Match Report

As usual the first day match of the season was at Petworth Park and the day dawned warm with the wind blowing onto the road bank. However these positive signs were offset by the sight of bream and tench spawning at the edges of the islands. It turned out to be a very hard match with no tench caught and only one multiple bream bag. In fact seven of the thirteen anglers who turned up failed to weigh in, including Steve Worth who blanked, something he has never done at Petworth.

The thirteen anglers fishing included three new members and with these numbers one peg was put in on the north side of the lake along with three behind or on the edge of the islands. No surprises then that John and Chris were tempted by the barmaid’s apron and left early along with a couple of other anglers following soon after.

Keith Hughes (pictured left) was fishing behind the first island and caught 5 bream and bits weighing 17 – 10 – 4 on pole/ maggot to easily win the match.

Kevin Leighfield is the acknowledged bream expert at Petworth park but spend two hours on the feeder with no sign of activity and changed over to the whip to catch 6 – 0 – 4 of rudd, from the shallow peg on the north of the lake, to take second place.

In third place was Vince Herringshaw who was fishing on the right of the concrete slab to catch a single bream plus a couple of bits on maggot/ long pole to weigh in 4 – 5 – 8 and take third place.