The eigth FishOMania qualifier of this year’s campaign was held on Wednesday, 14th May, at Weston Pools Fishery in Oswestry. Whilst many qualifiers can be tightly fought, there was no mistaking who came out on top this time around. Manchester’s Gary Thomas dominated the field to win be a clear margin.
Drawn on peg 19 on the Weir, a section not traditionally seen as a flyer, Gary produced a stunning performance to amass over 200lb of carp and F1s. His final weight of 205lb 13oz gave him more than 50lb to spare on the chasing pack, sealing a comfortable and well-earned qualification for July’s showpiece.
The chasing anglers were left battling for minor honours, with Guru-backed youngster Rob Swan finishing second. Drawn on Claypit peg 12, Rob found consistent action to weigh in 151lb 8oz. That was just enough to edge out Bryan Travis, who recorded 146lb 10oz from Belvedere peg 13. Andy May came fourth with 133lb 8oz from pge 6 on the Weir.
Congratulations to Gary Thomas who becomes the 11th angler to secure a spot in this year’s Grand Final.
List of FishOMania 25 Finalists to Date
- Dave Shires (2024 FishOMania Winner)
- Andy Power
- James Howarth
- Kristian Jones
- Joost Vos (International Qualifier)
- George Reynolds
- Dylan Mertens (International Qualifier)
- Steve Openshaw
- Jamie Hughes
- Dale Shepherd
- Gary Thomas
With another impressive qualifier in the books, attention now turns to the next event at Makins Fishery on Wednesday 21st May, where hopes will be high for another big-name qualifier to join the 2025 lineup.
This year’s FishOMania Grand Final takes place on Saturday, 19th July, at Westwood Lakes in Boston.
Spectator tickets are now available.
- Entry: £7.00 per person
- Group of 4: £20.00
- A service fee and £2.95 booking fee per order apply
- Parking: £7.00 per car / £10.00 per van (available when booking)
Head over to the FishOMania website to get your tickets now.