Barford Lakes Fishing Festivals

If you'd like to see how each did then please click here to download the final results table.

A most enjoyable week, as always hard work but true to past form it was with good company. 

It's the third time in a row that Neil McKinnon (Shakespeare) has won our festival and he was in a good position after 2 days with 2 section wins. He was a strong contender amongst a quality field. There were still quite a few anglers in strong contention on the last day and our best local angler was Lee Carver (Barford Tackle) who finished 2nd overall after an unfortunate draw on the last day. Mid water and margin fishing featured heavily as the winning methods.

The lakes fished fairly consistently with big weights still coming on the last day. After a quick tot up there was 16,286lb of fish caught with 66 anglers fishing that was an average of 50lb per man per match. Over the week there was 35 weights over 100lb, of which 2 were 200lb + and 8 were over 150lb.

Pictured above are 5 of the top 6 anglers - from left:  Graham Dack (Middy), Lee Carver (Barford Tackle), Neil McKinnon (Shakespeare), Dave Harper (VDE/European Groundbaits) and Bob Wessels (Dynamite Baits) 

A bigger picture of the group shot can be found in our Gallery under Match Catches or by clicking here

We ran a couple of fun events through the week which involved... Bingo - all anglers put in £1 and whichever anglers had a different section point for all five days were put in a hat and drawn out - which was won by Mark Bradford (Browning Pownalls).

We also ran a guess the weight on the last day which was won by Bob Wessels (Dynamite Baits).

The Half Way House League table was supported by Fox Match who donated two Fox Envoy Feeder Rods.  After 3 days the lower half of the table was split in two.  Whoever was highest in the overall table after 5 days picked up a rod.  This was won by Lee Thornton (ironically Fox Match) and Shane Trower.

We also presentated Ethan Bradford (pictured above) with a Certificate of Achievement for catching lots of fish on our Match Lake with his Dad the Sunday before the festival, so he very proudly picked it up in front of all the other anglers and his very proud Granparents and Father (thanks for bringing him over Cath!). 

Full Results

Anglers dropped their worst result and on a draw for points it was counted back on weight.

Below are their results and then after that each day's results (I have put that day's photos under the results - unfortunately I didn't get shots from every day.

1st Neil McKinnon (Shakespeare)  6 points 500lb 7ozs (total weight over the week = 590lb 7ozs) 

2nd Lee Carver (Barford Tackle)   7 points 364lb 2ozs (total weight over the week = 364lb 2ozs)

3rd Richard Martin (Daiwa Dorking)  8 points 466lb 4ozs (total weight over the week = 469lb 8ozs)

4th Dave Harper (VDE)   8 points 432lb 5ozs (total weight over the week = 457lb 13ozs)

5th Bob Wessels (Dynamite Baits)  8 points 378lb 5ozs (total weight over the week = 378lb 5ozs)

6th Graham Dack (Middy Tackle)   9 points 509lb 2ozs (total weight over the week = 521lb)

Monday, 5 May, 2008 - Willow Lake
1 Dave Harper (VDE)                       119 lbs 13 ozs     Peg: 21
2 Mark Sawyer (Dynamite Baits)        91 lbs 13 ozs    Peg: 24
3 Lee Carver (Barford Tackle)            90 lbs 12 ozs    Peg: 3

Monday, 5 May, 2008 - Barford Match Lake
1  Neil Mckinnon (Shakespeare)         148 lbs 8 ozs     Peg: 25
2  Alan Tuck  (Carp Vader)                 133 lbs 3 ozs     Peg: 24
3  Richard Martin                                125 lbs 11 ozs    Peg: 5

Monday, 5 May, 2008  - Colton Lake
1  John Odey  (Ely High Flyer)            106 lbs 2 ozs     Peg: 30
2  Matt Pillay (BC UK)                          92 lbs 10 ozs     Peg: 28
3  Vince Cross                                    80 lbs 13 ozs     Peg: 8

Tuesday, 6 May, 2008 - Railway Lake
1  Bob Wessels (Dynamite Baits)       80 lbs 15 ozs    Peg: 24
2  Neil Mckinnon  (Shakespeare)        72 lbs 6 ozs      Peg: 56
3  Steve Jackson                                69 lbs 9 ozs      Peg: 28

Tuesday, 6 May, 2008 - Willow Lake
1  Mark Bradford (Browning Pownalls)  105 lbs 13 ozs    Peg: 13
2  Gary Britton                                         103 lbs 12 ozs    Peg: 9
3  Paul Goldstraw                                        95 lbs 9 ozs    Peg: 18

Tuesday, 6 May, 2008 - Colton Lake
1  Rob Lincoln (Browning Hotrods)           180 lbs 8 ozs    Peg: 32
2  Simon Wheeler (Dynamite Baits)            148 lbs 0 ozs   Peg: 10
3  Lee Carver (Barford Tackle)                 109 lbs 12 ozs  Peg: 24

Wednesday, 7 May, 2008 - Willow Lake
1 Nathan Watson (Middy Tackle)              151 lbs 14 ozs   Peg: 1
2 Bob Wessels (Dynamite Baits)               95 lbs 8 ozs      Peg: 13
3 Jim Randell (Future, Sensas)                  94 lbs 5 ozs      Peg: 10

Wednesday, 7 May, 2008 - Railway Lake
1 Paul Ashford                                           65 lbs 0 ozs    Peg: 56
2 Dave Vincent (Browning)                       53 lbs 12 ozs  Peg: 45
3 Darren Clarke (Breakaways)                  51 lbs 13 ozs  Peg: 28

Wednesday, 7 May, 2008 - Barford Match Lake
1  Mark Sawyer (Dynamite Baits)             142 lbs 0 ozs    Peg: 17
2  Dave Harper  (VDE)                              132 lbs 10 ozs  Peg: 1
3  Lee Carver  (Barford Tackle)                112 lbs 8 ozs    Peg: 6

Thursday, 8 May, 2008 - Railway Lake
1  Graham Dack (Middy Tackle)               70 lbs 5 ozs     Peg: 56
2  Tony Dawson (VDE)                            67 lbs 11 ozs   Peg: 30
3  Tim Nash                                              55 lbs 6 ozs     Peg: 35

Thursday, 8 May, 2008 - Colton Lake
1  Neil Mckinnon (Shakespeare)                         137 lbs 7 ozs    Peg: 12
2  Jim Barrowman (Barford Tackle, Fox Match) 100 lbs 3 ozs   Peg: 32
3  Bob Bradford (Browning Pownalls)                56 lbs 2 ozs    Peg: 4

Thursday, 8 May, 2008 - Barford Match Lake
1  Nathan Watson (Middy Tackle)                      237 lbs 7 ozs  Peg: 17
2  Stewart Bracey (Dynamite Baits)                  181 lbs 0 ozs  Peg: 9
3  Bob Wessels (Dynamite Baits)                      146 lbs 7 ozs  Peg: 28

Friday, 9 May, 2008 - Colton Lake
1  Graham Dack (Middy Tackle)                        238 lbs 15 ozs  Peg: 30
2  Steve Jackson                                              160 lbs 5 ozs    Peg: 32
3  Neil Mckinnon (Shakespeare)                      142 lbs 2 ozs     Peg: 40

Friday, 9 May, 2008 - Willow Lake
1 Tim Nash (Browning Hotrods)                     109 lbs 6 ozs  Peg: 18
2  Dan Bradford (Browning Pownalls)           66 lbs 13 ozs  Peg: 15
3  Nathan Watson (Middy Tackle)                   63 lbs 4 ozs   Peg: 22

Friday, 9 May, 2008 - Barford Match Lake
1  Richard Martin                                           162 lbs 9 ozs  Peg: 1
2  Lee Thornton (Fox Match)                         156 lbs 9 ozs  Peg: 3
3  Gary Britton                                                138 lbs 8 ozs  Peg: 17

Thanks to all the anglers who attended - I hope you all enjoyed yourselves and you'll be joining us next year.

A special well done to Darren Knaggs - who had only been fishing for 2 months when he took someone's place at the last minute.  Well done Darren you shoud be proud of your results in the week - you beat some of your mates you came with!!  Potential sponsors look out - Darren is a natural match angler!!