Angling column: Superb roach catch brings back angling memories of years gone by

Older anglers will no doubt remember the days before commercial fisheries were invented and before the associated carp invasion began, the days when anglers’ favourite fish were roach.

Back then we travelled to the Trent to find a net full or to Ireland to find lots of nets full, but today they are no longer the top of any anglers list and so so seeing them in any numbers is a distant memory for most.

Until last weekend that is when the first match at Ulley Reservoir was fished last Saturday and when Paul Hardy fed a 13m swim with hemp and casters and proceeded to land an impressive winning weight of 28lbs 6ozs.

And Paul wasn’t alone, Rob Perkins took second place with 21lbs 9ozs of beautiful red fins, Martyn Long won his section with 15lbs 13ozs of roach caught with the feeder as did Andrew Bailey who won his section with 15lbs 15ozs of roach. Steve Boo Day was the third section winner with 11lbs of feeder caught small fish. One can only assume that the venue’s pike must all be on holiday.

Perch and skimmers were the quarry for Paul Slack who pole fished for 14lbs 12ozs of them to win last Thursday’s match at Elsecar Reservoir. Les Billups was second for the second week running, with 9lbs exactly, and the section winners were Dave Howitt with 5lbs 8ozs and David Kaye with 7lbs 5ozs.

Last Wednesday saw the last match in Ravenfield Ponds AC’s Multi-Pond League which fished on Bircliffe Pond and for most it was hard going. Richard Brookes however does well on this water and he showed his skill yet again taking a winning 16lbs 6ozs net of bream and ide. Gary Yorke finished second with 9lbs 6ozs just holding off Stuart Senior who was third with 9lbs 5ozs. Tony Copnell was fourth with 6lbs 12ozs and the section winners were Mark Morris with 6lbs 6ozs and Colin Hughes with 5lbs 2ozs.

The Doncaster DAA Super Wednesday Final was fished at Southfield Reservoir last week with 26 qualifiers competing for a share of the £1008 Super Pool pot. And strangely while bream and skimmers were caught early on once the wind picked up the fish shut. Dave Clarkson however managed a couple of bream and some skimmers to win the day with 12lbs and take home £400. Tommy Pickering’s 11lbs put him in second place and won him £300 while Matt Wright weighed 9lbs 12ozs for third and £200 and Mick Vials weighed 8lbs 12ozs for fourth and £100. The section winners all collected £75 and were Kevin Foster, 5lbs 6ozs, Eddie Bridon, 4lbs 5ozs, Trevor Parkin, 6lbs 2ozs, Owen Gott, 8lbs and Mike Cayton, 7lbs 3ozs.

It is Winter League time of year and Ravenfield Ponds AC held their first of this winter on the Gt. Pond where Richard Brookes had his second win of the week at the venue with an excellent 31lbs 8ozs net. Stuart Senior took the second place with 24lbs 3oze leaving Les Varley in third with 15lbs 6ozs. Colin Hughes was fourth with 13lbs 12ozs and the section winners were Harry Booth, 7lbs 6ozs, Neil Humphries, 12lbs 5ozs, and Alan Tomkins, 12lbs 4ozs.

The Walkley Winter League commenced at Candy Corner fishing Hosker’s and AJ’s lakes. The lake winner on Hosker’s was Clive Machin with 52lbs 9ozs and the section winner Daz Edwards had 45lbs 10ozs. The lake winner on AJ’s was Jamie Lovitt with 103lbs 7ozs. Kev Stancill was second with 67lbs 4ozs and third was Matt Dalton with 60lbs 8ozs. The section winners were Gary Yorke, 36lbs 8ozs, Malc Thompson, 55lbs 12ozs, Dave Bramhall, 59lbs 3ozs and Chris Garlick, 45lbs 8ozs.

Barnburgh Lakes held their Annual Big Un event last weekend on both the Bottom and Top Ponds and where the overall winner of both ponds was Danny Kean with 88lbs 1oz.

John Cotton was the winner on the Top Pond with 50lbs 9ozs and the section winners were Luke Wolstenholme, 49lbs and Daz Stanley, 46lbs 8ozs. The section winners on the Bottom Pond were Ry Law, 86lbs 3ozs and Simon Hill, 63lbs 10ozs.

Tuesday’s winner at the venue on the Top Lake was Jack Tansley, 58lbs 6ozs. Paul Turner was second with 49lbs 8ozs with Les Peace third with 44lbs 15ozs. Tom Hill was fourth with 40lbs 8ozs, Gaz Simpson fifth with 39lbs 2ozs and Paul Nash sixth with 38lbs 7ozs.

Liam Levitt led the way at Lowfield Lakes on Sunday winning the match on the Main Lake with 55lbs. Ben Fox claimed the second place with 42lbs 11ozs and Martin Sedgwick was third with 37lbs 8ozs. The section winners were John Blackburn with 27lbs 12ozs, and Brandon Denton, 24lbs 1oz.

John Hardy was the winner of Thursday’s open match held on the Long Lake at Kiveton Hall farm with 100lbs 5ozs. Steve Hanrahan finished second with 48lbs 3ozs and Barry Moat third with 45lbs 14ozs. Luke Wolstenholme, Ricky Darby, and Tony Wilson were section winners with 43lbs 4ozs, 42lbs 10ozs and 31lbs 10ozs respectively.

Wayne Heywood won Sunday’s open at the venue which was fished on the Island Lake with 94lbs 1oz. Lee Hendley was second with 40lbs 6ozs and the section winners were Gary smith, 12lbs 13ozs and Steve Beatson, 27lbs 13ozs.

Nigel Darwin won the match on the Long Lake with 56lbs 1oz. Paul Butcher was second with 47lbs 13ozs and Steve Hanrahan was third with 41lbs 13ozs.

Rotherham’s 65’ers latest match was fished on Hayfield’s Danny’s Lake last week where Bernard Austin was the winner with 84lbs. Tim Hamilton’s 82lbs 1oz gave him the second place ahead of Derek Oldfield who was third with 70lbs. Trev Fisher and Mike Rhodes both weighed 60lbs 9oz to tie for fourth place while Steve Roe and Billy Meadows were section winners with 59lbs 11ozs and 54lbs respectively.

Dave Shaft was the winner of Sunday’s open at Bank End with 95lbs 10ozs. Declan Bailey finished second with 88lbs 6ozs leaving Dean Smith in third place with 77lbs 9ozs and John Pearson in fourth with72lbs 4ozs. Dean Foster was fifth with 64lbs 9ozs and Steve Rylance sixth with 61lbs 12ozs.

Monday’s match at Wentworth saw John Tollerfield put 17lbs 11ozs on the scales for victory ahead of Paul Wilkinson who took second place with 16lbs 12ozs. Ernie Gilberthorpe’s 12lbs 10ozs was enough for third place while just 1oz seperated the fourth and fifth placed anglers Mark Whittaker and John Williams who weighed 11lbs 5ozs and 11lbs 4ozs. Lee Cawthorne was sixth with 10lbs 7ozs.