Rather a disappointing turnout, only 6 people initially although Murray turned up at the last minute and booked his own boat.

Boat partners were Ken W & Allen D, John W & Ray S, Frank B & Eddie G.

Lastly there was lonesome Murray S.

The day started with barely a cloud in the sky but as the day progressed it turned very cold & nasty with a huge downpour.

We started at 8.30am to make the best of the day, to finish at 5.00pm.

The wind the previous day had been from the West but had changed to be from the North. What had this done to where the fish were?

Allen & Ken went for the dam, trying the boil on the way (nothing at the boil though – too early in the year!).

Frank & Eddie went to G Buoy while the other 4 went north to the stumps (a likely location considering the previous day's wind location).

Allen & Ken, on the dam, started to get takes and follows up to the boat of some large fish but could not make contact. Allen did catch a Brownie of about 4 pounds which he had to return.Then a quick phone call from Murray - 'Come to the stumps, it's heaving with fish, I already have two in the boat and John & Ray have one each'. So off to the stumps we all go, all 7 of us.

Everyone was using Hi Di's with boobies or similar except for John & Ray who were using floating lines with nymphs. Ray was using a Diawl bach fly!!! (Welsh I gather?).

We all start catching and soon overtake Murray who is heard to be bxxxing and fxxxing, - something about the tangles with his hi di.

The weather by now was well clouding over and most people were well over half way for their limits, floaters doing marginally better than Hi Di's.

The fish were taking lightly being caught right on the edge of the lip rather than well down. So there were many lost fish and curses.

Then, at about 2.00pm some very dark clouds appeared in the distance. Ken quickly put his waterproofs on although he only had trainers, not wellies. Some had not expected any bad weather!!

Ray by then had finished but his partner, John, still had one to go.

Then the heavens opened up and it DELUGED for 30 minutes with rain and hail.

Poor Ray had to stick it out while John caught his last fish!!!

Eventually it stopped raining at about 2.30pm, but not until after many were soaked.

At this point it got very cold and the last few fish were difficult to find.

John caught his last fish and so John/Ray went over to see Murray who had been catching on his dropper with an orange boobie and was working hard with several fish to go. Murray was heard to say to them (jokingly!) 'why have you gone there (beside my boat), you have only come over to fxxxing annoy me'. It was taken in good heart.

John/Ray then had a quick rendevue with Allen (who by now had finished) and Ken (who had two to go) and they then retired back to the club house and warmth.

Frank caught his last fish but partner Eddie was still struggling.

By now Ken's feet were freezing (wet trainers!) and he had had enough. So he decided to drift back with the wind to the club house. A tug, it's on. What had Ken caught. A big gaping mouth appeared. It was a perch, about a pound in weight. Never mind, enough, back to the club house. It was about 4.30pm, very cold.

At about 4.45 Frank and Eddie appeared at the jetty. Eddie, who had no waterproofs, looked like death warmed up, as if he was suffering from hypothermia. He had had enough too!.

Meanwhile Murray was determined until the bitter end but never made his last fish. He appeared at the jetty at 5.00 pm in time for his weigh in.

At first it was thought that John W had the biggest fish but when Eddie G arrived he took the honours. Congatulations after surviving the cold.

Murray, last in, nearly clipped the heavist fish but it was not to be. Had he caught his last he might well have had the heaviest bag - better luck next time.

At the end Frank B took the heaviest bag. Congatulations. Shame there was no whip!!

All in all it was a good day although the deluge did put a dampener on it.

K Williams 6 fish for 13lbs 4 ozs

A Dixon 8 14lbs 14ozs

J Weaver 8 16lbs 12ozs heaviest 2lbs 13ozs

R Simpson 8 15lbs 11ozs

F Bailey 8 18lbs 8 ozs

E Gray 5 12lbs 14ozs heaviest 3lbs 8ozs

M Smith 7 16lbs 6 ozs heaviest 3lbs 7ozs