An Ode to the Season
Following the lead of Russell the barman, here we have a summary of the season for you in rhyme. Enjoy! (Read down, not across)
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Another season over,
We stand a chance when not on lakes,
Alan is our leader,
Occasionally he'll land,
Don't have him as a partner,
Rivers are his favourite,
Our Chosen One believes,
Mushrooms protect him from the rain,
David showed up on the Yare,
Five Bellies didn't like the section,
Stevo tried to make him one,
Down at Suffolk Water Park, |
The food was very tasty,
His High Lodge stories made us drool,
Our usual tackle didn't work,
We waited until 10am,
Wayne came in a chopper,
Five Bellies loves our visits,
Stuart had some golf balls,
Chief Big Belly caught from a tree,
Daryl left us to get wed,
Ben and Sam were very brave,
Last minute we decided,
So next year we plan to beat Wayne, |
| 1st | W. Spooner | 413lb 2oz |
| 2nd | C. Scarff | 328lb 0oz |
| 3rd | S. Scarff | 236lb 4oz |
| 4th | W. Tuttle | 156lb 2oz |
| 5th | S. Gooderham | 140lb 11oz |
| 6th | A. Scarff | 127lb 4oz |
| 7th | H. Brighty | 120lb 7oz |
| 8th | R. Sustins | 111lb 2oz |
| 9th | R. Grimson | 94lb 9oz |
| 10th | S. Blowers (jnr) | 81lb 0oz |
| 11th | B. Blowers | 78lb 9oz |
| 12th | B. Watson | 73lb 8½oz |
| 13th | D. Spooner | 65lb 1oz |
| 14th | S. Sustins | 40lb 0oz |
| 15th | T. Rudd | 30lb 12oz |
| 16th | D. Rackham | 2lb 0oz |
| Total Weight | 2098lb 7½oz | |
Results 2006
| 1st | W. Spooner | 34lb 6oz |
| 2nd | R. Sustins | 13lb 4oz |
| 3rd | C. Scarff | 11lb 8oz |
Another season has begun, and some things never change. Like the start of my write-ups. Or the lack of fish. The same old faces made the long journey full of hope, especially with the pellet rule now changed. When will we learn? It doesn't matter what bait we use. The match started off ok, the feeder cast to the far bank was showing signs of encouragement. Unfortunately, another match opposite put an early end to that tactic. It was either pole or bust. Bust for us then. Wayne finally made the fish feed, although he did have an end peg (we have to cling to something). Robyn had a couple of fish on the feeder, then switched to the waggler fished shallow for a couple more. He did have to cast right across the lake though (we have to cling to something!). Four fish were enough for third aswell, all caught shallow on the pole. Only one was foul hooked, and Will knows all about that. If only it was a fish he hooked. The swan certainly put up a good fight. That pole should have no problems when the fish do arrive. By the end the swan wasn't the only one feeling choked. The Buddha won't be breathing any easier next week either, when his nemesis returns. Oh yeah, and Hylton let Ben win so he didn't have to walk home. I guess thats what matelots do (see Cup Holders page for more!).
| 1st | W. Spooner | 16lb 10oz |
| 2nd | T. Rudd | 15lb 10oz |
| 3rd | C. Scarff | 14lb 9oz |
A new venue (or had they just moved/cleaned Slater's pit?), some new faces, but the same result. With nine weights over ten pounds it proved to be very fair, but even leaving a tank running behind his swim didn't stop Wayne from picking up the first trophy of the season. Fishing in the reed-bed seemed to find the better fish, but not all of them were willing to come out. An early rumour of Stan getting a big carp proved to be untrue, unless it shrunk in the net. On the other side of the lake a battle was commencing for 2nd. In the end Tony's constant small fish action out-weighed the "try and catch carp" approach. Stevo returned with a fourth place, and has a lead over the Buddha. He was probably more concerned with hiding from the ducks under a mushroom. Brian's home water didn't treat him well, especially the trees, which were rather keen on his floats! Hylton took another family defeat, and is still on about his scrag-ends. I think they sell them at Hinderclay in a roll, so be sure to order one. Two nets may be required.
| 1st | W. Spooner | 45lb 6oz |
| 2nd | C. Scarff | 15lb 12oz |
| 3rd | S. Scarff | 15lb 8oz |
Some say he can control the weather, and his sweat is a powerful bait additive. All we know is he's called Wayne. I suppose we had to let him win on his birthday. With the wind blowing across into the bay beside him, it was only a matter of time before the carp were jumping into his keepnet. He might not have fished the feeder there if the pole fishing wasn't impossible. Maybe you can turn the wind down a bit next time Wayne? Or talk to Hylton about it. Hylton's staging didn't tip him in this time, even under the strain of "five bellies", and he was rewarded with three fish (all in one keepnet). The match started well for Chris, but the bites soon dried up as Wayne went into overdrive. Stevo also had a brief spell of action which gave him third place in the match and overall. The Buddha turned out to be a blanker, but had two for company. Stan waited until the end to catch his only fish. At least he didn't have far to walk for refreshments. We have a weekend to practice now before pairing up for another trophy. If the practice doesn't pay off, we can always go back to Hinderclay and play golf.
| 1st | R. Sustins | 23lb 2oz |
| 2nd | S. Scarff | 23lb 0oz |
| 3rd | C. Scarff | 16lb 6oz |
| Pairs winners: | S. Scarff and C. Scarff | 39lb 6oz |
Having had a weekend off to practice, it was time to take your partner by the hand for the Pairs match. First out of the hat were brothers Scarff, a firm favourite with the bookies. The other pairs were Wayne/Robyn, Ben/Stan, Hylton/Will, and Daryl/Alan. Brian got the honour of joining Team Buddha, captained by the one with the 'Body of a God'. Delusional springs to mind. Sam was the odd one out on this occasion. Stevo started on the feeder, and was into skimmers straight away. Robyn was bagging smaller fish on the whip. If Stevo had kept catching he would have won, but the skimmers moved and he lost a better fish in a snag. Robyn took victory by 2oz. Now it was down to their partners to see who would take the trophy. Wayne was first to weigh in with 13lb 8oz, but Chris had 16lb 6oz for third place and a victory for Team Scarff. Daryl found the skimmers as Stevo lost them, and ended up fourth. Unfortunately for him his team-mate 'lost half his fish' through a hole in his net. If they were big enough to get through the hole, they weren't worth catching in the first place! Rumours of bass making the hole were unfounded. Hylton had a rare family victory. No walking home for anyone this time. Team Buddha finished third, which is an improvement on last year. Buddha must have put a lot into the match, as he sits out the next three. Next we visit another new venue with big fish and little space. Should be interesting.
| 1st | C. Scarff | 16lb 11oz |
| 2nd | A. Scarff | 2lb 15oz |
| 3rd | W. Tuttle | 1lb 13oz |
Baby Buddha and Buddies, minus Baby Buddha, spent Father's Day at High Lodge. With all the reports of big fish coming from this venue, a lot was expected. The fish obviously felt as cramped as some of us, and the fishing suffered. Another Curse of the Buddha. Ben drew the peg everyone wanted, but it didn't pay off. The only fish biting were of the size lost last week through a hole in the net. Luckily Alan had sewn up the 13 holes found, and the fish had no escape. There were a couple of 'walks of shame'. One before the match started for Stevo, who decided to plumb the depth in the reeds. The other for Will, who probably cast deliberately onto the point so he could walk round and place his feeder where he wanted to. With even Wayne struggling for a bite we knew it was going to be hard. Hylton was waiting for 10 o'clock, the time Brian predicted the fish would turn up. That time came and went with only another minnow showing up 15 minutes late, along with a friendly spider to weave him a wig. Maybe the spider should have gone on the hook, Hylton had tried everything else. He caught a fish once you know. The carp that did show themselves were happy to swim in the margins and near the surface, but didn't seem interested in feeding. After an early tench, Chris did get a couple of small carp off the surface. Then a much larger specimen took a liking to his bait. Somehow he managed to wrestle it through the reeds and into the net. It was more than enough to take victory. Alan didn't have much water to fish in, but still took second place. Will came third with a similar net of tiddlers. We'll be fishing with pinkies here next time. Brian stayed on after the match, I hope he doesn't have more stories of big fish.
| 1st | W. Spooner | 42lb 8oz |
| 2nd | R. Sustins | 15lb 10oz |
| 3rd | S. Gooderham | 15lb 9oz |
Only ten anglers for this match, so out went the 'bad' pegs. Hylton was happy his usual swim got the elbow, but judging by the fish seen topping there later on it was the place to be. Unless of course you draw next to the bridge, and your name is Wayne. To begin with the Troll, on the other side of the bridge, was using his local knowledge to show Wayne the way. It didn't take long for Wayne to cotton on. A feeder under the bush caught nearly all his fish. Hylton was trying to cast to the island too, but those pesky trees kept getting in the way. Two 'climbs of shame' were avoided by some well-timed strikes, maybe next time he'll use braid and cut through the branches. The World Cup must be having an effect too, as his feeder made a lovely sound bouncing off the woodwork. Robyn has made good use of his silverfish rigs this season. Another blitz on the smaller fish saw him take second. One ounce behind was the Troll, who had Robyn read his weight from the scales. We'll believe you Robyn. Alan spent too long fishing the reeds, when the fish were by his feet all along. It was only when he hooked them that they headed for the reeds. Brian looked comfy in his chair, still dreaming of those big fish at High Lodge. With people missing there was a lot of movement in the overall standings. Ben is ahead in the battle of the Blowers brothers. The Troll moves up to fifth, behind Stevo who lost third place to Robyn. The Buddha has dropped to 10th, and will need to make up some weight by the mill at Oby. Thats still a couple of weeks away, we've got to catch more carp at Hinderclay first.
| 1st | W. Spooner | 92lb 4oz |
| 2nd | C. Scarff | 79lb 7oz |
| 3rd | S. Scarff | 50lb 2oz |
The Buddha really is missing out. Now down to 13th, thats unlucky for some. He'll get a chance to practice at Langley for the River Cup at Oby, but can he pull himself back up the list? There's a lot of bellies to get past. Speaking of bellies, Five Bellies decided last week's lesson with Wayne wasn't enough. After learning the art of casting it was shallow pole fishing this time. The second net would have been used if it wasn't still hanging on the wall at Bergh Apton. Chief Big Belly let us step into his office to see his catch, taken mostly on the top hook with crab legs. It took him ahead of Alan, who is suffering from shrinking fish in his net. Maybe thats how they get through the holes? Sam found out how big the fish could be when his landing net handle broke! Ben found the best place to put his float was on the bank, thats how close the fish were. They were also near the surface, which gave Wayne the chance to take Hylton to school. The same setup as last year saw quality fish stretching his elastic. After four weighs the total was over 90lbs. The scales were taking some abuse, and when Chris used similar tactics to put more strain on them they gave up. Luckily Chief Big Belly had some, so the weigh-in continued. Stevo tried the baggin' waggler for the second time, and it worked. Even the geese were attracted, who oxygenated the water as they went. Not a good idea to land the waggler on the fish though. Stan had the easiest cast to the island, so while the coconut was out he got stuck into TWO rolls. Maybe third place would have been his if he didn't eat so much. Probably the best match we have had here, and with all the big fish being put into the Spring lake it should be fun in September.
| 1st | C. Scarff | 15lb 6oz |
| 2nd | S. Scarff | 7lb 9oz |
| 3rd | W. Spooner | 5lb 7oz |
The Buddha was back, must've been his curse. He didn't make up much ground. Theres nothing like preparing for a match, then finding out you're fishing somewhere else. After being told the match wouldn't be on Langley Dyke as planned, the section to the right of the pub was opted for. Less than 12 hours before the match was due to start, another change of section meant it was to the left of the pub we headed. Even then we had to ward off some pleasure anglers, who trotted floats into Stevo's peg. Hearing that the pegs to the right had produced the day before didn't make this change any easier to bear. One small consolation: the pegs were above water. That might be the only reason Hylton stayed, he wasn't confident of finding the bream. He didn't have to walk home though, as he took the family honours. One person who was confident caught bream. Chris found a couple of slabs amongst the eels and roach to take victory, and beat the top weight on the other section. Its all in the groundbait you know. Stevo had enough fish in his peg to share and still come second. Wayne did the honourable thing and came third to stop a clean sweep of Scarffs. Chief Big Belly was feeling a bit ruffe after only managing one fish. There were a lot of ruffe about. Robyn boosted his weight with one, but still couldn't beat his brother. David made his first appearance, but thought he was still on the beach. An all-eel bag was a handful to weigh in (and quite hard to say too). Stan was there, but did nothing. Willy returns for the "Buddha by the Mill" River Cup at Oby. Will the confidence return to Five Bellies? Can Alan beat the Buddha to the mill? Will he still be on the run (last spotted in Pryces telling tales of the lost bass) from Keith Ford? Can Chief Big Belly catch on peeler? Can Stan do something to write about? Who cares? Its just nice to be there.
| 1st | W. Spooner | 13lb 0oz |
| 2nd | S. Sustins | 11lb 2oz |
| 3rd | C. Scarff | 11lb 1oz |
With the Chucker taking time out after having his balling-in hand repaired, it was off to Oby to see if there were more bream in the Bure than the Yare. Will and Daryl returned from their hols, Daryl being careful not to get groundbait on that new ring. Sam decided to join us on a river, but probably wished he hadn't bothered. Stevo felt the same, he could've been terrorising defences but instead chose to sit for 3 hours with hardly a bite. As is usually the case, once the tide turned he was getting a bite a chuck. It was too late by then though. Again only one person managed to find a real slab, and this week it was Brian's turn. He beat Stevo's weight by an ounce, who in turn beat the Buddha by two ounces. The Buddha had drawn well and headed to his usual spot in front of the mill. He really should cut down on the amount of gear he carries. It may have been Alan sitting next to him that ruined his chances. Fish were being lost to the tune of "another one bites the dust". 7th place was also lost to Brian, who is having a real tussle with Alan. Robyn got as close to the mill as he could, trying to get in the shade of the Buddha. His weight was leading until, once again, he was overtaken by brother Sean (apologies if I have name/spelling wrong. Come to think of it, how do you spell Robyn?). Chris fell an ounce short, maybe a softer rod would have kept more fish on the hook? If only the tip hadn't snapped the night before. Or was it down to the idiot swimming in the river to save his hat? It was up to the Spooner brothers to try and beat 11lb 2oz. In the end it was Wayne who took the inaugural "Buddha by the Mill" River Cup. A second piece of silverware was won with a bag of skimmers. Similar fish will probably be the target at Weybread, if anyone turns up. Red maggot on the feeder for those of you who haven't been before. Unless you like to catch roach on the drop. Wait a minute, I haven't mentioned Five Bellies. He didn't have much more luck than the week before, even with his tutor next door. So he's is off to play golf next week. If you need any help with birdies just ask Will. FORE!
| 1st | A. Scarff | 6lb 14oz |
| 2nd | S. Scarff | 6lb 12oz |
| 3rd | S. Blowers (jnr) | 5lb 8oz |
This should be short and sweet. With half the regular turn out giving this match a miss, it gave others a chance to get their name in lights. Or in the Journal. Wayne decided it was "sh*t or bust", so out went the spod and in came nothing. Sam started on the feeder and was rewarded with a bream. It would have been two if the second hadn't come off. Alan fished the margins to begin with, but after getting tips from Stevo he switched to the feeder and caught roach. Unfortunately for Stevo, and anyone Alan talks to in the next month, he did just enough to beat him into second place. Stevo couldn't turn bites into fish until his bolt rig came to the party. Brian picked out a couple of specimen roach on the peeler crab for his weight, but Alan has taken 7th spot back. Will had a few fish on the pole to move ahead of Ben in the rankings, who spent more time annoying Sam than fishing. A quiet match with the lack of Bellies on view. Fix the holes in your net for next week, those rudd don't get much smaller. Even after shrinking.
| 1st | W. Tuttle | 29lb 12oz |
| 2nd | R. Grimson | 23lb 2oz |
| 3rd | C. Scarff | 6lb 8oz |
The second visit to High Lodge proved slightly more successful than the first. Wayne gave it a miss, so Will got a lift with Chief Big Belly. They were seen heading in the wrong direction at 6 o'clock, Will having forgotten his worms. Lucky he went back for them, as they were the winning bait when teamed up with a feeder fished close to the reeds. Even losing eight hooks didn't stop him. Maybe the helicopter brought him some more? It certainly gave off a strong breeze, Five Bellies had a full head of hair before it arrived! The Buddha was visiting this venue for the first time, it must have been beginners luck when he landed an 11lb lump on the pole. He caught a few smaller carp too to bolster his weight (not that it needs bolstering). Robyn couldn't believe it when he phoned, and nor could we. Chris found the tench nearly as slippery as the banks, trying to put one in the net resulted in a wet foot and much abuse from the Puddle-Basher. Then a slightly wayward cast led to a snap-off, and yet more abuse. At least a walk of shame was avoided. The same could not be said for Alan, who seemed to be casting into Five Belly's swim. Surely there'll be no fish there? Good to see last week's victory hasn't gone to Alan's head. Five Bellies had to cast into the reeds to get away from him. We saw you. Sam repaid the favour of last week to spend time watching Ben, who managed a couple of fish on bread. Chief Big Belly had one carp to show for his efforts. The rest had to make do with tiddlers, including Stevo. Five Bellies got a new landing net which was just the right size for his catch. Wayne should take note, he blanked from the same swim! He can pick his other one up next week as we head back to Bergh Apton, minus the Mystery Tour Buddha and Alan. The Troll may still be absent too, so who will fish the bridge?
| 1st | W. Spooner | 74lb 5oz |
| 2nd | C. Scarff | 50lb 0oz |
| 3rd | W. Tuttle | 40lb 0oz |
Who do you think fished the bridge? The same person as last time, thats who. The Troll's apprentice used the same combination of feeder and pole fished close to the island to improve on his weight taken here last year. He had to borrow a second net from the Chief, who had almost given up hope of catching until a new method was unleashed. Using the same tree Five Bellies had been up on the previous visit, the Chief went one better and let his feeder hang down into the water from the branches. It worked a treat, a carp soon picked up his bait. The only problem then was getting the fish in. After trying himself to land it from the island, Wayne took over and got the poor fish off the hook. Five Bellies was in a different swim, but still feeding the same tree with pellets. He did get his net back, turning down another that had actually seen fish. The price tag of £2 6d rather gave away its lack of use. Nets were being used elsewhere. Chris netted a few better specimens from the reeds on floating baits, along with two floats. One was his, the other belonged to Sam. He had the fish feeding on the surface in front of him, hooking and landing them wasn't easy though. Will was fishing opposite Wayne and also fishing to the island. A constant run of fish gave him third place. When Robyn wasn't sharing the island swim with Will he was catching smaller fish on the pole. Ben just did enough to sneak ahead of the Chief on the day, and ahead of the Buddha overall. Sam also moved up a place. Robyn leads the Troll, but Will is now ahead of them both. The Chief has put some breathing space between himself and Alan, who will struggle to make up the difference without a bass or two. Lilly's lake should be a tench-fest, as long as the carp don't feed.
| 1st | C. Scarff | 25lb 6oz |
| 2nd | S. Scarff | 20lb 0oz |
| 3rd | A. Scarff | 15lb 2oz |
I guess it had to happen one day. With the lillies fully grown and offering a feature to fish to in many swims, it was all about who could catch the tench quickest. At least until the carp moved in. On peg one Chris had tench from open water, before targeting the carp under a bush. Next door on peg two Alan was fishing to pads close in. The odd carp managed to escape, but the bass had no chance. They got revenge by cutting a hole in his net. Stevo found himself sandwiched between Wayne and the owner, but it didn't stop him from catching. Wayne, on the other hand, decided to fish for the bigger specimens in the lake. Floating baits under the trees got the fish feeding, but they didn't like coming out from the roots. Snag after snag left Wayne frustrated and hookless. Tony made an appearance after coming second here last time, but despite another double-figure bag had to settle for fourth this time round. Five Bellies had a good day, it was obvious by the lack of noise coming from his direction. The gap to the Troll has shrunk like a fish in Alan's net. The Buddha was also quiet, maybe sulking after losing his ball? He hid under his mushroom again, as did all of us to begin with. Sam and Daryl got to listen to the carp splashing in the reeds, but not in their nets. Will was distracted by the sight of Alan catching fish and struggled as a result. As for the Chief, on his home water, he barely troubled the scales. Alan has now taken back 8th place, with the Buddha hot on the Chief's tail. Sam has closed up on Ben, who didn't fish. It was probably his turn in the back of the van. All the fish caught were transfered to a new lake, which we'll probably fish next year. Just hope you don't draw the peg they tipped the Chief's catch into.
| 1st | A. Scarff | 15lb 14oz |
| 2nd | S. Scarff | 14lb 7oz |
| 3rd | R. Grimson | 12lb 0oz |
Buddha to the rescue! It was so nearly another 1-2-3 for the Scarffs, but the Buddha stepped in from his mystery tour to spoil the party. With a sunken boat up by the mill there was only room for one. Pegless Alan took the spot. He had a crane for company and some old folk on a boat. They were only too happy to fire up the bbq and pass hotdogs to their nearest fisherman. They probably got the idea after smelling the smoke on him from the previous night's bbq which he'd had. The remark of "Is the groundbait we put out for you working?" made others highly suspicious. It obviously did work, although the green slime used to mix it might be avoided in future. Maybe wreck fishing is where his talent lies? Stevo started well with worm, then found bread a better option once the tide slowed. The Buddha was next-door, sneaking out fish at the end to edge ahead of Chris. Back towards the dyke the others were having less luck. Daryl and Will both got one over on Wayne who is concentrating his efforts on a 100lb bag next week. Daryl had the biggest slab of the day, but where have they all gone? Only skimmers seem to be caught now. The crab legs certainly didn't attract any for Chief Big Belly. Five Bellies couldn't find them either. They'll both find their mouths next week though, when the breakfasts are handed out. The Buddha won't be there, he's on a diet. The Troll will return to get in some much needed practice before the final two matches. With Five Bellies and Alan breathing down his neck it should be interesting.
| 1st | W. Spooner | 19lb 6oz |
| 2nd | W. Tuttle | 9lb 0oz |
| 3rd | C. Scarff | 8lb 12oz |
With this match not counting towards the final standings all that mattered was enjoying the day out. After a steady drive down, in luxury for Ben and Sam, the map reading of Chris found the venue easily. All Alan had to do was take the road into the car park, which he missed. Having been offered the choice of two lakes the canal was chosen. Before any fishing could be done there was a breakfast to be had. Only one dared to take on the Big Breakfast, Chief Big Belly. Even Five Bellies was satisfied with a normal portion. The Chief had to admit defeat and we all headed off to see what the fishing had in store. The canal was not as wide as expected, but we were told it was the place to fish. Wayne drew peg one, the hot pegs supposedly at the other end. That didn't stop him catching a bag of mostly tench from the end of the lake to easily win the match. Will was at the other end on peg 20. His hot peg wasn't good enough to win, but he caught a mixed bag to take second place. On peg 5 Chris had a dead carp floating opposite. If that wasn't enough to put off the other fish, the mink/otter that had a sniff of the dead fish certainly was. It was a bite a chuck for the first half-hour too. Stevo was next-door on peg 7. He lost a good fish which would have given him second, or maybe it was the mink. Daryl lost a big carp at the start and it never returned. Stan also lost a big fish on his return from injury. The Chief had a skimmer first cast, then one roach in the remaining 5 hours, 58 minutes. Lucky he didn't stay to finish his breakfast, he'd have missed all the action! Alan was fishing worm, his swimfest groundbait and pellets weren't working. If anyone knows what he is talking about please let us know. Hylton took the family honours, Ben and Sam must like the new ride. The Buddha will return for the re-arranged match at Creeting Lakes, but he won't get a breakfast. Sounds like strong gear might be needed, so dust off your beachcasters.
| 1st | S. Scarff | 51lb 0oz |
| 2nd | W. Spooner | 41lb 0oz |
| 3rd | C. Scarff | 36lb 7oz |
Away day part II was a far more enjoyable affair. No 100lb bags, but over 340lb of fish between 12 was more than we could have hoped for from the river. With more great map work from Chris, which led to two lay-by visits, the right road was eventually found after 15 minutes driving round in circles. Hylton wanted to go Yoxford way, as always. Yoxford this, Yoxford that, why don't you just marry Yoxford? The lake itself looked inviting, until we plumbed the depth. The only deep holes were where you put your keepnet. With the breeze strengthening through the morning, holding a pole was not the prefered option. Luckily the fish were happy to be caught on the feeder. Stan was the first to find the fish after his fizzy tea, and others soon followed. Chris had a good start, so thought he'd better take some groundbait to Stevo. He put it to good use, too good, and caught all morning (and afternoon). He even had the cheek to catch one before the start, and then net two at once. Buddha was in the corner but not catching as well as Stevo (the little bass-tud). He should pay more attention. Wayne saw Stan catching and followed suit. He caught on the pole too towards the end. The fish were visible in the shallow margins, but the ones you can see are always the hardest to catch. Alan did find some specimens, his photo might even appear on here soon! 6th place in the standings is his reward, sandwiched between Five Bellies and Stan. It was another wreck which inspired him. Five Bellies had the broken-tip out. It caught him just enough to continue his family victories, and it looks like he'll finish ahead in the overall standings. With Ben not fishing the final match Sam has won the battle of the Blowers brothers. Chief Big Belly was struggling to catch, tips from Alan being the final insult. Will consolidated his 4th place and Daryl weighed in the same as Five Bellies. The Buddha will need 20lb to overtake Robyn at Hinderclay. Robyn has dropped three places, surely he can't risk being beaten by the Buddha? Is it something we said Robyn? Get the burgers on and fix those stagings Stuart, we're on our way. P.S. We came back Yoxford way, it was great.
| 1st | W. Spooner | 23lb 3oz |
| 2nd | S. Scarff | 13lb 9oz |
| 3rd | S. Gooderham | 11lb 7oz |
The end of another season. Time flies when you're having fun, or taking the Yoxford way home. Chief Big Belly sat out the final match, the smell of the family bbq too strong to resist. Or was it at Oby Dyke? Or Lilly's Lake? Sam had football to attend to, so Five Bellies was assured overall family victory. He was certainly in a hurry to get there as he disappeared into the fog. The light load must have made his new vehicle faster. Wayne was in even more of a hurry, shame he forgot to turn off before Stowmarket! Those spirits from the night before were obviously still high, I got high just standing near him! Stuart got the usual abuse from Five Bellies as he sorted out our pegs for the day. Will got the short walk and a swim full of reeds. The fish were there, but they weren't hungry. Daryl went for the bigger fish and failed to weigh-in as a result. Chris also started with big fish in mind, but caught a few on the pole to make sure the net wasn't dry. Buddha caught a carp in the first 15 minutes. Robyn was in his sights, until he blanked the rest of the match. Stevo had a 13 pounder straight away, with a little landing net help from Stuart. He lost another soon after and didn't catch anything else. It was still enough for second place. Wayne caught his biggest fish after 20 seconds and added another decent carp to finish the season as he started, in first place. Five Bellies wasn't having a good day. He lost his best fish, then got a coffee with sugar. Alan didn't enjoy his tea without sugar much either, but he wasn't going to waste it. The tight git. Snake-charmer Stan brought one of his friends along from Marsh Trail Lakes. He hasn't got this fishing business quite sussed yet though. You're supposed to have nets for fish, not fish for nets. They don't 'arf go in this current. The food was a welcome distraction from the lack of activity. There are some photos on the left of our final weigh-in. Luckily the Buddha's face is obscured from view by Stan. I might add up the total weight for each season sometime. Keep an eye out. Now we have to find something else to do on a Sunday. Fishing it is then.
