Graham on top at Saltfleetby – UK champion conquers Wold View

HUMBERSTON angler Graham Garrod switched venues – but still succeeded in catching a winning weight.

Garrod usually goes to Wold View at Claxby and is often in the prizes.

He decided to have a change, and Saltfleetby Fisheries has been his chosen venue the past few weeks.

Last weekend he had an excellent draw and finished up with double the weight of the next competitor.

He caught carp down at the edge towards the house, on both the bomb and the pole.

Over on peg three, Tom Braithwaite was in brilliant form.

He decided to target silver fish on the long pole and ended up with 16.4lb.

Next in was Matty Benwell, who should have doubled his weight but lost big fish under the platform when the elastic was stretched to the limit.

There are some big fish in the main lake and one angler lost one estimated at around 20lb.

This happened when the unfortunate angler, Ben Johnson, touched the fish with the landing net and spooked it. The fish shot away and broke the line.

The day before, one angler caught a 19lb carp from the main lake.

Again it was nearly full – so make sure you book in.

Laceby Saxons were in action on the Ancholme on the Cakemills stretch.

They fished pegs 1-16, and by all accounts it was a bit of a struggle for all those taking part.

First was P Dolby with 4lb from peg 14. Next was Wayne Easter with 3.7lb from peg 11. Ben Rowbottom was third with 2.1lb off peg 2.

The River Ancholme was not kind for the first match of the year for the Police AC.

It was running hard and made fishing difficult.

Experienced angler Phil Parker, who was alternating between big maggot and bread punch, caught 3lb of roach. Next was Jeff Holmes, who decided to fish the feeder. He had 2.3lb.

At Wold View, the gold lake is still out of bounds due to high water levels, so the matches were on the silver lake instead.

There were plenty of fish rolling, but they were not interested in the anglers, baits.

First was Chris Mack with 26lb from peg 20 ahead of Simon Piggott with 14lb from peg 28 and Brian Tuck with 12lb from peg 35.

The next match at the same venue featured Grimsby's UK champion Marc Rodger.

He showed his vast knowledge and experience to nearly double the weight of the next angler.

Rodger hauled in 32lb from peg 28, ahead of Mack, who caught 18lb from peg 12.

At Messingham Sands, Grimsby angler Keith Easton, who formerly fished with the elite Barnsley Blacks match team, was in action.

He has had a lay-off from match fishing for a few years, but has now renewed his passion for the sport and has shown that he has lost none of his ability.

Easton has found that he enjoys the silverfish style of match fishing at commercial lakes and ponds.

All of the skills learned while competing against the top anglers on the natural venues of old can still be employed in a competitive environment.

He has had considerable success this season at Messingham in the Saturday Silverfish series, which runs from November to April, winning five of the 11 matches staged so far.

Easton has set his stall out to catch skimmer bream by fishing soft pellet over groundbait on the long pole and has had success on both the swan pond and the islands lake, taking his wins with weights of between 25lbs and 40lbs.

In the latest competition, he drew peg 51 on the Swan Pond and his 25lbs winning weight also landed him the golden peg and a £300 payout for the day.

The Oak Tree Pond was used for a midweek match and produced some good weights, with 50lbs plus needed to make the frame.

Grimsby angler Gary Hansford top-scored with 57lbs of carp and skimmers taken on long pole and corn.