Several days of heavy rain following straight on from the spawning season made the fishing very difficult for some at the Shropshire Fish ‘O’ Mania qualifier venue, Preston Innovations Boldings on Saturday 9th June 2012.

A lot of fish were up in the water on most lakes, but were not in any particular hurry to feed.   Similarly the normally reliable late match margin swims did not exactly happen everywhere and even where there was some action it was only odd fish.  That said the lowest weight to win a 10 peg section was almost 38 lbs.
Going into the final hour a number of anglers looked to be in with a shout,  but eventually it was Mark Johnson (Maver Midlands) who just found enough fish to clinch top spot.  Mark, from Shirley in the West Midlands, took carp to 10 lbs and loads of  F1’s to record a weight of 113 lbs 12 ozs from peg 7 on Beech.  He caught mainly on pellet fishing out shallow and later on in the margins where he had his better fish. Runner up, going one better than the previous week at Partridge Lakes, was the ever consistent Grant Albutt.   Fishing at Beech 20 he put 86 lbs 2 ozs on the scales of F1’s and silvers caught shallow on caster.  In third place was Kieron Rich with 75 lbs 4 ozs of carp, F1’s and silvers taken on the deck with maggot at peg 17 on Chestnut Pool.  Fourth was Yorkshireman, Lee Barratt from Hawthorn peg 5. Lee weighed a mixed bag of carp and F1’s totalling 62 lbs 3 ozs taken on pellet over at the island.  Fifth spot was taken by Richard Buxton with 60 lbs 3 ozs which included a beautiful common carp of 13 lbs taken with his last put in of the match.
With only two more Fish ‘O’ Mania qualifiers to go for 2012 the action continues for the next 130 competitors on Saturday 16th June 2012 at Woodlands Lakes, Thirsk.