As a regular admirer of the local club scene here on Merseyside, this week I’ve been focusing on one of our larger angling associations within the region, Newton AA.
Newton-Willows AA is a club that holds its achievements with great pride. Hosting 19 different waters upon its card for members to access in all, Newton is an association that certainly has something for everyone.
Based at the Viaduct Club at Newton-Le-Willows, the membership here offers senior, concessionary and junior licences available to all who wish to participate on the many fantastic venues available for everyone to fish.
Not surprisingly, there is a superb social side held amongst the match fishing enthusiasts with the regular disabled and over-60s midweek matches every week, which sees a mixture of different venues used.
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Together with a serious national representative squad that is made up from the association membership at Newton AA, this year’s squad will be competing with teams from all over the country upon the Division 1 National, held on the Gloucester Canal.
With this, as many will recognise, there’s always a huge price to pay for any team competing nationally and the price can be astronomical. So, with a carefully laid out support plan put in place each week, members raise funds within competitions held on their waters.
On Sunday with a match held on the canal’s upper pound, Ian Alexander (TH Floats) took the honours with a cracking net of mainly roach for 13.13.0.
Mike Dench (Newton T&B) with 10.8.0, again with all silvers, took a creditable second which kept Warrington’s Chris Grehan 8.2.0 in third place.
On the open match scene, travelling back over to Downholland to join a top field of anglers on Mescar’s Mistral Lake, it was noted many had also visited from all over the region. Wigan’s Gary Taylor took the top honours here. No stranger to success, Taylor shone again by putting carp to 8lb in the net for a top 37.4.0.
Burscough AS rod Kurtis Rothwell took second with 34.12.0 and making the journey worthwhile coming over from St Helens was England veteran champion Danny Sixsmith who put 33.10.0 on the scales for third.
On the club scene following the Alliance, club secretary Steve Cain took the top points of the day, winning this one at Chapel with a superb win for 58.5.0. Cain ‘dobbed’ bread at 16m to top Southport’s Dave Langton’s 54.13.0.
Keeping up with the competitive canal fraternity, Sunday saw Thornton’s Paul Charnock top the strong field lined up on the canal at Halsall. Charnock’s effort again saw him put a consistent display together to win with roach for 5.5.0.
Aintree’s Jeff Stirrat took second place with 4.15.0 and Huyton’s Paul Holding third with a hard earned 2.14.0.
Holding, with a fourth place on Wednesday competing within the L&DAA open at Haskayne (2.13.0) was out on Saturday which also saw him take third place out on the Wigan AA open to put together a cracking net of small skimmers at Burscough for 8.6.0.
