Osprey succeed where others fail

‘Dobbing’ pieces of bread on or just below the surface was the tactic for the day as Ed Blaine netted 142lb followed by Steve Carthy on 88lb and Ricky Green with 68lb.

But even so most others in the club match were struggling to make double figures.

Making his second-ever carp trip Josh Spearman, reporting through GoneFishin, had a 17lb carp AND the 9lb bream pictured, from Newport’s pits.

But a club match on the Suntrap saw Kevin Osborne top with three fish for 1lb.

On Lodge – on the last night of the season – Louis Smith banked a cracking 20lb PB mirror, and over on Furzton John Plested endured a bitingly cold session for five bream ‘tween 5lb and 7lb on punched meat over micro-pellet.

On the cut in the Fenny area Neil Richardson found yet another hot-spot to notch yet another cracking canal catch – circa 35lb of bream!

Nigel Bass’ open on Lakeside, Towcester, saw 170lb of roach caught and transferred to his Mill Pond, Husborne Crawley fishery – despite constant interference from ‘silly’ carp. Dave Tebbutt won with 26-8 ahead of Neil Shearn 22-8 and Mick Burrell 21-8.

Calvert, Hill Cottage Farm: Tony Richardson 15-5, Austin Maddock 12-1, John Weatherall 9-15.

Towcester Vets, canal, Cosgrove: Mick Read 9-8 (skimmers), George Minards 9lb, Graham Martin and Chris Howard both 6-9.

Nene/Towcester, canal, Weedon Steps: Bas Eaton 9-6, Paul Minney 4-3, John Balhatchett 3-3.

MK Vets, Linford Fishery: John Gray 3-13, Austin Maddock 3-8, Paul Swain 2-8.

Local tackle shop Easter hours: Tackle Hub closes 1.30pm Friday; ‘Hub, GoneFishin and Willards open Saturday and closed Sunday; Willards open Monday until 1pm.

For those new to the sport – or to fishing in this country – it is now a criminal offence (potentially earning big fines or even a prison sentence) to fish any river or stream before midnight on June 15.

Locally Lodge Lake and Caldecotte South Lake are closed until the same date...but Wolverton Mill, which used to have a close season, is open all year.

Everyone aged 12 or over needs a new rod licence come April 1 (legal requirement!).

FIXTURES: Easter Monday, April 17 & May 15, Mill Pond, Husborne Crawley opens, 07854 649279; April 6 MKAA AGM, Irish Club Bletchley; May 1 John Harvey Memorial open Black Horse Pit, call 07748 505024 evenings only.