East Midlands Winter League Sunday proved to be a disappointing day for our VDE Stanjay Special team as a seventh place in the team event on the day plunged us from equal top of the league to sixth overall. Browning Hotrods, usually very strong on the ve

East Midlands Winter League

Sunday proved to be a disappointing day for our VDE Stanjay Special team as a seventh place in the team event on the day plunged us from equal top of the league to sixth overall.

Browning Hotrods, usually very strong on the venue, won by just one point from the Mark One White team, putting them equal first in the league at the halfway stage.

Nothing is yet decided in what is proving to be a most unpredictable series of matches but Stanjay Specials have no further room for error in the remaining matches on the River Glen, Ramsey Drains & Benwick and Cock Bank if they are to have any hope of semi-final qualification.

Of the Special team, only Anthony Watling, whose class again showed through with a section win leaving him leading the individual championship, the Stacey Cup, gained anything from the day.

There was, however, a happy story for one of the VDE Stanjay Turbo team, Roy Whincup. Roy, who as vice-captain had sportingly offered to leave himself out of the team, was a Saturday lunchtime replacement for flu victim Tony Hayden. He drew peg A2 which on the previous week had been away from the fish but with far less flow, the bream had moved away from the Baitsbite Lock and he caught a total of 11 to win the match with 36lb 9.5oz, a very popular victory.

RESULT (Teams on Day): 1 Browning Hotrods 34pts, 2 Sensas Mark One white 35pts, 3 Sensas Mark One Black 40pts, 4= Wades/Bourne 45pts, 6 MAP Peterborough 48pts, 7 VDE Stanjay Special 55pts, 8 VDE Stanjay Turbo 57pts

League to date: 1= Browning Hotrods/Sensas Mark One white 10pts, 3= Sensas Mark One black/Wades MG 12pts, 5 MAP Peterborough 13pts, 6 VDE Stanjay Special 14pts

Individual: 1 Roy Whincup VDE Stanjay Turbo 36lb 8.5oz, 2 Dale Stones Wades MG 18lb 14oz, 3 Chris Hardman Wades MG 16lb 6oz, 4 Andy Leathers Browning Hotrods 13lb 14oz, 5 Rob Hewison Sensas Mark One White 12lb 3oz, 6 Simon Godfrey Sensas Mark One white 12lb 2.5oz

Stanjay Tackle Saturday Match

Although the main river looked fishable at noon, the experiences of the last two weeks, when the flow increased dramatically during the match, influenced Stan's decision to peg the match on the backwaters.

The fishing was excellent with Trevor Oakman winning the match from peg 18 on the Lock Cut with 16lb 2oz of roach, perch and the odd eel. Only an ounce separated second and third, Ian Benton and Stan from the Lock Cut and Mill Lode respectively both with one tench. Stan's tench seemed to be the one that had been caught the two previous weeks on the main river weighing 5.5lb.

RESULT: 1 Trevor Oakman VDE Stanjay MG 16lb 2oz, 2 Ian Benton VDE Stanjay MG 11lb 11oz, 3 Stan Binge VDE Stanjay MG 11lb 10oz, 4 Paul Ashcroft St Ives 6lb 3oz

Cromwell Lake

Dave Silsby was the winner of Saturday's sweepstake with 27lb 2oz from peg 9.

Second place was close between John and Charlie Pratt with Charlie's small fish net of 5lb 6oz giving him the second place by just a pound. Terry Allgood again won the small fish prize with 6lb 7oz.

RESULT: 1 Dave Silsby Brampton 27lb 2oz, 2 Charlie Pratt St Neots 18lb 9oz, 3 John Pratt Great Paxton 17lb 7oz. Small fish: Terry Allgood 6lb 7oz.

Benwick AC

Despite a beautiful late October day, Burtons Bank did not fish especially well with only match winner Terry Fairbrother catching a tench and the remainder of the fish to be caught being very small.

RESULT: 1 Terry Fairbrother 8lb 1oz, 2 Dick Denson 3lb 5oz, 3 Dave Porter 2lb 7oz.

St Neots AC

THE F Webb Memorial match was fished in the Regatta Field on Saturday.

RESULT: 1 R Jenkins 8lb 8oz, 2 Dennis Holliday 5lb 9oz, 3 Mark Rayner 2lb 3oz

Ramsey AS

There were seventeen anglers at Sunday's pike match at Ramsey St Mary's but the small pike did not really show on the day.

The match was won by Richard Bond from March with three pike for 17lb 14oz. One pound behind was Terry Waple with four pike and Joan Cole took third place.

RESULT: 1 Richard Bond March 17lb 14oz, 2 Terry Waple Brandon 16lb 14oz, 3 Joan Cole Warboys 11lb 6oz. Best fish: Sean Fulcher 11lb

Richard and Terry qualify for next year's final.

Lawn Farm

The result of last week's Golden Rod match fished on Willow Lake was a win for Dennis Holliday with 31lb 12oz.

RESULT: 1 Dennis Holliday 31lb 12oz, 2 Chris Young 20lb 8oz, 3 Roger Abbott 20lb.

Grahams Pond

Sunday's match was won by Steve Webb with tench carp and bits for 10lb 10oz. Kevin Randall was second and Bob Nickles third.

RESULT: 1 Steve Webb 10lb 10oz, 2 Kevin Randall 5lb, 3 Bob Nickles 2lb 12oz

Pleasure fishing during half term, Jack Nickles, 14, caught two bream, two tench and 20 crucians on Monday and Kevin Randall a 16lb common carp.

Rookery Farm

Grebe AC had a match on Rook Lake on Sunday with pole fishing proving better than fishing the feeder.

RESULT: 1 John Wilson 51lb 6oz, 2 Bern Rackham 48lb 12oz, 3 A Dennis 21lb 14oz, 4 Trevor Dew 21lb 2oz

Fishing Fixtures

Saturday

Godmanchester AS Saturday Open (King of the Rec) - Godmanchester Recreation Ground - Draw 11.30am - Fish 12.15-4.30pm.

Cromwell Lake - Sweepstake - Draw 11am - Fish 12noon-5pm (two keepnets needed).

Ramsey AS - Junior Pike Match - Ramsey St Mary's - Draw 10.30am - Fish 11am-3pm.

Sunday

East Midlands Winter League - Practice Match - River Glen Spalding - Draw Birds 8am - Fish 10am-3pm.

Ramsey AS - Ramsey Winter League- Halfpenny Toll - Draw 8am - Fish 9am-2pm.

Benwick AS - Club Match - Copalder - Draw 8am - Fish 9am-2pm.

BRJ Angling Club - Ramsey St Marys - Draw 8am - Fish 9am-2pm.

Grahams Pond - Sunday Open Match - Winner Takes All - Draw 8.30am - Fish 9am-2pm (01480 351034).

Tuesday

Lawn Farm - Golden Rod Open match - Willow Lake.