John Ledger Memorial Fish-in, River Idle

[Sean Meeghan]

Hi All

This year's do will be on the River Idle at Haxey Gate on Saturday 12th December. I'm proposing that we fish a match and, as per Graham's suggestion, we have 2 pools - one for overall weight and one for best roach caught. There is plenty of water available so those of you who don't want to fish a match can roam to their hearts content.

I'm going to book the club stretch below the bridge for the match (where we fished last year) and those who don't want to fish this can buy a ticket and fish above the bridge on the pub stretch (approx 1 mile of fishing). If for some reason I can't get the club stretch I'll have to book the pub stretch for the match, but there will still be loads of room.

There is accomodation available at the Haxey Gate for those who need to stay over. It looks like Ron and I have booked all the single bedded rooms. I've booked a 3 bedded room so I need 2 more people to share with me (£25 B&B).

Ron, can you tell me who you've booked accomodation for?

The pub will do us breakfast on the morning of the match and we normally stay for an evening meal.

Please post below if you wish to attend and let me know if you want breakfast before the match, to fish the match, evening meal, accomodation.

Haxey Gate Inn

---------- Post added at 15:37 ---------- Previous post was at 15:34 ----------

Mods can you sticky this please?

 

[Muffin]

Sean,

I will share a room with you if thats OK?

I will get to the pub in time for breakfast before the match too, so put me down for breakfast and something to eat in the evening.

Idea for match sounds good to me.

Look forward to seeing some big roach!

Simon

 

[chavender]

i'll be there ,i would book breakfast ,but i always seem too miss it ,go on book me in for breakfast i'll get up earlier for my hours drive over .i might just go for a roam about this year though .

I might be booking a second place for my nephew too come ,for a special treat ,i'll comfirm with me brother first

 

[Steve Spiller]

I'll speak to the Boss tomorrow and let you know Sean.
Anyone heard from Beecy? Townsend better stay over too, payback!

 

[dezza]

Hi All

This year's do will be on the River Idle at Haxey Gate on Saturday 12th December. I'm proposing that we fish a match and, as per Graham's suggestion, we have 2 pools - one for overall weight and one for best roach caught. There is plenty of water available so those of you who don't want to fish a match can roam to their hearts content.

I'm going to book the club stretch below the bridge for the match (where we fished last year) and those who don't want to fish this can buy a ticket and fish above the bridge on the pub stretch (approx 1 mile of fishing). If for some reason I can't get the club stretch I'll have to book the pub stretch for the match, but there will still be loads of room.

There is accomodation available at the Haxey Gate for those who need to stay over. It looks like Ron and I have booked all the single bedded rooms. I've booked a 3 bedded room so I need 2 more people to share with me (£25 B&B).

Ron, can you tell me who you've booked accomodation for?

The pub will do us breakfast on the morning of the match and we normally stay for an evening meal.

Please post below if you wish to attend and let me know if you want breakfast before the match, to fish the match, evening meal, accomodation.

Haxey Gate Inn

---------- Post added at 15:37 ---------- Previous post was at 15:34 ----------

Mods can you sticky this please?

I have only booked and paid for a room for myself at the moment.

The pub stretch had one of John Ledger's favourite swims, a spot where we deposited his ashes during a rather emotional little ceremony a few years ago.

I mean to fish that swim in the Friday.

For those who do not know The Lower Idle.

Prior to about 1620, the River Idle was a tributary of the River Don.

Then King Charles I commissioned the Dutch land drainage expert: Cornelius Vermuyden to drain what is known as The Isle of Axholme, a large area of low lying land in the northern fens. In doing this, Vermuyden, together with his army of Dutch Navvies, re-routed the River Idle and made it a tributary of the River Trent at a place we now call "Idlestop".

Remember as you walk those banks and sit trotting your stick float down that ancient stream, that those very banks were formed before Isaak Walton wrote "Compleat Angler".

The Lower Idle has always had a reputation for big roach. The river there is quite wide and deep with some perfect trotting swims. The secret of fishing for the large Idle roach is bait presentation and regular feeding using preferably casters and a bit of hemp.

Big Idle roach will not tolerate any form of crudity in terms of tackle strength. I like to set up two rods, a 13 foot Ultralight float rod by MAP for trotting and a 17 foot Ultralight for laying on and stret pegging. If I was fishing a match I would tend to use maggots which will attract a variety of species. There are some fair sized bream in this stretch. I have caught them to 7 lbs.

Most of the time I use a 18 or 20 spade tied to 1.1 lb for my hooklength. This is tied with a 3 turn water knot to a length of 2lb Drennan Hooktie. The float is put in place and carefully shotted. Then the whole length is put on a winder to be attached to the reel line with a loop to loop.

This is how John Ledger arranged his tackle. He has landed Idle chub to over 5 lbs with this gear and I have landed bream to 7lbs, plus a fair few over 5 lbs too.

The art of fishing for large roach on these sorts of rivers has mostly been lost. You do find the odd guy fishing like this, but it's very rare and most of them who do so are even older than me.

The only sort of fishing that most young anglers want to do is the sort that involves a couple of three of buzzers, bolt rigs and boilies, so that they can go to sleep!

 

[Peter Jacobs]

"Mods can you sticky this please?"

Sean, done.

 

[Fred Bonney]

Sean, put me down for breakfast and the match please.
I shall be going for the roach though, 2 very nice ones last year re-kindled my interest in the fish.
Both taken whilst stret pegging close in, on a very coloured Idle from recollection.

 

[Graham Marsden]

Sean, book me in for the match and breakfast please. I've already booked bed and breakfast for the Saturday night/Sunday morning.

 

[Jeff Spiller]

Ok if I come to this one ?
I came to the first one, very cold and very wet, but very worth while.
Look forward to seeing some of you again.

 

[Steve Spiller]

I've just booked a double room for me and Wendi.....game on

Can you book us in for the breakfast please Sean.

I'm not sure about the match yet? It's such a lovely little river I fancy roaming around to find the big roach, hopefully I'll catch a big un for John and Wendi can track down the pike.

I hope it aint so bl**dy cold this time! And whatever happens don't let me order the 32oz steak this time

 

[Stealph Viper]

I hope it aint so bl**dy cold this time!

It's December and it's England, it will be bloody cold

Not as cold as if it was in Scotland though <BRRRR>

 

[Nigel Connor]

Guys put me down for this one.I'll drive up in the morning and back later like last year.

 

[Jeff Spiller]

Sean I've mailed you, not sure if I did it correctly though, is there any chance of having the third bed ?

 

[J K]

Sean,

I'd like to attend please. Put me down for breakfast and an evening meal.

 

[Beecy]

ey up chaps, long time no speak..


Sean, id not forgotten about this and have been thinking about it the last week or so, was going to put a post up soon.

Im glad youve taken the initiative though, as im short of free time at the mo and was worrying that folk would think id abbandoned it

Things have changed a bit at Haxey, the club no longer own the fishing bellow the bridge, its now being run by the land owner himself. Not sure about above bridge, may be still run by the pub i dont know.

I went down in the summer, was a bit peed off with the guy running it,he's jacked day ticket prices up and said he wasnt interested in doing year books


anyhow, I'll be there on 12th


Sean, if you need to ask me owt email me davidb@tslturton.com and I'll send you my phone number ( thats my work adress so please, no general mails from anyone else)

cheers
Beecy

 

[dezza]

Some happy memories here:

The River Idle Fish-in October 06 - FishingMagic Online Fishing Magazine.

 

[preston96]

Some happy memories here:

The River Idle Fish-in October 06 - FishingMagic Online Fishing Magazine.

PHEW!!!!.........for a moment i thought it was the "others" !!!!!!!!

 

[Mark Hewitt]

Can you add me please Sean, and my uncle - who couldn't make it last year. We've got a twin room booked.

 

[Steve Spiller]

Nice one Mark, no red wine this time okay! :w

 

[Mark Hewitt]

Drinks are on me Steve...........

:w

I'd start 'fasting' now if I were you......... Its a BIG steak!