KNOCKOUT 2004

EASTERN REGION QUALIFIER

Event: NJAA Eastern Regional Heat

Date:   Saturday 29th May 2004

Venue: Weybread Pits

Participants: 12 Juniors

Match-winner DANIEL ELLIOTT with 69lb 12oz of carp 

MATCH REPORT

On Saturday 29^th Harleston Junior Angling Club played host to the National Junior Angling Associations East Midlands round of the NJAA Knockout competition. The four-hour competition open to teams of six anglers under the age of sixteen was held at Harleston’s prolific Club pit at Weybread. With some clubs finding it hard to raise a team it was left to Harleston and Kings Lynn to battle it out for a place in the June 12^th final at Lakeview Fisheries in Melton Mowbray.   

With a week of warm weather leading up to the competition stirring the fish, coupled with the fact this was the first time the Club pit has been fished for two months after being closed for maintenance work meant expectations of some big weights were high.

With the perfect conditions 2003 Fish’O’Mania champion Daniel Elliott didn’t disappoint recording a new four-hour junior club record of 69lb 12oz. Daniel drew well pulling peg 30 out of the bag with a spare peg to his left and a nice ripple blowing into the corner Daniel was into good carp from the off, landing three in his first three casts on pole fished meat from his margin swim. He kept the fish interested by loose feeding pellet and added five more in the fist hour. Once the bites slowed Daniel changed to his favourite tactic, surface fishing with floating dog biscuits to keep fish coming steadily for the remainder of the match ending up with sixteen carp.

On the team side Harleston used the home advantage to good effect to overcome the battling Kings Lynn side winning four sections to the Kings Lynn two. The Kings Lynn deserve credit with a weakened side due to anglers having other commitments and with a complete lack of practice due to the short notice and the pit being closed, they done extremely well to push the Harleston locals as close as they did.

Kings Lynn didn’t go home empty handed as Sean Blackshields clinched second place with sixteen carp weighing 32lb 9oz from point peg 26. Sean started well taking six good carp in the first hour from the margins on pole-fished meat putting the pressure on winner Daniel for the first hour. Sean then suffered a slow spell as the fish backed off, once the swim was rested the fish moved back to see him finish the match with a good run of slightly smaller stamp fish to leave him over 12lbs clear of the chasing pack..  

The battle for third place ended with a tie between Ricky Leggett and Jack Weatherly both weighing 20lb 3oz with nearly identical catches of small common carp. Ricky drew peg three with the wind in his face and opted for the pole fished in the margins and short at 8 metres to keep control in the gusting wind. Hookbait was pellet alternated with corn both fished on the bottom with light loose fed pellets keeping the fish interested.  Jack drew the fancied peg 7 on the end of the bat and pole fished between 11 and 13 metres up against the island with soft pellet hook baits over loose fed pellet. Jack also lost a lot of fish, which cost him the chance to push Sean for second place.  

Ever improving Edward Howman again put in another fine performance to catch four carp from the margins of peg 15 to weigh 18lbs 6oz, his catch was not without incident as mid match he cracked his pole and needed a pit stop repair before he carried on.

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