I have had a few enquiries and some members have already sent me their subscriptions for 2017. So I thought I would clarify the process of membership renewal.

As usual, I will be sending out reminder letters and emails, along with a newsletter, on or about the 31st December. I leave it till then so they don't get lost in the Christmas post. I have just received the newsletters and the 2017 membership cards back from the printers, so all is set to post these to you in the New Year. Please be patient!

Bernie

Hon Secretary

All competitors should note the following rather different Match Rules for this venue - particularly the requirement for 3 keep nets!

20161214150504.pdf (127.10 kb)

Matt Surmacz looks back on one of his fishing trips last summer:

My dad was with me and my nephew, Charlie, but we'd all struggled for a bite throughout the day. This was, I think, our 4th and final move before we called it a day. We were just setting up and casting in when my dad realised he'd left his cap in the last peg we'd fished, so he went back to get it saying not to catch all the barbel while he was gone! Within minutes of him leaving Charlie's rod went with what was, no doubt, a barbel on the end, hugging the bottom and plodding down stream. I went up the bank to try and shout my dad, but he was out of sight. So I went back down to the peg to offer some advice to Charlie to make sure he didn't lose the only fish of the day, when my rod nearly got dragged in by what could only be another barbel bite. After myself and Charlie eventually managed to stop laughing and prevented the fish from crossing each other, I netted my barbel of around 5 or 6lb. Charlie got his fish in 5 or 10 minutes afterwards, a nice 8 pounder. Then, true to form, my dad reappeared having missed all the mahem and couldn't believe it when we told him we had 2 barbel in the net. We weighed the fish and did the photos (see below) and cast the rods out again in anticipation of a bite for my dad to complete the treble, but unfortunately it didn't happen and we packed away at dusk and walked back to the car with myself and my dad having to listen to Charlie reminding us he had caught the biggest barbel of the day!

One of those days that will always be remembered and I'm sure a story told many more times and exactly why we do it.

Please click the link below to see Matt and Charile's fish.

received_10210276179837229.jpeg (82.45 kb)

The hard night frosts and cold wintery days leading up to the 4th December had frozen the Canal Pool at Hough fishery. Competitors were met with about 10mm thick ice over the entire pool. But after sterling efforts from Clive Biddulph, who was pulled round the pool in a small boat, as there were no oars, used a garden rake to pull himself towards the island and broke the ice in all 17 pegs used for the match. It was, therefore, justly fitting that he finished in second place with 6 Lbs dead, only beaten by Bob Smith with 8 Lbs 12 Ozs. Third was Kevin Nicholls with 5 Lbs 8 Ozs. The extreme conditions meant that it was difficult to locate fish for most of us (especially me!) but the 'secret' bait was bread punch that worked for those that caught well. The league is now headed by Ken Arnold, who is just ahead on weight, but tied with Bob Smith on 17 points. Our Match Secretary, Will Carr had a good result to pop into third place with 15 points. For the full result, please clickon the link.

WINTER LEAGUE 2017 POINTS MATCH 3 HOUGH FISHERY.xlsx (46.37 kb)