Angling: Jamie chases £25,000 dream prize

Jun 6 2008 Chester Chronicle

CHESTER Tackle Locker’s Jamie Hughes qualified for the last 16 in an exciting Fish ‘O’ Mania competition at Maver Larford, Stourbridge, on Saturday.

Jamie, who was up against 129 other competitors, weighed in with a superb 142lb 3oz of carp in five hours from peg 31 on the Match lake, fishing pellet shallow. He beat Ritchie Hull from the Midlands, with 129lb 15oz, into second place on the Arena lake.

Jamie will now compete against 15 other anglers for the £25,000 prize at Browning Cudmore Fishery, Newcastle-Under-Lyme, on Saturday, July 19.

The event will be televised live in its entirety on Sky Sports.

There are a number of local anglers involved in the five remaining qualifiers hoping to join Jamie in the final. The next match is to be held at The Oaks fishery in Yorkshire.

Further success for local anglers came on the banks of Loch Erne, Northern Ireland. Chester’s 15-year-old Ashley Lewis competed for the first time in the Rose Bowl Festival over an exhausting five days. Ashley’s contributions for his team with two individual section wins enabled them to lift the title.

The Lake of Tranquility, Leeswood, held their Thursday Open match, which was won by Anthony Moran. Anthony, a junior from the Wirral, out-fished all the other competitors, weighing in with a good 56lb. Ian Smith took second spot netting 20lb 4oz, closely followed by Chester’s Frank Doren with 19lb 12oz.

There have been some good individual catches at Cheshire Fishing, Tattenhall. Anthony Hart bagged 94lb of carp up to 12lb 8oz on pellet. Chris Pulford from Vicars Cross landed a superb common carp of 19lb 8oz using pineapple boilie.

The best trout of the week was a 6lb 3oz Rainbow taken on a submerged buzzer by Trevor Hunt, from Deeside.

Ellesmere Port Royal British Legion held their club match on Todd’s pool at Tarvin Sands at the weekend. Newton’s Steve Andrew, weighing in with 53lb 4oz, just lost out in a close match to Steve Bithall, of Ellesmere Port. Steve bagged 55lb 8oz of carp for first position.

Hampton Springs was the venue for Upton AC’s match on Saturday. Geoff Dentith won with 65lb of carp. John Woodrow bagged a mixture of carp and barbell for second position with 41lb 8oz, followed by Paul Padget with 34lb 12oz. Members are reminded that subscriptions are now due at Chester Tackle Locker.

Winsford’s Prince of Feathers AC held their club match on Kita’s Pool, Tarvin Sands on Sunday. Charlie Brandon took top spot with a weight of 15lb, followed by Ian Slater with 6lb and Adrian Latham with 2lb 12oz.

The Saturday Open match at Tarvin Sands was held on Todd’s Pool. A mixture of carp and bream weighing 62lb 2oz gave Steve Wilson victory.

Seventeen members of Peg One AC fished their club match on Willow Pool at Hampton Springs on Sunday. John Wineyard from the Lache bagged 30lb of carp and barbel to win. Ellesmere Port anglers Les Jones and Macca Steadman weighed in with 26lb 12oz and 21lb 4oz respectively for the runner-up spots.

If you have an angling story, contact Rob Allen on 01244 880165 or e-mail churchfarmcottage@supadooper.com .