This year's Summer League was one of the closest finishes for many years. The winner of this final Wines & Spirits match was Graham Jones with 11 Lbs 9 Ozs from peg 6, which gave him the 10 points needed to take the league with a total of 55 points. Nick Bastock unfortunately blanked from peg 83, so remained on 45 points for runner-up spot and Dave Upton, who also blanked from peg 102, finished third. There was a very hard frost overnight and the bright sunshine, combined with low and clear river conditions, made this a very hard match. Graham Jones fished the waggler and maggot for most of the match and had four chub for his winning weight. Ken Arnold used stick float and maggot for a 10 Lbs 9 Ozs weight and 2nd place, from peg 76, which again consisted of four chub. Third was the only man to make contact with a barbel, Keith Williams, from fancied peg 95. Keith (once he had found peg 95, as he had not been to this part of the river before!) had to use "stand-by" tackle, as his was with mate Tony Poolton, in Cressage Meadow, who had taken the wrong holdall from Keith's car! Despite this his 5 Lbs weight was good enough for a useful third place. Well done Graham. We'll all have to try harder next year!

Carl Pavey got up very early on 16 June to start the new season on our river. He was fishing soon after 5 a.m. and managed this fantastic bag of 24 barbel to 8 Lbs, plus 1 chub for a haul well in excess of the magic "Ton". Carl's only disappointment was when "a torpedo" took his pellet bait and stripped off 25 yards of line without so much as a nod, then the hook pulled free! Must have been one of those hard fighting carp, methinks Carl - or was it one of the many double-figure barbel now frequenting our water? Anyway, a great start to the new season. Well done!

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