FRANK BARLOWS MEMORIAL

[joffmiester]

Memorial Milestone for Mark - 02/09/2010


Mark Godfrey achieved a long-held ambition by winning the Frank Barlow Memorial match last Wednesday, fished by 44 anglers on the much-loved Angler’s Mail columnist’s old stamping ground on the Trent at Long Higgin.

Former Fox Match Trentmen captain Mark, now retired from team fishing, has fished all but one of the 14 annual matches and was determined to get his name on the trophy one day. He drew on the first peg below the sailing club and landed a brace of big bream in the first 40 minutes, the best one 7 lb, on groundbait feeder and chopped worm and caster on a size 18 to .14 mm hook length. He filled the feeder with Van den Eynde Secret and Black Turbo and chucked just over half way across for the bream, adding seven sizeable perch to these for 15-10-0.

He said at the presentation: ‘This is one match I’ve really wanted to win because Frank was great mate of mine. ‘The best I’ve done before is fifth, and my head really went down today when Dean told me I was second, but it turned out it was a wind-up. He got called all sorts of names when I found out.’ At the opposite end of the match, on peg 1, close to the road-bridge, Dave Jones (Nottingham AA) fished waggler for a roach net of 9-12-0.

And Wayne Swinscoe (Maver Bait-Tech) made it into third with a late run of 1 lb-plus skimmers on groundbait feeder chucked most of the way across the river for 7-8-0. Dean Barlow thanked all those who fished, Steve Toone for running the match, Wayne and Mark Lucas for pegging out, Notts AA for the use of their water, the Stratford Haven pub for the excellent buffet, and firms that donated prizes for the raffle, including Drennan, Kamasan, Preston Innovations, Daiwa and Fox, which raised several hundred pounds for the Nottingham City Hospital cancer ward, where Frank was treated.

[Waveney_One]

Nice report Joff, wish I had been there.

The tackle was a bit girlie though wasn't it?  "size 18 to .14 mm hook length" on the R. Yare we have been using size 12's to 0.17mmline with 6lb mainline on the feeder.  Only last week did I tune down my tackle a bit to a 14's on 0.15mm line!  I have even thought about tying some 16's this week but not for long!!

I will use 16's  on the pole now though but on 0.13mm hooklength to a 0.15mm mainline.  When you are swinging 6 - 8 oz roach you don't want the line to break or hook to pull!

[joffmiester]

it did fish poor mate there was about 40 on it and quite a few dry nets as you can see peg one had a lovely days fishing for roach on a waggler thats because up from him its solid with roach they haven't moved down there yet i hope tomorrow we will find some i'l take the camera for a few pics

[fin]

Cant believe its so long that frank passed away