The match was switched from Ferry Meadows Lakes and Benwick was chosen following the restoration of the banks of the old course of the river by the Environment Agency, in conjunction with the Middle Level Commissioners, County Farms, local landowners and Benwick Angling club.

The Environment Agency has spent £20,000 on 40 new angling platforms installed along the Old Nene river between Chapel Farm and Halfpenny Toll Bridge at Benwick, which allows the fishery to be used again.

Anyone who has fished this section in the past will know just how difficult it was to fish here and now I am sure everyone will be very impressed with the platforms.

Terry Fairbrother, Benwick Angling club secretary, said: "This project will be great for our club and for fishing in Benwick as a whole.

"It has improved access and comfort for all anglers and made the venue safer especially for children and older members.

"The platforms were in use from the first day of the season and club bookings have already increased dramatically as a result of the improvements.

"It's great to see the Environment Agency putting something back."


Onto the result of this big match now and what a result the venue produced with big fish weights showing from several areas.

The main hotspot was the Burtons Farm section which saw lots of bream and tench showing. Top rod with an excellent 37lb 4oz net of bream was Steve Welford who fished a positive approach, feeding heavily with chopped worm and caster to net 10 big bream on the long pole line.

Norfolk rod Mike Whittaker, guesting for Bourne Match Group, was in the same section and finished second with 34lb. His catch included a mixture of tench and bream.

On the team front it was Browning Hotrods Red who took the honours with an excellent nine point penalty score. Their nearest rivals and league leaders Fox Match Stanjay from Huntingdon were well beaten on 16 points.

There is a fortnight's break now before the next match which moves over to the Wide Welland and Coronation Channel.

I have heard that skimmers and bream have been taken from the Welland but the Coronation Channel has got no recent form at all, so an upset on the team front could be on the cards.

Result: 1 S. Welford, Browning Hotrods Red, 37lb 4oz; 2 M. Whittaker, Bourne MG, 34lb; 3 A. Palmer, Holbeach, 29lb 7oz; 4 C. Hardman, Wades MG, 25lb 13oz; 5 R. Young, FM Stanjay, 22lb 8oz;

Teams: 1 Browning Hotrods Red 9pts; 2 FM Stanjay 16; 3 Bourne A 20; 4 Browning Hotrods White 31; 5= Sensas Mark One Gold and Van den Eynde 34.

League: 1 FM Stanjay 4pts; 2 Browning Hotrods Red 5; 3= Van den Eynde and Bourne MG A 8; 5 Browning Hotrods White 12.


BENWICK Angling Club moved over to Floods Ferry as their usual pegs in the town were taken up by the big match.

Kevin Gaunt was well out in front with 14lb 4oz.