With only 3 lakes being used, Gold, Middle and Syndicate, and with almost all the pegs being used it was envisaged to be a tough but fair match,  and so it proved with the final result being fairly close and some reasonable back up weights.  It was a slow start though with a cold wind chilling the lakes it took a while for the carp to wake up and feed, and most weights were put together in the last half of the match. 

Steve Botting, the final reserve to get in, took an early lead by taking 7 carp from peg 26 on Gold before they moved off into his neighbours peg.  Perry Stone started to catch at peg 110 on Syndicate and Dave Roberts on peg 43 on Gold also started to catch, and it was thought to be heading for a very close finish.  A couple of carp in the dying minutes of the match finally swung it in Dave Roberts favour and he ended as the match winner with 15 carp all caught on pellet waggler with 103-13-0. 

Perry ‘the bridesmaid’ Stone finished an agonising 2 fish behind with 13 carp for 93-8-0, caught on bomb and pellet, and so he had to settle for 2nd place.  Steve Botting’s fish moved next door to peg 25 where Krzysztof Frackowiak was waiting patiently, after taking advice from Will Raison who told him he would catch late, and he ended up with 11 carp and some bream, caught on bomb and pellet to snatch 3rd place with 85-8-0 from Steve whom finished in 4th place with 70-0-0.

Many thanks to John Raison and his team at Gold Valley for their help and assistance.

The next Fish ‘O’ Mania qualifier now moves on to Moorlands Farm on Saturday 25th April.

Top 6 results
1st  Dave Roberts  (Tricast/Bait-tech) 103-13-0
2nd  Perry Stone (Spro) 93-8-0
3rd  Krzysztof Frackowiak(Wembley) 85-8-0
4th Steve Botting (Reading) 70-0-0
5th  Ian McCulloch (Little Milton) 69-8-0
6th Craig Owen  (Mexborough) 67-6-0

Source: Angling Trust Fishing News