Milton Keynes Festival of Fishing

2011

MONDAY's Frank Swan memorial was a 52 peg sell-out – and a dream come true for Gary Underwood.

Queuing for the Furzton Festival headline event draw he told fellow GoneFishin co-proprietor Richard Swan that, after years of missing the top prize: "One day I'm going to pull a flyer of a peg and win this."

And six hours later he'd done just that – netting six carp to 16lb, three bream and two roach for 76-8! On the way he'd lost two more carp – one in excess of 20lb – on white boilie and red maggot fished on method feeder.

Richard, who organises the match in memory of his father, the late MKAA vice president, Frank, said: "If I can't win it I'd rather it was someone like Gazzer who knew and fished with my dad."

Next up was Bob 'Lucky' Gale with 31-8 of bream, also from the islands bank, ahead of Pete Patton with 30-14. Showing his class by framing from the hotel bank, Geoff 'granddad' Ringer (pictured below) had 28-6.

Including the raffle the match raised £500 for WIllen Hospice and, overall, this year's festival looks set to raise around £1,500.

First in the series had been a junior match – on Tear Drops for ease of whip fishing – which saw the under-14s Mason Streeter (pictured below with organiser Nuala Gray) win with 2-1 ahead of Jack Moroney (under 17s) on 1-15.

The sell-out Ken Ball memorial veterans’ open saw Austin Maddock top with 25-12 of bream in a close fought-battle with John Harvey 24-1 and Steve Schubert 22-12 – on a day when bright conditions and soaring temperatures made fish finicky and led to sunburn for the unwary.

Friday's match for the disabled was just the opposite, damp and miserable, and Harry Butler won with 8-12 as Ken Carpenter netted 5-8, Nuala Gray 5-4 and Henry Snell 5lb.

The ladies match was won by Theressa (pictured below with Nuala)
First Theressa Lewis 22lb 8oz (1 carp)
Second Leanne Knott 16lb 15oz (Mainly Bream)
Third Hellen Dagnell 9lb 10oz (Mixed bag of Roach, Pearch and Skimmers)

Pictures from MKAA Anglers