Conditions :-

‘Make your catch early in the day because as the day progresses can get harder’.

And that is exactly what happened.

With the warm breeze from the westerly direction the bulk of the fish were on the south east corner – the windward bank. There were fish elsewhere but nothing like as extensive.

The breeze got stronger and stronger such that by lunchtime it was extremely difficult to cast into it. Furthermore, as Roy said, the fish eventually moved out away from the bank – too much commotion!. Because the bank was gently sloping one had to get a good cast in the difficult wind to reach the fish.

The match :-

Turn out was good with some 15 members fishing and two guest and a few grandchildren.

The match started at 9.00am and many anglers headed straight for the southeast corner near where the cars were parked. A good choice as it so happened, good fishing there. The breeze at this time was manageable. It was not long, after 30 minutes in fact, when Reg Renn was seen walking around the lake. He had finished having fished in that southeast corner!!!! In some respects it was good to finish so soon but in other respects it is hardly a day’s fishing! Others quickly followed with new arrivals filling in the gap where these fish were coming out.

Guest Bill Nash caught a marvelous brownie of 6lbs 10ozs. A shame that he missed out on the Brown Bowl. Roy also caught a brown but not so heavy. Meanwhile guest Barry King was at the other westerly end of the lake and was slowly reaching his limit having found some fish. Ken Williams, with a bit of help from his grandson Charlie, was also well away from the crowd and at the far end and between them they hauled out a superb rainbow of 5lbs 12ozs to have the largest fish of the day, well done.

Not only did Ken have TWO grandsons, young Charlie and member Jake, at the party but there were also FOUR of the King family including young grandson Ryan to swell the numbers. Let’s have more youngsters!!

By lunchtime most had finished. Ray had finished and had what turned out to be the biggest rainbow (4lbs 5ozs) for any adult member that gave him the heaviest bag of 15lbs. But then it got harder as the wind increased and the fish moved out. The back-enders all had 3 fish and were fighting for their last.

Malcolm, on the north bank, had 3 fish but it took him another 2½ hours to catch his last as the fishing got harder. Young Jake was also fighting for his last but with a bit of help from Roy he eventually got that last one by early afternoon. As Roy said, with the strengthening wind and the fish moving farther out one needed a good strong cast to reach them. Frank was struggling but managed to get his last soon after.

Ray Janes and Allen were each struggling at the tail end for that last fish. Ray had lost a few as had Allen who had also got broken just before lunch. It was getting harder. At 3.30pm Ray Janes, who had persevered into the wind finally got his reward but it took Allen, after many lost fish, until 4.00pm before he finally, at last, finished.

Overall it was a good turnout and a good day.