud!
I've done a lot of moaning about wind and rain of late, but the real winter finally arrived on Sunday. No rain, but a stiff breeze which cut right through you. Boy it was cold. It didn't affect the fishing though, as 2 thirds of the field went into the next round of the 20lb challenge at the first time of asking.
Newbie Dave Edwards proved that his 3rd place over Xmas was not a fluke, as he caught all day on maggot and amassed a brilliant total of 71lb.That made him king for the day putting him well clear and dispelling the theory that the 'Edwards' name is synonymous with muppet. Well done Dave.
Having said that, John Edwards excelled again, this time as a section winner with 24lb 01oz. Following some pre-match banter when he talked about being a big fish in a small pond, he shall now be called Nemo.... a small fish in a very small tank!
Jamie Pickup watched Dave getting one a bung for the first hour before taking a different approach, similar to the winner. This propelled him from also-ran to runner-up as he put a top quality net together which went to 47lb 12oz at the scales. Great effort from Jbay.
In 3rd place, putting on another good show, was Tony Wilson (he's nearly as famous as the man off the telly). A fine 42lb 02oz got Tony in the money. I wonder if he can do it off other pegs as well as 31 ? He seems to draw there on every match. Time will tell.
Les Thompson put in a sparkling display to get section glory with an impressive 36lb 05oz, while Chris Roe demonstrated the power of Maver poles by throwing 16m about for the most part, and putting an equally hard earned 36lb 11oz in the bucket.
Andy Lawton put the silver salver down long enough to catch 22lb 12oz, and earn section money too. The butler did well from peg 11, which normally brings a moan or two when it's in the drawbag.
Newbie Dave Edwards proved that his 3rd place over Xmas was not a fluke, as he caught all day on maggot and amassed a brilliant total of 71lb.That made him king for the day putting him well clear and dispelling the theory that the 'Edwards' name is synonymous with muppet. Well done Dave.
Having said that, John Edwards excelled again, this time as a section winner with 24lb 01oz. Following some pre-match banter when he talked about being a big fish in a small pond, he shall now be called Nemo.... a small fish in a very small tank!
Jamie Pickup watched Dave getting one a bung for the first hour before taking a different approach, similar to the winner. This propelled him from also-ran to runner-up as he put a top quality net together which went to 47lb 12oz at the scales. Great effort from Jbay.
In 3rd place, putting on another good show, was Tony Wilson (he's nearly as famous as the man off the telly). A fine 42lb 02oz got Tony in the money. I wonder if he can do it off other pegs as well as 31 ? He seems to draw there on every match. Time will tell.
Les Thompson put in a sparkling display to get section glory with an impressive 36lb 05oz, while Chris Roe demonstrated the power of Maver poles by throwing 16m about for the most part, and putting an equally hard earned 36lb 11oz in the bucket.
Andy Lawton put the silver salver down long enough to catch 22lb 12oz, and earn section money too. The butler did well from peg 11, which normally brings a moan or two when it's in the drawbag.
Tuesday, 5 January 2016
News from the AGM
Especially for those who didn't get to the AGM, The following requires a swift response from members:
Subs need to be paid by the March general meeting.
A £10 deposit is needed by the same meeting to secure your place on the weekend away. This year it is provisionally at Barston and Tunnel Barn over the dates September 9/ 10/ 11.
Sumo is the new Treasurer, and will be happy to accept your payments over the next few weeks.
If you wish to view what items of clothing are available for club T shirts etc, visit websites www.mdpsupplies.co.uk or www.cottonridge.co.uk
Subs need to be paid by the March general meeting.
A £10 deposit is needed by the same meeting to secure your place on the weekend away. This year it is provisionally at Barston and Tunnel Barn over the dates September 9/ 10/ 11.
Sumo is the new Treasurer, and will be happy to accept your payments over the next few weeks.
If you wish to view what items of clothing are available for club T shirts etc, visit websites www.mdpsupplies.co.uk or www.cottonridge.co.uk
Sunday, 27 December 2015
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.
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.
Monday, 14 December 2015
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.
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.
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