Game Match Results 2008

Spring Bank - Jutland Cup
Saturday 16th March		 RNRM v Kingsbridge
Saturday 5th April		 RN v Associates
Sat 26th April		 Services 08Competition
Thursday 3rd June
RN Open & Pairs
Wednesday 4th June		 RN v BT
Wednesday 18th June		 Inter-Commands
Wednesday 2nd July		 Secretary's Cup
Sunday 12th Oct
Trafalgar Shield
Saturday 25th October


Click on the match for the Individual Results

Secretary's Cup
Total Fish24Best BrownJan Minall
Total Weight65lb 8ozBest RainbowJan Minall
Average Weight2lb 7½ozBest BagJan Minall
Rod Average2lb 5¼ozBest Boat
Fishing Report
Twenty six anglers fished the 2008 Secretary's Cup match at Chew making it our best supported fixture for several years. The strong turnout also provided an ideal opportunity to congratulate the team and display the splendid AMFC Group 3 winners' trophy which the RN team had secured the previous week during the final round held at Rutland.

The origins of the Secretary's Cup was to host an end of season friendly match, fishing to Fishery Rules rather than the International format with which we fish most of our matches. Meant as a relaxed event, it allows the Secretary to give a run out to those anglers who have not been selected or have been unavailable for competitions throughout the season. As it is a friendly match there is no trophy for the winner but being the last boat fixture of the season it serves as an ideal forum to present the cups for the best fish of the season from RNRMAA loch style competitions and also to present the Secretary's Cup.

The weather was unseasonably mild for mid October and made for a very pleasant day albeit the fishing did prove a bit frustrating for some. Local intelligence would have us believe the best catches over previous days had been best from the North and East shores of the lake with the fish high in the water. A few anglers spent the day pulling lures trying to tempt the large specimens which were pre-occupied with the large coarse fry that were evident across the lake. Initially conditions seemed ideal for nymph fishing so a majority of anglers opted to start on floating lines and washing line methods. Calm weather with little or no wind made it difficult to turn the cast over and decent presentation was challenging. After an hour or so with minimal interest with the nymphs a decision to switch to dries did the trick. Over a 45 minute spell five decent fish came to the boat, all had been cast to having been seen working the surface of the water. Mike Barfoot Franks had 3 on red and orange Shipmans buzzers and I had 2 on Ginger hoppers. Confident we had the correct method and it being a friendly we foolishly decided to go in for lunch, well after all it was Ron Tutts birthday! As we passed other boats on the way back to the lodge we were quite surprised at how few fish had been caught.

Out we went after toasting Ron's 40th birthday (who was he trying to kid!) but alas the wind had picked up, it had become brighter and the fish had disappeared. We spent the rest of the afternoon trying many favoured spots and techniques but to no avail. Across the water it was obvious many anglers were struggling to locate fish and it seemed that a lot of blanks would be recorded. Jan Minall, having had a poor season on Chew by his normal high standards, was determined to do well and could be seen pulling lures all day. His dogged determination paid off as he seemed to be doing better than most with 4 fish in the boat when we had last seen him in Villice Bay at the mid afternoon point. I understand these all came to sparkler lures with the better fish coming early in the morning from near the dam. We plugged away all afternoon without the slightest hint of interest from a fish that was until 15 mins from the end of the match when our luck changed. Having returned to the same area of Spring Bay where we had enjoyed success before lunch the fish again began to show on the surface. Mike took 2 more decent trout in successive casts at which point we had to call it a day and head for home.

At the weigh in my suspicions were confirmed when 13 anglers, half of those participating, blanked and only two anglers caught more than 2 fish. Mark Close, Damian Sheils and myself were the only anglers to managed more than a single fish and Mike Barfoot Franks had the second best bag with 5 fish for 12lb 10oz, all taken on dries. Best bag of the day went to Jan Minall, also with 5 fish but with a superior weight of 16lb 10oz which was bolstered by a 3 lb Brown and a lovely Rainbow of 6lb 8oz.

The top 3 anglers each received a flybox which was donated thanks to the kind generosity of Mr Bob Handford, Bristol Water Fisheries & Recreations Manager. Despite poor returns on the day the weather was great, those fish that were caught were in fine condition and the relaxed days fishing made an enjoyable culmination to the 2008 boat season.

The final pieces of silverware to be handed out were;

The Cup for the Seasons Largest Brown Trout caught during a RNRMAA Loch Style competition. This was won by myself for a 4lb 9oz specimen that fell to a hopper on the last cast of the day during the RN v BT match at Chew in Jun. Special mention must go to Bob Jones who caught the largest brown of the season overall with a splendid 9lb 12oz specimen caught from the bank during the Jutland Cup at Bushyleaze in Feb.

The Secretary's Cup is awarded annually by the Secretary to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the RNRMAA. This season the popular and well deserved recipient was Neil (Mac) Macfarlane for his dedication in running the Royal Marine Command over the last couple of years. This also saw him coordinating the RM team which won last seasons Inter Commands. Mac has managed to maintain an active programme of well supported events at grass root level which is highly commendable considering the high operational tempo currently faced by the RM. His support of RN angling has been immense as has his assistance to the Secretary.