The Tees Valley Summer League got off to a dramatic start as 20 anglers descended on Brafferton Fishery to tackle Ghost Lake for the opening match of an 18-round campaign.
With the tail end of Storm David still lingering, anglers were met with truly unpredictable conditions. One minute brought cold winds and driving rain sweeping across the lake, the next offered bursts of sunshine and a gentle breeze. The fish were clearly up for feeding, but the ever-changing weather made consistent presentation and feeding patterns a real challenge. Despite this, the majority of the field managed to put together respectable catches.
Taking top honours on the day was Ian Hutchinson, who put together an impressive 76lb 10oz of mainly F1 carp. Ian opted for a positive approach, fishing shallow with caster and “blasting” his peg to keep fish competing, an approach that proved more than effective in the difficult conditions.
In second place came Neil Devine with 61lb 10oz. Neil found success down his edge, fishing a carefully prepared hole and picking off quality fish to stay well ahead of the chasing pack.
Third place went to Andy Clarke, who weighed in 57lb 2oz. Andy’s match was built on a strong finish, with the majority of his weight coming in the final hour as he timed his late push to perfection.
Section Winners
- Callum Davies took his section with 38lb
- Mike Edwards secured 37lb 2oz, including a huge 13lb 4oz lump in the final five minutes that proved decisive
- Sys topped his section with 51lb 9oz, interestingly well ahead of the 30lb he’d clicked on his counter
- Jonny Richards (aka “The Fridge”, aka “Golden Balls”) claimed his section with 37lb
All in all, a challenging but enjoyable start to the league, with plenty of fish caught despite the testing conditions. It sets things up nicely for what promises to be a competitive summer ahead.
Attention now turns to the second round, which will take place on Arc Lake at Redwood next weekend. Anglers are reminded to get their names over to Jack via the WhatsApp group.
Full Results below
