Drennan Cup round up
Smashed records, shock catches and historic moments. The 2017/18 season has been one of the best yet – but who will be crowned champion of the Drennan Cup?
Over the last 12 months specimen anglers have been testing their wits against some of the biggest fish in the country, and in just a few weeks’ time Angling Times will reveal last season’s champion of the UK’s premier big-fish competition. The winner will lift the coveted trophy and pocket an impressive £2,000 pay-out.
Angling Times Editor-in-Chief Steve Fitzpatrick said: “I can’t remember a year so packed with fish as the one we’ve just enjoyed in 2017/18.
“If it wasn’t a river record being smashed or the biggest-ever brace of fish taken in a single session, each week we would be greeted by another massive catch story – and Angling Times was there to take you through each and every one of them.”
This year Drennan handed out now fewer than 130 (number could change) weekly awards to a diverse mix of anglers.
As always, it will be the Drennan Weekly Award Winners themselves who will be responsible for deciding the top four places in the competition, with anybody who has received an award over the last five years being eligible to vote.
So sit back and enjoy five pages of the best big-fish catches from the past 12 months. Who would get your vote?
What is it?
Launched by Oxford tackle giant Peter Drennan in 1985, the Drennan Cup is the UK’s longest-running big-fish competition. It rewards anglers who target and catch specimen fish (other than carp and catfish) by design. Anglers can win multiple awards across 12 months
of fishing. The current Drennan
Cup champion is Kent angler
Iain McDonald – whose catches of specimen tench, perch, barbel, dace and roach were enough to land him the trophy and a £2,000 cheque.
how does it work?
Captures are submitted to Angling Times each week and then forwarded to Drennan to be considered for a weekly award worth £80 (plus a limited edition cap for first-time winners.) Any angler breaking a British record receives a special one-off award of £300. Once the 12 months draw to a close, a list of winners is published and voting cards sent out to all the weekly award winners from the previous years. They pick their top four anglers, with four points going to their top pick, down to one point for their fourth.
Votes are then counted and the winner is announced in late April.
Roach
Phil Spinks
Phil Spinks proudly displays roach of 3lb 12oz, 3lb 10oz and 3lb 8oz 8dr in a picture of the greatest big-roach catch of all time.
Well-known redfin specialist Phil admitted that he was ‘still pinching himself’ after he banked six fish over the magic 3lb mark in a session that will go down in fishing history.
The Korum and Angling Direct-backed all-rounder landed fish weighing 3lb 12oz, 3lb 10oz, 3lb 8oz 8dr, 3lb 6oz, 3lb 5oz and 3lb 2oz during the historic visit to Homersfield Lake in Suffolk.
In order to avoid the small roach that occupy the privately-owned, 33-acre fishery, the 37-year-old fished groundbait feeders in conjunction with helicopter rigs
that he baited with 12mm Sonubaits Code Red boilies.
The biggest fish set a new personal best for Phil, whose roach fishing CV makes for impressive reading as he has now landed 37 fish over the 3lb barrier.
“This was the best day’s fishing of my life…it still hasn’t sunk in yet,” Phil told Angling Times.
“I’ve had some exceptional roach fishing at this stunning venue over the years, but to land six over 3lb in one session is absolutely incredible and to my knowledge the 3lb 12oz and 3lb 10oz is one of the biggest braces of roach ever caught.
“I had loads of fish over 2lb during the same session, but I was unhooking them and slipping them back without even weighing them!”
Ken Fuller
Just a couple of days after Phil Spinks’ incredible haul of six 3lb-plus roach from Homersfield Lake, Angling Times received the report of a 4lb 3oz specimen redfin from the same privately-owned venue in Suffolk.
The national record-shaker was banked by roach fishing fanatic Ken Fuller on his first cast at the incredible East Anglian stillwater.
He had been fishing for the species for 60 years and his dream came true when he fished a Method feeder loaded with softened pellets and coupled that with a 5lb fluorocarbon hooklink and a 12mm boilie.
“I thought it was a bream at first, then I saw it and I wished my landing net pole was about 4ft longer…what an incredible sight!” said the 66-year-old from Norwich.
“This truly is a dream come true and a fish of a lifetime.”
Ken’s new personal best fell just 1oz short of the official British best – a 4lb 4oz fish caught in 2006 by Keith Berry from a stillwater in Northern Ireland.
Perch
Andrew cheetham
Dick Walker once said that “the perch is the biggest of all fish” – a notion that was proved true when Angling Times revealed the pictures of the biggest-ever brace of UK river perch.
Manchester rod Andrew Cheetham smashed his personal best twice in a session when he banked specimens of 5lb 2oz and 5lb 11oz from a Midlands river – the biggest of which is the fourth-largest UK perch ever.
“To catch a five pounder is a dream, but two in a session is something I’m finding very hard to get my head around,” Andrew exclusively told Angling Times. “When I looked down into the water after a great scrap, the larger of the two looked like a breeze block in the bottom of my landing net.
“It’s a 200-mile round trip to fish this venue, but days like this make all the blanks, hard work and effort so worthwhile.”
The Perchfishers member banked the brace with three half lobworms on a size 4 hook and cage feeder rig.
Dan Gale
On the subject of monster perch braces, who remembers Dan Gale’s catch of 5lb 2oz and 5lb 1oz specimens from the beginning of the season?
A simple maggot feeder was the tactic behind the incredible haul of stillwater perch, which Dan described as ‘the catch of a lifetime.’
The Southampton-based specimen hunter targeted a gravel pit in the Cotswolds when his lobworm hookbait was taken by his biggest-ever perch on the 34-year-old’s very first cast.
“I still can’t believe that I’ve had a catch like this.
“It’s really difficult to get my head around it,” Dan exclusively told Angling Times.
“The 5lb 2oz fish was in the net as I was just giving it a rest after unhooking it and then the other rod went rattling off, so I had both the big ones in the net at the same time. “It really was incredible.”
The action didn’t end there either, as Dan backed his brace up with perch weighing 4lb 10oz,
3lb 11oz and 2lb 13oz, along with a big bream of 11lb 8oz and two tench, with the best topping the scales at 7lb 13oz.
He used the trusty combination of chopped worm and casters inside his feeder, but he’s adamant that the secret behind his catch was the use of a Spomb.
It was a piece of kit that he used to regularly introduce groundbait, chopped worms and casters over the top of his feeders.
Barbel
Rob Phillips
The 2017/2018 season was another cracker for specimen barbel, but this 20lb 9oz Thames-record monster was by far the pick of the bunch.
It was landed by barbel fanatic Rob Phillips and is the third-biggest barbel ever taken in the UK.
The catch was rich reward for the countless hours Rob had spent in pursuit of the species.
He said: “I was a young man when I started barbel fishing the Thames around 20 years ago! I must’ve done 40 or 50 nights a season since, and finally it’s all come good.”
Rob legered a lump of garlic-flavoured meat in a high, coloured river, adding another barbel of
14lb 11oz in the same session.
Chub
Paul Allen
Angling Times lost count of the number of 7lb-plus chub that were caught towards the back end of the season, but a special catch from July 2017 topped the lot.
This stunning 8lb 2oz specimen was banked by river fishing specialist Paul Allen after he spotted a group of fish during an evening session on the Hampshire Avon.
After introducing a bed of pellets with the help of a bait dropper, the aircraft engineer from Dorset, who has been fishing the famous waterway for over 15 years, sat back for 30 minutes and watched a shoal of resident chub confidently graze over his bed of bait. “I’ve never seen chub feed so confidently as they were flashing over the bait and ripping up the bottom to get to the pellets…it was very exciting,” he said. “Even though it was bright it was very windy, so I couldn’t see how big the fish were.”
After missing a bite on his very first cast, Paul’s legered fishmeal boilie hookbait was taken by the biggest reported chub of the season 10 minutes after recasting. His rig was constructed with a braided hooklink and a size 8 hook, which helped him beat his 8lb personal best banked in 2013.
Bream
Gary Knowles
It wasn’t the biggest bream of the season, but the determination behind Gary Knowles’ 20lb 7oz specimen certainly deserved some recognition.
It was a new pb for the Korum-backed star, and his first bream in four years’ fishing an ultra-tough 90-acre mere on the Cheshire/Shropshire border. “I know anglers who have fished the lake for 15 years and are yet to have a single take…this is as difficult as it gets,” Gary told Angling Times. “Imagine how my heart was pounding when I watched that bobbin climb and saw the line slowly peeling off.” Gary baited up with mixed particles, Sonubaits ‘S’ pellets and broken Code Red boilies with trimmed-down Code Red boilies tipped with a 6mm pineapple boilie on the hook.
Eel
mark salt
A bunch of hair-rigged worms was the winning combination for Mark Salt as they helped him produce a take from this impressive 8lb 1oz eel.
The huge fish was caught by the environment officer for the National Anguilla Club at a syndicate water in Middlesex. He used five broken worms on a short hair. It was the Herts specialist’s second eel over the 8lb mark from the venue. The specimen was beaten to the bank with the help of a ‘Dyson’ rig made with a circle hook tied to a 45lb Quicksilver Gold hooklink. “I fished for eight nights and packed up each day. The big one came on the very last session,” said Mark.
Crucian carp
Nigel Kennard
This record-shaking 4lb 7oz crucian was by far the biggest caught this season. Nigel Kennard fished a lake in Surrey over eight days and he landed no fewer than four crucians over 4lb.
He also had 21 specimens over the 3lb mark and six weighing more than 2lb. Nigel’s biggest specimen fell just 3oz short of the current British best.
All his fish were taken when he alternated imitation maggot and caster hookbaits. Drennan Method feeders and 6lb mainline were also part of the winning formula.
Zander
Ian wilson
There were some monster zander caught this season, but this pair are believed to be the biggest ever brace of zander to be caught from a river.
The fish weighed 15lb 11oz and 14lb 7oz and were banked by Ian Wilson when he targeted a stretch of his beloved River Trent.
Both fish came in an incredible 15-minute spell with the smaller of the two first to take a legered lamprey, and a roach deadbait proving the downfall of the 15lb-plus specimen.
This wasn’t the end of the tale, however, as the brace turned into an incredible trio when the Worksop specialist slipped the net under an 11lb 4oz fish just as he was about to pack up.
“I was in a swim that I hadn’t fished for a couple of years, but I just had
a hunch that it could
produce the goods as it was around 18ins up and holding good colour,” Ian told Angling Times.
“The 14lb 7oz fish was put into my retainer while I got prepared for weighing and a quick photo when the roach was taken by the biggest zander. It was an incredible 15 minutes of fishing.”
Ian fished simple rigs constructed with components such as a 50lb braided reel line, a 28lb Drennan wire trace and two size 8 trebles.
Tench
Steve Fenton
Steve Fenton thought he’d hooked a carp when his alarm screamed during a session on a Lea Valley pit, but little did he know he was about to smash his tench personal best with an incredible 12lb 7oz specimen.
The experienced 64-year-old specialist from Hertfordshire, who works part time in Angling Direct in Waltham Cross, banked the fish of a lifetime after it took three floating maggots that were threaded onto a size 12 hook and fished in conjunction with a maggot feeder.
“This is such a special fish for me and to say that I’m over the moon is an understatement.
“It’s taken a while to sink in,” he added.
“It beats my previous personal best by 1lb 15oz and from a lake that I’ve fished for a number of years.”
Dai Gribble
the 2016 Drennan Cup winner Dai Gribble had another fantastic season for tench, with this
11lb 6oz fish the pick of the bunch.
The huge specimen was part of a massive 45-tench haul taken by the Korum-sponsored angler from a Midlands gravel pit.
Dai targeted a gravel bar around 55yds out, baiting the spot with mixed 2mm Sonubaits S pellets and hemp. He took numerous
fish to 9lb 15oz using a helicopter rig with three rubber maggots on the hair, before hooking his biggest fish on the third of a four-day trip. The catch was just one of five awards earned by Dai during the season.
Rudd
Stephen Chesney
Stephen Chesney had sweetcorn to thank during a September rudd session as he banked this 3lb personal-best specimen.
The Suffolk angler quivertipped single grains of sweetcorn on a Fenland river to take the large rudd as well as four others.
All awards given
April 11 2017
Dan Gale, 5lb 2oz perch,
5lb 1oz perch, Cotswold lake
Gary Truelove, 7lb 12oz eel, southern stillwater
April 18
Matthew Fernandez,
4lb 2oz, 3lb 10oz crucian, southern stillwater
April 25
Iain McDonald, 5lb 6oz eel, southern stillwater
Nigel Kennard, 4lb 7oz crucian, Surrey lake
Jamie Stanley, 4lb 11oz perch, southern stillwater
May 2
Dan Gale 11lb 12oz tench, southern lake
May 9
Andrew West, 17lb 2oz bream, Northants water
Dai Gribble, 10lb 5oz tench, Medway Valley
Jackie Proud, 6lb 10oz eel, Beds stillwater
May 16
Ken Fuller, 4lb 3oz roach, Homersfield Lake
Phil Spinks 3lb 12 oz roach, Homersfield Lake
George Osbourne, 4lb 5oz perch, Upper Tamar Lake
May 23
James Crameri, 19lb 3oz bream, southern pit
Des Taylor, 16lb 4oz bream, St Ives Fishery
Craig Woolhouse 16lb 11oz, Leics gravel pit
Adam Riches, 16lb 9oz bream, southern stillwater
Mark Salt, 8lb 1oz eel, Middlesex lake
May 30
Nate Green, 10lb 12oz tench, southern stillwater
Rob Knapp, 11lb 9oz tench, Kent gravel pit
Dave Harman, 10lb 12oz tench, southern gravel pit
Ed Matthews, 4lb 1oz crucian, Shropshire lake
June 6
Steve Fenton, 12lb 7oz tench, southern stillwater
Dane Wood, 32lb 14oz pike, Pitsford Reservoir
June 13
Dai Gribble, 11lb 6oz tench, Midlands stillwater
Graeme Johnson, 11lb 3oz tench, Bawburgh Lakes
Sebastian Jarmoluk, 31lb pike, Pitsford Reservoir
Jamie Cartwright, 15lb 5oz bream, Cambs stillwater
June 20
Dai Gribble, 15lb 13oz bream, Midlands stillwater
Dean Taylor, 11lb 5oz and 11lb 4oz tench, Kent stillwater
Justin Grapes, 11lb tench,
April 11 2017
Dan Gale, 5lb 2oz perch,
5lb 1oz perch, Cotswold lake
Gary Truelove, 7lb 12oz eel, southern stillwater
April 18
Matthew Fernandez,
4lb 2oz, 3lb 10oz crucian, southern stillwater
April 25
Iain McDonald, 5lb 6oz eel, southern stillwater
Nigel Kennard, 4lb 7oz crucian, Surrey lake
Jamie Stanley, 4lb 11oz perch, southern stillwater
May 2
Dan Gale 11lb 12oz tench, southern lake
May 9
Andrew West, 17lb 2oz bream, Northants water
Dai Gribble, 10lb 5oz tench, Medway Valley
Jackie Proud, 6lb 10oz eel, Beds stillwater
May 16
Ken Fuller, 4lb 3oz roach, Homersfield Lake
Phil Spinks 3lb 12 oz roach, Homersfield Lake
George Osbourne, 4lb 5oz perch, Upper Tamar Lake
May 23
James Crameri, 19lb 3oz bream, southern pit
Des Taylor, 16lb 4oz bream, St Ives Fishery
Craig Woolhouse 16lb 11oz, Leics gravel pit
Adam Riches, 16lb 9oz bream, southern stillwater
Mark Salt, 8lb 1oz eel, Middlesex lake
May 30
Nate Green, 10lb 12oz tench, southern stillwater
Rob Knapp, 11lb 9oz tench, Kent gravel pit
Dave Harman, 10lb 12oz tench, southern gravel pit
Ed Matthews, 4lb 1oz crucian, Shropshire lake
June 6
Steve Fenton, 12lb 7oz tench, southern stillwater
Dane Wood, 32lb 14oz pike, Pitsford Reservoir
June 13
Dai Gribble, 11lb 6oz tench, Midlands stillwater
Graeme Johnson, 11lb 3oz tench, Bawburgh Lakes
Sebastian Jarmoluk, 31lb pike, Pitsford Reservoir
Jamie Cartwright, 15lb 5oz bream, Cambs stillwater
June 20
Dai Gribble, 15lb 13oz bream, Midlands stillwater
Dean Taylor, 11lb 5oz and 11lb 4oz tench, Kent stillwater
Justin Grapes, 11lb tench, Bawburgh Lakes, Norfolk
June 27
Nate Green, 5lb 5oz eel, Woodland Pool
Scott Hamilton, 7lb 10oz chub, River Lea
July 4
No Drennans
July 11
Gary Knowles, 20lb 7oz bream, Cheshire
Mere
July 18
Paul Allen, 8lb 2oz chub, Hants Avon
Andrew Mussellwhite, 2lb 4oz roach, River Itchen
July 25
Nick Hughes, 5lb 10oz eel, Midlands stillwater
Aug 1
Andrew Carson, 40lb 5oz pike, Loch Lomond
Aug 8
Shayne Kerns, 16lb 10oz zander, River Trent
Aug 15
Darren Poole, 16lb 4oz barbel, River Lea
Neil Wayte, 16lb 4oz barbel, River Thames
Aug 22
Gary Edmonds, 37lb 2oz pike, Grafham Water
Aug 29
Alan Lawrence, 4lb 3oz perch, Great Ouse
Harry Pardoe, 16lb 6oz barbel, River Trent
Sept 5
David Turner 15lb 8oz zander, River Severn
Sept 12
Ray Cutler 16lb 12oz barbel, River Thames
Sept 19
Mike Townsend, 2lb 4oz roach, Yorkshire
river
Stephen Chesney 3lb rudd, Fenland river
Chris Hewett, 2lb 10oz roach, southern
lake
Sept 26
Robert Machin, 21lb 6oz bream, NW stillwater
Mick Lomas, 2lb 14oz roach, northern stillwater
Garry Teer, 17lb 9oz,
15lb 4oz barbel, Thames
Matt Hughes, 16lb 6oz barbel, River Trent
October 3
Lionel Martin 16lb 10oz barbel, River Thames
George Hinds, 15lb 2oz barbel, River Severn
Paul Mirfin, 17lb barbel, River Trent
James Sarkar 15lb 8oz zander, River Severn
October 10
Andy Oxley, 16lb 10oz barbel, River Trent
Adam Perna, 15lb 15oz barbel, southern river
Joseph Southern, 35lb 4oz pike, Chew Valley Lake
Ray Kent, 16lb barbel, River Lea
October 17
Craig Lander, 18lb 14oz barbel, River Trent
Bob Hornegold, 4lb 11oz perch, Lea Navigation
John Horsey, 32lb 8oz pike, Blagdon Lake
October 24
Colin Douglas, 18lb 1oz barbel, River Trent
Dean Derbyshire, 3lb 1oz grayling, southern river
Ken Thompson, 7lb 14oz chub, Royalty Fishery
Alan Rio, 2lb 14oz roach, Surrey lake
October 31
Matt Bridgwood, 42lb 12oz pike, Chew Valley Lake
Paul Sharman, 39lb pike, Blagdon Lake
NOV 7
Paul Garner, 4lb 12oz perch, Farmoor Reservoir
Paul Parnell, 5lb 4oz perch, Farmoor Reservoir
Dai Gribble, 32lb 4oz pike, Farmoor Reservoir
Terry Lathwell, 16lb 10oz barbel, River Itchen
Martyn Cattermole, 36lb 8oz pike, Chew ValleyLake
Nov 14
Kenny Massey, 15lb 9oz barbel, River Cherwell
Craig Woolhouse, 16lb 10oz zander, River Trent
Chris Darke, 41lb 12oz pike, Wyekham Lakes
Luke Maher, 4lb 8oz perch, Darenth Lake
Nov 21
Peter Coxhead, 44lb pike, Chew Valley Lake
Jacob Wise, 16lb zander, Gloucester Canal
John Keeley, 16lb 3oz zander, River Trent
Mark Humphries, 16lb 2oz zander, River Severn
Nov 28
Andy Childs, 2lb 4oz roach, River Itchen
Paul Rogers, 16lb 8oz barbel, River Lea
Darrel Hughes, 16lb 8oz barbel, Hants Avon
Dec 5
Tony Gibson, 15lb 15oz barbel, River Ouse
Stewart Harris, 4lb 6oz perch, southern river
Dave Brice, 2lb 13oz
roach, Oxfordshire pit
Matthew Fernandez, 15lb 8oz barbel, River Itchen
Dec 12-26
Reggie Blake, 33lb 4oz pike, River Thurne
Michael Eagles, 5lb perch, southern gravel pit
Dec 27
Matt Wood, 4lb 6oz, 4lb 1oz perch
Julian Peacock, 2lb 5oz 12dr roach, Beds river
Dai Gribble, 3lb 3oz roach, Oxfordshire stillwater
Jan 2 2018
Dave Newman,
31lb 13oz pike, Notts gravel pit
Chris Tredway, 4lb 3oz perch, River Severn
Jan 9
Andy Cheetham, 4lb 15oz perch, Midlands river
Ben Booth, 39lb pike, Grafham Water
Carl Smith, 31lb pike, Essex stillwater
Jan 16
Kevin Palmer, 2lb 11oz roach, River Test
Paul Rogers, 16lb 14oz barbel, River Kennet
Jan 23
David Broady, 19lb 8oz barbel, River Thames
Adam Reed, 7lb 15oz chub, River Thames
Ian Wilson, 32lb 11oz pike, River Trent
Terry Theobald, 7lb 8oz chub, River Avon
Jan 30
Stewart Harris, 7lb 8oz chub, River Ouse
Feb 6
Gary Truelove, 1lb 1oz dace, Hampshire river
Ron Russell, 34lb 10oz pike, Dorrington brick pit
Keith Rogers,
32lb 8oz pike, Colne Valley Lake
Feb 13
Paul Curry, 41lb 2oz pike, Chew Valley Lake
Dave Owen, 1lb dace, southern chalkstream
Ian Wilson, 15lb 11oz zander, River Trent
Feb 20
Dave Ladds, 5lb 1oz perch, northern stillwater
Patric Kyte, 33lb 4oz pike, Ravensthorpe Reservoir
Feb 27
Tony Hopley, 5lb 1oz perch, Midlands river
John Rushworth, 40lb 2oz pike, 100-acre trout fishery
Graham Mann, 15lb 6oz zander, River Severn
March 6
Andy Cheetham, 5lb 11oz perch, 5lb 2oz perch, Midlands river
Adam Reed, 32lb 7oz pike, 31lb 6oz pike, River Test
Lee Noakes, 17lb 3oz barbel, River Itchen
Duane McClaymont, 3lb 4oz grayling, Yorkshire river
Rob Thompson, 7lb 9oz chub, Great Ouse
March 13
Brendan Guilar, 44lb 12oz pike, Ravensthorpe Res
Steve Rowley, 35lb 8oz pike, southern gravel pit
Martin Lofthouse, 3lb 4oz grayling, northern river
Danny Taylor, 2lb 9oz roach, Hampshire Avon
March 20
Rob Phillips, 20lb 9oz barbel, River Thames
Scott Richardson, 18lb 7oz zander, River Trent
James Champkin, 7lb 10oz chub, River Lea
March 27
Derek Knight, 7lb 7oz chub, Hampshire Avon
To submit your catches for the
2018/2019 Drennan Cup Competition which begins on April 11, email your pics and contact details to:
ian.jones@bauermedia.co.uk