TOWN’s Mike Green has just got back from his latest globe-trotting trip to angling’s heaven – and how his arms must ache!
This time it was the shores of Cuba and catching muscular, flashing, tarpon to a new personal best of 70lb...on beefed-up flyfishing gear.
Together with Irchester mate Rod Barley, he was bagging big tarp, high-speed bonefish to 7lb, jacks to 20 and red snappers.
All were landed on a Bob Church pike-fly rod and slow sinking shooting head, plus an enormous amount of backing...
“It’s the gear I use for pike in winter,” said Mike, “but I have never had a pike jump six-foot in the air – or tear off 250 yards of backing!”
Nearer home Kingsmill AC, reporting through CarpinCapers, fished Alders Farm where Andrew Sibley won with 129lb of carp. Gary Dickinson netted 107lb and Gareth Abrahams 87lb.
Osprey’s Lakeside match went to Neil Fenner with 103lb followed by Richard Green 99lb and Ian Millin 97lb.
Carp were munching, too, at Meadowlands where Glen Maxwell topped the Lanes Baits Tuesday open with 102-8 – just shading organiser Wayne Sharman on 102lb. Steve White 82-12.
Carp and bream helped Courtney Hewlett top Castle Ashby’s bank holiday Monday Brickyard open with 101-2, obliterating runner-up Dave Martin’s 51-4 and Pete Gibson’s 47-1.
Sunday’s Grendon do had gone to Gary Cannon with 56-14. Roy Woodward netted 50-8 and Andy Jones 39-12. The previous day’s Brickyard sweep had gone to Hewlett, with 36-12, followed by Chris Garrett 35-4 and Bob Reed 26-12.
Barby Marshes saw Mark Tottenham top White Hart Flore’s match with 68lb. Paul Jackson had 48lb and Trevor Griffiths 42lb.
Perry Briggs won Wellingborough Osprey’s ‘Ashby Brickyard match with 67-8, Ray Reardon had 52lb and Terry Soper 47-7.
‘Bucko’s’ charity open at Tofts saw Daventry’s Mick Turner (on quite a roll for an oldie) with 50-6 as Pete Tapp had 47-11 and Luke Downing 45-11.
A county vets outing – at Canons – went to Dave Smart with 37-12. Paul Lafflin’s 35-2 included a 20-8 waggler carp. Fred Prior had 27-4.
Towcester vets came second by 46 points to 58 against the MK oldies on Canons. Paul Barnes and Ernie Sattler made first and third with 22-12 and 19-1 as Gerald Green weighed 22-2 for Tows.
When Flore & Brockhall hit Barby Marshes, 80-year-old club stalwart Gerald Cash took the others’ cash with 14lb of carp and roach. Rob Rawlins had 8-8 and Reece Clulow 8-6.
Last week’s Towcester Silver Lake open produced a 75lb winning weight for Dave Martin. This week’s on Bairstows went to Dave Gibbins with 8-8 as Gerald Green had 4-11 and Martin 4-2.
FIXTURES: Sunday, Towcester open, Silver lake 07915 613862.