It’s been tough on the circuit this week as many rods, particularly the hardened winter canal match anglers, found that roach had completely switched off.
Going back to last Wednesday, incredibly not a single roach was caught within a field of 16 keen canal men competing in the L&DAA open match at Pilling Lane in Lydiate, lined up here before the boats, on what is also a predominately noted roach venue.
Why? Well, quite simply, we don’t know. But there’s no doubt somewhere within the ecological book of theories, there would be a possibility of nitrates, oxygen, pH levels or maybe high or low temperatures to be answerable.
Whatever the issue, on a tough one amongst a very strong field, Huyton’s Roy Spendlove took the honours. A master in his own right using caster and worm, he simply made no mistake and made it work again.
Spendlove, a popular figure right across the region, fittingly made it count to take hold of a prized position upon the ‘all winners’ final to be held in September with a fantastic £1,000 prize money, plus pools to be competed for.
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Opting for an ’all-out’ approach with quality fish in mind, Spendlove tamed a huge eel and four perch using worm and caster for a winning 3.5.0.
Visiting from Wigan was Carl Whalley who took a few perch for 1.3.0 and second place. Huyton’s Paul Holding with a close 1.2.0, again with perch, rounded off the frame on an exceedingly tough day for everyone, especially for those who blanked.
Ironically, and still on the canal at Maghull, it was roach that involved seeing a head-to-head take joint honours on Liverpool’s open held on the cricket pitch on Sunday.
Here, LAS team-mates Jeff Stirrat and John Easton shared the spoils with catches for 5.9.0. Stirrat, from Aintree, opted for a bread approach and took two bream and a few roach for his weight that was matched by an all roach catch by Easton.
Easton, from Blundelsands, took tiny roach on bread punch at 11m to start with, before going over a carefully primed hemp swim at 6m. That decision saw him take quality roach to tie with team-mate Stirrat who joins his pal who has already qualified for September’s final.
On the East Lancashire Road at St Helens, Carr Mill Dam is a water that has seen weights dramatically down this winter. On another expectedly tough one, although with the temperature slightly rising on Sunday, this experienced field of mainly ‘tip’ anglers found the going extremely hard.
Again, almost as fittingly as could be imagined, one of St Helens’ most loved and respected veterans on this scene took the day’s honours. Pegged on the ‘sunnies’ 82 peg, Billy Thelwell – who has been a member of the St Helens AA for over 60 years – hooked into a decent bream with just 15 minutes to go to take the top honours with just 3.14.0.
Rounding off on the club scene, Maghull AC’s trip to Firswood saw Graham Handford take the top honours with a fine catch for 42.14.0 on Saturday. Stuart Turton 37.3.0 took second. Paul Wright 35.12.0 took third.
With The Alliance, Charlie Smith took 39.12.0 to win the Tony Stuart Memorial. John Watson took second with a close 39.4.0. Colin Pellow 38.11.0 and Steve Cain 32.8.0 took third and fourth respectively.
