Thales Match Report 2025

Despite recent works, Hunters was still looking wonderful

We gathered, as is tradition, at 8am sharp for what promised to be a memorable day of fishing. What wasn’t typical, however, was the weather — finally, it seemed to be on our side. The sun was already climbing in a clear blue sky, and forecasts suggested it could be the warmest day of the year so far. Spirits were high, and there was a palpable sense of anticipation in the air as we prepared ourselves for a day on the bank at Hunters Pool.

We knew in advance that Bob Hallworth would be running a few minutes behind, so — as agreed — we drew our pegs without him, leaving him the choice between peg 10 or 12 once he arrived. With nine anglers in total turning out, it was a well-attended match. Everyone began setting up in good time, ready for the all-in at 9am, with Bob arriving a wee bit later and the day’s fishing got underway in earnest.

The opening moments of any match are always a tense and exciting affair — anglers casting nervous glances around, trying to suss out who’s into a fish first, and just how big those early catches might be. It wasn’t long before rods started bending and nets started to see some action. Despite a couple of brief showers interrupting the sunshine, the bites kept coming steadily for most.

From my spot on peg 18, I had a great vantage point across the lake and could see that Jamie Adam was off to a flyer — putting together a tidy bag of carp, bream, and perch. His work mugging fish moving through from the smaller pool into the main water was particularly effective. Meanwhile, both Mark Bowden and Bob Hallworth were quietly building solid hauls, consistently pulling in fish and keeping themselves in contention.

As always, we’d like to extend our sincere thanks to Thales, whose ongoing support continues to be invaluable. Their generosity in sponsoring the day and hiring Hunters Pool exclusively for our use is something we truly appreciate. It’s thanks to their commitment that this event is typically the first pencilled into the calendar each year — and it’s easy to see why. There’s something really special about this day: good fishing, good company, and a brilliantly-run venue. With the sun shining and fish feeding, it was one of those days that reminds us why we love the sport so much. Here’s to Thales for making it all possible once again — and here’s to next year’s match, which we’re already looking forward to!

And now, on to the all-important results…

A much deserved (Thales) Winner, Dave Reid