The 85 anglers fishing saw the day dawn bright and mild with a SW wind and the river looked in good trim with a flood tide for half the match and a good colour of 10 inches visibility. With the amount of colour in the river it was strange that the fish were very tightly shoaled.
Doug Botley of Diawa Angling Direct drew well on peg 23 through the 'Golden Gate' above the pump. He spent the 5 minutes of the match casting a big feeder out to get some bait into the water. He then tied on a hook length and before he had put his rod into the rest he was into his first bream. The fish kept taking his bait and
he had between 30 and 40lb before those either side of him had a fish!
2nd was Tom Boulton pegged next to Doug on peg 22, often the better of the 2 pegs. However it took some time before he first hooked a fish and he ended up with 39lb exactly.
Full results were as follows
1st Doug Botley, Diawa Angling Direct, peg 23 with 76 12
2nd Tom Boulton, Diawa Angling Direct, peg 22 with 39 00
3rd Lewis Murawski, Anglers World, 35 08
4th J. Parnell, D A D 28.12
5th Warren Martin, Anglers World 27 04
At least 2 sections were won on the pole with roach (fish to over a 1lb) and weights over 20lb.
Section 22 to 30 26.00
33 to 37 10 02
46 to 52 18.00
53 to 58 14.04
61 to 68 23.12
69 to 78 17.02
86 to 92 15.08
93 to 99 21.08
103 to 110 16.15
112 to 120 21.11
133 to 138 26.02
139 to 144 23.08
Mike Whittaker playing a bream early in the match
Mike netting a bream
The culprit !
Ian Cochrane with a five pounder and the Beauchamp Arms in the background
