Thorney Weir
Another venue that could break the BCAC big fish record, Thorney is a picturesque 17 acre Colne valley gravel pit full of doubles and 20s with a few lumps present. Our second year on the venue but it promises to be a cracker with loads of space. Plenty of bars bays and other features to aim for and available on a day ticket.
CAPTAIN |
VICE CAPTAIN |
|
Danny Fairbrass |
Damien Clarke |
Andy Thacker |
Vini Shepherd |
Mark Kempshall |
Mark Foster |
John Tai |
Matt Bennett |
Dan Gilbert |
Lee Roberts |
Nigel Harris |
Les Bowers |
Chris Dean |
Tim Chapman |
Philip Cooper |
Paul Wilkinson |
Steve Briggs |
Arron Curtis |
Terry Gorbutt |
Dale Diamond |
Billy Flowers |
Jamie Londors |
Kevin Attkinson |
David Cornes |
www.thorneyweir-mets.co.uk
Thorney is another venue that could break the BCAC big fish record as it has four 40s in it’s depths. The venue promises to be a cracker with loads of space and plenty of action to aim for. Thorney Weir, has been heavily stocked and doubles / twenties are the main target fish. Recent stockings include mirrors from 25-27lb; a 40lb mirror, commons from 20-29lb linear's from 20-29 and ghosties from 19-27lb.
This 17 acre lake has loads of features to go at with bars, weed and gravel areas to look for. It’s a superb example of a Colne Valley gravel pit with mature trees surrounding the venue and swims spaced evenly apart this eliminator could produce some good weights.
Thorney Weir
Results
1st - Mark Kempshall and Mark Foster - 122lb 06oz
2nd - Lee Roberts and Dan Gilbert - 81lb 01oz - Team Tackle Box
3rd - Billy Flowers and Jamie Londors - 65lb 08oz
Hot weather the day before the event and into the start of Friday saw the fish on top in numbers and floaters were the order of the day for many of the swims. The general view prior to the commencement of the match was that there were fish everywhere and that it was a hard one to call and within minutes of the hooter sounding the start of the show there were two fish on the bank, both of the top. A flurry of activity followed for an hour or so then everything went quiet as the Thorney fish battened down the hatches and settled in for the match.
 Danny Flowers and Jamie Londors on the bar point led the way with a 21.12 followed by Mark Kempshall and Mark Foster with a 14.08 off island point. However, just before the stroke of 6 a biggy had been landed in swim 1 the opening to the channel and home to army boys Terry Gorbut and Dale Diamond who had travelled all the way over form Germany to fish the BCAC (well done fella’s!). Out she came and there were gasps when the fish was recognised as Red Spot, one of the lakes big girls. On the scales she turned the needle to 38.09 of prime and beautiful Colne Valley mirror and that put a smile on the army boys faces and shot them to the top of the list as well as heading up the biggest fish of the BCAC 2007, a prize worth a grand of tackle..
Incredibly the night was quiet with only a few fish coming to the banks. Dan Gilbert and Lee Roberts fishing for the Tackle Box on swan point put two on the bank before 9am to jump into the lead with 39.04. John Tai / Angela Mizzen in car park corner also put two on the sheet to nick third on 31.04 and separating them was the army boys biggy.
As the air pressure dropped and rain was forecast the battle commenced in what has to be one of the most even events in the BCAC listings. Six different pairs jockeyed for the top three places and the leader board kept changing. At 2pm in showed Nigel Harris and Les Bowers of Rig Marole in the lead on 44.05 with Kev Atkinson / Dave Cornes on 39.09 and Gilbert / Roberts on 39.04. It was definitely game on and by 6pm things had changed again with the Tackle Box boys Gilbert / Roberts upping the pace and jumping into first with 81.01. Flowers / Landers had crept back onto the podium having been knocked off earlier, their tally now 47.10 and Harris / Bowers who 4 hours earlier were leading were now in third.
 The night would be crucial but incredibly once again very little was caught. The heavens opened in the early hours but between first light and 9am there was a flurry of activity around the lake. Flowers / Landers took a ghostie of 17.12 to up their total to 65.08 but they still dropped a place to third as Gilbert / Roberts had been knocked of first ( 81.01) having been leapfrogged by a pair that had sat just off the pace for the majority of the match. Mark Kempshall and Mark Roberts had persevered with maggots through a fair head of bream and eels to take three fish in the golden time between 6 and 9am on Sunday and what fish they were. A 20.02 common, a 21.01 mirror, and quite possibly the most beautiful fish of the BCAC this year, Thorney Weirs “Little Linear” at 33.12. It meant that they shot up from 44lb to 122.06 and well into the lead.
For the remaining 3 hours everything was very tense around the lake. First place was safe, second could be caught if a reasonable fish as banked, but third were biting their nails as their 65.08 was only 6lbs ahead of seventh placed Tai / Mizzen on 57.14. Five teams were within 8lbs of qualifying in one of the fairest and tightest matches yet in the BCAC this year. Eventually the hooter sounded for the end of the game and the lads in third could breath a sigh of relief. |
