ANGLING

By Colin Scull

THE British Record (rod caught) Fish Committee met last week and accepted a number of new records.

In the freshwater species a new barbel record of 17lb 6oz 8dm, caught by Guy Robb on March 6 from the River Ouse in Buckinghamshire, was accepted.

A common bream weighing 16lb 12oz, caught by Martin Whitmore on September 30 from Swithland Reservoir in Leicestershire, was also accepted, as was a crucian carp of 4lb 8oz, caught by Jay Allen on May 11 from RMC Summer Pit, Yately, Hampshire.

For the golden orfe three claims were accepted.

Interim records were accepted for a fish of 8lb 8d, caught by Kevin Shore on March 26 from Lymm Vale, and a fish of 8lb 4oz, caught by Norman Agnew on April 10 from Lymm Vale, and a new record of 8lb 5oz, caught by Michael Wilkinson on April 10 from Lymm Vale, was also accepted.

With regard to Wels Catfish the committee, after careful consideration, unanimously agreed that in order to retain the credibility and integrity of the British List it cannot consider a fish as a new British record that has been introduced into the water of its capture at a weight that is above the British record for that species.

They agreed that this practice was not in the true spirit of the British Fish List, which was established over 40 years ago to keep verified records for British record fish.

The decision was taken to close the British List for this species and not to accept any further claims.

As a result the claim by Brian Close for a new British record for Wels Catfish of 86lb 8oz cannot be considered.

The claim by Trevor Wilson for a new British record for barbel of 17lb 8oz 4dm was rejected because the procedure in rule 4 (d) was not observed.

This requires that the captor does not allow any other person to touch any part of the tackle other than the leader. It is well documented in this case that another person other than the captor handled the rod during the process of landing the fish.

A new natural brown trout record of 30lb 9oz was accepted for a fish caught by Kennedy Oliver on July 13 from Loch Awe.

For sea species boat records a guinean amberjack of 1lb 6oz 10dm, caught by George Staples on September 7 from Noir Pute, east of Herme, was accepted.

Also accepted were a blonde ray, weighing 38lb 9oz caught by Ian Dobson on March 12 from Overfalls, Isle of Wight; a marbled electric ray weighing 10lb 6oz 8dm, caught by Carl Ryan on July 2 from Mid Shingles, Hants; a shore rockling weighing 12oz 10dm, caught by Joshua Simmons on September 11 off Rockcliff Point, Weymouth Bay and a greater weaver, caught by Roger Pope on August 20 off Porthcurno, Cornwall.

For shore records a pandora bream weighing 10oz 7dm, caught by Michael Pellow on October 1 from Porthkerris Beach, Cornwall and a common smoothhound weighing 20lh 3oz, caught by Peter Orchard on July 4 from Hillhead, Hampshire, were approved.

Despite poor weather conditions during the match when the river rose a foot, competitors in the Daiwa Junior League at Freshford on Saturday produced some reasonable weights.

Bathampton Black took top team place with 23 points, followed by Bathampton Blue with 22 and Bathampton Red and White sharing third place with six points each.

Individual honours went to Paddy Merritt, of Bathampton Black, with a bream, roach and perch catch weighing 6lb 15oz, taken on feeder fished double maggot on an 18 hook.

Team-mate Callurn Dicks was second with an all roach catch weighing 6lb 9oz taken on Avon floated red maggot on an 18 hook. He was followed by Tony Bentham, of Bathampton Blue, with a tench, roach and perch catch weighing 6lb 5oz taken on feeder fished worm and maggot on an 18 hook.

Other placings 4 Laurie Nicholls, Bathampton Blue, 5lb 4oz; 5 Kyle Nicholls, Bathampton Blue, 4lb 2oz; 6 Jake Trow, Bathmpton Red, 3lb 12oz.

Teams 1 Bathampton Black 23; 2 Bathampton Blue 22; 3 Bathampton White and Bathampton Red 6. League placings: 1 Bathampton Black 38; 2 Bathampton Blue 36; 3 Bathampton White 25; 4 bathampton Red 15.

The Usher's Winter League match on Sunday on the Avon between Staverton and Barton Farm produced some good weights despite heavy rain throughout the match.

Avon took team honours with 82 points and closed the gap on leaders Devizes Angling Centre, with Bradford second with 63 and West Tackle third with 59.

Individual honours went to Bradford matchman Howard Adams, with an all bleak catch weighing 10lb 3oz, taken on whip fished maggots on an 18 hook.

Ricky Letailleur, of Devizes AC, was runner-up with another all bleak catch weighing 7lb 5oz 8dm, taken on whip fished maggots on an 18 hook. Similar tactics gave third prize to West Tackle matchman Steve Ince with another all bleak catch weighing 5lb 3oz 8dm.

Other placings: 4 Mike Withey, Bradford, 5lb 3oz; 5 Dave Baker, Chippenham, 4lb 15oz 8dm; 6 Alan Pratten, Frome, 4lb 10oz.

Teams 1 Avon 82; 2 Bradford 63; 3 West Tackle 59; 4 Devizes AC 58.5; 5 Chippenham 45.5; 6 Devizes AA 45; 7 Airsprung 26; 8 Frome 24.

League placings: 1 Devizes AC 275; 2 Avon 271.5; 3 Bradford 232; 4 West Tackle 230; 5 Devizes AA 197.5; 6 Chippenham 191.5; 7 Airsprung 186; 8 Frome 98.5

Fish were hard to tempt on a high and coloured River Marden at Hazelands on Sunday for the Calne Sweepstake.

Nigel Smith, of Calne, won with an all eel catch weighing 3lb 8oz, taken alternating with feeder fished worm and red maggots on an 18 hook.

Runner-up was Guy Manners, of Calne, with a mixed catch of eels and gudgeon weighing 3lb 2oz taken on feeder fished red maggots on an 18 hook.

Tim Carr, of Calne, took third prize with another eel catch weighing 2lb 11oz, taken on feeder fished red maggots on an 18 hook, and Gary Dodson, of Calne, was the only other competitor to weigh in with 1lb 6oz.