16 year-old Jack Damant of Ipswich, shocked himself as he took the Junior Fish’O’Mania title by half a kilo from Sam Collett of Leicester. The Suffolk lad netted himself a cool £1,000 for his efforts.
“It hasn’t quite sunk in,” he said immediately after the match.
“I am buzzing, I didn’t think I had won it, I thought I was second or third. I thought Sam Collett on the peg beside me had beaten me and I heard Tom Edwards was stacked up on small ide on peg five.
“This is my first year I have been here – it is absolute quality. It started off really hard because of the conditions. I started fishing tight across and I couldn’t hold it so I came 13 and a half metres and caught some F1s, ide, a few barbel, and when the wind came up I came down to the edge and caught some big skimmers, couple of bream, some big F1s and I had 17.200kg.
“Patience was the key. I do a lot of match fishing and the fishing today was the same tactics I use normally.
“I don’t know how I will spend the money yet – probably more fishing gear – and I will save the rest. I have just finished school and work at a water park on a Sunday.”
Fish’O’Mania XXII Juniors – Results
1. Jack Damant (Ipswich) – 17.200 kg (Peg 1)
2. Sam Collet (Leicester) – 16.475 kg (Peg 2)
3. Adam Swain (Boston) – 16.400 kg (Peg 3)
4. Tom Edwards (Spalding) – 16.125 kg (Peg 5)
5. William McCranor (Coventry) – 12.400 kg (Peg 6)
6. Yestyn Sephton (Leigh) – 7.850 kg (Peg 4)
