Keith Culley Memorial Match 2009

How many times has it been said that after the breakfast and the draw, we should hold the presentation and toss a coin as to who wins the trophy? Heads, it’s Graham Marsden, tails, it’s Stu Dexter.

Nevertheless, each year in May, 30 or so valiant anglers face the wind, the rain, the sunshine, the misery of fishing Clattercote in the hope that perhaps this year, it will be their turn to lift that trophy. This year ran pretty much to the same form as last year, as it did the year before and the year before that….

Stu plays another fish on a windy Clattercote

We had the wind, boy did we have the wind. I think it was Fred Bonney said there was gusts up to 40 mph, which seems believable. It was certainly weather that would keep small fishing boats in the harbour if you get my drift.

Apart from a few spit-spots at the beginning, at least the rain kept off, but the chill was there too, courtesy of the wind again. As another angler commented that if he cast to his chosen spot far enough away, his feeder would probably end up by the damn wall.

And yet every year we do this.

This year’s event was organised by Nigel Connor as Graham wanted to “pleasure fish” and he is supposed to be taking things more easily now. The breakfast was laid on and, according to reports, went down a treat with Nigel even remembering to bring along the brown sauce. (Was it 4 or 5 years ago now that a riot nearly broke out in Tesco’s restaurant because they had no brown sauce? Good thinking, Nigel!)

Nigel catching one fish and then another, just rewards for providing the brown sauce.

Ade Williams on the pole

Because of various delays in serving breakfast and then the draw, the match started a little late. Some anglers, Graham Whatmore for example, thought they were in with a great chance straight away having caught a small roach just ten minutes in. How deluded some people can be?

I was pegged right near the end, yet again, and next to me was Ade Williams who so boldly fished with a long pole most of the day. But although he is a big lad I bet it was a bit tiring at times holding it against that wind. Probably explains why I caught him with a feeder rod occasionally.

Graham nets one whilst Jonny Northmore hooks into another one

Some couldn’t take the stress of the day

A couple of walks down through the ranks didn’t find to many smiling faces for me. Derek (Spiders) was biteless as were many others and Windy even took time out for a little shuteye, or resting his pupils, the wind having dried his eyes. However, there were some signs of hope.Mr Marsden (our beloved Managing Editor) was catching one or two, bream mainly at first and then he found a carp or two.

Then I got down to Stu Dexter who just seemed to be pulling them in one after the other. Well, if not quite that quick it seemed more frequent than anyone else and by mid-afternoon it was clear that, failing someone catching two or three thirty pounders in the last hour (some hope!), he was going to win the match – again.

Several were tempted to fish by the boards and it’s easy to see why when pretty large carp to double figures can be clearly seen frolicking around under the amphibious bistort behind the boards. I was with a couple of Brummie lads for almost a hour trying to get a picture of the rising fish taking their sandwiches. One eventually asked me my name and when I asked why he said he wanted to tell his wife who it was had told him to throw them to the carp. I got one half-decent picture though (from the forty-odd I took).At the weigh-in it was nice to see so many roach and bream being weighed, but unless you had a carp or two it was still almost a foregone conclusion that you wouldn’t win.

By the time we got to Stu’s peg and weighed almost 40lbs of roach and bream we knew that once again he had done it. And then he lifted the carp net out to confirm that.It was a well deserved win too, the fourth time for him, and easy to see why. He is, of course, instinctively a match angler and practises his skills with a degree of finesse. You only have to see him playing a fish, rod tip close to the surface pulled along with steady pressure, to see why he rarely loses a fish also.

So, hat’s off to him, but it’s been mentioned already about giving him a handicap in future years – like binding his hands behind his back and tying his shoelaces together – in the car park. He’d probably still win even so, but one day, you just never know! It might just be YOUR day!Later, we met up at the pub for sausages and chips courtesy of Richard Hewitt, FM’s new owner (that’s if he refunds Graham and if not – courtesy of Graham.)

Andy Nellist gets into one and some newcomer seems to be doing well too.

This year they put on whitebait in breadcrumbs, which was a new experience for most of us. Even Graham noticed I’d had some and asked what they were and said that he’d missed them. When he said he’d like to get some I though he’d probably not like them, but he said it didn’t matter as they were free. He never alters.

Photos done with I left the party in a happy spirit and I think most will be looking forward to next year, with new plans, new hopes and that dream of being handed the trophy.

Steve presents the trophy to Stu

So, sincere congratulations to Stu for winning again and many big thanks to Nigel for having arranged it all and not forgetting Richard (we must get him along to the next one) Hewitt for paying for the sausages and chips. Well done everyone who braved those elements by simply taking part.

Results