A huge congratulations to Dai Gribble who was voted this year’s Drennan Cup winner!
As well as collecting the famous trophy, Dai also received a winners’ cheque for £2,000, which helps reward the time and dedication spent chasing the biggest coarse fish in the country.
In the closest-ever finish in the Drennan Cup’s 31-year history, Dai became the envy of the big fish scene when votes cast by previous weekly winners put him just two points ahead of Yorkshire’s Tony Smith.
Dai sent shockwaves through the angling world when he began his campaign with an incredible string of tench hauls. He first banked a huge 13lb 3oz fish that was backed up by no fewer than seven other double-figure specimens during an unforgettable session in May at Medway Valley Fisheries in Kent.
Just a few weeks later he switched to another venue and made tench fishing history when he banked the biggest-ever tench caught by design weighing in at a colossal 14lb 12oz. The specimen later graced his net for a second time, this time, an ounce heavier at 14lb 13oz!
Not only did he land 16 double-figure tench during the spring, but his summer was completed when he struck gold again, this time with another species – a 20lb 10oz bream, along with six other ‘doubles’ that secured his third Drennan Weekly Award of the season.
“By the end of June I’d made five catches that were all once-in-a-lifetime achievements in their own right, and anglers that I hold in the highest regard were saying ‘Dai you’ve got the Drennan in the bag’. I didn’t even dare to dream that this could be the case,” he told Angling Times.
Peter Drennan said: “In any other season Tony Smith with four awards across four different species would have walked away as the overall winner. But a run of giant tench and most of all a truly massive 20lb+ bream drew a tiny majority of the discerning voters in favour of Dai.
“What a fantastic season both of these dedicated specimen hunters have enjoyed, so serious congratulations to them!”
Drennan Cup 2015–16 Results:
- 1st: Dai Gribble – Numbers of double figure tench to 13lb 3oz, a 14lb 12oz tench and a 20lb 10oz bream
- 2nd: Tony Smith – An 18lb bream, tench to 13lb 13oz, a 5lb 6oz eel and barbel to 16lb 9oz
- 3rd: Mike Lyddon – Tench to 11lb 8oz, perch to 4lb 9oz and a 31lb pike
- 4th: Carl Garratt – 41lb pike from Chew Valley Lake
Weekly Drennan Cup prizes are awarded to anglers who have caught specimen fish by design. Weekly winners receive an £80 prize, while the overall champion each season gets £2,000 plus their name engraved on the prestigious trophy.