The Drennan Cup

103841 · May 2, 2017

When I moved to Whitstable five years ago I got a part time job working in Canterbury. A regular sight was a bloke on his push bike cycling around the town precariously balancing a fishing rod, landing net and bag with consummate skill.

A couple of years later I took up fishing again and it was on the River Stour running through Canterbury that I met this chap, his name is Iain McDonald who today has been awarded the prestigious Drennan Cup for the amazing fish he has caught in the past year beating many good anglers.

It's Iain's helpful nature and sharing of his vast knowledge that is helping me become a better angler, a humouros chap, humble, lives for his fishing using modest kit often secondhand. What he will spend his prize of £2000 I'm not sure, maybe a new bike!

flightliner · May 2, 2017

A most deserving winner!.
Best of luck to him in the future,

no-one in particular · May 2, 2017

Where did he catch his fish S63 for the Drennan cup, around Canterbury? I used to fish a lake near Chilham, it was called Griffen lake, that had some nice carp and tench in it, in fact one day my brother and I had a fantastic tench day there once but I do not know if it still exist. The carp used to leap a lot there in the middle but were very difficult to catch.

103841 · May 2, 2017

What makes Iain's achievement all the better is the fact many of his great captures have come from the free section of the River Stour running through Canterbury, quite often I've been fishing in the same swims most probably and when the bites dry up and blanks start happening I remind myself of the amazing fish that have been caught here and mainly by Iain.

Ian also fishes the waters of the CDAA, I suspect all but two of the fish in the montage below were taken from the free stretch of the Stour.

If you have an evening to spare read through his Facebook page and also a wonderful article on a particular Barbel Iain had stalked for a very long time. The article is in four parts on the net entitled "The Canterbury Tales", here is part one.
The Canterbury Tales Part One; A Tale Of Two Barbel - UK Match Angler

Peter Jacobs · May 2, 2017

Very well done!

barbelboi · May 2, 2017

Well deserved and a truly nice bloke too.

binka · May 2, 2017

It's great to hear of stuff like this, a true testimony that you don't NEED the bivvies and masses of gear which some of the tackle firms would, little doubt, like us believe.

A very well done to the chap

103841 · May 2, 2017

It's also worth pointing out that Iain only fishes short sessions, just a couple of hours normally, most probably spends more time walking (or cycling) along the banks looking for his intended prey.

A true case of when, where and how.

theartist · May 2, 2017

I must admit I didn't vote when I got the form through the door but he looks like a totally worthy winner. Credit too must go to Drennan a British company who encourage anglers to get out there catching different species.

Well done to that chap and that's a really nice back story S63

Keep quiet about free waters though as there's no fish in them at all

:wh

no-one in particular · May 2, 2017

If I remember rightly much of the Stour above Canterbury is all private fishing so he must have found them in a small part of the river, I used to drive along the A28 every week between Canterbury and Ashford and not a look in, all bedaubed with strict no fishing signs, I learned it all belonged to a Northern Syndicate but they hardly ever came down to fish it; I never once saw an angler fishing along the 20 odd miles in years, always miffed me that. I once took a rubber dingy down from Wye to Canterbury, not fishing and it was all strict private land I sailed through, a few chains across the river etc., don't ask me about prn, not a clue but a shame so much was off limits to the public. Sorry off topic-
Just checked on Google if Griffen lake was still going but nothing comes up, so it might have been filled in. however lots of other lakes and pits around the area.

Neil Maidment · May 2, 2017

Yep! Iain is a fine angler and very decent bloke as well. Well deserving of The Drennan Cup especially for the local nature of his captures and how he went about it.

We were supposed to get together for a session on the Dorset Stour at the end of last season but it didn't quite happen.

terry m · May 2, 2017

How does he get his bivvy, overwrap, bedchair and food shelter on that bike?

The Drennan Cup

103841

Banned

flightliner

Well-known member

no-one in particular

Well-known member

103841

Banned

Peter Jacobs

Moderator

barbelboi

Well-known member

binka

Guest

103841

Banned

theartist

Well-known member

no-one in particular

Well-known member

Neil Maidment

Moderator

terry m

Well-known member