 The 26th South Cerney National Angling Festival for Anglers with Disabilities took place 2nd July. Seventy-seven disabled anglers from all across the country travelled to the Cotswold Water Park to take part in this popular annual event. It is held exclusively for the disabled at South Cerney Angling club near Cirencester. A day out fishing for disabled people of all abilities and disabilities. The festival which had been organised by SCAC, was held on three of their lakes, Ham Pool, Stait's and Gillman's lakes. Zurich Financial Services, along with fishing tackle and bait manufacturers, and local fishing tackle stores and local businesses helped to support the festival. SCAC's clubhouse 'The Fisherman's Rest' hosted a live band and a bbq on the eve of the competition to welcome the participants. Some of the anglers have been coming to the festival for over 20 years, and come to meet up with the friends they've made at the festivals over the years. Martin Salter MP came along to meet the participants and present the trophies, but also dived in to lend a hand with the weighing in. Even with such high temperatures the lakes produced some excellent catches and the helpers were kept very busy supplying cold drinks to the participants throughout the day. Martin Coxhead won the festival with a 75Ib bag of carp caught from Stait's lake. Martin from Oxfordshire used Champion Baits pellets, fishing the method feeder. Second place with 61Ib 12oz was Mr R Dermot from Warrington. Mr Dermot
fished paste over pellet with the top two of the pole close in. Close
behind, Glen Hayes weighed in with 60Ib 4oz from Stait's lake. Glen
from Willenhall in the West Midlands, who also won the Top Wheelchair
Trophy, caught mainly carp, with either worm/maggot or caster/maggot
cocktail on the hook.
Due to the success of this year's festival, plans are already underway
for next year's event.
Ham Pool |
Mr
T Salt (left) from Staffordshire was the lake winner on Ham Pool
with a net of twenty-nine bream and a Rudd of 1Ib 4oz, to weigh in with
60Ib 1½oz.
Sharon
Lambert (left) travelled from Northamptonshire to fish not only
her first South Cerney Festival, but her first ever angling competition
and went home with the Top Lady's Trophy.
Overall Winners
Top
Wheelchair