Well, just where do I start
After another severe overnight frost, the car was loaded and I popped back into the house to pick up my last few tranklements.
As I locked the back door, ‘What was that?’ I thought to myself.
‘Huh? A flake of snow?’
Yep, on the couple of mile drive to Yates for the drawer, we had a blizzard.
In fact, on arriving with it getting on for 8.25am I was the first there. ‘Where were all the early birds?’ Usually Big Baz and Co would now be tucking into a brekie. Had everyone come to their senses and decided to turn over and stack a few more zzzzzzzz’s up?
Would it be a one man match or could I slope off back home too?
Alas those second wishes were not to be realized as gradually a group hardy anglers began to turn up including Snowie for his first taste of a grueller – nice to meet you Snowie.
Talking of Snowie, the snow continued to fall as brekies were munched. I couldn’t quite gauge the intentions of the crew. Did they want to give it a go or not
. Would anyone have the courage to be the first to say ‘Sod it, I’m off back home ’ The nearest we got to that was the suggestion that we pay our pools and have a draw for them. Obviously no brain cells were working between us all at that time of the morning. 
Everyone wanted peg 5………apparently no ice breaking was needed on that one. But only one person could have it and it fell to non other than Goldenballs……..no just why did I christen him with that name a few years ago?
The draw made and cars headed off. The snow had abated for a few minutes, but on the half mile drive to the cut, it started again. Parked up I sat in the car and had a nicotine injection as I watched the others unload their gear resembling walking snowmen.
‘Sod it, let’s get on with it’ I thought with ciggi finished.
On arriving at my peg for the next few hours I was greeted with the sight of Mick G weighing up things to my right…….
And to my left…….
A delayed start time of 10.30am was put further back to 11am as it became evident that ice breaking would take longer than originally anticipated. Even with the likes of man mountain Big Col wielding a 15lb sledgehammer head on the ice this was no easy feat – you had to land than lump within 3 ins of the edge of the ice or it just bounced off it.
Thanks to everyone who worked together the time flew as well as the wise cracks – thanks guys, that’s what its all about.
Personally I was happy with my peg, but disappointed that a hole approaching 6 meters into the track was the best I could muster – even big Col couldn’t smash the ice any further – with the far shelf and normally fish holding bush to my right a no reach area.
Remnants of the breaking
Look at that flyer………and I can’t get at it.
Just a couple of rigs were set up – one to fish the bottom of the inside shelf at about 3 mtrs and down in the track at the end of my hole.
The tow path was soon a hive of activity. Just after the off Zorro popped down to bring Yamo his winter clobber…….only one problem………no Yamo.
Zorro watched my motionless float for getting on for half hour, joker on the hook, followed by punch and bworm failed to provoke owt.
‘How many lb you got Mick?’ ‘Aint had a bite' was the response’. With him staying put on the joker with no bites I decided to drag either a bworm around or a white caster, looking for Dodge’s kamikaze stripey that I hoped had swum the 4 miles up the cut from Beechdale.
Zorro departed, followed 5 mins later by Yamo.
Reports all along the bank were of no bites, with the exception of Blees4ever who was rumored to have had one, or was he hallucinating?
Other bank walkers to witness this spectacular included Tricast62, MickP, OBI and MrV on the bridge.
Then a call from Yamo…….
‘Do pike count?’
‘No’ was my reply
‘The guy on the end peg is playing one around the 6lb mark on a 12oz bottom, taken on the punch!!!’
20 mins later evidence of the capture was shown on Yamo’s phone. I felt a touch guilty in ‘disqualifying’ the fish after such a feat to actually net it.
An hour to go, and still no news of anything being caught.
Off I toddled just to take a few pictures for posterity.
Cotti (below) owned up to missing two, not one, but two bites on the punch
Whilst the Essox Lucius master – Mr Woodward on end peg could still muster a smile despite his disqualified fish
Sprucey was another bank walker, admitting his ice breaking days were over :P
On peg 11 i’ts Mr Dutton
Golden Balls on that flyer
Wedgey next door wandering why he’d let Golden balls talk him into coming
Blues4ever dipping into the box for plan X, Y and Z
Then a shout goes up…….Big Col has hooked a ‘wasp’
Time marches on and it looks like that wasp is gunna be worth 70 sovs……..
“All out’ as Golden Balls is left ruing a couple of late missed bites after he’s finally moved onto his long line in the last 10 minutes.
Everyone thinks Big Col has scooped the pot………….that is until 2 larger perch are produced from pegs 16 and 14 relegating Big Col into 3rd place.
Well I did feel a little happier for the winner – K Woodward - having disqualified his earlier pike.
In second place was Ian Davis, followed home by Big Col and 11 drynets……..the cut had seen off a few decent anglers today………or was it the Curse
Bostin excuse for a lark. Thanks for the loan Sibeck, good breaker that. I’m fitter than I thought.
, i could just picture him throwing the breaker but it flying to far and running out of rope but mark still hanging on to it and following the breaker across the cut 
