Evesham Festival Qualifying Match Reports

Report submitted by Tom Scholey

Saturday 16th June
Shakespeare Championship Qualifier
Evesham Town & Ferry Waters.
72 Fished.

1 Leigh Gardner (Shakespeare Superteam) 84-12-0 (peg 1)
2 Paul Glenfield (Drennan Oxford) 34-1-0 (peg 75)
3 Michael Buchwalder (Preston Innovations) 19-3-0 (peg 64)
4 Steve Townsend (Drennan Banbury Gunsmiths) 18-5-0 (peg 15)
5 Pete Morris (Sensas WB Clarke) 17-2-0 (peg 77)
6 Steve Long 13-11-0 (peg 59)

Qualifiers:
Steve Townsend
Bradley Proctor
Paul Glenfield

With heavy downpours preceding the opening day, anglers were faced with a coloured, rising river as they turned up to fish the first Shakespeare Championship qualifying match of the 2012 season. Drawn on fancied Peg One, Shakespeare stalwart Leigh Gardner made years of experience count, and put together a venue - record breaking 84-12-0 net of bream.

Leigh fished a 30g groundbait feeder, at 16 metres slightly downstream, and took 21 bream to 6lb to make up his astonishing haul.

In second place was another Evesham regular, Drennan Oxford rod Paul Glenfield. Drawn on peg 75, Paul made the most of a nearside crease, and attacked his peg with a pole feeder just eight metres from the bank. Again, Paul found quality bream with single and double worm hookbait proving best.

Third place fell to Preston’s Michael Buchwalder, who again caught quality bream on a pole feeder.


Sunday 17th June
Wychavon Championship Qualifier
Evesham Town & Ferry Waters.
76 Fished.

1 Nick Crouch (Bankside Tackle) 86-8-0 (peg 1)
2 Matt Godfrey (Sensas) 15-7-0 (peg 13)
3 Rob Badham 10-7-8 (peg 26)
4 Steve Ashmore (Sensas WB Clarke) 10-1-0 (peg 80)
5 Nick  Nowicki 10-0-0 (peg 76)
6 Steve Hemming 8-10-0 (peg 71)
 
Qualifiers:
Nick Crouch
Dave Roberts
Steve Ashmore 

With increased rainfall seeing river levels rise still further, many anglers again decided to tailor their approach to targetting the Avon’s resident bream. After drawing the peg that broke the record on the Saturday, Sheffield rod Nick Crouch was keen to make the best of it, despite the fact that he had only ever fished a river once before, that being the previous day! Fortunately for Nick, Leigh Gardner was on hand to advise him on how he put together his record breaking haul, and Nick did as he was told, fishing groundbait feeder at sixteen metres as Lee had done the previous day.

Five hours and 22 bream later, and Nick dragged out his net to smash the record once again, beating Leigh’s weight by just 1-12-0!

In second place was Sensas ace Matt Godfrey, who caught two good bream on pole feeder, and a few bleak for a 15-7-0 total. One of the Avon’s legendary whiskery residents filled third spot, with Rob Badhan luring a 10-2-0 barbel on halibut pellet from peg 26.