AT TEFF Bank National 2019/20 Northern Regional Eliminator, 15th March 2020 at Toft Newton Trout Fishery, Market Rasen

Sunday 15th March brought the first semi-final of the 2019/20 Bank National at Toft Newton Trout Fishery for the qualifiers from this season’s Northern heats. 34 anglers were fishing for the top 17 places and their chance to fish the National Final at Chigboro’ Trout Fishery in May. Many anglers had practiced at the venue in the weeks leading up to the competition with Di5 lines and FABs being the method on the rumour mill, with the fish caught at depth on a slow retrieve. As seems to be the norm for many of this year’s matches, it was wind and rain which greeted the anglers at the 8.00am briefing.
Four of the 2018/19 bank team were competing in this match. Joel Beeney took the first fish of the match at 9.04am and current National and International champion Andy Taylor took five fish off his first peg. The fishing was good for the remainder of the morning session with those anglers leading the way at lunch having taken seven fish.
After lunch the trout continued to play ball with fish taken on both sections of the lake. By the end of the match 261 trout had been caught giving a good rod average of 6.5. Fish were caught from both sections of the reservoir with 103 trout taken from the South bank (pegs 1-17) and 113 trout caught from the West bank (pegs 18-34).
Nine anglers managed to catch ten or more fish, with Josh Piper taking first place with 15 fish for 22 points. Second was Andy Taylor with 15 fish for 21 points, and third was Colin Fitzjohn with 14 fish for 21 points.
The successful methods varied, with some anglers catching on the Di5 with FABs, whilst others caught pulling Zonkers on a Fast Glass, Nymphs and Cormorants on a floater or short tip line or the bung. The fish were close in with many trout taking right under the rod tip.
Results
1. Josh Piper, 15 fish, 22 points
2. Andy Taylor, 15 fish, 21 points
3. Colin Fitzjohn, 14 fish, 21 points
4. Simon Lee, 13 fish, 19 points
5. Joel Beeney, 13 fish, 19 points
6. Gwyneth Mooney, 12 fish, 18 points
7. Mark Harrison, 11 fish, 18 points
8. Brian Lillie, 10 fish, 16 points
9. James Stephenson, 10 fish, 16 points
10. Sean Brooks, 9 fish, 14 points
11. Phil Shaw-Browne, 9 fish, 14 points
12. Paul Kitchen, 9 fish, 14 points
13. Graeme Bell, 9 fish, 14 points
14. Terry Wood, 8 fish, 13 points
15. Mark Rose, 7 fish, 13 points
16. Billy Thompson, 6 fish, 12 points
17. Alec Harvey, 6 fish, 11 points