Drennan knockout result

[joffmiester]

And The Results Are In...!




After being nip and tuck for most of the match, and then Rob looking to take the lead later on, the scales confirmed what we'd suspected.


Simon was first to weigh recording 63lb 6oz. Knowing he'd been beaten the only question on Simon's lips was, "How far behind am I?"


Three weighs confirmed Rob's weight at 93lb 11oz giving the Leicester-based Dynamite Baits/Shimano star a 30lb lead going into tomorrow's match on the Mickey Mouse Lake here on the fabulous Docklow complex, Leominster. Typically speaking this is quite a lead to claw back, but that's not to say it isn't possible. After all, Simon is the master of consistent performances, and, this is fishing - anything can happen!


We'll be back with updates again throughout tomorrow's match. The game is still well and truly on!

[Simple]

Simon has his work cut out tomorrow, thats quite a lead Rob has.

[joffmiester]

Willsmore stages a massive comeback!




Just as Rob Wootton settles into a nice catching rhythm with quality roach to 1lb, plus hybrids and chub up to 2lb, Simon Willsmore has started to turn up the heat with a run of sizable carp.


He has now had 10 up to an estimated 9lb and lost several. With weed beds and tree stumps in close proximity he is fishing stepped up gear with strong lines and elastics in an attempt to steer the big fish away from danger. Several fish are also foul-hooked as it seems like his sunken-bar swim is alive with fish.


Meanwhile Rob has had a fruitless look down towards the stream inlet for just one chub and has had to resort to maintaining a steady catch rate with smaller silvers on the short pole.


It's Robs numbers game versus Simon's big fish approach and Simon looks to be edging the day. As every minute ticks on Rob is seeing his 30lb lead get whittled away. We don't think anyone could have predicted such an exciting climax to this event as they both battle it out for £5,000 and that all-important Drennan Knockout Cup winner's

[joffmiester]

which way will it go

[Simple]

Very close indeed. Come on Simon

The penultimate round at Rolfs is due to be published in 3 days.
Then I can put my pictures up

[joffmiester]

::) ::) ::) ::) can't say

[Simple]

Crazy you have to wait till the December issue for the results

[joffmiester]

no i would think it will be out tomorrow simon on the website

[joffmiester]

The battle is well and truly on!





Simon’s peg seemed to get stronger and stronger as the match went on with carp turning up on that shallow bar to Simon’s left where he’d fed meat.



That changed the way Rob was approaching his peg forcing him to come off his short silver fish line and concentrate his efforts down to his left-hand margin at 14.5 metres.



Rob secured several chub, but Simon’s carp carried on turning up allowing him to narrow the gap significantly! With an hour to go Simon’s swim to the left had begun to dry up, but his saviour came with his right-hand meat swim at 16 metres providing the run of carp he so desperately needed. That forced Rob to focus all his efforts on bigger fish down the edge.



It really was a battle to the end and the weigh in proved to be an epic affair. No one could call the winner but, of course, there had to be one in the end. With over 340lb of fish caught over the two days by the finalists it just goes to show how prolific Docklow Pools is. In fact, Rob weighed over 60lb of silvers (roach and chub) from the Mickey Mouse Lake!



So… the big question is “Who won?”… well you’ll have to wait until the December issue of Match Fishing to find out! Plus, we’ll be giving away all the detailed information on how this year’s finalists approached each day. Don’t miss it!

[joffmiester]

Wootton wins the battle of the gingers!
After an epic two-day battle at the superb Docklow Pools complex, Leicester man Rob Wootton secured a convincing win over Simon Willsmore and was crowned the 2012 Drennan Knockout Cup Champion.

Both finalists put in a mammoth amount of preparation and practice to see them whistle through each of the qualifying rounds, which began at Woodland View fishery on the 30th April. It's actually the third year Simon has progressed to the semi-final round where he'd previously fallen – but not this time!

Simon admitted: "I'm elated to have made the final after years of trying and I've been beaten for the £5,000 winner's cheque and trophy fair and square by Rob."

Day one saw Simon tally just over 63lb to Rob's 93lb, which he took mostly on the Method feeder. That gave Rob a 30lb lead going into day two which was always going to be tough to claw back. Drawing their pegs for day two on the night before saw Simon on island peg 6 and Rob on the more open water peg 8. The island swim is notorious for holding big carp, which gave Simon the opportunity to pull back the deficit. However, it wasn't to be as Rob's silver fish and carp-combined approach saw him finish day two with 99lb to Simon's 88lb giving him a two-day total of over 192lb to Simon's accumulated total of 151lb.

That means we have a new champion, snatching the trophy from 2011 champ Gary Miller, but one things's for sure… all of this year's star anglers are hungry for next year each wanting to achieve what Rob has and lift the most prestigious individual trophy in the match fishing calendar – The Drennan Knockout Cup.

Our thanks goes to all of the competitors who took part this year, each of the venues that hosted a round, and to Drennan International for their generous sponsorship. For all the information on how Rob beat the best anglers in the UK, and how each of the finalists approached the intense two-day final, pick up the December issue of Match Fishing magazine, on sale 30th November.