Nick is angling's first King
Last updated 10:19, Friday, 04 April 2008
Nick Oliver was the winner of the first King of Whins league match of the year with two carp for 23lb 12oz.
Fishing from peg 15 and using spicy shrimp boilies for bait Nick, 18, landed a carp of well over 15 pounds which together with another smaller mirror carp earned him 10 points for first place.
Fourteen anglers braved the conditions on the night but only five managed to catch fish.
The popular evening match league runs every Tuesday evening throughout the summer months at Whins Pond near Penrith, but the weather was far from summer like for the opening match; with a westerly wind whipping across the pond.
Last years King of Whin's winner Phil Ramsden was pegged at the far end of the lake on peg 3 and adopting similar tactics to Nick on his very first cast hooked a large carp which he unfortunately lost in a snag.
He went on to land a superbly conditioned common carp of 10lb 8oz; one of the new stock fish introduced some three years ago at around two pounds in weight. On his last cast of the match Phil added a bream and weighed in 15lb 8oz for second place.
Jeff Whittle fishing the pole on peg 11 managed 2lb 2oz of silver fish for third place. Ian Corri also fishing the pole netted 5oz for fourth and Tony Whear 3oz for fifth.
Only one salmon has been reported caught from the river Eden during the last week. Warwick Hall owner Nick Marriner was fly fishing in the Battery last Thursday when he hooked, landed and returned a 10 pounder.
Ellerbeck Fishery at Brigham has been fishing well for carp and bream recently, during an overnight session last Friday Alan Hirton from Gosforth landed secen carp the best a 19lb mirror.
On Tuesday of this week Andy landed three to 18lb and on Wednesday Ellerbeck regular Tony the Taxi landed two the best 15lb.
The fishery has also produce some good bream catches in recent weeks, Graham Henton won a recent match with a 23lb net and pleasure anglers have landed bags of up to 35lb with individual bream to 5lb 4oz.
Crofton Lake has been fishing well lately, during the last week Jim Saville of Carlisle topped off a bag of roach and bream with a splendid perch of 3lb. The Carlisle and District Coarse Angling Club fishery near Thursby has also been producing lots of carp up to 10lb this week.
Mark White and friend landed 13 carp and on Wednesday Carlisle angler Pete Armstrong landed four common carp between 3lb 8oz and 11lb 8oz, two mirror carp of 5lb each as well as four bream between 5 and 6lb.
All of which bodes well for the CADCAC's latest walk off match to be fished at Crofton on Sunday, the draw will take place at 9am with fishing from 10am to 3pm.
A reminder to CADCAC members that the club's Annual General Meeting will take place in the Conservative Club, Spencer Street, Carlisle at 7.30pm on Monday April 7.
Things have been quiet along the Cumbrian coast this week; one or two plaice have been reported, the best at 1½ lb was caught from Whitehaven pier which together with Workington pier has also been producing the occasional dogfish.
The Environment Agency is reminding anglers that rod licences expired on March 31.
The reminder comes after more than 600 anglers appeared in front of judges across England and Wales in February for fishing without a valid rod licence.
They paid nearly £84,000 in fines and costs. In 2007 more than 4,300 anglers paid nearly £610,000 in fines and costs for fishing without a valid rod licence.
In addition 35 anglers received cautions from the courts, a man from Hastings was banned from fishing for one year and a man from Staines was banned for two and a half years.
Make sure you have renewed your rod licence; those caught fishing illegally face tough penalties, including fines of up to £2,500 and a ban from fishing. 2007- 08 Rod licences expired on March 31. New licences can be obtained from the Post Office; and they can be purchased over the phone (0870 1662662) or on-line at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/rodlicence any time, day or night.
