Maver Match This Qualifier

After the success of the festival I went into the subsequent Maver Match This qualifier at Lindholme full of confidence, having been second and third in the past two Maver qualifiers here. I really fancied Willows to produce the goods, I didn’t want Oasis and I wasn’t sure about Laurels.

I drew Laurels 33, the third point up on the right and a flier usually. Lee Kerry had caught 173lb off it on the Wednesday but there were only two anglers in this bay, today there was double that. He caught both shallow and then a lot of barbel and f1s down the edge on a top kit to his right using maggots. To cut a long story short I fed most of my remaining casters from the festival (plus a bit of meat) down the edge here and for three hours it produced the grand total of two micro perch! What a difference three days makes!

The shallow line was good early but died off completely and there was nothing to be caught at 5m. I sat it out down the edge over groundbait for the last few hours and had two bites, the first was 10lb and the second 12lb! A disappointing 72lb actually wasn’t terrible on the day, there were two 90lb weights on laurels, both pegged in corners and fishing along the bank. Willows produced a few 90 – 110lb weights but it was Mr Bennett who stole the show again on Oasis 26 with 138lb.

Result
1. A Bennett (Daiwa Guru Bait Tech) 138lb Oasis 26
2. C Goldstraw (Maver Midlands) 109lb Willows 2
3. L Thornton (Middy Bag Em) 101lb Willows 6