Thirteen anglers turned out at Forest Lane Fishery’s Arena Lake for a little pre-season knock-up to dust the cobwebs off ahead of the summer league. Conditions certainly didn’t feel very spring-like yet, with temperatures topping out at around 10°C and a cold wind making it feel even chillier on the bank.
However, the fish were far more active than the thermometer suggested. Everyone put a decent net together, though the local wildlife provided some unexpected “bonus” catches. A few anglers found themselves reeling in some rather Frisky Frogs apparently, while the fishing was cool, the local amphibians were feeling very, very “spring-like.” We won’t mention names, but we hope you released them before things got too serious!
The day belonged to Barry Simpson, who put on a clinic to take the top spot. It seems that shiny new pole he’s been bragging about isn’t just for show, it clearly has the reach and the power to dominate, helping him bag a massive 84lb 02oz.
In second place was Pete Agar with 72lb 11oz, putting together a solid net to comfortably secure the runner-up spot.
Third place went to Gaz Wood with 67lb 11oz, rounding out a strong top three and showing there are already a few anglers finding their form ahead of the league.
Section Winners
The sections were hard-fought, with some familiar faces (and some very muddy ones) picking up the envelopes:
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Dan Howes: Taking the “Double Default” win. We’re not saying he got lucky, but if he wins any more by default, we might have to start checking the water for bribes!
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Callum Davies: Great performance, but he’ll be heading straight to the shops. Callum, we suggest spending that winnings money on a new pair of trainers, the current ones are about 90% Arena Lake mud at this point.
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Mike Edwards: A solid, professional performance to round out the winners’ circle.
Next Up: Summer League Round 1
The real battle begins soon. We head to Brafferton Fishery (Ghost Lake) for the first official match of the 2026 Summer League.
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Date: April 5th, 2026
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Venue: Brafferton – Ghost Lake
Let’s hope the sun finally decides to show its face by then! Please get your names and deposits into the WhatsApp group as soon as possible to secure your peg.
