Brian Hutchings signed off the season in style. Not only did he claim the Thames Shield, he also won the Top Tackle Points Shield. Brian drew up in the Poplars where he opted for the groundbait feeder with dead maggot, and had 8 bream. Chris Webb is becoming a bit of a venue expert at Medley. He followed up his last win here with a well earned second place. He caught small skimmers all day on the groundbait feeder with maggot. Steve Pope had 5 small bream on the groundbait feeder with caster for 3rd spot.

The match was switched to Club Lake due to the rising Thames. It was a wise move to put it onto a Stillwater, but the fish never read the script!.  Dave Allsworth won his first club match, taking 6 good bream on the pole. He had a couple on the maggot, but a wise switch to the corn and was reward with 4 more bream to 7lb. Mark Smith also recorded his first place in the top 3 with 4 bream taken on feeder with maggot. Steve Pope was opposite Dave and had 3 bream and a few roach taken on the pole with maggot.

Looking at the pace and colour of the river, there was only one species to target and that was chub! Gerald Perks used his experience and battled it out with Brian Hutchings for top sot. Gerald had 6 chub to Brian's 5 off the next peg. Both used maggot feeder. Alan Campbell was third with a single chub on the straight lead with cheese paste. It was a tough match that saw much of the 18 man field blank.

Gerald Perks into another chub

A bitterly cold North/East wind was always going to make the fishing hard. Not only was the wind cold but it was very strong and claimed 4 broken poles! Anglers pegged against the lilies down the middle were always favourite for a few fish. Paul Brant alternated between the pole and bomb with maggot, and had 2 carp, a good roach and a couple of skimmers to claim the Mick Whipp Cup by 1 ounce. Brian Hutchings of the next peg had 3 carp and 7 skimmers on the pole with pinkie. Chris Webb continues his good form. He 2 carp and a couple of skimmers on the pole with maggot for third place. 

"End Pegs" sorted out today's match. Snow water coming into the canal made it really difficult for the anglers. It was a case of fishing for bites. "Father and Son " Pope's took top places.  Toby Pope was pegged just past the Railway Bridge and worked hard for a small chub, skimmer and small perch. He switched between maggot and worm to win his first match this season. Dad Steve was on the other end peg and had a skimmer a perch and a late 8 ounce chub. Pete Clarke and Alan Campbell were joint third. Both had small perch on the pole with worm.

Even though the fishing was hard, it was a wise move to move the match off the Thames. Levels have been going up and down (Explain EA when we have not had any rain) So we decided to head to a Stillwater to get a few bites. Chris Webb knew that he drew an inform peg. He didn't bottle it and had 20 F1 carp on the pole with maggot for another convincing win. Mark Shepherd was second. He had 6 carp on the pole with Bread. Paul Brant opted for the bomb with bread and had 6 F1 Carp for third.

After last weeks bream bonanza, there was a reality check on the Thames. The river was carrying an extra 6 inches of water and the fish were reluctant to feed. Paul Brant struck early and had 2 quick chub on the bread. Gerald Perks had a small chub on the bomb with worm. Brian Hutchings winkled out 20 small gudgeon on the pole with pinkie.

With the frosts and cold temperatures of late, anglers expected a bread approach for chub and roach. Overnight mild temperatures changed all that. Chris Webb fished bread feeder with red maggot and had 17 bream for a great win. Gerald Perks also started off on the bread and had a couple of bream. A quick switch to the groundbait feeder and worm put 15 more in the net, for second. Dave White had a couple of bream on the stick float with bread but he also switched to the groundbait feeder with worm and had 8 more.

Our Annual visit to Cheyney Manor didn't disappoint, despite the heavy rain and rising lake. The legendary Dave White has packed his Golf Clubs away and came out fishing. He hasn't lost his touch with a lake win off peg 2. Fishing caster over groundbait he had a good net of roach and a bonus tench. Brian Hutchings of the next peg pushed Dave all the way but couldn't find that bonus fish. He also had a net of quality roach. Pete Clarke also had a good net of small roach fished over Groundbait with maggot/caster.

John Davis was a very worthy winner on a very hard River Thames. With the roach not fancying the fast coloured water, bream were targeted and John was rewarded with 3. He took all of them on a groundbait feeder with red maggot. Pete Clarke also found a couple of bream and a few perch on the pole with worm for second. Gerald Perks fished the bread feeder and had a few small chub and a couple of quality roach.

Top Tackle Points Shield after 6 matches

Pete Clarke 124

Brian Hutchings 118

Dave Allsworth 87

Vernon Adams 83

Malcolm Smith 82

John Davis

Pete Clarke fished a superb match on a very hard River. On a peg where he has had some good nets of roach, he had to take a different approach as they were not feeding in the peg. Pete opted for chopped worm and had 3 big perch to 3lb and a skimmer and a few bits to seal the match. There was no problem with the roach for Brian Hutchings. He pushed Pete all the way and had a quality net of roach and dace on the waggler and maggot. Alan Campbell was a distant 3rd again, with a hard earned net of small roach and chub alternating between waggler and pole with maggot.

Pete Clarke also won the Knockout Cup defeating Malcolm Smith

Top Tackle Points after 5 matches

Pete Clarke 104

Brian Hutchings 102

Vernon Adams 72

Dave Allsworth an Malcolm Smith 69

     Pete Clarke

Brian Hutchings made it back to back wins, and also picked up the Golden Peg. He fished the bomb with lobworm for an hour, but couldn't find a big perch or chub that normally oblige. He then opted for his trusted waggler with maggot and caught some quality roach for the remainder of the match. Pete Clarke had a bream and a big perch on the pole with lobworm. He then switched to the waggler with maggot and also found some quality roach. Alan Campbell alternated between waggler and maggot feeder and put together a net of small chub and roach.

Pete Clarke and Malcolm Smith will now meet in next weeks Knockout Cup Final

Top Tackle Points Shield after 4 matches

1 Brian Hutchings 82pts

2 Pete Clarke 79pts

=3 Dave Allsworth and Vernon Adams both 58pts

5 Malcolm Smith 57pts

Points Shield

Low overnight temperatures saw few fish feeding. Everyone caught fish but it was hard work to figure out what they wanted. Brian Hutchings won the match with an all carp net taken on the pole with maggot. Steve Pope opted for bread on the pole and also had carp. Gerald Perks used an empty peg to his advantage. He fished the waggler with pellet and had an all carp net.

Brian Hutchings won the Aggregate Cup with a Total weight of just 77-14-00. A very hard series. 

Fished in bright conditions with a low clear river, parts of the match proved to be a bit of a struggle. Vernon Adams won the match doing what he does best "go for big". He had a PB Perch going 03-11-00 plus 2 more and a 02-00-00 chub, fished on the straight lead with lobworm. Pete Clarke fished the Waggler with hemp and tares and had a good net of Roach and a few chublets. Chris Webb fished the "wag and mag" and got third spot with his net of roach and chublets.

The resident roach forgot to read the re-arranged Roach Cup and failed to turn up in numbers. However it was a case of finding the fish that were obliging. Anglers alternated with the waggler and pole to find the fish. Brian Hutchings won with 05-08-00 taken with caster and maggot. Pete Clarke pushed him all the way and had all his fish on maggot. Paul Brant was third. All his fish were taken on caster.

The main bowl of the lake was the place to be to find the bream. Chris Webb was bang on it and had 35 slabs to 6lb for an incredible weight of 117-08-00. All his fish were taken on the pole with pellet over a bed of pellet. Brian Hutchings also found the bream and had 23 taken on the pole with worm/corn. Doug Robinson also opted for pellet and had 19 bream and a few skimmers for third place.

There can be little doubt that Pete Clarke is the in form angler at Sandford. He  made it 2 wins on the spin with a quality net of roach taken on the waggler with  hemp/caster and later with tares. Alan Campbell was second with a net of roach taken on the waggler with hemp and tares. Andy Webb alternated between pole and waggler and had a mixed net.

Howard Cedar and Pete Clarke were the Blind Pairs winner with a combined weight of 20-10-00

 The Thames at Medley looked sock on, but over the duration of the match it proved a real grueller for some. It was a case of snaring an early bream before it got sunny. Tony Bailey fished the feeder with dead maggot and caught a bream and skimmer plus a few perch to give him his second win of the season. John Davis found a few roach on the waggler that fancied the hemp and tare. Pete Clarke alternated between waggler, pole and feeder and a mixed net of fish on maggot

The match was very frustrating as there were plenty of carp cruising but not feeding until near the end of the match. What carp were caught were big units mainly down the edge. Tony Bailey had 5 to 13lb on the pole with pellet. Doug Robinson had 3 on the pole with maggot and Charlie Bishop had 4, one going 15lb on the pole with meat.

Doug Robinson claimed the final match of the Spring League, on a very hot Swallow Lake at Oakfield Fisheries. On a day when the fish were more occupied with other things than feeding, anglers had to wait for a cruising carp. Doug had 10 good carp and a good net of silvers on the pole at 5m with meat. Pete Clarke fished the same method off the next peg. He had 9 carp taken on the deck and up in the water. Alan Campbell had a late flurry of carp taken in the margins and up in the water at 11m. All his fish fell to maggot.

Pete Clarke won the Spring League with 83pts. Brian Hutchings was second with 72pts and Chris Webb was third with 67pts.

Nick Ingrem claimed his first win at the club with a hard earned net of carp, tench and a few silvers. He started on the pole with maggot and a late switch to the feeder, netted a scale perfect common carp about 6lb to win the match. Pete Clarke continued his good form with a good net of rudd and a big bream. All his fish were taken on the pole with maggot. Andy Webb fished corn on the pole in a nice corner peg, and had a couple of tench and a net of rudd for 3rd place.

The match was really won at the draw bag when Pete Clark drew bang on the island. He fished tight over and had 20 carp to 5lb on the pole with meat and pellet. Alan Campbell was on the dam wall and fished the waggler with white boilie. He had 14 small carp. Steve Pitson alternated between pole and feeder with pellet and had 9 carp.

Chris Webb won the opening round of the Spring League at Panshill. Alternating between pellet and maggot he caught carp to 3lb on the long pole. Doug Robinson used the same tactics for 2nd place. Brian Hutchings was 3rd. He fished the long and short pole with maggot.