THE excess water has made fishing too dangerous on the region’s rivers and anglers can only hope that by Sunday conditions will calm down.
Flood-fed fish are always keen to feed, but safety must always be paramount. The advice is don’t go out until conditions improve – even if water levels have dropped, banksides could be soft and liable to give way.
On Aldin Grange the cold, wet conditions actually attracted two anglers for a visit “down south”. Friends Jim and George from Scotland had a few ide on the match lake and bagged some cracking roach from Blackbird Lake.
Dave Barret from Chester-le-Street fished white maggot and caught tench, crucian carp and ide despite the lake being close to overflowing.
Anglers in the west and along the Scottish Borders have been troubled less than most by high water levels. Pike anglers have been active, with Mel Wallace of Gateshead catching three pike to 6lb from Grasmere and losing another larger fish after trying to net it twice.
However, James Jennings had a great result when he used a Fire Tiger lure to advantage on Woodhall Loch to land a superb 18lb 2oz specimen.
Cliff’s Taxis Derwent Reservoir Challenge was fished by members of Washington and District AC on the Pow Hill Picnic area. Rob Emery won with 11lb 12oz of roach.
Dave Brown was runner-up on 8lb 14oz, with Eddie Collins of Birtley ROF third with 6lb 11oz and all catches were made using the feeder.
Vince Dack was the winner of Wansbeck and Cramlington’s latest Winter League match on Horton Grange with 2lb 8oz, ahead of Willy Thomas, whose 2lb 7oz included the best fish of the day, a 1lb 11oz perch, while Ian Bullock was third with 1lb 8oz.
Big Waters AC fished the first of their Winter League matches at Bowes Lake recently. Paul Renny won with 15lb 4oz, followed by Martin Craig with 13lb 3oz and Steve Knowles with 13lb 1oz.
Eric Brown won the Eden Meadows Winter League match on Sunday with 13lb 10oz, ahead of Geoff Lincoln on 13lb 7oz, while current league leader Jim Ions was third with 13lb 4oz.
The netting of the TAA’s crash pond at Whittle Dene last Thursday saw the water level drop twice, yet still there were problems with excess weed and a hole appeared in the net.
However, the EA staff worked tremendously hard at the first netting of the water, and after three sweeps they recovered three tench and 12 crucian carp.
These were transferred into the TAA’s Wydon Burn fishery at Hexham.
Leazes Park AA holds its AGM early next month. The club have had a trying year but it would seem that with a new committee and the water fishing better than ever, the LPAA are destined for a bright future.
However, parking at the lake is a major problem and will be discussed at the AGM on December 11 at the club hut in the park.
