KENNET Ospreys’ Christmas match, fished at Gold Valley, was a match of two halves.

Half the field fished in the teeth of a cold win, whilst the other half had the wind off their backs and flat calm conditions.

Steve Hunt put in his usual neat and tidy performance to win with 18lb 6oz of skimmer bream using groundbait, feeder and maggots. Venue ace John Light put 13lb of skimmers in the sack, the majority falling to pole and maggot. Glen Wills used the pellet feeder for his 12lb 2oz of skimmers, Roger Beale’s 11lb was a feeder job, as was Steve Sheppard’s 10lb 4oz.

Thirty three fished and not all weighed.

The Camrose Xmas Match was at Soke Road Lake, where Chris Hopegood topped out with 8lb 6oz of mixed on pole and maggot. Pete Morris took second place with 7lb 11oz on pole and bread, Bill Gordon’s 6lb 4oz was a pole and bread affair, with Paul Hunt using pole and maggot for his 6lb 2oz.

Ten fished and all caught.

Staceys Match Group’s Xmas match took them to New Barlows Lake at Tadley, where Paul Follington did the business with 11lb 8oz, three carp on pole and corn. Kevin Smith put 11lb 6oz on the scales, a mixed bag falling to pole and maggot, Steve Davis caught 10lb 8oz, whilst Sam Skilton made up the frame with 7lb 8oz.

Nine fished and all caught.

Adventure AS went to Dandy’s Lane for their Christmas match and as 30 fished, there were ten pegs on the canal that surprisingly threw up the winning weight.

Darren Wright topped out with 55lb 10oz of carp on pole and pellet, while Jake Gallagher made second place with his 42lb 8oz of carp on pole and pellet. Sean Shiels’ 39lb was also a pole and pellet affair, whilst Mick Fordham employed pole and corn for his even 34lb.

Ospreys’ recent match at Billhook Lake saw Simon Couling win with eight carp for 43lb on the bomb and corn. Roger Beale came second with 33lb on the pole and maggot, whilst Andre Grandjean’s 24lb 8oz was third.

Eight fished and Freckle blanked.

Bill Gordon won the Camrose match at Cheriton Farm with 16lb of carp on pole and maggot. Ralph Sneddon came next with 7lb 14oz followed by Pete Morris on 7lb 14oz and Colin Thomas with 7lb 11oz.

Eleven fished and caught.

After Camouflage Jim’s recent lock-in, the boys have had a whip round to buy a set of skeleton keys and a book of useful phone numbers for him for Christmas. How nice.

While we are in the Christmas mood, well-known happy person Ian Jones managed to slam his car door on my hand. After much hopping around and Anglo-Saxon expletives, Jonesy examined the injury and said, “If it has to come off, you’ve got plenty of hooks.” Nice.

Catch me in the new year.