The final of the Angling Trust Winter League semi-finals for this year was held on Sunday 6th April on the Grand Union canal at Loughborough with 90 competitors. Conditions were almost ideal for fishing on a mild overcast day the only downside being a gusty wind.
The top individual was local angler Pete Scott (Drennan Leicester Sensas) 5.690 kg who used his vast knowledge of canal fishing to achieve a comfortable win. Pete was pegged at Glebe Street where he caught 131 fish consisting of a mixture of roach and perch on bloodworm and joker with a few better fish on caster. Most of his fish were caught down the track or on the far shelf.
In second place was Kev Clarke of Wigan Match Group 4.900 kg. Pegged near the lock at Swingbridge Road Kev found a shoal of bream and caught two of around two and a half pounds plus some smaller bream and roach. Successful baits were bread punch and casters.
Third place went to Mick Hatchard of Shakespeare Superteam 4.800 kg. Pegged next to Kev Clarke he caught a mixture of roach, perch and bream using bloodworm and joker and casters and fishing down the track of the canal.
Top 10 individual results
1st Pete Scott Drennan Leicester Sensas Peg G7 5.690 kg
2nd Kev Clarke Wigan Match group Peg K2 4.900 kg
3rd Mick Hatchard Shakespeare Superteam Peg K1 4.800 kg
4th Simon Rothwell Standish Sharks Peg A1 4.550 kg
” Jimmy Messor Maver Newman Scott Peg A2 4.550 kg
6th Danny Martin Wigan match Group Peg G6 4.440 kg
7 th Graham Parker Standish Sharks Peg H2 4.230 kg
8 th Lee Addy Drennan north West Peg H4 4.220 kg
9 th Barry Wiggington Maver Bait Tech Peg A4 4.150 kg
10th Mike Davis Wigan match Group Peg E8 3.950 kg
The top team on the day were Shakespeare Superteam who were well clear of the opposition with 69 points. Their team plan was to feed joker on three lines on the far shelf of the canal and down the track and to alternate between these lines with bloodworm or joker on the hook. They also fed casters and fished casters and worm in search of bigger fish.
Runners up were Wigan Match Group with 60 points. They probably put up the performance of the day as they chose to rely on traditional baits, rather than bloodworm and joker. Lots of their team caught roach on bread punch as well as some bonus fish on caster and worm. Third place went to the consistent Drennan North West with 55points who fished bloodworm and joker for roach and chopped worm for perch.
Team Results
Teams (top three qualify for final on Gloucester canal on July 6th.
1st Shakespeare Superteam 69 points (31.770 kg)
2nd Wigan Match Group 60 points (30.200 kg)
3rd Drennan North West 55 points (29.170 kg)
4th Maver Bait Tech 53 points (27.350 kg)
5th Drennan Leicester Sensas 52 points (28.950 kg)
6th Sensas North 46 points (25.190 kg)
7th Standish Sharks 46 points (24.280 kg)
8th Maver Newman Scott 44 points (24.600 kg)
9th Mosella Bait Tech 27 points (19.000 kg)
