Santas Special 2005.

On Saturday 17th Harleston Junior Angling Club hosted its annual Christmas Fayre, a four-hour competition in the Club Lake at Weybread. A bitingly cold North wind brought some seasonal weather with ice on the ground and snow falling at intervals during the match. The weather kept the attendance low with only nine hardy souls braving the freezing conditions. Sadly the cold had also affected the fish, and only five anglers managed to bother the scales on this normally prolific lake.

Harleston Junior Captain Jack Weatherley topped of an excellent year for him clinching the trophy for the second consecutive year. Jack again produced another excellent performance to net two decent Carp for a well-earned 6lb 1½oz, five pounds clear of second place. Jack was full of confidence after drawing peg 8 one of the current hot pegs and opted to pole fish at fourteen metres tight to the far bank features, he missed two bites early on but managed to hold his nerve and keep the fish interested by feeding a small amount of corn after each bite, mid-match his patience was rewarded landing two fish in quick succession to clinch the match. A happy Jack won a new Shimano feeder rod to and variety of Christmas goodies for his efforts.

Aiden Collett finished second with an excellent small fish catch of 1lb 1oz from peg 7 his highest ever placing. Aiden chose the small fish route from the start fishing a small waggler with light gear and single maggot hook baits he tempted small Roach and Gudgeon regularly to finish with thirty small fish.

Ricky Leggett filled the frame with one small Bream weighing 9oz from peg five taken on straight lead and maggot.

Philip Shulver finished fourth with one Roach weighing just 1½oz just enough to top Edward Howman who landed three Gudgeon late in the match for 1¼oz.