Though weights had held up over recent matches, it was felt by the locals that if the carp could be persuaded to get their heads down and feed that some good weights could come from anywhere on the complex. As it turned out the top five anglers had nearly 800 lb of fish between them. With four of the top weights coming from the Swan Lake it was down to Warren Martin (Barford Tackle/Sensas), a 36 year old Quantity Surveyor from Lyng in Norfolk on peg 9 on Merry’s Lake, (the smallest lake used in the qualifier) who took the winning qualifier lead. Warren fished 8mm banded pellet shallow on a pellet waggler and caught over 120 small carp and ide to finish the day with 178 lb 10 oz.

A Fish ‘O’ Mania atmosphere surrounded second placed angler, Robert Morris from Lincoln, on corner peg 1 on Swan, and a number of spectators watched as he put together his weight of 168 lb 10 oz carp all on the pellet waggler and fished shallow up to the corner vegetation.

Third place angler was Fish ‘O’ Mania regular Steve Rothery pegged 3 on Swan, who fished 8mm banded pellet on bomb and pellet waggler to finish with 150 lb 9 oz, with his biggest carp coming in at 14lbs. Fourth place went to Huddersfield’s based Colin Wood, pegged 57 on Swan fishing long pole shallow down the margin on 11 mm pellet and pellet waggler into the corner bay, and took nearly all his weight of 122 lb 8 oz in the last two and a half hours of the match.

The match was tinged with sadness as the original organiser for the Fish ‘O’ Mania qualifier at Messingham, and a regular Messingham angler, and match organiser Brian Turner passed away after a short illness just a few weeks before the event. The Angling Trusts’ Competitions Committee, staff and Board of Directors would like to express their condolences to Brian’s family and friends at this sad time, and Brian will be remembered by everyone that knew him.

The next Fish ‘O’ Mania qualifier moves to Partridge Lakes, Culcheth, Nr Warrington on Saturday 2nd June 2012.

Source: Angling Trust Fishing News