Apart from the obvious mighty Barnsley Blacks
These Anglers were very hard to beat when drawn in the same section
Wayne Swinscoe must rate as one of the finest anglers in the country as he can adapt and win matches on any method from bread punch on canals to bagging on the Trent with chub and Roach.
Jan Porter the man in Red. Jan won matches on all kinds of methods and was very good on running water although won his share on lakes .Super angler who himself packed in match fishing for a while.
Keith Kotchie I drew next to Keith loads of times on the Trent ,Keith could win on most methods and always capable on the stick and feeder at Burton Joyce when the Trent was at its best.
Jim Baxter comes to mind when we were on the Witham .Jim was the first person I knew who fished with 12oz lines and 24 hooks on a river, where he used to frame every weekend .Superb and class angler who went into journalism to make a living and he does a very good job . After I learned about Jim catching on such small hooks and line I went that way myself ,'maybe too much ' and won matches and scored really well all over but it did cost me money and points as well but Jim was the master of this method.
John Howard from Doncaster who won the Trent national while fishing with Bawtry, Johnny is in a class of his own when it comes to fishing wasp grub but he is also very good on all other methods and very reliable when
team fishing . Usually wins with large weights and I see he is now sacking with Carp. John has qualified for Fishomania a few seasons ago . I was sad to hear is faithful dog Burt who he took fishing with him for years has passed away , Burt even had its own Daiwa Goldthorpe jacket made.
Steve Canty A superb angler from Goole capable of winning on any method anywhere in the country. A division 1 national champion tops a large number of titles Steve has won over the years
Barry Rudge from Goole , another superb all rounder, Barry captained Goole who were a superb side while I was with Goldthorpe, he is another who won on all methods but was really at home on the float, has won loads on the Trent with big weights of Chub and Roach,
Neil Parkinson was with Goole when I noticed how good he is .I think he travelled up from Sleaford or around that area. A superb angler on all methods and when he drew a flyer he never failed to win .I have seen Neil win with 30lb plus bags on still and running waters with the float.
Willie Eyre another Goole super star absolutely brilliant on his home water The Market Wheighton canal , To catch quality fish on there you have to fish tight up to far bank reeds and Willie was the best I saw on there .
He used to fish floats called pollywags which were short bodied wagglers and worked a treat.
Mick Ward is one of the most natural anglers I ever knew, In his early days he was good enough to fish as a young Barnsley Black, capable of winning on every method he used. Mick made things look so simple . I have seen Mick in the last few months and he told me he is now fishing with another brilliant angler.......
John Illingworth from Bradford is one angler I would bet on beating the angler next peg ,He is so hard to beat on any water .I don't know John personally but have noticed his results. John fished with Bradford as long as I knew and I don't know any particulars but he was that good I think with due respect to Bradford some top
sponsored club must have approached him at some time in his career
Roger Wakenshaw made the Witham his own although he adapted like all class anglers and won the Kammasan match man of the year event on the Trent using a maggot feeder. If Roger drew the pound length on the Witham you were fishing for second place, superb on the Waggler.
Mick Fisher fished for Trentman when I got to know him and like all these other anglers who I have mentioned he was capable of big weights from any venue on any method . Won loads of money on the Trent and another
angler along with hundreds of others who will have missed their favoriteg river.
These anglers are amongst the best I fished against and I realize there are brilliant anglers around the country which I have not
mentioned such as Nuddy, Kim Milsom,Steve Gardener, Dave Harrell, Mark Downes, Dave Vincent and the rest but I don't really know
much about them in real life so the ones I have wrote about are the ones I met week after week during the last 20 years.