Sunday June 24th
Warwickshire Avon – Evesham Town Waters and Hampton Ferry
66 pegs
 
After two cancellations on the opening weekend of the season the Shakespeare Championship qualifiers finally got underway. Unseasonably heavy rain during the previous 24 hours though resulted in the river rising overnight and competitors were faced with a river carrying 2.5ft of extra water and heavy colour.

Under the conditions there were some respectable weights recorded with big fish, as expected, featuring in all the leading catches. Match winner Mike Spragg (Total-Fishing.com, pictured below) landed four bream and four eels for a runaway 18-6-0 victory from Peg 1 at the top end of the Town Water.

All his fish fell to worm hookbait fished in conjunction with a small open end feeder packed with chopped worm and caster in groundbait, fished just a rod length out from the bank.

Second place, again with bream and eels, went to Ian Jennings who fished a pole feeder rig six metres out at Peg 12. Two barbel on legered lobworm for 10-8-0 gave Pete Morris third place from Peg 23 and from the peg above Tony Bench took fourth with just one fish, a barbel of 9-14-0.

Fifth place, and best weight from the Hampton Ferry section, went to George Avery with 7-15-0 from Peg 65, two swims below the ferry.

Result
1. Mike Spragg (Total-Fishing.com) 18-6-0 (peg 1)
2. Ian Jennings (Stuarts AC) 11-0-0 (peg 12)
3. Pete Morris (Sensas Portway) 10-8-0 (peg 23)
4. Tony Bench (Shakepeare) 9-14-0 (peg 22)
5. George Avery (Alcester Sports) 7-15-0 (peg 65)


 
Qualifiers: Mike Spragg, Hadrian Whittle, George Avery.
Next matches (both Shakespeare Championship qualifiers) Sat June 30th and Sun July 1st