The final week’s Drennan Cup awards will appear in the Angling Times next Tuesday, for the season 2013-14 just ended. Voting forms have been sent out to all the past weekly award winners!

Despite the terrible flooding and difficult conditions much of the country has experienced for prolonged periods, the nation’s top specimen anglers produced some truly spectacular catches.  Current 2012-13 Drennan Cup holder Gareth Goldson and Northampton Specimen Group member Jamie Cartwright both produced incredibly consistent seasons, with specimens of various species, both winning 4 weekly awards along the way.

Gareth, from Norfolk, enjoyed a stellar season in 2012-13 to lift the trophy, and he put up an incredible defence of the title with another jaw-dropping series of catches. In early spring Gareth bagged a number of stunning Scottish Roach, including fish of 3lb 2oz and 3lb. This was followed up with a big summer Chub from the little River Bure, and then a number of big Rudd to 3lb 3oz from the Fens. Autumn saw Gareth enjoy success on reservoirs, plundering Zander to 15lb 1oz and a bonus 4lb Perch! He added some big river Perch and then concluded his campaign with a glut of specimen Great Ouse Chub, his last week of the season producing no less than three fish over 7lb!

Jamie Cartwright’s season included Bream to 15lb 6oz in the Autumn, closely followed by some big Chub on the Ouse including a brace of 7lb+ specimens. In November he bagged a 15lb 5oz River Nene Barbel, before finishing the season with a string of 4lb plus Perch from the Great Ouse. Jamie actually finished 3rd in the 2010-11 cup campaign, so has already had a taste of cup success in the past – which he’ll be hoping to better this time round!

Also competing strongly for votes were two anglers who achieved 3 weekly Drennan Cup awards during the season. Oxfordshire’s Steve Russell made headlines in early July when he reported a staggering session haul of big Tench from one of his local Gravel pits, which included 4 doubles to 11lb 13oz in a single day, plus a further 4 Tench over 9lb! During the late Summer Steve reported a string of specimen River Nene Barbel, with different fish of 15lb 5oz, 16lb 6oz and 15lb 1oz over the course of just a few weeks. He then put in some time on various chalk streams, taking big Dace to 14oz and a host of large Grayling to 2lb 7oz.

Dr Paul Garner again produced some beautifully photographed specimen fish this season, and started with a huge haul of big Crucian Carp to 3lb 15oz. He followed that up in the Summer with specimen Barbel to 16lb 6oz from the River Dove, and then stillwater Perch to 4lb 2oz in the Autumn. Paul’s winter efforts were then rewarded with Roach over 2lb, plus a number of big stillwater Pike concluding with a 30lb 4oz fish from Chew – capping another terrific season.

Also worthy of mention, with 2 weekly awards each are a whole host of successful specimen anglers, including 2010-11 Drennan Cup champion Neill Stephen, 2007-08 champ Darran Goulder, plus Sam Edmonds, Trevor Pole, Dave Chambers, Dean Derbyshire, Geoff Collins, Kevin O’Kane and Gary Knowles!

If you are a past winner of a weekly Drennan Cup award, and haven’t received a voting from Angling Times in the last few days, please contact Ben Miles at Angling Times immediately, using [email protected] or call during office hours on 01733-395102.

The overall winner of the trophy, voted for by his peers, receives a cheque for £2000 from Drennan. 2nd place earns £1000, 3rd £500, and 4th place £250.
All four will have their names engraved on the plinth of the famous trophy.
Now get voting!