Former Daiwa Gordon League grouped matchman, Steve Seaborn of Ross-on-Wye is the second angler to qualify for the Fish ‘O’ Mania XVII Grand Final at Stapeley Cudmore Fisheries, North Staffordshire on Saturday 17th July after his win at Tunnel Barn Farm in Warwickshire at the weekend.
Following a touch of overnight frost the sell-out 130 entry enjoyed the warmest day of the year so far as the sun shone fiercely. After months of donning several layers of winter clothing it was something of a shock for the competitors to fish without their jackets!
The Tunnel Barn complex fished well throughout with an amazing weight of 56lbs 2 oz being the LOWEST weight to win one of the ten peg sections. In a free scoring event the top five again passed the 100 lb mark with the best of them being match winner Steve Seaborn who clocked up 114-7-0 from peg 7 on Extension Pool. Steve caught an F1 on his first putting in chopped worm and fished just eighteen inches deep right to the island. He carried on catching F1s at will plus one small ghostie but they slowed right down in the second hour before fish from 8 oz to 3 lb came at regular intervals after he went even shallower, just 10 inches deep against the island.
Steve, aged 35, is a building surveyor and married to Teresa with their first child due very soon. He rates this as his best ever win and told Angling Trust, “I have never really got on with Tunnel Barn Farm too well, I have been a little hit or miss there, mainly miss, thankfully, this time it was a hit!” he continued, “having qualified early I might even get some practice in at Stapeley Cudmore before the Final.” Runner-up was professional angling coach Andy May (Ultima) who also caught F1s to 3 lb in his 108-2-0. Middlewich, Cheshire-based Andy was on House Pool 23 where he caught every one of his fish on maggot fished shallow. Twice Fish’O’ champion Matt Hall (Sensas) went close to qualifying again from Extension 16. Matt also fished maggot but a lost carp, estimated at around the double figure mark really scuppered his chances as he took third place with 106-0-0 again of mainly F1s. The other two ‘tons’ were from Frank Cook with 105-1-0 from another Extension draw and Simon Medd with 101-9-0 from the Top Pool.
Qualifier number three stays in the same county, Warwickshire, this Wednesday when another sellout will line up at Dynamite Baits Makins Fishery at Wolvey. Who will be qualifier number three?
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