Colbrain romps to open win

Angling: DAVE Colbrain bagged the latest Todmorden AS open match on the Rochdale Canal thanks to a superb net of roach in the two to six ounce bracket.

Drawn on lorry park peg three, he used caster down the middle for a match-winning 6lb 5oz.

Runner-up Daz Kershaw opted for caster at various lengths close to the swing bridge for 3lb 7oz of roach.

The previous week’s winner, Paul Booth, had to settle for third place from his peg at the back of Gordon Rigg Garden Centre.

Drawn in the same area seven days earlier, he used his knowledge of the patch to land 2lb 13oz of punch and caster on roach.

Fourth place went to Dave Bradley with a lot of small roach on bread punch (2lb 9oz), Dave Brierley’s 2lb 8oz of roach on caster was good enough for fifth, while Lennie Fosdyke was sixth with 2lb 7oz.

o I WAS drawn on peg 11, which can be good peg. However, in the last few matches, the hot-spots have been at the opposite end of the section.

I used bread punch at eight metres and concentrated on that line for the first three hours.

Despite catching steadily, I did not put much weight into my net.

The angler on the next peg switched to caster and was rewarded with a big roach around the 12oz mark.

I was in a nice rhythm until I lost my rig on an under-the-water snag and never really recovered from it.

Changing to caster for the last two hours, I had the odd small fish which weighed an ounce or less and eventually finished the day with 1lb 10oz.



THERE was a low turn-out for Saturday’s Todmorden AS open on the Todmorden length of the Rochdale Canal
Just two competitors weighed in, with the winner, Jim Newham, catching a bream of 2lb 2oz. Organiser Simon Walton tipped 130 roach on to the scales for just 13oz.



TOMORROW’S Todmorden AS open is on the Morrisons length of the Rochdale Canal, with the draw in the car park at 9am.
There are plenty of fish in the area and it has produced some good match weights in the last month or so.

Meanwhile, Sunday’s Todmorden AS open now takes place on the Rochdale Canal in Sowerby Bridge (9am draw).

Chopped worm is worth a go as their are some big perch in this area.

Anglers should use bread punch and caster as there are plenty of roach, plus the odd bream and tench.



THE first Todmorden AS members Trophy match is on Sunday at Croft Fishery. To book, call 01706 374689. The draw is up to 8.30am with fishing from 9.15am to 2.15pm.

The matches are fortnightly, with Croft and Townhouse taking turns to act as hosts.



Venue Guide
Denshaw Vale: Memberships available. For more details, contact John on (0161) 665 1779.

Ogden Reservoir: Day tickets on the bank and at Tight Lines, Shaw.

Huddersfield Narrow Canal: Day tickets on the bank. Fish are feeding. Greenfield area has plenty of small fish. Bread punch, squatt or pinkie best.

Rochdale Canal: Plenty of pike feeding, so give spinning a try. Roach in isolated pockets, but most pegs worth a few fish. Caster for the better stamp fish.

Bardsley Canal: Always good for a few fish, with roach, perch and skimmers feeding. Day tickets on the bank.

Chadderton Mill Lodge: Pleasure anglers catching plenty. The waggler and maggot are attracting bits as well as ide and carp. Pole-fished pellet for decent carp.

Park Lake: Day tickets on the bank. Cat ice on Wednesday, so expect it to be frozen this weekend.



Diary Dates
Every Sunday: Northern AA open matches on the Macclesfield Canal. For further details, contact Albert on (0161) 792 2684.

Every fortnight: Chadderton Mill AC winter league on the club water.

Monarch AC winter series: Members-only matches on the club water. For further details, contact Dean on (0161) 213 0539 or 07518 459714.

Every Saturday: Todmorden AS open matches on the Rochdale Canal. For details, contact Simon on 07896 237224.

Every Sunday: Todmorden AS open matches on the Rochdale Canal. For details, call Frank on 07769 905319.

Every Sunday: Pilsworth Fishery open matches. Draw 10am in the car park.

To report any news or views on the local or national angling scene, call Jan Verbruggen on 07846 456408 or email janangling@hotmail.co.uk