With the rise in temperatures during the preceding week the expectations for a really good match at the third Fish ‘O’ Mania qualifier held on Wednesday 17th April were high at the draw. Unfortunately the wind strengthened during the day and at times was positively frightening. This severely restricted tactics, and as a result many anglers were simply unable to get the best out of their pegs. Several pole sections became casualties of the ferocious gusts at Makins Fishery, Nuneaton.
Even so over 30lbs was needed to win 10 of the 13 ten-peg sections and the top six anglers averaged almost 70 lbs a man.
Top rod was Craig Jones (Marukyu) an Accountant from Doncaster, fishing his first ever Fish ‘O’ Mania qualifier, who brought a splendid 99 lbs 8 ozs to the scales from Peg A13 on Lake 2. He only had a dozen fish with the biggest weighing around 15 lbs. He caught the bulk of these on the method feeder tight to the island with an odd fish coming to the bomb, with 8mm pellets his main hookbait. Runner up on the day was the ever consistent Grant Albutt (Dorking), who caught mainly carp to 8 lbs from peg 21 on Lake 5. He caught on both meat and maggots fishing the bomb, and then later on down the margin. Grant amazingly has finished in second spot in 7 qualifiers, and surely must make it to the grand final very soon.
Third with an excellent 74 lbs 15 ozs was 18 year old Adam Logan from Ilkeston. Adam fish meat close in at Lizard peg 29 taking carp to 15lbs. Jamie Hughes was fourth with 74 lbs 10 ozs at A4 on Lake 2 just a carp ahead of Richard Woodsford who weighed 68 lbs 6 ozs further along the same bank at A15.
The fourth Fish ‘O’ Mania qualifier heads to Coleman’s Cottage, a purpose built fishery set in open countryside in Little Braxted, near Witham, Essex on Saturday 20th April 2013.
