Angling: Patience paying off for Leeds stalwarts

I remember the young squad of the successful Leeds & District Junior team of the late 1980s and expected most of that group to be winners on the senior circuit as soon as they ‘came of age’.

Moortown’s Andy Limbert – now in his mid-40s – proved, like Hewson, that you don’t give up when he won his first major Leeds Open at the weekend – just 30 years after his junior debut for Leeds.

Drawn in the fancied area of Linton Top on peg 249 and with the Ouse still carrying 3ft of floodwater, he, like most of the river regulars, knew that his opening method would be the groundbait and chopped worm feeder cast to the boat channel.

With information filtering down the bank that it was a tough day and single, big fish would take the top honours, his decision to change tack to a big-maggot feeder cast just past the near shelf paid off with a rod whammer of a bite, resulting in a barbel of close to 8lb.

And with the bonus of an unexpected eel, his total weight of 8-06 was enough to take his first major Open win and the silver Hammond Trophy.

Linton Top was definitely the hot area as the result proved with Bradford’s Andy Miller taking runners up spot with a big chub for 6-06 from the next peg, 248, and downstream on 247 taking third with a bream for Neil Millstead, weighing in 5-12.

It was another weekend of frustration, though, with the Ouse again carrying over 4ft of floodwater and temperatures dropping to freezing, making the latest Yorkshire Winter League true to its name.

Anglers World team man, Mark Leslie, made the most of a good peg when drawn on 294 at the bottom of Linton.

Starting on the now-regulation worm and caster feeder, he sat biteless for the first two hours.

Spotting the odd, tiny bleak dimple and break surface, his second half of the match was spent on a five-metre whip to hand, putting over 140 of the hungry little fish in his net quickly for a total of a level 6lb – and his first league win.

Leeds veteran, Stuart Thompson, took runners up spot with a single bream and a couple of small roach from the 250s at Linton on Ouse top.

Bradford-based Tackle 2U are this year’s runaway leaders in what is usually a tight team finish, leading by 10 points only halfway through.

A stunning 25lb pike, caught from one of Leeds & District’s river venues, has caused quite a stir this week. Calls for the location of its capture to be kept secret, in an attempt to protect the fish from becoming a celebrity target, has to be admired – and something I support fully.

I just wish barbel and other species carried the same amount of protection!

Results

Leeds DASA Hammond Trophy River Ouse: 1, A Limbert 8-06; 2, A Miller 6-06; 3, N Millstead 5-12; 4, P Bennett 3-10; 5, M Hope 3-06.

BobCo Yorkshire Winter League Hunters & Linton: 1, M Leslie 6-00; 2, S Thompson 5-02; 3, T Hewitt 4-15; 4, M Hope 4-14; 5, A Bradley 4-03.

Oaks at Sessay, Ash, Beech & Sycamore: 1, C Hall 111-10; 2, S Armitage 62-02; 3, P Jones 55-10; 4, P Cooper 49-00; 5, A Shuttleworth 42-09.

Oaks at Sessay, Club Anglers, Maple, Poplar & Alders: 1, S Hill 74-04; 2, S Lupton 71-05; 3 T Koz 40-08; 4 C Evans 39-10.

Moor Monkton Pools, Sunday Winter League, All Pools: 1, Ben Fisk 90-09; 2, Mark Wade 63-11; 3, Graham Broadley 57-05; 4, Ollie Hewitt 38-04.

Moor Monkton Pools, Wednesday Rover, All Pools: 1, Steve Pearson 71-00; 2, Matt Gallagher 57-10; 3, Gordon Wright 55-06; 4, Steve Holmes 36-01.

Moor Monkton Pools, Sunday Open, All Pools: 1, Lee Smith 105-10; 2, Ben Fisk 86-09; 3, Mick Green 58-09; 4, Gordon Wright 50-10.

Moor Monkton Pools, Wednesday Rover, All Pools: 1, Dave Wright 31-00; 2, Scott Rankin 29-01; 3, Stan Jeffreys 24-04; 4, Andy Middleton 16-08.

Kippax Park Fishery, Tuesday Open, Osprey: 1, Paul Beadle 5-15; 2, Steve Holmes 2-09.

Kippax Park Fishery, Saturday Open, Lapwing: 1 ,Paul Silman 29-14; 2, Tony Hewson 27-04; 3, Paul Kidd 26-04; 4, Andy Gallant 20-05.

Kippax Park Fishery, Tuesday Open, Lapwing: 1, Paul Beadle 37-10; 2, John Brogden 32-09; 3, Richard Thomas 18-14.

Viking Saturday Open (Hawk): 1, S Gibbins 129-04; 2, M Smith 67-15; 3, A Blythe 45-05.

Spring Cloe Old Boys (Viking Deer): 1, J Fisher 63-06; 2, R Paylor 47-01; 3, R Scott 44-04.

Fryston Winter League (Viking Fox): 1, R Evans 60-12; 2, I Roebuck 48-10; 3, G Gill 47-03.

Angel Lakes Winter League Bowes Saturday: 1, John Dryden 220-08; 2, John Foster 174-10; Section 1, Steve Kean 123-00; Section 2, Lee Downs 37-13; Section 3, Lee Slater 52-07.

Angel Lakes Open Bowes Wednesday: 1, Alan McGuire 147-08; 2, John Dryden 146-04; 3, James Dixon 98-12.

Match Diary

Saturday

Kippax Park: Saturday Open, Lapwing or Osprey, contact 07967000746.

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: Hawk Pond, 30 pegs, tickets £16, contact 01405 860764.

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

Kippax Park: winter series, Osprey Lake only, contact Stan 0796700046.

Sunday

York & District: open matches, River Ouse, contact Mick Potter 07890870551.

Leeds & Liverpool: Kirkstall, contact Roger Movley 01132 772215.

Listerhills: Leeds & Liverpool Canal ,contact Eddie Harrison 07518721051.

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.

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: draw 10am, 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.

Thursday

Poppleton Lakes: Thursday, draw car park 5pm, pools £11, contact Roger 01904 73727.