13 hardy club members turned out on a freezing cold December morning to an amazing sunrise. Knowing fine well that a strong southernly wind would be in there faces for the next 5 and 3/4 hours. Fishing 2 hours of the flood and 3 hours 45 of the ebb. Hopes were high. 9 decided to draw pegs at the end of the pier with 4 deciding to fish the free zone on the pier. A vote was taken to either draw 2 pegs or 3 pegs (fishing 2hrs, 2hrs and 1hr 45mins at each peg) to allow as many members as possible on the end pegs. 3 pegs was voted for, with Neil (Draw Bag) Carter having pulled out the end peg for the first 2 rotations.
Sadly the fishing did not match the hopes prior to the match. Small undersized dabs and codling and a few sized dabs, whiting, coalfish and codling were all to be had for the first 4 hours. With Sean Dickenson taking the lead for largest fish with a 1lb 6oz codling and Neil Carter in the lead for heaviest bag. The dredger working the main channel in the river may have been to blame.
Last hour 45 of the match was more eventful with Tom Sawyer loosing a codling estimated to be around the 5/6lb mark at his feet on the lift. Very unlucky. Gordon Mason managed a codling of 1lb 12oz to take the lead for heaviest fish and to draw about level with Neil Carter. Time was called and Gordon pulls in a sized whiting to take the lead from the pegs. Long walk back down the pier to see what lads in the free zone had caught. Just one sized flounder for Graeme Armstrong.
The match was a joint Xmas and Memorial Match. A we observed a minutes silence for absent friends and Graeme Armstrong asked for a minutes silence for the 4 boys who tragically lost there lives on the ice in Solihull.
Full Result
Gordon Mason 3lb 5oz including Heaviest Fish 1lb 12oz. 15 points £90.
Neil Carter 2lb 8oz 9 points £60
Sean Dickenson 2lb 1oz 8 points £40
Mark Igo 1lb 9oz 7 points and £30
Tom Sawyer 1lb 6oz 6 points £20
Graeme Armstrong 1lb 5 points
Chris Barrass 14oz 4 points
Jason Dack 5oz 3 points
Heaviest single fish
Gordon Mason Codling 1lb 12oz £50
Sean Dickenson Codling 1lb £20
Graeme Armstrong Flounder 1lb £10
Golden Fish 9lb – Not won.
Well done to Gordon and all who fished.