Matty Dawes is the new Golden Reel Champion after winning a dramatic 2025 final at Larford Lakes. He edged out Jimmy Brooks by just 2lb in Saturday’s grand final to claim the £30,000 top prize in one of the closest finishes the event has ever seen.
Matty drew peg 10, positioned just before the trees. From the off, signs of carp topping gave him confidence he was in the right area. He started by slapping with pellet but lost one early fish. Switching to the deck at 14 metres, where he had been pinging 6mm pellets, soon paid off.
That change set up the foundation for a patient match. Working steadily, he built a catch of 14 carp with a couple of bonus skimmers, keeping his cool in testing conditions. His feeding approach was measured, introducing around four pints of 6mm pellets across the day, with an 8mm pellet and later worms proving most effective on the hook.
Reflecting after the match, Matty said the scale of his achievement was still sinking in.
I’ve had a nice patient match on the deck, catching 14 carp and a couple of skimmers. When Jimmy weighed 145lb I knew it was close, but I was lucky mine was 147lb! I still can’t believe it — to think two weeks ago I wasn’t even in the final just shows in fishing you never know. Big thanks to my family, friends and everyone who’s supported me over the years.
Already a former FishOMania champion, this victory adds another prestigious title to Matty’s growing list of fishing achievements.
Golden Reel 2025 Grand Final Standings
- 🥇 1st – Matty Dawes – 147lb 5oz – £30,000
- 🥈 2nd – Jimmy Brooks – 145lb 8oz – £3,000
- 🥉 3rd – Jamie Hughes – 132lb 12oz – £2,000

The section winners from this year’s Golden Reel are below:
- Pegs 1–6: Ryan Laycock – 127lb 7oz
- Pegs 7–13: Craig Edmunds – 5lb 12oz
- Pegs 14–20: Jordan Holloway – 93lb 13oz
- Pegs 21–26: Mikey Williams – 66lb 2oz
Golden Reel 2025 Grand Final Draw:
- Adam Richards
- Howard Kelly
- Mark Griffiths
- Danny Squire
- Phil Canning
- Ryan Laycock
- Jamie Hughes
- Dale Shepherd
- Jimmy Brooks
- Matty Dawes
- Craig Edmunds
- Kieron Marsden
- Sam Brown
- Neil Colcombe
- Jordan Holloway
- Simon Skelton
- Rob Parker
- Artur Hilmi
- Billy Egglestone
- Andy Power
- Kristian Jones
- Mikey Williams
- Perry Stone
- Colin Scott
- Taylor Weir
- Steven Roe
The 2025 Golden Reel Final capped off another excellent season for the competition, once again showcasing the depth of talent across the UK match scene. Watch the full highlights below to relive the action.