Family affair goes down to the wire

Angling:

CRANBERRY AC’s last match of the year at an impressive Beacons Fishery in Appley Bridge turned out to be a family affair.

But it was a close call, with only a pound separating winner Mark Eaton-Dykes and his dad. Steve.

Eaton-Dykes junior used the 11-metre pole and maggot for skimmers and small carp in a 26lb net, while Eaton Dykes senior had an identical catch on pole-fished maggot of 25lb.



PETE Cuniffe continued his superb form by taking first place in the latest Medlock Bridge AC open match on the Park Lake.

Employing hemp and caster, he tempted a level 22lb of roach, skimmers and chub. Steve Hall, in second place, used chopped worm and caster at 11 metres on peg 30 for 11lb 11oz of chub, roach and skimmers. But he also lost four fish, which cost him the match.



CHADDERTON-based Steve Clegg showed his class in the Northern AA open on the Macclesfield Canal.

The Saints rod emerged victorious thanks to a 9lb 8oz net made up of roach and skimmers.

He used the nine-metre pole and bread punch before switching to lobworm down the middle track for perch, the biggest touching 2lb. Runner-up Mark Wain was well-adrift in second place with 3lb 11oz of

silvers.



THE last match in the Pennine Winter League on the Brighouse Canal, in Brighouse, was a better than expected with 2lb or more required to win most sections.

Individually, George Colbran claimed first place with bream and some roach on pole-fished caster weighing in at 5lb 10oz.

Chris Roberts, of Trabrucco Halifax, was second with 4lb 11oz of small roach on bread punch.



I HAD two pleasure sessions on the Rochdale Canal. The Ship Inn length at Castleton was my

destination, where thanks to bread punch down the track, I tempted plenty of small roach and skimmers. For the last hour of each session, I switched to hemp and after feeding it regularly found roach in the 2 to 4oz bracket.

At the end of each session, I weighed in about 4lb to 5lb of roach.



Venue Guide

Denshaw Vale: Memberships are available. For further details, contact John on (0161) 665 1779.

Dowry Reservoir: Day tickets available from Tight Lines, Shaw and Sheddings Angling.

Ogden Reservoir: Day tickets on the bank and at Tight Lines, Shaw. With mild conditions, the bream should feed together with decent-sized roach.

Huddersfield Narrow Canal: Day tickets on the bank. Chopped worm and caster for small fish.

Rochdale Canal: Fishing well with plenty of roach feeding on caster and hemp.

Bardsley Canal: Day tickets on the bank. Small fish on maggot.

Alexandra Park Lake: Day tickets on the bank. Fantastic fishing on this day-ticket water. Pole-fished bread punch and maggot are accounting for plenty of roach, skimmers and chub.

Hollingworth Lake: Small groundbait feeder with red maggot on the hook are tempting small silvers and the odd skimmer.



Diary Dates

Sunday: Todmorden AS members-only trophy match on Townhouse. Details, (01706) 374689.

Every Saturday: Medlock Bridge AC open match on the Park Lake. Draw 10am at Kings Road. Fishing 11am to 4pm. Details, Darren on 07753 414838.

Every Thursday: Tameside Federation members-only matches on Stonepits. Draw 9.30am. Fishing 10.15am to 3.15pm. Pools are £5 on the day.

News or views on local angling? Contact Jan on 07846 456408 or email janangling@hotmail.co.uk 



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