UK CARP CHAMPS HAVE FOLDED
A LONG-running carp match series has folded due to a lack of entrants after just one 2018 qualifier.
The UK Carp Championships, formerly known as the Eric’s Carp Cup, will not complete this year’s schedule, and would-be competitors will be refunded their entry fees.
The news comes in the same week a new singles competition was announced for 2019.
A statement from the UK Carp Championships organisers said: “Unfortunately, due to a lack of entrants it’s not a viable option.
“We only became involved in this to try to save a sinking ship – in hindsight it was already too late as people had committed time and money elsewhere.
“We apologise to anyone who took the trouble to enter and fish the one qualifier that did go ahead.”
Entry for the pairs event cost £420, with a first prize of £20,000 and a total prize pool of £29,000.
The statement continued: “All the people that actually fished a round will receive a voucher as compensation, as well as a full refund by July 3.”
Meanwhile, the team behind British Carp Cups announced a new singles event to join its roster of competitions in 2019.
Organiser Mick Coxon told Carpfeed that details had yet to be finalised, but that entry would cost around £250 a head, with eight rounds of qualifiers each filled by a maximum of 12 anglers.
Three anglers from each round will qualify for the final, with a top prize of £5,000.
Mick said he is weighing up whether or not to stage the final under ‘three best fish’ rules, which will debut in this year’s British Carp Cups pairs final.
Entries are expected to open in late October.