Angler dies after nightclub disturbanceWhite Acres stalwart Mick Kearns has died following a disturbance outside a nightclub in the early hours of Saturday morning. The tragedy happened as Mick, 49, and other festival goers were out celebrating the end of White Acres Milo Festival at Newquay's Sailors nightclub. Initially, four security staff employed by the club were arrested on suspicion of murder, but they have since been released. In a statement issued yesterday, Devon and Cornwall Police said: "Following an assessment of the circumstances, this is now not a murder enquiry.
Win top tackle prizes and your place in the £6,000 final!
Details have been announced for this year's Matrix Junior and Intermediate Championship, on the River Avon at Evesham. Taking place on Saturday, August 17th, the event is once again heavily sponsored, with prizes provided by tackle giant Matrix. There will also be trophies – and a place in the Shakespeare Championship for the winning individual in each category. This match is regarded as one of the most prestigious on the match fishing calendar, and carries a top prize of £6,000!Event organiser Colin Townsend commented: "It's always nice to welcome junior and intermediate anglers to Evesham, and this event is a key part of the Evesham Festival.
Star-studded Stapeley spectacular on Saturday!An exciting open day is taking place this Saturday, April 27th, at Stapeley Angling Centre in Cheshire. Dozens
of star anglers are set to attend, including representatives from
Shimano, Nash, Fox, Korda, Sensas, Maver, Chub, MAP and Wychwood. Heading
up proceedings is current World Champion and Sensas rod Sean
Ashby, who will be on hand to discuss tackle, tactics and answer any
questions you may have. On top of this, Stapeley
staff have secured 50 tackle-packed goody bags, that will be awarded
to the first 50 anglers who spend over £20.
Tom Scholey on why a post-match pint is vital for the sport. When White Acres fishery manager Clint Elliott decided not to pay out to anybody who failed to turn up for the presentation on his festivals, I thought it a brilliant idea. Growing up on the northern match fishing circuit, a post-match pint and presentation is very much a part of fishing a match – and sometimes even the best part of the day! After moving down to the Midlands and starting to fish a few events down here, though, I have quickly come to realise that there is a totally different mentality among a lot of anglers – and particularly, it has to be said, commercial anglers. I can still remember my surprise last year, after winning a match on a Midlands commercial, when before I'd even had chance to finish packing up, the owner was coming up the bank to give me my envelope! Quite literally, the norm at that particular place is for anglers to finish fishing and go home – and there are plenty of other places like it.
Albutt’s anguish at 8th near miss. Despite his reputation as being one of the best anglers in the country, there is one prize that keeps avoiding Matrix and Bait-Tech-backed ace Grant Albutt – and that is a place in the Fish ‘O’ Mania Final. Grant has now come second in eight qualifiers of the 130-peg, including two in the last two weeks – finishing an agonising 3lb 1oz off top spot in this week's match at Gold Valley. He explained: “I am very fortunate in that I have fished in most major UK finals, and even managed to win the £25,000 2010 Parkdean Masters Final, but a place in the Fish 'O' Mania Final has continued to evade me.
First ever sell out for Maver Match This Qualifier. For the first time ever, this weekends Maver Match This qualifier has sold out. Although tickets sales have grown year on year over the first two years of the event, qualifiers have never come close to selling out – until now! This weekends match at Peterborough’s Decoy Lakes complex has now sold out completely, with all 120 tickets taken. Maver’s Ben Hughes commented: “It is massively encouraging that to see that anglers are getting behind the event – and this Decoy qualifier is a massive milestone for us.
