JOHN Pettitt won Harwich Angling Club’s Valentine’s match.

It was held on the lower stretches of C pegs, on the Dock River.

Due to water presence still affecting bank access, the match was held between pegs C1 and C20.

All competitors had to walk to their pegs due to the boggy ground conditions.

On a chilly, bright and overcast day, with occasional sunny periods and slight wind, the water had good colour and a slow flow.

Correct tactics and approach were going to be key issues for this five-hour, all fish except pike and crustaceans count club match.

While most anglers opted to float fish, either using the pole or the rod, some went for the feeder approach.

When the end-of-match whistle blew and all the results were in, it proved to have not been a very rewarding day.

Only two competitors had fish in their nets at the weigh-in, both from around the middle section pegs, with a combined total weight of only 2oz.

One other angler, on C8 peg, caught a pike of around 3lb and also had a good take from a fish that snapped his line. This was probably a carp, as he was fishing with flavoured luncheon meat looking for a bonus fish.

However, no-one else was able to put any fish in their nets.

Pettitt won, fishing from peg C12.

He used the pole down the middle and to the far bank, with the float set at just dragging bottom and avoiding the weed clumps.

Pettitt used bloodworm and joker on a size 22 hook, tied to a 0.06 hook link.

He weighed in with 14 very small roach, weighing just 1oz 4drs.

In second place, also fishing the pole down the middle and to the far bank with the float set just off the bottom, was Laurie Snell, on peg C10.

Snell used bloodworm and joker as hook bait and caught five very small roach, weighing just 12drs.

With the close season for course fishing on the river being from March 15 to June 15 inclusive, the club’s next fixture is the end-of-season match on Sunday, March 8.

This will be held on either the C or B pegs of Dock River, subject to the river bank conditions.