KIA-ORA FISHERY

THE gold pond at Kia-Ora produced two 20k-plus weights when 15 members of the locally-based Team Jinx EAC held their latest competition.

A winning catch of 23k 730g was recorded by Roly Palmer, who was drawn at peg four in the shallow water. He chose to use a straight leger rig with corn hookbait on a 16 hook to 3lb line. He caught his first carp after 30 minutes and had another 10 of them later. The best fish scaled around the 5k mark. He received prize money of £65.

Runner-up was Matt Flavin, who recorded a 22k 230g catch at peg 9 to win £40. He fished a long pole with eiher pellet or corn hookbaits presented over pellet feed. His catch was made up of 15 carp plus 3k of silver fish that fell to soft pellet baits.

Third angler was Barry Lucas, who had the best catch from the dam wall of 13k 900g and won £25. He used a pole at eight metres and fished corn or soft pellet baits near a floating island. He had several carp along with a few skimmers and roach.

Guesting at the match was junior angler Kingsley Davis, who had a very good catch of 10k 500g. He fished at peg three where he used a straight leger set up and eight-metre pole with corn on his hook. He caught carp including one around the 4k mark.

On Sunday, March 7, Team Jinx will be fishing on the gold pond against a South Devon match group in the first round of the VDE Supercup.

HOGSBROOK

HOGSBROOK Fishery members held their latest midweek silver fish event on the bottom lake.

Top catcher was Peter Collings, who had a 4lb 10oz catch at peg 39 in the trees.

He fed a couple of balls of feed at 11 metres and, after one-and-a-half hours, he caught a 2lb bream. Switching to short pole with maggot hookbaits, he caught a 1lb perch along with some small skimmers and roach.

Runner-up Jason McGrath scaled 3lb 8oz at dam wall peg 36. Failing to catch on a feeder for two hours he tried a pole at 12 metres and caught a 1.5lb skimmer on maggots. Back on the feeder for the last hour saw him tempt a big skimmer.

Third was Dave Whitehall at peg 37 where he had a level 3lb. He used a 10-metre pole and fished single or double maggot baits over some cereal containing pinkies. He caught small roach and skimmers.

The Sunday winter league fixture also took place on the bottom lake, which resulted in a comfortable win for McGrath at peg 40.

He had a 71lb 10oz total made up of nine carp to 10lb 5oz. He used a short pole at four metres and baited with soft pellets, presented close to the margins over some loose offerings.

Runner-up Dave Whitehall put 17lb 8oz on the scales at peg 39, where he used a pole at 10 metres. Small balls of feed attracted skimmers and roach, which he caught steadily. During the final 30 minutes he boosted his total when he landed a 13lb 3oz carp.

The silver fish winner was Ken Cox. He had a 3lb 10oz net at peg 27. Feeder tactics with maggot baits brought him a 1.5lb skimmer. He then tried a pole at 10 metres but failed to catch. Returning to the feeder produced two more skimmers on treble maggot hookbaits.

Roy Frith was runner-up at peg 29 where he scaled 2lb 13oz. He caught a 1lb skimmer on a feeder with worm hookbait. Swapping later to a seven-metre pole brought him small roach and skimmers.

TANNERS LAKE

A TEAM of eight anglers representing Exeter fished a competition on Tanners Lake at Stafford Moor Fishery, near Winkleigh.

They used it as a practice for this Saturday's local round of the Van Den Eynde Supercup competiton. It proved successful with first and second places going to team members.

Top catch went to Kevin Diment, who put an excellent 116lb on the scales to win prize money of £80. He drew peg one and fished a waggler float with banded 8mm pellet hookbaits. Loose-fed samples soon had fish interested. He had 17 carp up to the 8lb mark plus around 10lb of silver fish.

Runner-up Gary Thornton had a 53lb 8oz catch at peg 13 and won £60 prize money. He used waggler tactics with pellet hookbaits to catch carp and loose-fed pellets to attract them into the swim.

Team member Zac Newton did well to make the main frame with a 26lb catch of carp from peg 35 where he used both waggler and leger tactics and baited with pellets. Exeter will be fishing against the Stafford Moor match group and Kernow.

LUCCOMBE PONDS

LUCCOMBE Ponds fished well for competitors who entered recent midweek and Sunday events.

Torbay angler Shane Harper won the Wednesday match, fished in wet and cold conditions, with a respectable net of 46lb. He was fishing on sycamore pond with a nine-metre pole and baited with maggots to take an all-carp net.

Runner-up Jamie Goodfellow, of Exeter, had 42lb 8oz from his peg on birch pond. Pole-fishing corn or pellet hookbaits gave him carp including one that scaled 11lb 8oz. Torbay's Rod Metcalf took third spot with 19lb 8oz at his peg on oak pond. He had a catch of small carp caught on a 10-metre pole and maggot baits.

Conditions were milder for the Sunday event that saw Stephen Barrell top score with 83lb from his peg on birch pond. He used a 10-metre pole and presented maggot baits close to the reeds. He caught carp ranging up to the 5lb mark and also included three koi up to 5lb.

Debbie Stevens, of Exeter, kept up her good venue form with the runner-up catch of 24lb 8oz. She was on oak pond where she fished a seven-metre pole and baited with maggots or corn. Loose-fed pellets attracted carp and she caught them up to the 7lb mark. Jamie Goodfellow, of Exeter, had a 13lb catch on birch pond for third place. He fed pellets but fished corn or maggot baits for a net of small carp.

GRAND WESTERN CANAL

THE Grand Western Canal in the Sampford Peverell area is well coloured but plenty of fish are there and offering consistent sport. Liquidised bread feed has attracted roach into swims and anglers have fished five-metre whips and baited with bread punch to catch good numbers of them up to the 3oz mark.

Loose feeding a few casters across the canal and offering them on the hook has tempted the odd perch to the pound mark. There has not been any news of catches from other parts of the canal this week.

Tiverton Fishing Club have a competition on the canal taking place on Sunday, March 14.

EXETER ASSOCIATION

EXETER Association members are advised that abbrook pond at Kingsteignton will be closed on Saturday. A work party will be undertaking various jobs at the popular water. Latest news from the fishery is that the odd small carp up to 8lb have been caught on legered boilies. A 10.5lb pike was caught on a dead bait recently.

Cold water running in to the silver pond at Kia-Ora slowed sport for members who fished there. However, lots of the resident small roach and skimmers were caught by two anglers who fished from swims along the tree-lined bank. Short poles and whips with mainly maggot hookbaits tempted the fish in catches to around the 5lb mark.

SUNDAY SWEEPSTAKE

THE Sunday sweepstake fished at Lakeview Fishery, Morchard Road, produced lots of fish and once again Kevin Diment topped the event with a 70lb catch of carp caught on whip and pole tactics. He used either corn or pellet hookbaits throughout.

Runner-up Gary Thornton (ALS VDE) put 66lb of carp on the scales. He had all his carp on pole tackle with corn or pellet baits. Andy Bulled followed with a 61lb catch of carp and just beat Duncan Hill, who finished on 60lb. The lowest catch on the day was 25lb, which indicates just how consistent the fishery is. Day tickets are available on site.

UPHAM FARM

UPHAM Coarse Fishery produced some nice fish for Newton Abbot angler Matthew King, who braved an all-night session on pond seven.

He legered with boilies to catch carp scaling 19lb, 18lb and 16lb, plus several smaller doubles. Carp are being caught from most ponds, as Exmouth angler George Boyes found out. He float-fished with prawns and corn on pond one and had three carp up to the 6lb mark. A move on to pond two produced five carp to 6lb. Later he tried pond four where he had four carp to 7lb. Pond six has continued to offer sport with both carp and the skimmer bream that are in there. One angler used float tactics to catch 18 fish there. Small carp, around the 2lb to 3lb mark, are showing from pond five.

SILVER FISH COMPETITION

EXETER members have a silver fish competition on Sunday on the gold pond at Kia-Ora and prospects should be good with roach, skimmers and perch the main species to show.

All members are welcome to fish but must book in with the match secretary Mark Thorogood on 01626 889931. The draw for pegs is at 8.30am and fishing is from 10am until 3pm.

CREEDY LAKES

THE new season at Creedy Lakes, Crediton, starts next Monday and the banks will be open for fishing from 5.30am.

The water colour is fair at the moment indicating fish movements and a few fish have been visible on the surface.

Several of the swims have been tidied up with overhanging branches trimmed and a few of the snags have been cleared from the water. All the paths have been resealed and the banks are reasonably firm and clean.

Prices are held from last season with a three-rod day ticket (5.30am to 11pm) costing £12 and a one or two-rod day ticket £8. Evening tickets (5pm to 11pm) are £6 and £4 respectively.

SEA ANGLING

THE Lively Lady social evening concluded a year's competition between Honiton and Beer sea angling clubs.

Two fishing events were staged by the two clubs in 2009. In March and June, two-boat matches took place out of Beer and, after the first heat, Beer had a small lead. Honiton dominated the second heat and ran out winners by some 250 per cent

The best fish from these two heats went to Beer's Andy Smitherman, with a pout of just over 3lb. In August, the two teams met for a shore fixture on Chesil Beach. Honiton again just nudged Beer to second spot by just over 200 per cent. The third fixture of the year involved no fishing but was the clubs' annual challenge of darts, a pub quiz and skittles. Honiton again triumphed, by a single point.