JAMIE HUGHES won a record breaking third Vanarama Fish’O’Mania title as he hit the lead on the 3 o’clock mark on a sunny afternoon and never let go to claim victory. His final tally of 26.900kg was to net him the £50,000 top prize as well as the unique trophy, which was presented by last year’s champion Andy May.
Wirral man Hughes, who had won this event in 2013 and then 2015 with 68.47kg and then 16.60kg respectively, held the all-time Fish’O’Mania record along with Matt Hall, a winner in 2003 and 2009. Now, he stands alone in the record books following another assured performance off favoured peg 7.
In fact, the long line of punters waiting to collect from on-course bookmaker Gary Wiltshire, was testimony to Hughes’ standing with Cudmore Fisheries crowd. The £50,000 prize brings Hughes Fish’O’Mania takings up to a cool £110,000.
Said a thrilled Jamie Hughes, “It is unbelievable, it is something I never thought was possible. I had been chasing Fish‘O’Mania titles for ten years now – at first the dream was to get to the final, then to win in, but three titles – it isn’t meant to happen.
“I was made up with my peg. In that third of the lake you have a chance. I knew I was catching fish and I was there or thereabouts. I was feeling it slip a little when I was struggling to catch towards the end but everybody seemed to stop catching at the end and I had done enough.
“The plan was to fish for everything at first. I caught a couple of carp and some silver fish and it was going alright and then the silver fish seemed to stop feeding completely so I decided to fish for carp and I caught ten or 12 in the last couple of hours.
“The money is going towards the house, hopefully it will pay the house off.”
The battle for second place was an exciting tournament within a tournament as veteran Steve Jackson, multi-Fish’O’Mania finalist Andy Power and last year’s third place finisher Ross Harold battled it out. In the end it was Power, making his sixth appearance who came through in the final half hour to nick the £10,000 prize.
Commented Power, “They turned up for me in the last hour. The wind changed direction and I had the ripple. I could see there wasn’t a lot being caught so I knew if I kept going I had a chance of second.
“Going from a bad day, catching nothing, to having a few fish in front of me, was all a mad rush,” he said.
Vanarama Fish‘O’Mania XXIV – Results
1 JAMIE HUGHES 26.900 7
2 ANDY POWER 21.875 2
3 ROSS HAROLD 21.250 14
4 STEVE JACKSON 20.050 8
5 STEVE COOKE 13.825 15
6 CHRIS WEEDER 13.760 6
7 BOB GILES 13.100 3
8 TONY CURD 12.350 13
9 JASON REDGRAVE 12.125 12
10 ADAM RICHARDS 12.025 11
11 LEE BENNETT 11.725 1
12 MARKUS BILLEN 11.575 22
13 STEPHEN OPENSHAW 10.650 10
14 BEN SHARP 7.725 18
15 JASON COLLINS 7.000 5
16 STEVEN HAMILTON 6.525 16
17 STEVE BARRACLOUGH 5.025 23
18 PAUL BLINKHORN 5.010 9
19 DAVE ROBERTS 4.700 20
20 COLIN SCOTT 4.550 24
21 RICHARD CHAPMAN 4.300 25
22 WILL RAISON 4.125 17
23 LEE KERRY 1.825 21
24 KEITH PENTLAND 1.525 19
25 ANDY ADAMS 0.925 4
9th Weigh-In
1. J Hughes 26.150
2. A Power 16.700
3. S Jackson 15.975
8th Weigh-In
1. J Hughes 23.275
2. S Jackson 16.700
3. R Harold 15.975
7th Weigh-In
1. J Hughes 20.750
2. R Harold 13.825
3. S Jackson 12.075
6th Weigh-In
1. J Hughes 14.475
2. R Harold 10.400
3. L Bennett 10.275
5th Weigh-In
1. L Bennett 9.600
2. J Hughes 9.050
T3. R Harold 8.350
T3. A Richards 8.350
4th Weigh-In
1. J Hughes 9.050
2. B Giles 7.325
3. C Weeder 7.075
3rd Weigh-In
1. C Weeder 6.900
2. B Giles 6.800
3. R Harold 6.275
2nd Weigh-In
1. B Giles 6.800
2. S Cooke 5.025
3. A Richards 4.300
1st Weigh-In
1. B Giles 3.300
2. J Hughes 3.200
3. M Billen 2.820
