Derby angler edges Ivan Marks Memorial

Venue regular Dave Stokes topped a strong field of some of the country’s best feeder anglers at Cambridgeshire’s Ferry Meadows Lakes.
Held in memory of match legend Ivan Marks, the 80-pegger was a close-knit affair with only one decent bream separating the top three.
But it was the 67-year-old from Pinxton, Derbyshire, who took home the £300 winner’s purse and trophy with 44-5-0 from peg 122 on Overton Lake.
Said Dave: “It’s an area that has been consistent this season, although I’d rather have been a few pegs to my left.”
Casting regularly at 58 turns with a rocket feeder filled with groundbait and chopped worms, casters, chopped maggots and chopped corn, Dave waited 75 minutes for his first bite – a decent skimmer bream. He then took odd fish until an hour-and-a-half from the end, when he enjoyed a purple patch with six fish in as many casts.
He ended with three big bream to 6lb plus lots of skimmers on a variety of baits including worm, caster, fluorescent maggot and bronze maggot.
“I’d thought I’d blown my chances as I lost seven bream either in the weed in front of me or because the bait masked the hook, but thankfully I’d done enough,” he added.
Runner-up from peg 80 on Gunwade Lake was Leicester teenager Sam Collett, who used a small Method feeder with corn and maggot on the hook for 42-0-0.
The match was organised by Leicester Tackle Shop Match Catch and Ringer Baits, and raised £625 for Papworth Hospital and Macmillan Cancer Support.
Result: 1 D Stokes, Peg One Angling Centre, 44-5-0; 2 S Collett, Dynamite Baits/Match Catch, 42-0-0; 3 J O’Driscoll, Stalybridge Angling Centre, 40-10-0; 4 G Howie, Ringer Baits, 37-8-0; 5 I Didcote, Garbolino Bait-Tech, 32-0-0; 6 D Cooper, Sensas Mark One, 28-14-0.