ANGLING By Chris Bowman

Last updated at 08:49, Friday, 14 November 2008

Andy Davidson tops the Carlisle Coarse Angling Club Winter League after Sunday's match at Crofton.

Andy beating 16 other anglers with his 25lb 6oz net of bream taken on the tip on a sunny and calm Crofton Lake.

Second placed man Ian Nevitt also fished the tip to take 16lb 15oz of bream and in third place was Martin Chandler with 11lb 3oz of tip caught bream.

The 41 points Martin picked up has moved him up to second with 114 points behind Andy on 130. On the sea fishing front things are very quiet at the moment on the Cumbrian coastline.

The Tarnside Sea Anglers match fished from the piers at Whitehaven saw only four angler's catch fish. Alan Rimmer won the match with a 3lb 2oz mixed flat fish bag consisting of one plaice, two flounders and a dab.

Keeping things in the family in second place was Alan's wife Heather with a single plaice for 1lb 6oz.

Steve Lancaster was third with a 4oz dab and fourth was Alan Rigg with a 2oz dab. Elsewhere there has been the occasional bass taken but the cod are noticeable by their absence this autumn. One of the few areas that has been producing the occasional cod are the rock marks around Harrington and Lowca, these have produced a few cod in the 3lb class.

This area must be a favourite to produce the winner in the forthcoming Harrington SAC Cod Open to be fished between Whitehaven pier and Workington Blocks on November 15. The fishing is from 4pm to 8pm and anglers can register at Harrington British Legion, CA14 5JU from 2pm. Entry is £12 for seniors and £6 for juniors. For more information contact Alan Hill on 01900 67257.

The grayling fishing season is now in full swing and I have heard of good catches being reported from Warwick Hall and the Carlisle Angling Association water on the river Eden.

Earlier this week I enjoyed a catch of 18 grayling up to 1¾lb, well in truth it was only 17 fish because I caught one fish of around 1¼lb twice in the space of ten minutes! The river is in excellent condition after recent floods and these fish respond well to both bait and fly fishing tactics. Whether you are a coarse, game or sea angler; try something different this winter, get yourself out on the river for grayling and join in the fun.

The general consensus among salmon anglers on the river Eden this year was that grilse numbers were down which is in contrast with the West Cumbrian spate river the Calder.

Early reports indicate that it has been a tremendous year on this river for grilse, in fact Alan Rigg chairman of the Calder Angling Association, who has fished the river for 40 years told me he can't remember seeing as many grilse, with lots of fish in the 4lb class.

This again is in stark contrast to the neighbouring river Ehen which has not seen as many grilse. I hope to bring more news of salmon catches from the Calder in the near future.

Scotland's new wheelchair accessible Wheelyboat was launched on Castle Loch near Lochmaben on October 30 by TV presenter Fiona Armstrong.

Castle Loch, Scotland's premier specimen coarse fishery, popular with many Cumbrian anglers, is an ideal venue for the Wheelyboat. I

ts primary use will be for fishing but the boat will also be used by its disabled students as an educational resource providing them with access to the Loch and other local waters.

First published at 05:14, Friday, 07 November 2008
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk