Boldings report

SPORTS DESK. 6/2/07

A GREAT START AND FINISH FOR RAF MAN NIGE CLARKE, AS CORN TAKES OVER AS TOP BAIT AT BOLDINGS.

Corn was king at Boldings Pools this week, with all four match winners using the bait for their successes.

The mid-week matches both produced clear winners, while the Saturday and Sunday events gave much tighter frames. The clearest winner was Gary Morris (OB Wolves) who left the rest well in wake at the Thursday open, and recorded the top catch of the week, 63-15-0. The haul came from peg 26 on the Chestnut, where Gary fished corn to the island for carp to 8lbs.

Winner of last Thursdays match, Colin Reynolds (Bilston Angling) was second this time, but didn’t get near to matching the winner with a pellet and maggot fed 29-3-0 from peg 7 on the Chestnut. Corner peg 4 on the Sycamore provided Tony Foster (OB Wolves) with 24-9-0 for third, and just behind him was Mick Jameson (Middy ML) on 23-12-0 at Chestnut 35.

Tony Foster scored a pool best on the Wednesday open too, but again it was only good enough to give him third as the Middle Pool outdid the Hawthorn. Top man this time was Nige Clarke (RAF Trabuco) who was in the corner at peg 11 on the Middle. He combined corn with pellet to fish close to the side to find carp to 4lbs for a 56-3-0 winner.

At the nest peg Karl Haywood (Sedgeley) went out to 8 metres with shallow fished maggot to find carp in the 1 to 4lb bracket to put together a total of 44-11-0 to take second.

Over on the Hawthorn Tony Foster finished only 4 ounces shy of second with 44-7-0 at corner peg 7. Diagonally opposite Tony, at peg 15, Steve Roberts (Rod & Gun) grabbed 4^th with 42-4-0.

When the week-end came around there were some hard frosts to contend with, followed by some bright sunny conditions. Mel Kitson (Rod & Gun) made the most of the winter sun to add a win to his two frame places of last week, when he drew peg 8 on the Oak Pool. Mel fished corn and pellet close in and at 5 metres to net carp to 7 lbs on his way to 54-2-0. On the same side of the oak, Ted Ecclestone (Maver Wolves) worked with pellet, close in and at 10 metres to stay with the winner for much of the match but fell 5lbs short by the finish to scale 49-6-0. Third also came from the Oak when Alan Naylor (Rod & Gun) put 41-2-0 on the scales at peg 29. Fourth went to a Hawthorn Pool best of 39-4-0 from Paul Cartwright (OB Wolves).

The Ash Pool proved best on Sunday, when the temperature dipped to minus 5, and Nige Clarke proved to be best rod for the second time in the weeks proceedings, finishing as he started, in top spot. Nige was on Ash 7, and headed a tight frame with 36-12-0 on corn and caster at 12 metres. Paul Cartwright framed again, finishing a close second with 35-3-0 of carp and roach at Ash 4.

Jason Elwell (Wednesbury) had all the threes with 33-3-0 for 3^rd from the Oak Pool, to just beat Mark Stevens (OB Wolves) on 32-13-0 at Ash 9.