Rain causes problems on Ancholme
The rain on Friday lasted all day and the Ancholme valley is prone to flooding. The only way to catch a few fish under such conditions is to 'stret-peg', a local term which means fishing well over depth close in at the side, with a float lying flat on the surface. When the float dips, you've got a bite.
KEADBY CANAL: Silver fish being caught at the Basin boat moorings to pole and waggler rigs, maggots and bread-punch. Pike at Mauds Bridge and Wisemans Bridge as anglers have left the Drains at Pilfrey.
KEADBY DRAINS: Pike anglers who flocked to the drain last week have had to desert the drain as the pumps at Keadby have been brought in to clear the Isle of Axholme of the extra water due to ice-melt and rain. The drains are now running very fast and coloured.
GRANGE PARK FISHERY, MESSINGHAM: Still fishing really well, with plenty of bites from the smaller fish. Those willing to persevere with corn have been rewarded with carp that have started to feed again. Maggot has also produced but pellets are the most consistent. Mark Lidgard is still the man to beat as he has yet again used his ground-bait and pellet attack in targeting the crucians and F1s.
HAVEN FISHERIES: The three Haven ponds are ice free and water levels high. Good fishing for roach and rudd to float with white/pink maggot and worm on light tackle. Most pegs under water and caution is required walking around the banks. To book night fishing call (01724) 762331.
HUNTERS LODGE, ELSHAM: Willows – all ice cleared up by Wednesday and fished well over the weekend with most anglers catching, the biggest of the week being 17lb. The carp are tightly shoaled up so location is the key.
Kestrel – fished quite hard over the weekend with only a few fish being caught, location is the key.
Kingfisher – little angler traffic over the weekend, but those who did fish were kept busy, with Ide up to 1lb fishing with chopped worm.
Heron – fishing was hard over the weekend, with Sunday's match won with 9lb of bream using worm. Should improve next week now all the ice has cleared up.
KINGFISHER LODGE, HIBALDSTOW: Only thawed out three days ago and not many anglers on the bank, but roach to 1.5lb to pole and maggot. Skimmers from the deeper water to maggot. A few small carp to pellet.
MARSHLANDS, BARTON ON HUMBER: Dave Berry put in 26.5lb of skimmers to take the top slot in the Scunthorpe AA Open. Pleasure anglers were also catching the silver bream, mainly on the ground-bait feeder and double maggot. Those who used the pole rigs struggled for a bite. Big Ide and perch were included in pleasure catches.
MESSINGHAM SANDS: Anglers have returned in numbers and sport is improving quickly as temperatures return to normal. Although silver fish sport remained reasonable throughout, carp fishing certainly took a back seat. Noticeably more carp are now showing, both to pleasure anglers and match men alike.
The syndicate lakes saw a return by the Bivvie men who put in 24 and 48 hour sessions and were rewarded with some reasonable catches this weekend.
Steve Ellis confounded the conditions on Tripp Lake at the weekend to win the Sunday Open with an 18-carp catch for 58lb. The surprising thing was that Steve took quite a few of his fish on paste, which is normally a warm weather bait.
Sunday's Open on the Swan Pond also saw carp win for the first time this year, with 38lb taking the prize money.
PISCES ANGLING CLUB: Due to refurbishments at the Priory, the monthly meeting scheduled for Monday, February 1 has been postponed until Monday, February 8.
YADDLETHORPE PONDS: The thick ice has been slow to clear and it wasn't until Sunday that a few anglers could catch a few pike and silver fish. But, by about Wednesday, the fish should be back in feeding mode.
