|
|
RAF Carpers’ Flying High Again!
17 October 2011 at
04:45 |
|
|
RAF Carpers’ Flying High Again! |
|
As the defending champions of the annual Inter Service Carp Angling Championships, the RAF Carpers were keen to retain their title on the prolific Barston Lakes in the West Midlands; a venue they knew extremely well.
With the Army and Navy teams both looking in good shape and also very familiar with the venue, the Mainline/Fox backed Air Force lads would have their work cut out. However, with 80kg of New Grange and Cell in their armoury and enough tubs of 10 mm Hi-Viz pop-ups to defend the frontline, the lads were already in a great position and just had to apply to bait properly.
This year the event was organised by the Army Team Manager, Tim Gray and he opted for a match style draw; opposed to the usual watercraft type draw. With the lake broken down into four sections and all swims equally productive, this would ensure a level playing field from the start; theoretically, the cream should rise to the top!
It didn’t take long before the Air Force started to catch. Mark Jarvis and Glenn Beardsall choosing to spread 5 kilo of New Grange around their 10 mm Tutti hookbaits, they began to catch from the very start and by the first evening they already had over 200lb in the bag and leading their section.
Similarly, at the opposite end of the lake, Inter Service new boys James Mitchell and John Glasscoe were also smashing up their section. With the Cell & New Grange doing the buisness, they continued to pile it in and following a sleepless 24 hours were leading their section convincingly and approaching 300lb of carp; a diet of Red Bull and Pro Plus would be required!
The other 2 pairings of Ross Copner and Steve Millward, also on their debut and Inter Service veterans Joe Campen and Kev Lincoln were holding their own in the notoriously trickier middle section of the lake.
Mark and Glenn down the fountain end of the lake, continued to pile in the Mainline and it was paying off handsomely. With 500lb in the bag and with 24 hours to go, they needed to consolidate their great position on the second day. So following another busy night of action they finished with over 800lb of carp, winning their section convincingly and taking the title of top pairing.
Meanwhile, the guys in the middle section broke out the method rods and were banging out single figure carp with great regularity. Steve Millward sat by his rods all night, scratching out over 200lb of carp to win their section; a great effort! Joe and Kev on the opposite bank operated in a similar manner, also winning their section with nearly 200lb of fish.
So with sections one, two and three in the bag, it just left the Mitch and John is section four to finish it off and finish it off they did. With their Mainline bait reserves depleted and cans of Red Bull empty, they had continued to catch throughout the night, finishing with an impressive 550lb of carp.
The RAF boys had done it again and by winning every section, it was a convincing victory. As per the previous year on Brasenose 2, the New Grange had dominated the water, with the RAF not only taking the overall Inter Service title, on both occasions they also won the best pairing as well! |
| |
|
|
|
|
1. Fox sponsored Glenn Beardsall put his new 13’ Horizon XTs through their paces during the event, catching several 20lb fish.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2. The winning team – Top: Steve Millward, Joe Campen, Mark Jarvis, John Glasscoe. Bottom: James Mitchell, Ross Copner, Kev Lincoln, Glenn Beardsall.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10mm Tutti pop-ups were the No1 hookbait!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New Grange baits! Part of a winning formular for the RAF Carpers!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
