Steve’s poor draw turns out to be a cracker as he wins series at a canter

Preston North West’s Steve Crossley was hoping on hope for a decent draw in the final round of the Daves of Middlewich Trent and Mersey Individual winter league, writes Tim Worsnop.

Steve had already won one match with 25lbs of fabulous roach and added another 15lbs or so over the other four.

However, with league points only collected by those finishing in the top five, Steve was one of five people with maximum points. At first things didn’t look to be going his way. His peg by all accounts wasn’t a good one. But with several days of rain and the canal really coloured up his luck held and when he switched onto caster a procession of roach started to come his way. By the end Steve had experienced another stellar day with 13lbs 11oz to win the match and the league.

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“Information was that I had drawn poorly, but when I started to get bites on the caster I knew I was in with a chance,” said Steve.

On the day he was pushed all the way by Northwich Anglers’ Brian Meggs who, having been plagued by gudgeon on the caster, switched to tares and never looked back, finishing with 12lbs 13oz. Third place went to Crossley’s team mate Alan Crook with 11lbs 10oz, which bagged him more points and second overall in the league. Money for sections also went to their squad mates Pete Duffy and Jan Verbruggen so it was a good day at the office for the Todmorden-based outfit.

I was drawn well out of it, though the lad at the side of me managed two good roach to win the section.

It could, and maybe should have been different, but after a pitiful match and with just a dozen or 15 gudgeon plus a small roach in my net the float suddenly dipped on the caster with three minutes of the match remaining. And guess what? The elastic came out and then back in again as a big roach slipped the hook. And just to compound a poor day, on the last put in, the canal started to pull and just for a fraction of a moment it looked like the float was moving slightly too quick. You’ve guessed it again - the caster was shelled! And that was that.

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Winning is becoming a habit for my Matrix Halifax team mate Dave Chadwick who put another big weight of roach - 13lbs - on the scales to win the Wednesday open at Mirfield. Runner-up was Keith Marshall (TriCast Calder) with 9lbs 14oz.

My old mate Steve Mitchell (Brighouse AC) scraped home by the narrowest of margins to win AJ Jewson’s Tuesday league at Bradshaw Fishery with 50lbs 3oz, ahead of Steve Michaels (TriCast) with 49lbs 13oz.

And Pete Dwyer won Jewson’s Sunday match at Spofforth lakes with 19lbs of roach on caster ahead of Pete Thurlow (TriCast Calder)with 15lbs 6oz.

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