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SuperCup News

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Bait Tech/Angling Times Supercup Campaign 2022

For those of you who have read the previous blogs, you would be aware that the PDAC Team made it through to National Final of the Bait Tech Super Cup 2023 competition which took place a few weeks ago. A quick breakdown of the format of the competition:

This competition is open to any group of non-sponsored/high profile anglers, this attracts all abilities of anglers across the country from club anglers through to Open Match Anglers. There are three regions across the UK. South, Midlands & North. The aim of the game is to beat the team you are drawn against to progress to the next round.

Our campaign this year started off by being drawn away to a team called Carp Shop and the venue of their choice was called Warwick Wolds near Gatwick. Once that was received then we begin to gather as much information we could as a collective and try and build a game-plan. Carp Shop are multiple times finalists and previous runners up of this competition, so we knew we had a tough match on our hands. However in the 2 week lead up to the match, the team and other members & friends joined us for the two practice matches and by the end of practice we had devised our tactics and match plan.

On the day we managed to win the match due to count-back on weight with 3 sections a piece. Ben & Grant put in mega performances to bring home 2 x tonne plus weights which turned out to be the decider.

We were then informed that we would be going to Gold Valley in Aldershot for the Regional Semi Final. Now this is a venue that a few of the team fish on a regular basis on the Open Match Scene so with that in mind to say we felt a buzz of confidence was an understatement. With all these big competitions it is usually lost and won at the draw. Ben May took on drawing duties and he didn’t disappoint with his selection of pegs for us.

Again after weeks of practice from the team and other members in the lead up to this round we managed to execute our game plan and progress to the regional final.

The Big Match!

Team: Jamie Foster, Ben May, Grant Thorne, Will Abernethy, John Coulson & Graham Potter

Bank Runners – George Brickwood & Phil Sims.

This is the first time I think that the club has made it through to the National Final of this competition so without even stepping foot on the complex for the final I was super stoked at what we had achieved as a team over the last 3 or 4 months in the run up to the final. Due to this match being held across two fisheries in Birmingham we decided to go up the night before so we could go out for dinner and enjoy a few beers.

We could decide who was going to fish which venue prior to the draw, at Meadowlands the anglers were: Jamie, Grant & Ben. At Barston: John, Will & Graham.

We arrived at the mighty Barston Lakes the morning of the final to be greeted by 15 other teams from the country. A few of who we had crossed paths with in previous rounds and some new faces, all we knew is that the level of angler here would be very high and we would all have to put a good match together In order to do well.

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Stepping up to the draw for Petersfield was Ben again due to him drawing some flyers is at Gold Valley, we thought why break the tradition.

 The talk in the que for the draw was that 124 was still left in the bag…. Que Ben doing what he does best…. He draws the peg every single angler fishing Barston wanted. In the run up to the final myself and Ben had been up for a pairs competition and I had made the trip for the Garbolino Club Angler of the Year Final… 124 had won the last couple of matches so expectations were high.

Pegs for Barston – John (Peg 27), Graham (Peg 49) & Will (Peg 124)

Pegs for Meadlowands – Jamie – (Peg 19) Ben (Peg 33) & Grant (Peg 69)

The match started and things unfortunately got off to a rather slow start at Meadowlands for the team with the favoured pegs catching early and continued for some time. The carp in A Section were only really being caught up the top in the early pegs and were some what of a rarity in the middle of the section this proved pivotal to have bagged those early carp come the weigh in and I disappointingly only picked up 12 points out of 15.

Section B took some time to come alive but when it did it was some end to the Match. Ben who was at best bottom third of the section with an hour to go, showed what he can do and found those carp and put 88lb on the scales in the final hour to rocket himself up to 2nd in section.

Grant was picking away all day in C Section and did superbly to bring home another 2nd in section by showing his class on the tip.

Over to Barston the boys have done well to bring back 25 points, with highlights from John weighing 70lb and Will not letting the pressure get to him and bring home 5 points by putting 98lb on the scales on the famous 124.

There was several different tactics that became apparent once the match has started and some that we will for sure be looking to implement if we are lucky enough to progress through to the final again. There were 100lb plus bags of skimmers at Barton which is some days fishing! these weights topped up with a couple of carp were the section winning weights.

This put us on 41 points overall for the final.

Whilst we waited patiently for the overall results, we sat and enjoyed a burger and chips which had been laid on by Bait Tech for the finalists. As the results were announced I was absolutely over the moon to find out we had come 5th overall. 1 point behind 4th and only 6 points behind 3rd.

Upon reflection maybe a few tweaks my end could have brought those few extra points home for the team but this is team fishing, you win and loose together and by no means did we loose! We executed the game plan we intended and did so the whole campaign as a team! We achieved something which I’m sure will be the spark of a team in the future.

Lastly a big thank you to the team from myself for all your hard work and commitment during the matches, the club members and friends who joined and participated in our practice sessions and shared information and as always, the support of the club.

Tight Lines

Jamie

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