Angling: Teach-ins for juniors proving the real deal

South Yorkshire star Kev Holvey and a host of other top names have succeeded where most have failed in getting countless youngsters out on to the water’s edge.

Now well into its third year, the free coaching sessions are seeing children and parents travel from as far away as Wales to fish with, watch and learn from the very best.

All costs are covered through anglers’ donations, tackle companies and particularly fishery owners like Dean and Maxine Johnson who provide lakes and facilities free of charge at their popular Moorfield Farm complex near Goole.

The teach-ins are free sell-outs so youngsters need to book early to guarantee a place (see match diary). Star names like John Allerton or Andy Stonner are usually available to give advice and tips but, better still, if you haven’t yet got the bug and acquired your own fishing tackle, you’re more than welcome to have a go with theirs.

With just a week remaining of this year’s wash-out of a river season, most match anglers were resigned to thinking that their next competition would be in shorts and tee shirts following the June 16 restart.

Well, no such luck as match organiser Stan Haigh gave the green light for another few days of suffering. Though the three-day festival held on the Ouse and Ure around Aldwark will be a tough affair, everyone I have talked to says they are looking forward to it – in a ‘sad’ kind of way – and anglers from Nottingham to Scotland will be leaving their footprints in over a foot of mud and sludge in an attempt to become this year’s festival champion.

Astoundingly, all 63 tickets are sold, giving the go-ahead for the usual format of three zones, with each zone winner claiming 21 points going down to one for last, and the highest three-day total claiming top spot. With most of the competing anglers venue experts and all of them used to fishing in horrible conditions, I would predict a near-perfect score to be needed with bleak being the target fish for guaranteed points and single bream or big barbel needed for a daily win.

Following a sudden drop of river levels, diehards of the Leeds Saturday League attempted to fish the final round in near-impossible conditions.

Starting with just a foot of flood bank showing and the surrounding fields looking like lakes, it’s hard to fathom whether the result was rubbish or brilliant.

With most anglers casting to underwater footpaths, Bradford’s Pete Barron was lucky enough to see his lobworm tempt a cracking perch of over 2lb as it ‘walked’ past, giving him a comfortable win.

Pontefract’s Dean Grace took runners up spot with seven small roach for 1-08 and Harrogate’s Ian Bowman had five roach for 1-01.

Results

Anglers World Holidays, Saturday Series, Round 7, Aire & Calder, Heck: 1, Eddie Brydon, Dynamite Maver 42-02; 2, Martin Highe, Mirfield 22-00; 3, John Parkinson, Newcastle 19-05; 4, Ian Bowman, Barnsley 15-10; 5, Darrel Taylor, Knaresborough 10-13; 6, Stan Haigh, Anglers World 10-02.

Anglers World Holidays, Saturday Series, Round 8, Ouse at Linton: 1, Pete Baron, Tackle 2U 20-01; 2, Dean Grace, Pontefract 1-08; 3, Ian Bowman, Barnsley 1-01; 4, Andy Fox, Bradford 0-14; 5, Martin Highe, Mirfield 0-10.

Mirfield Open, Aire & Calder: 1, John Parkinson, Newcastle 27-08; 2, Geoff Askey, Barnsley 10-06; 3, Karl Stevenson, Mirfield 8-06; 4, John Smiles, Middlesbrough 4-08; 5, Trevor Rymer, Walton 4-06; 6, Dave Ayre, Leeds 3-14.

Bradford No1 AA, Raskelf Winter Series, Round 4: 1, Simon Foster 21-02; 2, James Vickerman 19-05; 3, Roy Ashworth 18-09; League Standings: Howard Taylor 82pts; Eric Wright 81pts; Nick Freer 78pts; Chris Pitman 76pts; Bob Newby 76pts.

Oaks at Sessay, silverfish only: 1, Pete Whale 29-04; 2, Tony Stephenson 28-09; 3, Tim Peters 27-09; 4, Dave Armitage 25-13; 5, Adam Dowd 21-02.

Moor Monkton Pools, Sunday Winter League, All Pools: 1, Mick Green 102-11; 2, Ben Fisk 48-06; 3, Chris Watson 48-00; 4, Dave Wright 47-08.

Moor Monkton Pools, Wednesday Rover, All Pools: 1, Chris Watson 70-04; 2, Andy Gallant 63-07; 3, Eric Boldison 54-09; 4, Mark Wade 36-01; 5, Steve Holmes 25-10; 6, Adrian Bolton 25-04.

Moor Monkton Pools, Sunday Winter League, All Pools: 1, Gary Miller 64-04; 2, Ash Bull 50-02; 3, Ollie Hewitt 46-07; 4, Dave Wright 43-14.

Moor Monkton Pools, Wednesday Rover, All Pools: 1, Ollie Hewitt 67-01; 2, Steve Bolton 55-00; 3, Steve Holmes 39-10; 4, John Brogden 23-06; 5, Andy Gallant 21-11.

Viking Saturday Open (Deer): 1, J Blythe 38-05; 2, W Redfern 33-14; 3, A Blythe 30-01.

Fryston AC (Viking Fox): 1, S Varley 44-00; 2, M Eccles 33-04; 3, S Lupton 27-04.

Spring Grove Old Boys (Viking Deer): 1, R Scott 45-02; 2, D Watson 40-06; 3, P Foster 37-05.

Match Diary

Saturday

Viking: Saturday Open, Hawk Pond, 30 pegs, £20, contact 01405 785206.

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.

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 737279.