The ATr report:
In the practice matches leading up to the Division 2 National Championship many teams were struggling with catches in the hot weather on the Great Ouse at Littleport. With this taken into consideration the Environment Agency put a 2 cmec flow on the venue and the breeze on the day put a ripple on the water and this probably helped to record better catches.
Just prior to the event the EA issued a press release to notify of an invasive shrimp Dikerogammarus haemobaphes found in the Ely Ouse close to Denver. Mark Owen, the Angling Trust’s Head of Freshwater for Campaigns and the Environment attended the draw on the morning of the Championship to brief all the competitors, and brought along posters to put along all the sections to enforce the Check Clean and Dry campaign.
Team wise it was a great performance by Devizes AA from Wiltshire who scored 243 points to win the match. In runner up position, just missing out by one point, was Garbolino Blackhorse who tied with Maver Bait-Tech on 242 points but managed to take the second place position based on weight. In fourth place, taking the final promotional place into next year’s Division 1 National Championship, was Pelham Piscatorials AC on 237 points.
Adam Carter, Team Captain for Devizes AA said:
“All of the team practiced two or three times in the month building up to the National, but given the distance we didn’t think practicing any earlier than this would be of benefit as venues can change too much. The first practices showed how hard the venue could be and although we found a few fish nothing was consistent.
Further practices helped come up with the plan for the match. We fished the whip between 2 and 5m with ‘slop and squatt’ to try and avoid blanks. A pole line at 11-13m was meant to be the main line for roach, hybrids and skimmers, but practice had shown this line didn’t always produce. We also had a 7-8m line for eels or tench and a feeder line across.
We all knew that we might need a combination of all these lines for good points, but in some cases we might have to rely just on the whip line. The plan was to put a fish in the net before doing anything else so this meant trying the whip line first. We then had a look for something on the feeder for 20 minutes before trying the pole line. If the pole line didn’t produce we were back on the whip rig scratching for bites and occasionally trying the other lines.”
We’re obviously really pleased to have won and we’ve definitely improved as a team over the last couple of years and this is a great reward… it certainly makes all the miles accumulated practicing worthwhile. Huge thanks must go to all the local clubs and anglers that have helped with the opens and of course the Angling Trust for organising another great National.”
The top five individuals on the day all came from C section and this was totally unexpected, with the bream pegs 28 – 33, not having been fished for the last six years.
The individual winner was Pete Marlow of Leicester Sensas AA who drew peg C33 to net a top weight of 50.350kg. In second place with 35.600kg was Nigel Grindle (Pelham Piscatorials AC) on C31. Third place went to Paul Ripley from C32 of Urban Moor Leeds with 31.110kg, and in fourth place Kevin Rowles (Devizes AA) on C28 recorded 18.160kg on the scales.
Pete commented:
“I just fished a feeder all day using a Luxus groundbait with 1kg of worms, 3 pints of castors and 1kg of 2mm pellets. The original plan was to pick up the odd bonus fish on the feeder at the start and to fish long pole for roach, and a close chopped worm line for tench and perch but as I caught bream on the feeder from the off there was no need to change.
I was so happy with the result and can’t stop smiling even now. It is a shame the team didn’t finish in the top three as we were so close. I just want to say thanks to the Angling Trust for doing a great job and Leicester Sensas AA for making it possible.”
The Angling Trust would like to thank Kelvin Allen who acted as local organiser on the day and all his committee for all their hard work, and also for all the support and work of the EA for the Division 2 National Championship to go ahead as well as it did this year.
Next year the Angling Trust’s Division 2 National Championship takes place on the Leeds and Liverpool canal on Saturday 13 September.
Full results and photos are available on the Angling Trust website
Team results:
1st Devizes AA – 243 points
2nd Garbolino Blackhorse – 242 points
3rd Maver Bait Tech – 242 points
4th Pelham Piscatorials AC – 237 points
Individual results:
1st C33 Pete Marlow, Leicester Sensas – 50.350kg
2nd C31 Nigel Grindle, Pelham Piscatorials AC – 35.600kg
3rd C32 Paul Ripley, Urban Moor Lees – 31.110kg
4th C28 Kevin Rowles, Devizes AA – 18.160kg
