PAIRS VICTOR TAKES INDIVIDUAL HONOURS IN FIVE-DAY BATTLE
ONE of the pairing that wins the overall competition often figures highly in the race to win the Daiwa Cup, an individual event run alongside the main match.
And so it proved this year, as Michael Buchwalder led the way with 73-060 across the week, followed by his partner Roddy Scott on 69-840.
Michael took £1,000 plus a £1,500 Daiwa tackle voucher while Rod pocketed £750 and a £1,000 voucher to add to their already bulging wallets after they took the pairs overall. Jamie Harrison was third with 67-320. .
“I don’t think there’s been a year where the top pair have been first and second in the Daiwa Cup, so it’s a bit special,” Michael said.
“I thought Roddy might pip me on the last day – but my peg at Killadeas, although not as good as his, was better than I thought and I just got in front of him!”
Day one gave Michael Bunerky Lake and he picked off 12 bream plus a few hybrids fishing Window feeder and redworm at 60m range for 12-950. Tuesday produced 11-1350 of roach, perch and hybrids on window feeder and floating maggots from a shallow peg on Garradice.
“I drew on the Erne on Wednesday and caught 19 big hybrids on window feeder and floating maggots on a long tail for 14 kilos and had the same weight on Thursday from Lough Scur,” Michael revealed.
“That day it was blowing a gale but there were so many small skimmers to catch on the pole that I fished at 6m with groundbait, maggots and worms. That was the only time I got the pole out of the bag all week.
“The final day was also wild and windy. I was at Killadeas and I didn’t really fancy it, but I had 24 hybrids for 21-000 on the Window feeder. My first fish was 4lb, so you can see what a big stamp they were,” he added.
1 M Buchwalder, Preston Innovations, 73-060; 2 R Scott, Vale Royal Angling Centre, 69-840; 3 J Harrison, Matrix/Bait-Tech, 67-320; 4 S Ringer, Daiwa/Guru, 64-000; 5 D Barlow, Drennan, 56-960; 6 H Whittle, Sensas Starlets, 59-320.