The eighth FishOMania qualifier was held at Moorlands Farm Fishery in Kidderminster yesterday. The match was a sellout with 100 anglers fishing for their chance to compete in this year’s FishOMania grand final.
According to the Angling Trust Competitions page on Facebook, the match ended in controversy, when the winner was disqualified for putting “a fish in their keepnet which hadn’t been caught by angling means.” The angler’s catch was deemed to breach the rules and wasn’t accepted as the winning weight.
Steve Fitzpatrick, head of competitions, had this to say:
We have spoken to the angler and officials involved in the incident this morning and, following statements provided, we stand by the on-the-bank decision.
While there are no excuses for such actions, we understand that it was a high-pressure moment where a serious error of judgement was made. The angler is remorseful of their actions.
“I’d like to thank those involved for the manner in which they professionally handled the situation.
We strive to maintain the honesty and integrity of our competitions for all anglers and expect our members to do the same.
The win was subsequently awarded to James Woodfine from Chester with a weight of 203lb 15oz from peg 8 on Meadow Pool. He fished a short line with meat, a long line with casters, and down the edge with corn and micros. Congratulations on reaching the final.
Picture courtesy of James Woodfine Angling on Facebook.
Woodfine becomes the ninth confirmed competitor in this year’s FishOMania final. He will be joined by last year’s winner, Matt Dawes, and previous qualifiers Jason Redgrave, Chris Reilly, Adam Playford, Harry Campbell, Gary Ainscough, Alex Dawson, and Andy Bennett.
Current FishOMania 24 qualifiers:
- Matt Dawes
- Jason Redgrave
- Chris Reilly
- Adam Playford
- Harry Campbell
- Gary Ainscough
- Alex Dawson
- Andy Bennett
- James Woodfine
The next qualifier will be held at The Glebe Fishery in Peckleton, Leicestershire on Saturday, 11th May.
This year’s FishOMania final is held on Saturday, 27th July at Westwood Lakes in Boston. If you want to attend this year’s FishOMani final as a spectator, you can buy tickets now. Tickets are priced at £7.00 per person, while a group booking of 4 people is priced at £20.00. A 10% service fee and £2.95 booking fee per order will also be charged. Car parking tickets can also be added for an additional fee at the time of booking (£7.00 per car and £10.00 per van).
Head over to the FishOMania website to get your tickets now.