THE Bury St Edmunds Angling Association Veterans' Winter League match for the Malcolm Pryke Shield was fished at Barrow Lake and despite recent heavy rainfall the water level is still worryingly low.

Chris Boughton

Angling in West Suffolk

By Chris Boughton

THE Bury St Edmunds Angling Association Veterans' Winter League match for the Malcolm Pryke Shield was fished at Barrow Lake and despite recent heavy rainfall the water level is still worryingly low. With the falling autumn air temperatures the carp are proving much more elusive and last week's match was dominated by catches of small fish. Johnny Barnet did exceptionally well to take a mixed net of 6lb12oz from peg 1, especially as this is the shallow end of the lake, for first place. His travelling companion Mickey Pearce was second with 4lb 12oz of roach and rudd from peg 15 and Keith Smith had a similar net from peg 7, weighing in at 4lb 10oz for third place. Any club member interested in fishing these matches should contact Keith Smith on 07913 822038. Details of dates and venues can be found on the club's website.

A match was held at Joe's Road in Great Cornard on the Sunday before last, in gales and heavy rain, but 12 bold anglers braved the conditions and the weights were respectable for those sitting in the more sheltered swims on the road side. Three very experienced match anglers took the honours. Rob Bonney was first with 10lb 5oz, second was former Essex County star Billy Hughes with 9lb 12oz and third Ken Noble with 7lb 10oz. Rob's catch included a stunning tench estimated at about 6lb. Billy and Ken had mostly skimmers.

Joe's Road is a commercial fishery and can be fished on a day ticket as can other local commercial fisheries at Cross Drove, Hinderclay Lakes and Suffolk Water Park.

Rob Bonney and Billy Hughes also featured in the leading positions of Sudbury and Long Melford DAA's first river club match of the year, on the Stour at Mill Meadow last Sunday. This time Billy took top spot with an impressive 34lb 4oz of bream and chub and Rob was second with 21lb 10oz of chub and dace. Third was Warren Smith with 19lb 7oz of mostly chub. All three used a running line and stick float - what a refreshing change from pole and pellet. Next week the club have an inter-club match against Colne on one of the Long Melford stretches of the river.

River reports around Bury are still few and far between, but Ixworth AC did hold a small match on their stretch of the Blackbourn, which was won with around 6lb, including some reasonably sized perch. But the river is still very low and clear and fishing was far from easy. It would be interesting to hear from anyone who has tried the Little Ouse for pike fishing this autumn and also if they have taken any photos.

If you would like your local angling stories, photos or match results included in this article, then please email them to westsuffolkangling@live.co.uk or call/text 07880 602483

Local Match Results:

Joe's Road - Great Cornard

1st Rob Bonney 10lb 5oz

2nd Billy Hughes 9lb 12oz

3rd Ken Noble 7lb 10oz

Long Melford and Sudbury DAA Club match

River Stour - Mill Meadow

1st Peg 1 Billy Hughes 34lb 4oz

2nd Peg 3 Rob Bonney 21lb 10oz

3rd Peg 4 Ward Smith 19lb 7oz

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Cross Drove - Wednesday Open

1st Peg 67 Dave Pearce Snr [Wisbech] 43lbs-10oz.

Small F1's - Brown Goldfish - Skimmers to 1.5lbs. Pole 13m. Pellet.

2nd Peg 52 Mark Pollard [Fox Dynamite] 43lbs-8oz.

Brown Goldfish - Skimmers - F1's to 2lbs. Pole 14.5m. Pellet - Corn.

3rd Warren Wright [Thetford Angling Centre] 38lbs.

4th Bob Coulson [Littleport] 35lbs-14oz.

5th Ian Shipp [Cross Drove] 32lbs-5oz.

6th Reg Bryton [Deben] 32lbs-4oz

Cross Drove - Saturday Open

1st Peg 67 Tony Watling [Fox Match] 58lbs-4oz.

F1's to 3lbs. Brown Goldfish - Small F1's - Skimmers to 2lbs. Pole 13m. Pellet.

2nd Peg 25 Tony Evans [Dynamite Middy] 46lbs-11oz.

Small F1's to 1.5lbs. Pole 11m. Pellet.

3rd Vince Cross [Ixworth] 45lbs-11oz.

4th Neil Parkinson [Dynamite Middy] 42lbs-6oz.

5th Rod Finch [Deben] 38lbs-9oz.

6th Jim Barrowman [Barford Fox] 38lbs-3oz.

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Bury AA Veterans - Winter League - Barrow Lake

1st Peg 1 Johnny Barnet 6lb 12oz

2nd Peg 15 Mickey Pearce 4lb 120z

3rd Peg 7 Keith Smith 4lb 10oz

Bury AA - Presidents Cup - Water Lane Reservoir

1st Peg 23 Mark Fitzjohn 8lb 0oz

2nd Peg 6 Mike Stavely 4lb 11oz

3rd Peg 20 Keith Smith 3lb 6oz

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Hinderclay - Florence Lake - Heron AC - Tuesday

1st Peg 3 Mike Stavely 16lb 10oz

2nd Peg 4 Dougie Burrows 9lb 7oz

3rd Peg 1 Chris Boughton 8lb 12oz

Hinderclay - Saturday Open

Reed Pool

1st Peg 24 Jimmy Ellis 22lb 2oz

Florence Lake

1st Peg 5 Phil Walpole 50lb 5oz

2nd Peg 9 James Boughton 44lb 10oz

Hinderclay - Spring Lake - Ixworth Anglers

1st Peg 9 Terry Southgate 20lb 12oz

2nd Peg 5 Mike Stavely 17lb 4oz

3rd Peg 17 Jack Wetherill 14lb 5oz