Wet weather brings out the big biters

DESPITE rubbish conditions some have been having a ball on local rivers – with decent perch and chub leading the way.

And with the current upsurge in lure fishing, those flinging ‘the plastics’ have been having the best of it with traditional worm, caster and maggot tactics playing second-fiddle!

MKAA bailiff Dave German was one of those getting stuck into the stripeys on the Ouse between Wolverton and New Bradwell, with one of his latest outings seeing him net no less than four perch all topping 2lb...plus a couple at a pound-and-a-half each.

All those fish came on a red letter day during a two-hour spell going into dusk, from a shoal in one swim.

Having ‘a nice walk’ in the same area, Phil Dasilva had a near 4lb chub – his first-ever chevin on a lure. Still on the same stretch Piotr Krygier had a cracking 6-pounder, though his was on worm.

A selection of nice fish, plus several pike, came out in the Olney area, while young Daniel Elton, out on the Ouzel, had his second ever chub at 3-9. His fish fell to triple maggot on a 16.

BUT low, clear, flows alternating with up-down bursts of murky water made it a tough week for many, with those in pegged down matches finding the going particularly hard.

OLNEY’s Two Brewers Ouse open attracted 33 entrants, more than half of whom failed to weigh-in as one section was won with a single minnow on a normally productive length. Top weight on the day was Mick Burrell’s 3-3 as Rob Hewison had 1-5 and Andy Webster 1-4.

THE Tove went better, but was still patchy, for the Towcester/ Nene sweep – and at least everyone caught. Rob Pottinger won with 10-6 of quality roach as Baz Eaton included a 2lb perch in his 3lb. Mick Goodridge had 2-10.

MK Vets’ midweeker on DATS’ cut at Cosgrove turned out to be a skimmer fest. Colin Chart had 8-8, Martin Cunniffe 8-7, Paul Hamilton 8-5, Nigel Steele 7-12 and Kev Osborne 6-3.

LESS than a mile to the north, on DATS’ Navvi length, Towcester Vets were in a different and sadder world where 13 fished and only two caught. Geoff Beard had 1-14 and Chris Howard 0-7.

FIXTURES: Sunday, Newport league, Ouzel; Feb 6, MK individual league, Stony Ouse.