Last match of the year and free use of the pond – kindly donated by Dick and Sandra.
Perhaps this should have been called the Christmas Knack(er)-up.
17 combatants (there should have been 18 but one knocked at the last minute). Making guest appearances fresh from Lindholme were Chris Kitchen and Martin Holmes. I was so excited knowing Chris was coming back that I got an erection!!! 2E was excited as God had been kind to him – Byron Baggins was unavailable but he had provided another vertically challenged personage for him to take the p..s out of! Heigh Ho!! Snow White had let Martin out for the day (figuratively speaking of course). The rule of Apart Height had been maintained.
Craig ran a raffle before the draw to raise extra cash to support the league. He raised £70.80, which should ensure we can pay at least to 5th in the league now as long as we can keep attendances above 15. We have managed 100% turnouts so far and big thanks to Mick Pegg and Mick Webb for supporting us when league members have been unavailable. Also very big thanks to those who donated prizes for the raffle.
The draw; Dave Thommo pulled out 1 for me and 17 for Eric – no complaints there. The remaining pegs were drawn, which saw Paul Brown on 22, CK on 23 (draw-bag!), Martin B on 15A, Craig on 13 and the High Priest of Knacker-Tapping on favoured peg 3. The last two fliers went to Andy Scott (15) and Dave T (16). For the second match running Scott had drawn peg 6 and fancied it for a few carp (well the weather has been kind).
Kick-off 10 AM and everybody’s eyes turned to peg 22, waiting for Paul’s tip to go round. But there was a lot of not much happening; Paul was struggling. Not so CK as he started to catch carp from 23. Dave T, Eric and Squirrel (16, 17 and 18) also struggled. Carp had been sat in that area for a few weeks but now seemed to have shifted more to the middle, their old haunts. They were still in front of 13 though as Craig sat it out on the tip all day and managed six or seven fish and lost big ‘un.
Time called at 3.00 PM. CK came out as match and section winner with 34lbs 2oz followed by Martin B with a mixed carp/silvers net of 24lbs 3oz to win section A. Dave P was second in A section with 18lbs 3oz while Craig took second in B with 24lbs dead. Section C was won by the now famous Martin Holmes who took a good 18lbs 3oz of all silvers from flier peg 11 (peg 11 is not normally known as a flier but is with Martin sat on it. In fact any peg Martin draws at Birkwood is a flier – or at least becomes one for the five hours he’s sat on it. Well done mini-me – Graham!!). Second in C section was Scott with 14lbs 15oz that included 13lbs plus of carp – obviously still on holiday in the area!!
Winning team on the day were the three M's - Martin B, Martin H and Mark Firth.
There were two additional prizes out of the main six, best net of silvers and best net of carp. 2E took the silver prize with 10lbs 4oz and I took the carp (should that be bronze???) with 3 minor lumps for 14lbs 6oz – yippee!!
Next league match is Sunday 5th January and we shall welcome back Roger “Keep Tha Noase Out Idiot” Summerscales after his recent back operation. He said he had a lump the size of a golf-ball removed from his back. I did ask if he had sat down suddenly and very hard at some point and perhaps this was one of his testicles? – but he assured me it was not. He is fighting fit and ready to take up the challenge again from peg 10!!!!!!
See you Sunday peeps
Des
