A 14.4 lb Zander and Pike galore - Turrall once again sponsored the Pike Fly Fishing Association Predator Tour and what a great weekend that did not disappoint. Hosted on Rutland and Grafham over three days the competition resulted in over 36 pike brought to the boat, 12 fish making double figures and 6 fish tipped the scales over 20lbs.
Fishing was hard going and tactics were key. There was a lot of activity with plenty of fish showing themselves and lots of follows with fish frustratingly turning away at the boat. There were calls to rename the tour the 'Pike Fly Following Association Tour'! So, with the sun mostly shining and a breeze occasionally blowing and the fish being vindictive it really was impressive to see the results as some managed to find the right place to be at the right time.
With both Grafham and Rutland having good Zander coming out to pike flies it seemed reasonable to give some credit to these fiery predators with 16 accounted for, 5 of which over 8 lbs. (At least 3 anglers managed their first Z on the fly!).
Friday 20th, Grafham
The Day seemed to set the president for the weekend with areas that had produced fish in the week prior going quiet, but 1 boat managed to find the hotspot. Dave Keay won the day with a superb fish of 22lbs. His boat partner Stephen Foster also had a good day with a brace 20.8lbs/16.4lbs pike, and a huge 14.4lbs Zander.
Saturday 21st, Rutland
Again a day of tough fishing and hot spots gone cold, but 1 boat in particular with a couple of lads from north of the border found a bit of magic, Wullie Munn netted a monster of 27.4lbs and backed it up with a 22.3lbs fish and a 6lb jack on top. His boat partner Pinky Fleming also managed a decent 15.6lbs to add to the haul. Dave Keay also upped his personal best again with an impressive 24.8lbs mama.
Sunday 22nd, Rutland
The Day felt like the toughest of the 3, although there was still a good amount of decent fish caught, (Wullie and Pinky even managed to catch the same 15lber twice, also Matt Healey managed a nice 17.10 lbs lady. But the day went to Stephen Foster with a 24.12lbs Rutland Croc.
Results
Dave Keay, fish of the Day, 22lbs
Wullie Munn, fish of the Day, 27.4lbs
Stephen Foster, fish of the Day, 24.12lbs
Wullie Munn, biggest overall weight (in 2 days!) 86lbs
Stephen Foster, biggest not quite a pike, 14.4 lbs Zander
So lastly a big thank you and well done to everyone who took part and made it a memorable event.
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