Angling: '˜Worlds' is raising the stakes not eyebrows

Former world champion and winner of just about everything a river or lake can offer, Barnsley’s Tom Pickering never doubted its success and, as manager with the help of head coach Glen Lawrence, quickly guided his team to No1 in the FIPsed world rankings.

This year the team are aiming to make it three gold medals in a row, and it looks as though his plans and preparations are going to plan.

Last week, competing in the Preston Serbia Team Feeder Challenge held on the DTD Channel – an arm of the River Danube in Novi Sad – his two five-man teams, England Blue and Green, proved they are getting things right just in time for the main event to be held on the same venue in June.

England Green won day one comfortably and took an overall two-day team bronze just in front of its Blue sister team which came in fourth.

Sheffield’s Wayne Bartholomew was the top England performer, taking a bronze individual medal, just beating team-mate Mick Vials on weight countback.

Team Hungary won overall team gold with Holland a silver, showing the competition in June will be hard.

But, with the information gleaned from last weekend, I wouldn’t bet against England making history with a third gold on the trot.

My own quick jaunt to Europe last week didn’t go exactly to plan, with Andorra’s ski slopes still open as we drove through the Pyrenees and cold water running through the rivers Segre and Cinca before hitting Spain’s massive Ebro.

Hopes of beating my own warm-water-loving personal best (PB) catfish had to be put on hold until my next visit later in the year.

Changing tactics to bank fishing with traditional UK carp gear, heavy feeding pellet via a spomb and terminal tackle of a Fox 60gram method feeder with a six hook to 15lb braid hooklength and double 14m hallibut pellet, I surprised myself at how good the fishing turned out to be.

First fish, a near-2lb roach that wasn’t supposed to eat hallibuts.

Then, five of the next six runs resulted in pristine commons all over 30lb with the best touching 38lb.

Other short sessions on the rapidly rising river were not as good but produced fish from mid-20ss to low30s, all taken on the same very basic method.

If the match fishing festivals of May don’t appeal to you and getting your string pulled properly is something you fancy, try the River Ebro around Caspe or Mequinenza; the whole system really is fish soup.

Nearer to home, the recently stocked rainbows of Fewston went on a frenzy as the warmer weather saw prolific hatches of midge blow across the lake’s surface, providing, as the warden described, “very exciting fishing”.

Forty anglers banked 482 fish over the week, giving an exceptional 12 average with good numbers over 3lb and the biggest fish on the returns a 6lb rainbow, which fell to Mr Jim Stevenson. Best fly was a black minki.

The wild browns of Thruscross also burst into life, with one angler banking 16 fish in an afternoon session.

The reservoirs are fishing brilliantly so get out and give them a go.

****

Results

Preston Serbia, Team Feeder Challenge, Kanal DTD: 1, Team Hungary 22.5pts; 2, Preston Holland 25.5pts; 3, Preston England Green 28pts; 4, Preston England Blue 40.5pts. Individuals 1, Ben Van Ek, Holland 6-650kgs, 2 pts; 2, Attila Erdei, Hungary 5-610kgs. 2 pts; 3, Wayne Bartholomew, England Green 8-500kgs, 3pts; 4, Mick Vials, England Blue 5-610kgs, 3pts.

BSR Bobco, Brafferton: 1, S Rodgers 95-08; 2, D Wright 84-12; 3, S Rodgers 64-11; 4, G Wright 45-06.

JT Rodgers, Forest Lane: 1, S Phelan 56-06; 2, S Burley 54-02; 3, D Jackson 53-01.

JT Rodgers, Tollerton: 1, T Biggins 53-14; 2, A Smith 52-02; 3, D Watson 48-05.

South Leeds Conservatives, Tollerton Kingfisher: 1, B Stanley 52-05; 2, A Longbottom 52-00; 3, M Ick 40-07

White Horse AC, Pudsey Angling, Raker: 1, G Brier 53-02; 2, S Batley 50-02; 3, P Robinson 49-08; 4, J Jones 49-00.

South Leeds Conservatives, Birkwood Top Lake: 1, May Jackson 15-04; 2, D Jackson 14-07; 3, A Longbottom 14-06.

South Leeds Cons, Viking Fox: 1, G Williamson 96-13; 2, A Longbottom 91-02; 3, B Stanley 82-12.

Langwith Lakes, Anyas and Emmas: 1, Tom Bainbridge 194-04; 2, Jake Duckworth 96-12; 3, Neil Hodgson 90-06; 4, Lee Bramham 79-15; 5, Jason Sutcliffe 65-14.

Robin Hood AC, Wholsea Grange: 1, Colin Weaver 77-10; 2, Steve Simmons 65-00; 3, Dave Wathen 57-06; 4, Gary Jowett 52-02.

Poppleton Lakes, Saturday Open/Railway: 1, G Fennell 168-12; 2, D Pollitt 155-06; 3, D Geldard 116-08; ,4 E Balderson 98-10. Horseshoe: 1, J Barker 74-00; 2, D Rollinson 67-10; 3, G Peake 59-02.

Wetherby AC, Poppleton House Lake: 1, Tony Kozachezek 73-03; 2, Kevin Bell 70-01; 3, Ollie Stockburn 48-08; 4, Eric Coleman 38-08.

Kippax Park, Lapwing: 1, Steve Pearson 85-04; 2, Adrian Broomhead 73-12; 3, Barry Clark 68-12.

Kippax Park, Osprey: 1, Tony Hewson 121-00; 2, Steve Pearson 84-02; 3, Andy Lawson 81-12.

Moor Monkton Pools, Front Pool: 1, Rick Frances 149-03; 2, Dave Pollitt 113-06; 3, Steve Thackwray 89-14.

Park Piscatorials AC, Brafferton Ghost: 1, C Broadley 68-0 ; 2, A Roze 49-11; 3, T Spooner 30-11.

Armley AC at Pool Bridge, Normans: 1, D Wilson 45-05; 2, J Cooper 36-13; 3, M Cooper 35-01; 4, P Howard 27-05.

Bobco Shadwell AC at Forest Lane: S Buttrill 75-03; 2, P Limbert 73-01; 3, J Silver 61-01; 4, J Cowling 52-03.

Bobco Shadwell AC at Langwith: 1, I Kitchen 49-02; 2, J Cowling 47-01; 3, S Downs 24-05; 4, S Buttrill 20-11.

Shadwell AC at Sessay: 1, D Birdsall 62-03; 2, J Silver 62-03; 3, I Kitchen 29-14; 4, A Thornton 22-01.

Viking Saturday Open (Hawk): 1, S Barraclough 100-03; 2, J Kenworthy 44-10; 3, G Watson 41-01.

Ackwoth AC (Viking Deer): 1, M Williams 46-08; 2, N Hurst 45-02; 3, D Newby 36-03.

Outwood AC (Viking Deer): 1, N Helman 54-05; 2, N Miranda 53-01; 3, G Tipple 36-08.

Meanwood AC (Viking Hawk): 1, D Glover 81-02; 3, R Milner 41-11; 3, M Brotherton Jr 41-10.

Merlin AC (Viking Fox): 1, J Scaife 52-00; 2, M Scaife 50-00; 3, D Coote 37-00.

Angel Lakes, Open Bowes: 1, J Foster 130-01; 2, D Pearson 117-06; 3, J Dryden 99-15.

Angel Lakes, Open Lookout: 1, J Foster 87-13; 2, J Dryden 65-10; 3, D Pearson 61-13.

Angel Lakes, Open Lookout: 1, T Wilson 77-12; 2, J Dryden 72-00; 3, J Foster 59-02; 4, J Nelson 56-08; 5, D Pearson 54-06; 6, C Gowling 40-13.

Match Diary

Saturday

Lex’s Legacy ‘Pride of the Isle’, Lindholme Lakes Big Bash: June 1, contact 01427 875555/01427 872905.

Kippax Park: 27 pegs, tickets £20, contact 07967000746.

Feeder Master Qualifier: River Aire, Beal, contact Angling Trust 0115 906 1301.

Poppleton Saturday Open: pools, £15, draw cafe 10am, contact Roger 01904737279.

Birkwood Farm Fisheries: Emily’s or Oscar’s draw 8.30am, contact 01924 892251.

Woodlands: 72 pegs, tickets £18, contact 01845 520110.

Oaks at Sessay: 50 pegs, tickets £17, contact 01845 501321.

Langwith Lakes: 60 pegs, tickets £16, contact 01904 431874.

Moorfields Farm: 54 pegs, tickets £16, contact 07710817150.

Fleets Dam: 50 pegs, tickets £15, contact 01226 292579.

Birkwood Farm: 60 pegs, tickets £16, contact 01132 80609.

Viking Saturday Open: Deer Pond, 24 pegs, £16, contact 01405 860764.

Tollerton Ponds: open match, all ages, (Kingfisher 20 pegs, Coot 18 pegs, Heron 32 pegs), contact 01347 838115.

Sunday

Woodlands: 72 pegs, tickets £18, contact 01845 520110.

Oaks at Sessay: 50 pegs, tickets £17, contact 01845 501321.

Langwith Lakes: 60 pegs, tickets £16, contact 01904 431874.

Oak Tree Leisure: 50 pegs, tickets £15, contact 01347 810686.

Leeds DASA: Moor Monkton Pools, contact 07967000746.

Poppleton Sunday Open: 50 pegs, draw 11am cafe, contact 07425 146677.

Monday

Woodlands over-50s: 30 pegs, tickets £15, contact 01845 520110.

Langwith Lakes over-60s: 30 pegs, tickets £10, contact 01904 431874.

Tollerton Ponds over-50s: tickets £16, contact 01347 838115.

Tuesday

Kippax Park Over-50s: draw 10.00am, tickets £10, contact 07967000746.

Wednesday

Leeds & District: Moor Monkton Pools, draw 10am, contact 07967000746.

Birkwood Farm Fisheries: Emily’s or Oscar’s, draw 8.30am, contact 01924 892251.

Woodlands: 72 pegs, tickets £18, contact 01845 520110.

Fleets Dam: 50 pegs, tickets £15, contact 01226 292579.

Tollerton Ponds: open match, all ages, contact 01347 838115.