Following on swiftly from Saturday’s Golden Reel qualifier, which saw Kristian Jones secure a place in the final, Sunday saw the third qualifier take place. The match was held on Marston Fields Fishery’s Ash, Pine, Beech, and Elm Lakes. The victory this time went to Dale Shepherd, who won by over 37lb.
Dale won the match from peg 3 on Ash, finishing with 137lb 13oz. That was enough to book his place in the year’s final and go one better than the semi-final place he secured in the first qualifier. In his interview on the Golden Reel Facebook page, Dale revealed his winning tactics. He started the match on the feeder. He then fished maggots on the pole for the remainder of the session.
Brad Lucas finished in second from peg 3 on Pine with 100lb 2oz. Third place went to Artur Hilmi from peg 4 on Ash with 95lb 12oz. Both Brad and Artur will appear in this year’s semi-final in September.
Congratulations to Dale Shepherd, who became the third angler to qualify for the big-money final at Larford Lakes on 20th September. The list of anglers who have qualified for this year’s Golden Real Grand Final are below:
- Andy Power
- Kristian Jones
- Dale Shepherd
The next Golden Reel qualifier takes place on Saturday, 12th April at Hallcroft Fishery in Retford. Tickets for all Golden Reel qualifiers are available from the Golden Reel website: GoldenReelAngling.co.uk. Tickets cost £50.