The first of the National Eliminators was held this weekend at Rutland with 44 anglers fishing for a place in the National Final later in the year. This is a 2 leg qualifier with the second round at Grafham in June.
Craig Barr had kindly offered to accompany me on the Saturday for some practice so with the weather forecast as sunny and windy we arrived at Rutland around 9.30 to find a strong westerly wind had whipped up the swell. This was going to be a rough day. We set off and headed for Barnsdale Bay getting soaked on the way as we hit the waves. Fishing Di7 line with a blob, nymph, booby cast we had an unproductive drift through the bay followed by a long drift along Whitwell where we saw only 1 fish that jumped clear of the water. On reaching Whitwell Creek there was some shelter from the wind and the water was a lot calmer. I got a pull! I was in to a good fish that seemed to be pulling back quite well until it turned out to be a length of rope and some chain!!!!! Craig did get a fish here though. We continued to drift along Stockie Bay, where Craig picked up another, and on to Sykes Lane. After a several zig zag drifts we ended up at the south end of the dam where several boats had congretated. Eventually we hit on the method. Di5 blobs or boobys. I continued with 3 flies but Craig switched to a single Blob. Craig 5 me 2 by the end of the day.
Sunday, match day, and the weather was a little better with slightly less wind and plenty of cloud cover. With the knowledge from the day before I set up a Di5, 12ft leader and single booby. I was fishing with Ed Foster (England Captain) so knew we would head straight for the fish. I had 4 fish by 12.00 all on the single booby that Craig had given me the day before. Then I lost it, Disaster!, After 3 hours of nothing in the main basin Ed suggested a move to W and X bouys where he had found fish the day before. We had the place to ourselves and after a couple of unproductive drifts I chaged my pink boobt to a Fusion Blob and had a fish straight away followed by 3 more in 30 mins and finished at 4.10pm. Ed was catching steadily as well and finished at 5.10pm. More boats had joined us by then but we were done and headed for the harbour.
I weighed in my 8 fish for 17lb 9oz plus time bonus to give me just over 19lb. I was more than happy with 10th place so I now have a great chance at Grafham in June. A good result there and I could make the National Final.
Top 10 :-
1 - Paul Haskey - 24lb 8 1/8oz
2 - Graham Pearson
3 - Ashley Davis
4 - James Britten
5 - Rob Sosbe
6 - Harley Smith
7 - Clive Morgan
8 - Ron Gent
9 - Gaeth Tilley
10 - Kevin Appleton
Rod Average 6.11
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