Gary Thorpe (or Gary Thrump?)
(GOT Baits)
Peg 32 - 323lb

  "Was this the best weight ever taken at 16m on the Pole in any match? "

Although it pains me to say it, Gary Thorpe put on the best display of long pole and shallow fishing you could ever wish to see. Fishing a staggering 16m and just 10 inches deep, the GOT Baits wizard fished small cubes of meat over sprayed pellets for a run of fish that would take him to his 5th treble ton in as many weeks. Still reeling from getting my name wrong in last weeks Anglers Times, I had promised to list him as Gary Thrump! but given the way he took the field apart today I've decided to save that for another day.

Gary started well and had taken 19 fish in the first 2 hours. His tactic of fishing shallow with meat and pellet has won him plenty of coin over the last few weeks and it's amazing that no one else has come close to Gary's results. With the paste starting to go off at the end of the summer, it's testimony to Gary's angling prowess that he's been the first to adapt early and convert some mediocre draws into match wins.

I had made the journey up from Chippenham for the last of the Specials this summer and drew Peg 9 - the same peg that had taken my technique apart in the summer festival. I was up for the challenge and took Russell Alexander on Peg 6 and Colin Wedgbrow on Peg 7 for a £1 each. Tucked well under my Brolly for the first 2 hours, I'd had an mixed opening to the match. I was more than happy with the 5 fish in the first hour, but just 4 in the second and the loss of a lower 20lb fish at the net (again!) caused by an impatient need to net the fish too early had got me considering a change to a longer line from my opening gambit at 8m. To cut a long story short, I stuck to my guns and put faith in my paste to take 210lb 8oz with fish to 15lb in the later stages.

Unfortunately, my second double ton in 2 matches was not good enough to beat Colin on Peg 7. Fellow GOT Baits backed angler and all round nice guy, Colin had taken fish to an astonishing 26lb for a net bushing 243lb. Colin fished a close 5m line that gave him the advantage of being able to feed by hand, and presented a banded 8-10mm hard pellet on hook. Colin favors this approach unless bites are 'iffy', only then will he try the paste. (Talk about turning a popular summer tactic on it's head!) - Colin took the 2nd place coin and £1's from Russ and myself, I was glad to break even and added Russ's £1 to my growing collection of coins. (I'm putting them in a Jar for next years summer holiday - at this rate I'll be able to get 2 pints and a pickled egg)