On Saturday 27th July four teams competed for the title of Merseyside Angling Champions 2013. The annual event taking place at Chester Lakes Fishery in Rouge Hill near Chester was open to teams of six anglers aged under 17 years old.
Run by Merseyside County Angling Group (Mersey CADG), a group set up by the Angling Trust to increase participation in angling through better access through organised events, fun days and networking between fishing clubs, coaches, tackle industry and fisheries.
Teams from Netherley Valley Youth Angling Group, Lymm Angling Club, Matrix Tameside and Pilkington Anglers Association entered the competition and spread over two lakes on the fishery nerves were high as the young anglers gathered. Temperatures has been in the 20’s all week and with the threat of rain this meant that fish were mainly up in the water and this formed the main approach for all teams. Many using pole and many taking to pellet waggler tactics to draw out as many fish as possible. As the competition began it wasn’t long before fish were being caught young Richard Hansley (Lymm AC Juniors) on his first team match on a lake he had never seen before caught a small carp first cast which settled his nerves and put him in good stead for the rest of the match. One of the early leaders was Tom Heron (Matrix Tameside) who in the first hour had a 5lb carp plus plenty of small carp and with no sign up of the fish letting up the chance was there to run away with the competiton. Josh Ward-Trow (Matrix Tameside) was catching steadily but loosing just as many fish, fishing soft elastic meant that he was able to hook more fish but at times the fish were able to make a late break for it and escape.
Across the two lakes fishing was beginning to slow and many people were struggling to catch. Matrix Tameside, fresh from their win at the Cadet Nationals were making their charge! Four out of the six sections were being taken apart by these young anglers. But in E and F section Lymm where holding their own, young Richard Hansley was bagging carp shallow on the waggler, considering he had never used one before that day he was handling it brilliantly. And Ronan Haferty was having a great late battle with Sarah Taylor. But there was one angler who was quietly going about his business, Tom Herron’s debut for his new matrix team couldn’t have been going any better. He was working his shallow pole and waggler lines like a real pro, steadily catching carp.
As the match drew to a close it was obvious which team had won, but second, third and fourth couldn’t be called, it was down to the scales to work their magic! With one section win, two seconds, two thirds, and a fourth, it was with great delight that Lymm AC Juniors were confirmed as second place!! Pilkington AA finished in third place, just one point behind Lymm AC Juniors. The individual results were a true testimony to the ability of the Matrix Tameside juniors, filling the top three places. And it was that man Tom Herron who won the title of individual champion 2013, with a fantastic weight of 55lb, that’s what you call setting the bar high! Definitely his first of many and a bright future with the team. Also congratulations to Josh Ward-Trow in second place (43lb) and the Sarah Taylor who celebrated becoming a teenager with a thrid place weight of 29lbs.
So congratulations to Matrix Tameside for a brilliant win, but a personal and massive congratulations to the Lymm AC Juniors for taking second place against some great young anglers, third last year, second this year, it’s going to be first next year lads!!!
Lastly on behalf of all the teams fishing, a huge thanks to Chris Finneran, without his organization this event wouldn’t take place
Mersey CADG County Champs
Teams: 1 Matrix Tameside 8; 2 Lymm AC Juniors 15; 3 Pilkington AA 16; 4 Netherley Valley 21.
Individuals: 1 Tom Herons 55-6-0, F3; 2 Josh Smith-Trow 43-3-0, A3; 3 Sarah Taylor 29-4-0, D3; 4 Ronan Hafferty 24-11-0, D2; 5 Jamie Ashton 24-10-0, D1; 6 Mattie Farres 22-12-0, C2
