Angling: Rich rewards on offer at region’s reservoirs

The giant Thruscross, Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs, owned by Yorkshire Water, continue to provide anglers with some terrific mixed-weather trout fishing.
Irish festival veteran, Steve Raper of Harehills, receiving prize money from sponsor Joe Mahon after another successful week on the banks of Fermanaghs River Erne.Irish festival veteran, Steve Raper of Harehills, receiving prize money from sponsor Joe Mahon after another successful week on the banks of Fermanaghs River Erne.
Irish festival veteran, Steve Raper of Harehills, receiving prize money from sponsor Joe Mahon after another successful week on the banks of Fermanaghs River Erne.

As conditions changed from the recent mild spell to strong north-easterly winds and rain, anglers were quick to adapt. Best tactics proved to be black or green montana and viva patterns fished on a medium-to-fast retrieve as fish were looking to feed on the emerging nymph.

Twenty returns were posted to the site office, showing 162 trout caught, giving a rod average of 8.1 with the top fish falling to Mr John Peck with a black-booby-caught rainbow of 4lb.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The wilder Thruscross brownies were staying deeper as the winds increased but anglers still managed an average of five fish per rod, with nymphs fished slow proving best.

Swinsty’s coarse anglers are seeing improvements as the days get longer with roach, skimmers and perch responding to all methods, including the waggler as fish follow the warmer water at the top of the shallower shelves.

The first of this year’s major international festivals saw some of Europe’s best wild-water anglers hoping for the draw-bag gods to be smiling on them.

Held on the banks of the huge upper and lower locks of Northern Ireland’s River Erne, the Mahons Festival has become one of Fermanagh’s ‘festivals to win’.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Fished over five days on a rotation of sections, and top combined weight over the week providing the winner, being in the right place at the right time becomes nearly as important as the skill needed to win.

Top weight of the week came from every angler’s dream draw on the point of the airport section at Rossahilly, with Steve Askey taking the opening day’s top catch of 36kg of feeder-caught bream and hybrids.

Leeds star, Steve Raper, showed his age hasn’t caught up with him after 35 years on the Irish festival circuit, a slow but steady start giving him over 45kg after four days and a slim chance of making the big-money leaderboard.

A dreaded draw at Boa Island for the final day’s fishing showed anything to be possible when shoals are on the move to spawning grounds, as he put over 18kg of unexpected roach on the scales for a daily runners-up spot. But, better still, a massive jump to seventh place overall and £1,000 in prize money.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Preston Innovations’ Michael Buchwalder showed his undoubted class with a midweek, second-place 22kg pole-caught roach haul, following it on the Thursday with a daily win from favourite-draw Airport point with 26.

Bream and hybrids weighing 900kg then consolidated with a last-day 12kg from unfancied Sligo Road to give him the coveted Mahons Crystal Trophy and over £5,000 in prize money.

As one festival finishes, another starts and over 200 anglers from all over Europe will be joining those already there for the biggest of the season – known to all as simply ‘The Classic’ where some of the world’s best anglers will be on show.

Results

Mahons Festival, River Erne, Fermanagh: 1, M Buchwalder 78-950kgs; 2, R Marshall 75-450kgs; 3, D Hughes 72-600kgs; 4, A Lathers 67-600kgs; 5, S Ashby 66-450kgs; 6, B Nudd 65-700kgs; 7, S Raper 63-700kgs.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

White Horse AC, Rising Sun: 1, J Craven 58-00; 2, G Raper 35-10; 3, I Day 34-02; 4, T Wainwright 32-08.

AJ Rowland Rd, Swanlands, Cherry Lake: 1, R Goodhall 63-+02; 2, D Gould 59-10; 3, A Burdekin 53-03.

White Horse AC, Raker Highbank: 1, G Raper 112-00; 2, J Craven 93-00; 3, T Wainwright 87-08; 4, J Sykes 70-10.

WinWin League, Round 5, Aire & Calder, Heck: 1, Steve Newns, KL Tackle 59-04; 2, Neil Millstead, Leeds 25-10; 3, Keith Ashmore, Barnsley 22-05; 4, John Cyrowski, Selby 21-09; 5, Jan Van Brugen, Preston 19-08.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Moor Monkton Pools, Sunday Spring League, Cyprio/Match: 1, Tom Bainbridge 86-01; 2, Gary Watson 85-14; 3, Steve Mazza 68-14; 4, Ben Fisk 65-02.

Moor Monkton Pools, Wednesday Rover, All Pools: 1, Tom Bainbridge 153-11; 2, Dave Wright 129-08; 3, Dave Pollitt 120-04; 4, Steve Holmes 79-01.

Moor Monkton Pools, Sunday Spring League, Cyprio/Match: 1, Tom Bainbridge 119-00; 2, Lee Myers 87-10; 3, Lee Smith 74-06; 4, Andy Gallant 65-08.

Moor Monkton Pools, Bank Holiday Open, Cyprio/Front: 1, Ben Fisk 119-01; 2, Steve Power 78-11; 3, Craig Crompton 65-08; 4, Gary Watson 64-03; 5, Anthony Carroll 58-14.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Moor Monkton Pools, Wednesday Rover, All Pools: 1, Steve Thackray 82-02; 2, Gary Watson 77-15; 3, Gordon Wright 73-02; 4, Matt Gallagher 72-00.

Kippax Park Fishery, Tuesday Open, Osprey: 1, Mark Rockingham 75-00; 2, Nigel Carr 65-02; 3, Neil Rymer 61-03; 4, Andy Rymer 44-08.

Kippax Park Fishery, Saturday Open, Osprey: 1, Andy Rymer 59-10; 2, Jimmy Redmond 43-12; 3, Steve Pearson 38-03; 4, Dave Cockrill 36-07.

Kippax Park Fishery, Tuesday Open, Lapwing: 1, Luca Willshaw 77-11; 2, Andy Gallant 75-10; 3, Jonny Wake 48-05; 4, Nigel Carr 44-15.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Kippax Park Fishery, Saturday Open, Osprey: 1, Adrian Broomhead 89-10; 2, Luca Willshaw 58-09; 3, Garry Watson 53-00; 4, Andy Gallant 48-05.

Dragon A at Swanlands, Chestnut Lake, Knock up: 1, Dale Evans 88-04; 2, Lee Butterworth 87-11; 3, Chris Whiles 61-05; 4, Mick Killkenny 49-10.

Armley AC at Poppelton, House Lake: 1, J Hope 63-12; 2, A Faithwaite 30-13; 3, D Wilson 15-05.

Viking Saturday Open, Deer Pond: 1, A Blyth 164-02; 2, N Taylor 95-07; 3, D Oldham 83-02; 4, K Wilson 78-01.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ackworth AC, at Viking Deer: 1, K Carter 43-00; 2, P Batty 39-09; 3, S Nock 36-12.

Vicker St, Castleford, atViking Deer: 1, D Pullein 146-00; 2, T Connoly 89-00; 3, P Green 69-00; 4, B Johnson 55-00.

Clayton AC, at Viking Hawk: 1, K Murgatroyd 34-00; 2, S Elfee 30-00; 3, D Miller 29-01.

Angel Lakes, Sunday Open Lookout: 1, John Foster 105-12; 2, John Dryden 89-15; 3, D Cunningham 81-14.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Angel Lakes, Wednesday Open Bowes: 1, 1, Danny Cunningham 243-11; 2, R Emery 133-07; 3, Nigel Beadsley 121-01.

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.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

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, £18, contact 01405 785206.

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

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

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.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

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

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Kippax Park: over-50s, 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 737279.