Pete Bennett wins Packington qualifier. Banbury Gunsmiths rod Pete Bennett won Saturday's Maver 'Match This' qualifier at Packington Fishery, with an 84-11-0 net of F1 carp. Pete, 38, drew Peg 17 on Little Gearys
and fished hard pellet shallow to finish the match just 1lb 1oz in front of second placed Richie Hull. The third qualifier event of the 2013 Mega 'Match This' campaign was attended by 74 anglers and, thankfully, there was a marked improvement in the weather for this most recent qualifier with temperatures being much milder than in previous weeks.
Fishery bans Eastern European anglers. A Warwickshire fishery owner has made national headlines after banning Eastern European anglers from his fishery. Eddie Whitehead, owner of Dog Lane Fishery near Napton, put up a sign reading “No Eastern Europeans” after he had almost £10,000 worth of carp stolen. Eddie claims that migrant workers arrive just before dusk and fish his lakes – before taking what they catch for the table.
Gold Valley waives peg fees for open match anglers.
Gold Valley Lakes in Hampshire has introduced a new policy for its Saturday open matches, meaning that the peg fee will be waived until further notice. The idea is the brainchild of venue owners, and father and son duo, John and Will Raison, who are keen to pay anglers back for their support through the winter. England international and former World Champion Will explained: “My father and I are extremely lucky as we have a core of match anglers who support us right through the year, and so giving them free fishing for a few weeks in the spring is the least we can do.
The man that could end your career…A massive well done to Alex Bones, the likable dwarf and editor of Match Fishing magazine (or Captain Colgate as his team christened him, due to his regular trips to the teeth-whitening clinic), who has won the Van den Eydne/Matrix International Feeder Challenge that took place in Belgium this weekend. First thing Monday, he strode into the office with two giant trophies. One was so large, in fact, that his team were able to give him a celebratory bath in it! The thing he likes the most about the giant cups, though, is not so much the sense of victory that he got from winning such an event, but the fact that the polished silver shows up his reflection! For the duration of the day, he could be seen checking himself, because, in his words, there is no point being a winner if you don’t look like a winner. Rumour has it, he has already approached a perfume company and hopes to release a commemorative fragrance later this year.
Incredible one-off bait deal at Chapmans this weekend. Lincolnshire tackle giant, Chapmans Angling is offering a unique one-off deal to customers this weekend – that will see them receive £50 worth of free bait with any sale over the value of £50!With an option for punters to either take a carp pack or a coarse pack, it doesn’t matter what discipline of angling you are into – there will be a bait pack to suit you!Chapmans General Manager, Mark Wilkinson explained: “With the weather starting to pick up, and the water temperature on the rise, now is the perfect time for anglers to get out there and go fishing – and we are sure that this great deal will encourage them to do just that!"As one of the country’s largest tackle retailers, we are fortunate in that we have massive buying power – and were able to buy up a large amount of very good bait at a very reasonable price. "After such a long, hard winter, we’re sure people are keen to get out and enjoy their fishing again – and this fantastic bargain will give them the incentive to do just that. One of the major factors in getting people on the bank in such a difficult economic climate is definitely cost, this huge FREE bait promotion will certainly help them on their way!”In addition to the great deal on offer, Chapmans has also arranged for several star anglers to come down to the store to help advise punters on how to catch at this time of year.
Top tackle company sponsor exciting new league. An exciting new spring league is to take place at Shropshire venue, Weston Pools. Running over the course of four dates, the event is capped at a maximum of 50 anglers, with the overall result being decided on section points. To secure your place, a £10 deposit is required, with a further £32 to be paid on the first match to cover peg fees.
Cracking turnout for North West junior open. Local match angler Richard Bratt staged a Junior Open Match at The Old Hough Fishery in Middlewich, Cheshire, and young anglers from all over the North West came along to showcase their skills. The event turned out to be a challenging, yet rewarding experience. Peg fees were donated by the fishery owner, who actively encourages the promotion of local young anglers.
Harrell Confident That Rivermania Will Run This YearMatch fishing legend, Dave Harrell is convinced that his brainchild – an exciting new competition taking in most of the country’s top match rivers – is going to go ahead this year. “I have always felt that river fishing is lacking in a flagship, big-money event to capture the imagination of the anglers,” Dave explained. “For anglers in the Midlands, the Evesham Festival provides a great event for them to get involved with, but there are so many thriving river circuits up and down the country that have no greater prize to fish for – and I want to change that. "I ran a piece in the Angling Times outlining my idea, and asking for potential organisers to come forward, who might be interested in holding a qualifier on their venue.