The Angling Trust Drennan International England Feeder Team has claimed second place in the European Feeder Cup, held at Belgium’s Maasplas Geistingen gravel works. The team accumulated 95 points over three days of competition, finishing 15 points behind the champions, Germany, and just one point ahead of third-placed France. This result is slightly disappointing for the English team, which was hoping to retain its title after winning last year’s inaugural event on home soil.
Despite falling short of the top spot, there was cause for celebration as England’s captain, Steve Ringer, achieved individual gold with an impressive five points. Teammate Adam Wakelin also performed admirably, finishing fifth with eight points.
England Secure Silver at 2nd European Classic Feeder Cup
The England team comprised experienced anglers Steve Ringer, Adam Wakelin, Lee Kerry, Rob Wootton, and Will Freeman, alongside newcomer Mac Stephens. Manager Dean Barlow and assistant Tom Noton provided support throughout the competition.
The competition began with a challenging first day, which saw England in fourth place with 38 points. Steve Ringer won his section, Adam Wakelin finished second, and Lee Kerry sixth. However, poor pegs for Rob, Will, and Mac added 30 points to the tally, with Mac unfortunately blanking on what was considered the worst peg in the entire match.
Day two saw improvement, with the team scoring 30 points and moving into third place, just a point behind second. Steve Ringer again won his section, Adam Wakelin secured second, and Mac Stephens bounced back with a fourth-place finish. Will Freeman and Rob Wootton contributed fifth and sixth-place finishes respectively, while Lee Kerry struggled with a difficult peg.
The final day was crucial, with England needing a winning performance to challenge Germany’s lead. Their 27 points did win the day, but the deficit from earlier rounds proved too great to overcome. Steve Ringer, Rob Wootton, and Lee Kerry each finished third in their sections, Adam Wakelin fourth, Will Freeman sixth, and Mac Stephens eighth.
England Manager Dean Barlow reflected on the team’s performance:
After day one, I think we were happy to finish on the podium! When you come away from home it’s always good to get a medal, regardless of colour and in fairness, Germany were very worthy winners.
The venue presented significant challenges, with changing wind conditions impacting the fishing each day. Barlow noted the difficulty in predicting the venue’s behaviour, stating, “The venue has been a really hard one to work out as it has fished differently every single day, making it impossible to read and meaning any plan went out of the window quickly.”
England Masters Team Take Fourth at 2nd European Classic Feeder Cup
The Team England Masters Feeder side, recent World Champs silver medallists, finished fourth overall, agonisingly close to a podium position. Their campaign started strongly with a second-place finish on day one, but a difficult second day set them back. A strong performance on the final day saw them finish second for the day, but it wasn’t quite enough to secure an overall medal.
Richard Vaughan was the top performer at the Masters, finishing in eighth place. Debutant Shaun Stenton secured fourteenth, while Eddie Bridon came in fifteenth. Darren Cox placed twenty-eighth, followed by Simon Fry in thirty-sixth and Dave Berry in forty-second.
2nd European Classic Feeder Cup Final Team Standings:
- Germany – 80 points
- Drennan Team England Feeder – 95 points
- France – 96 points
- Team England Masters Feeder – 97 points
- Hungary – 106 points
- Belgium Red – 116 points
- Belgium Yellow – 120 points
- Austria – 121.5 points
- Lithuania – 125.5 points
- Germany Masters – 127 points
- Sweden – 159 points
- Belgium Masters – 162 points
Steve Ringer Win European Classic Feeder Individual Gold Medal
Steve Ringer’s gold medal performance was a highlight for the team. He adapted his tactics daily, responding to changing conditions and fish behaviour. On the first day, he caught 16.400kg of bream, skimmers, and roach. Day two saw an even better performance with 24.370kg of bream and skimmers. The final day proved more challenging, but Ringer still managed 10.450kg for a third-place section finish.
Ringer commented on the varying conditions:
No two days were the same on the venue and a peg that was good the day before, was often harder 24 hours later. I’ve certainly drawn the right part of each section, but you had to be on the ball and keep mixing things up to catch.
2nd European Classic Feeder Cup Final Individual Standings:
- Steve Ringer – England Feeder – 5 points
- Niclas Fordener – Germany – 6 points
- Ruslanas Rybakovas – Lithuania – 7 points
- Christophe Cathelin – France – 8 points
- Adam Wakelin – England Feeder – 9 points
- Jimmy Staalans – Belgium Masters – 10 points
Thanks to the Angling Trust Competitions Facebook page for sharing the details.