report
The week began slowly at Boldings Pools on a cold and blustery Monday when a level 49-0-0 gave Ryan Burgwine [Drennan] a big advantage over the rest in the Monday open. Carp to 5lbs and barbel to 4lbs put Ryan in charge of proceedings, the fish coming to maggot and pellet, 8 metres out from peg 16 on the Willows Pool.
Dave Doughty [Woodend] had less than half the winners weight, 23-9-0,to finish second. He was on the other side of the pool, at peg 8, and had carp to 4lbs on maggot. Steve Forest [Nomads] and Steve Owen [Monkhall] battled for third, with Forest just getting the place by 20-13-0 to 20-12-0. They were on pegs 4 and 5.
The heavy rain in the week left anglers in the Wednesday open having to contend with flooded pools, but contend they did and last week's double winner Jason Andrews [Weston Pools] picked up another win by presenting his pellet bait at 13 metres, and to the paddles at Stock peg 7. Carp in the 4lbs bracket accepted the bait, and at the finish, Jason had a level 52-0-0 to hand over to the scales.
Round at peg 4 Stuart Aston [Swan AC] worked maggot to the stumps, and at 7 metres to net carp to 3lbs, which left him to finish a brace of fish shy of the top weight on 46-4-0. Over at peg 10 Steve Forest framed again by sharing 3rd place with Paul Evans [PI Boldings] at peg 11, both men weighing in 38-6-0.
Thursday saw a very close finish with only 2 ounces between first and second places. Jordan Hall [Middy] was the man to just squeeze home in first when his pellet at 7 metres and maggot at 10 metres put 73-5-0 of carp to 6lbs and barbel to 3lbs in the weigh tub at Sycamore peg 33.
Howard Williams [Weston Pools] might have more fish than the winner but the carp at peg 13 ran a bit smaller, with fish to 5lbs together with bream to 3lbs making up a net of 73-3-0. Howard also caught on pellet and maggot, which he worked at 4 metres. Simon Richardson [Maver] was only one fish behind second with his 70-4-0 at peg 4. Fourth went to the top weight from the Larch Pool, 54-3-0, which was recorded by Andy Sherwood [P I Bold] at peg 4.
Scott Doodson [Maver] turned Sycamore peg 4 into a winner on Saturday with a maggot to the far bank approach which netted him 64-5-0 of carp to 7lbs.
That was too much for Les Thompson [Matrix] despite the fact that he included a carp of 16lbs in his net. Les fished maggot at 12 metres and close in at Sycamore 50, where most of his fish were in the 5lbs range, and he finished on 58-7-0. Third came from the same area of the Sycamore as the top two when Steve Roberts [Oakengates Ang Cent] scaled 56-0-0 at peg 6. Fourth came from the Larch again, going to Jamie Langford [PI Bold] who had 52-6-0 at peg 14.
For the second week running Dave Brown [Maver] set the top weight of the week to win the Sunday open, and what a weight it was this week.
Drawn on point peg 8 he operated with shallow maggot to fish out from the point, alternated with forays to the margins around the point, and picked off carp to 8lbs as well as barbel to 4lbs to build a tremendous 151-10-0 total.
Runner up Rob Hancox [Kings] found his very respectable Willows best of 80-14-0, caught on pellet and maggot at 13 metres and down the edge of peg 16, completely overshadowed by the winners haul.
Paul Wheeler [PI Bold] was close behind in third, his level 79-0-0 came from Willows peg 14. Jamie Langford collected another fourth with his71-4-0 from Sycamore 4.
