With the previous day’s heavy rain adding colour to this notoriously clear stretch river, many competitors were hopeful of a few better skimmers, bream, tench and barbel. However, only a handful of better fish showed and those who’d stuck to the ‘safe’ small fish option came out on top.
Welsh International Andrew ‘Spud’ Murphy put in a sterling small fish performance from peg 49 to take top spot, and the £6,000 cheque that went with it. Fishing over a dark groundbait mix of Sensas Lake, Roach and soil that he’d potted at 13m, Andrew plugged away for the first three hours of the match catching small roach and skimmers steadily. As the colour dropped from the water bites started to dry up, but he managed to keep the odd fish going in the net through the later stages of the match to finish with a total weight of 13-11-0. When asked what he intended to do with his winnings, Andrew said a new kitchen was the first thing on his shopping list,
Second and third was a closely fought affair between regular Match Fishing columnist Lee Kerry and Garbolino-backed Ian Didcote – the verdict eventually going Ian’s way by just 6oz! Ian weighed in 12lb 10oz from peg 46 and, after catching 4lb on the pole in the f irst three hours, he switched to the waggler to find a run of small skimmers. Lee Kerry took another superb small fish catch of 12lb 4oz from fancied peg 64 – the first peg below Hampton Ferry rope. This catch was made up of 4lb of silver bream, and 8lb of roach.
For a full run-down of the event, results and happenings check out the October 2011 issue of Match Fishing magazine.
Result
1 Andrew Murphy (Tredger Angling Centre) 13-11-0 (peg 49)
2 Ian Didcote (Garbolino/Bait-Tech) 12-10-0 (peg 46)
3 Lee Kerry (Preston Innovations/Sonubaits) 12-4-0 (peg 64)
4 Denis White (Maver) 10-9-0 (peg 79)
5 Mark Brush (Daiwa Gordon League) 9-7-0 (peg 48)
6 Martin Howard (Daiwa Gordon League) 8-13-0 (peg 75)
7 Gary Miller (Maver Bait-Tech) 8-12-8 (peg 11)
8 Chris Jenkinson (Maver Bait-Tech) 8-7-0 (peg 74)
