A cold northerly wind greeted the 80 competitors to the Gloucester Canal for the first Southern Semi Final of the Angling Trust Winter League and the plunging temperatures meant the normally prolific roach went off the feed. The saving grace was the skimmers and bream which did show reasonably well especially in the later stages of the match and made for some impressive weights.
The favourites, Kamasan Starlets, put in a fine performance on the day and cruised to victory with 25 points. Although venue experts Daiwa Gordon League were slightly disappointed they still took a well earned second place with 29 points with the final qualifying place going to Milo Bordon with 39 points.
Individually Ed Warren (Kamasan Starlets) drew fancied peg 61 below Hempstead Road Bridge, an early bream on the feeder could not be followed up in the first couple of hours, but a switch to the pole and bloodworm fished at 14 metres saw him catch another nine bream to 4lb and a solitary eel to seal victory with a winning weight of 30-5-0.
Gary Fuller above Hempstead Bend on peg 43 took seven bream to 4-8-0 on feeder fished bloodworm and maggot to take second place with 25-10-0 narrowly beating local rod, Mark Brush, at the end peg below Rea Bridge who had seven bream for 25-7-0.
Individual placings: (lb – oz – dr)
1st Ed Warren Kamasan Starlets 30-5-0
2nd Gary Fuller Fox Match Arun 25-10-0
3rd Mark Brush Daiwa Gordon League 25-7-0
4th Scott Geens Kamasan Starlets 24-8-8
5th Paul Glenfield Sensas A4 21-12-0
6th Hadrian Whittle Kamasan Starlets 19-14-0
7th Kevin Dowell Fox Match Arun 19-1-8
8th Chris Parr Sensas Thyers 17-1-0
Team placings:
1st Kamasan Starlets 25 points
2nd Daiwa Gordon League 29 points
3rd Milo Bordon 39 points
4th Preston Innovations Delcac 40 points
5th Sensas Thyers 46 points
6th Fox Match Arun 52 points
7th Sensas A4 61 points
8th Garbolino Blackhorse 67 points
