Mossela NW league, final round :)

Another one bites the dust. The end of a short, but well run and close mini-league, big thanks to Tabbers who took on this task, hopefully he will get the support he needs for next year too, he does a cracking job, cheers matey! Intoducing bloodworm to the Rufford canal certainly seemed to do the trick and although it fished harder today, everybody had bites and caught fish.
Our Standish Black team only had to turn up today, finish better than 7th out of the 10 teams, and the title would be theirs. Oooops, fishing can be very unpredictable sometimes and on the day they bombed. If you're going to bomb you might as well do it in style and they certainly did that. They ended up plum bottom on the day and their nearest rivals, Rochdale Black, pogged it with an awesome 10 points meaning that it was the Rochdale cowboys who ended up top of the pile with a total score of 11 and our Standish Blacks secured a creditable runner up spot with 14. Highfield Gold were third overall with 15 and fourth spot went to Rochdale Gold with 18. Our Standish Red team came somewhere below these four, hehe :)
Individual on the day went to good old Colin 'Man U forever and come back all is forgiven' Cliffe with an excellent 4-10-0 of little roach and perch, he cartainly worked hard all day for that, I know 'cos I was next to him! Talk about stiff neck :)

We were up at Solom and I finally drew the best section on the day but didn't make it pay. Trouble is in a match like this you just have to get your head down and catch them titchy fishes for as long as you can and if your peg is solid, which ours were, that means all day. I was havin' a blether after the match with Col and we both agreed that you just can't fish your peg how you would like to because the minute you come off the bits you start slipping behind. Col stuck to his task today and did the biz, I admit I get fed up catching tiny fish and I always want to try for something that might just tug your lacky. I reckon in the warmer months it would be different and the bigger stampers will be 'avin' a go but today they weren't and although I had quite a few billies on the worm and a few small roach on the shell I wasted too much time going for it and ended up with 3-6-0 and nowhere in the section. The lad on my right had a pound odd and there were one or two others who didn't break the 2 lb mark but there were three with over 4 lb and several three's. But at the end of the day it is winter and if you're getting bites all day then it can't be bad.
The other sections did fish much harder than previous weeks but the Rufford arm is only a short ratch and although Tabbers did his level best to put everybody on fish each week I reckon even the best stretches can't take a match three weeks on the bounce. Word has it that Southport DAA are arranging working parties during the coming months to make more towpath accessible to anglers and even building platforms in areas that need them. They are also in constant dialogue with local farmers and land owners to negotiate for anglers car parking which will make access much better. To top it all they also re-stock the cut regularly! It certainly bodes well for the future and I can see myself thinking seriously about investing in a Southport card for next season, they have some crackin' waters as well as the Rufford arm. Makes you think don't it :)
Just a word on this weeks' poll, I reckon if I run the same one in the summer the commercials will take it by storm but they're all in hibernation at the minute according to Paste-'ead. It was still split with almost half voting for canals and half voting for commercials or lakes.
What's next? Well there's the teams-of-4 on our cut coming soon but I'm not planning on fishing it unless needed. I'm headed to the Catteries next Sunday where Banksy's running a few Sunday opens. It's fishing as well as anywhere at the minute and there's been a load more fish stocked recently so I'm looking forward to it. But it is winter so I expect it to be peggy nevertheless. Draw 9.00 am, fish 10.00 'till 3.00 and the cafe's open at 8.00 in t'morn. Not sure how much but maybe Banksy will let us know on 'ere.
So that's that for another week, days are gettin' longer, current bun will be up soon, summer's on it's way!
'Till next time .... tight lines :)