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.

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.

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

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.

LATHAMS No1. 29/11/15 ~ Yozzer is number one lunatic

Normally, when the weather isn't very good, anglers are described as 'brave'. Well let me tell you this, the 16 members who turned up for this match could only be called lunatics. Despite being out in some pretty awful stuff over the last few weeks, this one was positively tempestuous. Not one angler was actually that crazy to attempt a brolly, despite a series of showers passing through as the day progressed. The wind was ridiculous, and most unintentionally fed their margins on a regular basis, as bait boxes were blown off side-trays and into the lake.
Keeping rigs steady, even in the 'sheltered' pegs, was nigh on impossible as there was a strange swell on the water, to go with the ripple/ waves (delete as appropriate). The float went one way and then the other almost all day. In moments when it was settled you might get a bite if you were lucky.
Luckier than most was The Gnome, who made it back to back wins as he fished short on pellet. Sufficient numbers of bites came and he weighed a chart-topping 64lb 13oz net of mainly F1s.
This was just enough to see off the challenge of 'The Yeti' known as Chris Roe. Since last winter's successful campaign, we've hardly seen Chris. Suddenly he turns up and brings the winter with him, and immediately slips into form. An excellent 63lb 12oz, apparently caught shallow at 5m meant second place for Chris. Well done.
Nasty Nick Harrop probably had the worst of the weather to contend with, but nobody had any sympathy cos he's such a***** (insert a derogatory name of your choice). Credit though, as Nick made his Friday practice session pay off with a brilliant 42lb 12oz, which proved good enough to make the frame. Congratulations, he's a nice man really...... not.
The Pickup Brothers took the section prizes. Lee scraped into the 20lb challenge final at the last chance saloon, his 28lb 04oz also proving enough for section glory. Jamie, despite the wind, fished 13m all day. Maggot on the deck in 8ft of water earned him a decent net of quality ide supplemented by skimmers, tench, and an occasional F1. He ended with a very respectable 29lb 08oz. Imagine if he could master the 5 metre line, he'd be even more awesomer than he already is.

CUNNERIES, 22/11/15 ~ Gnome keeps cool as winter arrives

I suppose with all the mild weather of late, it was inevitable that winter would hit us with a bang. Two 'storms' back to back brought gale-force winds before rain, hail and even snow put in an appearance. Temperatures also took a dive, although we didn't quite get an overnight frost.
Just like last week, it looked as though we'd be in for a grueller, and despite it being decidedly cool when the sun went in, it turned out to be quite a pleasant day as long as you had enough coats on. Perhaps, surprisingly, everyone had a few bites too.
Typical winter F1 fishing meant chasing the fish around the peg. Most opted to fish the maggot, to good effect, but The Garden Gnome had other ideas. With the wriggly things still costing more than £1 a pint, he stuck to his twenty pence worth of micros and a few 4mm expanders. It worked a treat, and a fish after 3 minutes set the tone for his match. A total of 52 F1s went 65lb 12oz at the scales and put the Gnome on top of the tree.
Single maggot saw Tony Wilson catching steadily throughout, and at a rate many thought would be fast enough to win the match. Sadly he fell just short, with an estimated 43 F1s weighing in at 58lb 11oz. Another smart performance to supplement other recent efforts, well done Tony.
Third place went to the ever consistent John Rogers. He consistently tells everyone that he hasn't had much! Despite doing enough during the first part of the session to be in contention, the wheel seemed to fall off in the last 90 minutes and also saw Buck drop off the pace. He did, however, do sufficiently well in the early stages to register a fine 35lb 05oz. Nice one John, but you will now be known as 'Buck all' Rogers.
Weights in the low 20lb bracket took all three sections as Gary Brislen, Dave Harrop and wee Dennis Jones all picked up brown envelopes. Andy The Butler and Nick RS Harrop also recorded honourable 20lb scores but will have to be content with 'blog' mentions but no cigars.