The Bury St Edmunds Angling Association Veterans' section fished their second match, following a six-week winter break, at Barrow Lake, in bitterly cold conditions.

Chris Boughton

Angling in West Suffolk

By Chris Boughton

The Bury St Edmunds Angling Association Veterans' section fished their second match, following a six-week winter break, at Barrow Lake, in bitterly cold conditions. Half the lake was frozen over and the ground was rock hard, with an overnight covering of snow making it a tricky journey with their tackle to each peg. The snow and sleet stayed away for the match but in the brisk easterly wind it was not a day for the faint-hearted, especially as the air temperature was barely zero. However, despite the challenging weather the roach responded and Mike Stavely picked up his second consecutive Veteran's win at the lake with 6lb 4oz of small roach. Mike fished the pole at 11m, on peg 18, drip feeding pinkies via a small pole pot and alternating between single and double pinkie on the hook. With six matches left to fish in this year's Veterans' Winter League Series Mike is now challenging strongly for the Malcolm Pryke Shield. Across the other side of the lake to Mike on peg 7 Ron Hubbard had 4lb 12oz of roach also taken on pinkie and 11m pole. But for me the star of the match was Ray Fayers who was totally unfazed by the arctic conditions despite being in his 80th year and having to contend with a large drifting sheet of ice in front of him, making his swim almost unfishable. If any Bury AA member is interested in fishing these friendly weekly Thursday matches they should call the club's Match Secretary Keith Smith on his new number 07804 101067. More information is also available on the Bury St Edmunds Angling Association web site.

With less than a month left of the river fishing season it looks like being a very dismal year for local river fishing with very little of any note reported. If anyone has anything to report from fishing trips to the Stour, Blackbourn, Little Ouse or Lark then I would be very pleased to receive it (email address below).

The Angling Trust is coming to the end of its first, very troubled, full year in which it set out to attract at least 20,000 members. But by the summer it realised it was going to fall well short of this number and had to restructure the costs of the organisation which included cutting staff; not the best of starts for the body hailed at its launch as the unifying voice of UK anglers. However following a number of changes including a new Chairman and support from a number of high profile anglers, it looks like the Trust will finish their first year with around 15,000 members. Angling needs an effective national body and whilst it is another �20 for anglers to find each year it is burying our heads in the sand not to join! Their contact number is 0844 7700616.

If you would like any of your local angling stories, photos or match results included in this article, please email the westsuffolkangling@live.co.uk