This can only be summed up as a resounding victory for the South with the ‘Southern Softies’ filling seven out of the top eight spots!
Only a captain’s innings from Northern Cloggy Thomo kept it from being a total rout.
In very difficult circumstances, with high winds, heavy rain and falling temperatures it proved that fish were few and far between and 1 – 4 oz rudd and perch still scored well.
Team
South 216 points
North 101 points
Individual
1st Mark Tullett (S) 45 points
2nd Simon Thomson (N) 38 points
3rd Tim Barnes (S) 34 points
4th Stuart Bloor (S) 32 points
5th Dave Cooper (S) 31 points
6th Frank Middlebrook (S) 29 points
7th Andy Davies (S) 28 points
8th Ray House (S) 17 points
9th Bob Brookes (N) 15 points
10th Graham Marsden (N) 14 points
11th Dave Colclough (N) 12 points
12th Paul Colclough (N) 11 points
12th Eddie Bibby (N) 11 points
14th Paul Hiom (S) 0 points
14th Jon Moores (N) 0 points
14th Dave Preston (N) 0 points
14th Stuart Brookes (S) 0 points
These were some of the key highlights
Mark Tullett caught 3 species including the best roach on the day, a fine 1lb 14oz fish, the third best tench of 1lb 14oz and a small perch to secure top spot.
Ray House, despite finishing only 8th, gave a masterful display of chub fishing, spraying maggots continually to take five fish to over 5lb and top total weight on the day. A rudd and a perch of any size would have given him a top three place, but under the rules the one species only counted 17 points.
Simon Thomson rescued some northern pride with three species including the second best tench to get second place.
A bit of luck saw me get 17 points for the best perch, a suicidal fish of 1lb 10oz on the second attempt. Having hooked it on maggot and lost it because of a snapped hook length, the greedy fish came to my net trailing my original hooklength having snaffled a lobworm with just 10 minutes to go.
The winner received a ‘Popular’ Storm Kettle from Eydon which was donated by Graham Marsden, and the first three from each team received bulk spools of Sufix Synergy kindly donated by Relum Ltd. Every entrant was given a FISHINGmagic cap.
So, well done the Softies. What will the second leg bring? I wouldn’t like to say, but the cloggies will have to work hard to overhaul a 115 point deficit.
Looking forward to it already.
The second leg of the match will take place on a water of the North’s choice. The date has yet to be decided but will probably be in September.
‘Cooperman’
The FISHINGmagic Mailing List thanks Cooperman and Thomo, the two captains, for doing a brilliant job of organising the match.
