2011 Loch-style National

Even though Grafham’s fishing had been ‘challenging’ in recent weeks, pre-match practice had thrown up good bags for some, and also suggested that fish were well spread out. Sure enough, at the gun 14 boats headed for the North shore, 25 to G Buoy and the rest to an area stretching from The Seat, to Gaynes Cove and the South end of the Dam.

Ideal conditions prevailed for much of the morning, with a good overcast sky and moderate winds. With fish high in the water, lines varied from floaters to DI3s, with some pulling on DI5s and DI7s.

First to finish was Kim Green, RAF federation, who took his 8 fish by 12.14pm drifting onto Deep Water Point. Having seen the numbers heading for G Buoy, he chose to pick a drift where they would be the only boat. Landing 7 in the first hour on floating line and nymphs, he found sport slowed noticeably as other boats joined in the drift and it took him an hour and a quarter to get that last fish. Even so, he still finished almost 90 minutes ahead of anyone else, and took the National Champion title with 23lbs 11 5/8ozs.

Second place went to Ron Gent who landed a 20lbs+ bag of fish just after 3.00pm, with third place going to David Drake with another spectacular 21-7-6 bag at 4.40pm. In a match that saw many four pound specimens, the best fish was caught by Denis Symonds, Peninsula federation, at 5-2-14.

The top 28, who will form the two England Teams to fish the Home Internationals at Lough Sheelin and Llyn Brenig in 2012, are: Kim Green, Ron Gent, David Drake, Paul Shaw, Fred Bainbridge, Alistair Beaumont, Andy Croucher, Richard Slater, Brad Gifford, Steve Cullen, Rob Sosbe, Ian Donaldson, Dave Morris, Nick Dunn, Lloyd Pallett, Mark Howard, Colin Martin, Bill Rankin, Martin Greatbatch, Paul Angell, Mark MacLeod, John Stevenson, Steve Collins, Chris Micallef, Peter Appleby, Steve Ellerbeck, Mark Withyman and Sean Brooks.