By Kingfisher

ANOTHER tremendous team performance last week saw Hyndburn Match Group gain promotion from Division Three of the National Championships.

This year's Division Three was a 74 team, 764 anglers affair, and to finish in 18th place as they did is a magnificent effort. There were no section winning performances by any of the lads, and it would be unfair to pick out any single member of the team purely for his performance, they all did brilliantly.

So I won't tell you just how well Burnley's John Kostilek did, save to say it was excellent. I am delighted for the team, but especially so for John, an angler I know well.

He is a veteran of many national championships, a stalwart of his local NAA centre for many years, and a really nice bloke - no one deserves success more.

The match itself was scheduled, until a couple of weeks ago, to be fished on the River Witham in Lincolnshire. This has been a venue in decline for many years and, due to a realisation that the match could be a disaster, a last minute switch was made.

It stayed in Lincolnshire but was moved to the Sibsey Trader, and the Hobhole Drain. I suspect most of you will never have heard of these and so you are in the same position as most of the anglers when it was announced.

There was just one opportunity for a look at the venue and a practice. Many teams were unable to take advantage and so had to fish "blind."

As it happened it was brilliant, described by the NFA as the "national of the decade." A new individual record was set, over 20lbs was needed for the top 12, and only 16 anglers blanked! The new record holder is Rob Stubbs of Yarm Angling Association (Darlington) who landed 27 stunning bream to 7lbs for a 121-11-8 total. All the top weights featured great dustbin lid bream, but that was not the real story of the event.

The team winners were the 26th Lancs Home Guard team from Wigan, and their captain, John Slatter, really summed it up when he said: "This was a perfect venue for us because it suits our style better (than the Witham). We fish the canals more than anything else, and these drains are more like canals than rivers. It was just like fishing the Leeds and Liverpool."

So the expertise of our Hyndburn lads enabled them to make the most of a venue with plenty of small fish, for a squatt/pinkie approach - and the rest is history. Three Wigan teams were promoted along with Leigh DAA. The big surprise, for me at least, was that Lostock Tackle did not do so well.

Staying with the match scene locally, I am glad to report that roach continue to show in decent numbers on the Rochdale Canal at Todmorden, and the bulk of the 95 anglers fishing the latest open match had a few bites at least.

Those practising for the forthcoming National just have to take note that all the money is being taken by odd big fish, usually carp, though bream shoals may have a part to play. Father and son combination Dave (father) and John Jowett, fishing for Sensas Garbolino, clearly know the score. Both fished paste, over pellets for carp - and both found them. John was the winner, taking one of 10lb to add to a few roach for 12-1-0.

His dad had four for 9-13-12 and third place. They were separated by Mick Coles (Oldham) with 10 bream on caster for 11-9-8. Lane Bottom is the top area to be.

Local pleasure anglers have continued to have decent sport from most local venues, despite the changeable weather. Hempseed is producing good roach nets from many local sections of canal, and the match bank at Foulridge Reservoir.

There is hardly a water at which you would struggle to catch at the moment, as far as enclosed waters are concerned, so make the most of it.

The rivers are a much different proposition however. Casual anglers are definitely struggling, with the knowledge of regulars proving invaluable. There just isn't the head of smaller fish that there used to be, and there are many anglers at the water week in and week out who would regard themselves as "specimen hunters."

They really know what they are doing and, despite loads of hours on the water (many of them fishless), success is not guaranteed for them even under ideal conditions.

There are specimen fish, and quite a good number of them, but you are unlikely to latch on to a 5lb plus chub or 10lb plus barbel without some serious preparation.

It is, however, just possible and you should never fish without hope. Help yourself by using a bait and tactics with proven fish taking history - as reported here.

I would like to claim, but I am pretty sure it wouldn't be the case, that Walton le Dale angler Stuart Brown uses curry flavoured luncheon meat on the Ribble because he read it here.

Size 8 hook to 7lb braid trace and 8lb main line was used to present the meaty treat to a super chub of 5lb 12oz and a 9lb barbel in the same night session at Ribchester.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.