DAVE COSTER – ANGLING
Fishermen are hardy souls. That’s what Journal Angling Correspondent Dave Coster has discovered while fishing the Whisby Angling Supplies sponsored Fossdyke Canal League in nearby Lincoln. During recent rounds competitors have had to endure amixture of gale force winds, persistent driving rain, freezing cold temperatures and even snow. Despite all this, the renowned Roadside Stretch ofthe Fossdyke Canal at Saxilby has been producing amazingly consistent wintersport.
Since fishing competitions were allowed to resume (providing social distancing is carefully adhered to) the three sections used for this event have been providing plenty of bites for those fishing it. The route most people have been taking is to try boosting weights of the prolific small silver fish with bigger bonus perch, which add vital extra pounds towards good section points.
The winning methods over the past two rounds have been to fish pinkies and groundbait on the pole at 5 metres for small roach, and then to occasionally have a go down the nearside pilings with worms, an area where the bigger perch tend to show up. Another potential winning option has been to work further across the canal in the latter stages of the matches, looking for slightly better-quality roach on casters.
The fourth-round saw all the top weights coming from the middle section, won by Dave Hiley with 11lb 4oz, a catch of mainly small roach, boosted by a trio of big perch. Runner up was John Small with 9lb 11oz of pinkie and caster caught roach, while John Barningham was third with 7lb 14oz.
The penultimate round again saw the top two weights again coming from the middle section, this time won by Shane Spraggins with 11lb 6oz, consisting of the usual mixture of small roach and bonus perch. Dale Whelan was snapping at the winners heels with 11lb 4oz, comprising a similar catch. The Journal’s Dave Coster completed the frame with 10lb 9oz, which was top weight from the lower Bridge Section. The latter catch raised a few eyebrows because Dave used running line waggler tackle for the last half of the event, catching slightly better-quality roach on casters, topped off with a big perch. Waggler fishing is a somewhat forgotten art these days, with most canal anglers relying onstate-of-the-art carbon poles as their main weapons of attack.
League positions: 1. Dale Whelan 31 points, 2. Shane Spraggins 29 points, 3. Rob Thorley 28 points.
+Day tickets are available on the match stretches when events are not taking place and cost £10 (Concessions £5) on the bank from LDAA bailiffs or alternatively visit their website for membership and online payments; www.lincolnangling.org
Dave also contributes to www.fishingmagic.com, go give it a browse.
