Catch a Crucian Month - The Winners!

This entry was posted on 3rd August, 2016

After some superb photographs and some very tight judging decisions, the winners and runners-up of the Catch a Crucian Month Photographic Competition, which was run throughout June, have now been announced. The results for each category are:

Best Crucian Picture 1st Richie Martin – a stunning shot of four dark Crucians, caught from Harris Lake on Godalming Angling Society’s Marsh Farm complex, lying on the unhooking mat.

2nd Stuart Harris – a brace of crucians lying beside vintage tackle, caught from an ancient moat in Hampshire.

3rd Vinny Coulson – a large crucian being released back into a north west still water.



Best Specimen Crucian Picture

1st Andy Lewis – a lovely photo of a high-backed 2lb 5oz Crucian; a fish the captor had been pursuing for several seasons.

2nd Vinny Coulson – a fin perfect 2lb 14oz Crucian caught from a venue in the north west.

3rd Kevin Durman – a beautiful brace of 2lb Crucians caught from Harris Lake at Marsh Farm (the reward for a 180-mile round trip!).



Best Junior Picture

1st Michael Ewing, aged 7 – a gorgeous golden Crucian of around 2lb caught on waggler-fished worm from Marsh Farm (pictured above).

2nd Phoebe Cutter – a very happy Phoebe holding a lovely Crucian caught from Long Ponds in Suffolk on float-fished sweetcorn.

3rd Chloe Abbott, aged 6 – a nice Crucian caught from Claremont Farm in Clatterbridge on float-fished sweetcorn.

Best Scenic Picture

1st John Spilsbury – a beautifully-lit photograph of a traditional float sitting next to yellow flowering water lilies.

2nd Stuart Harris – a striking photo of an ancient and neglected moat inhabited by large Crucians in Hampshire.

3rd David Redwood – the float sits beside large flowering lily pads in a common Crucian fishing scene.

Winners will each receive a £100 Angling Direct voucher to spend on the tackle of their choice, a copy of Peter Rolfe’s book dedicated to crucians, Crock of Gold, in addition to a special tailored selection of Crucian groundbaits, pellets and additives from popular bait suppliers Bait-Tech. The runners-up will each receive the bucket of Bait-tech bait worth £35.

The Angling Trust and the National Crucian Conservation Project teamed up with the Association of Crucian Anglers who conceived the idea of designating June 2016 as 'Catch a Crucian Month'. The competition was designed to promote crucians as a species, to assist in the recognition of true crucians, to encourage more anglers to take up crucian fishing and to highlight the immediate need to develop specific crucian waters in line with the aims of the National Crucian Conservation Project.

Entries were judged by a panel of Crucian enthusiasts: leading expert on crucian carp in the UK, Peter Rolfe; Passion for Angling filmmaker Hugh Miles; well-respected specimen angler and founder of the National Crucian Conservation Project, Chris Turnbull; famous author and vintage tackle aficionado Chris Yates; and big-fish angler and Angler’s Mail columnist Gary Newman.

Peter Rolfe, competition judge said: “I was grateful for the chance to be one of the judges in this lovely crucian photo competition. There were some splendid entries for all the categories and it is so encouraging that anglers, naturalists and conservationists are becoming much more aware of this beautiful and remarkable fish, thanks in no small part to events like this. I do hope it will become an annual event on the angling calendar.”

Chris Turnbull, campaigner for Crucian conservation said: “Crucians are one of the UK's most loved summer species but in a short space of time they have become highly endangered and therefore it is really important that we anglers work to prevent their demise. The first step must be in education so what a great idea this photo competition has been as part of that process and I am honoured to be associated with it.”

James Champkin, new Angling Trust Campaigns Officer who managed the entries to the competition website added: “The number and quality of entries into the competition this year have been fantastic and as a keen crucian angler myself it’s been very rewarding to be a part of this initiative. Seeing so many anglers, particularly juniors, getting out there and specifically targeting crucians is brilliant and I hope that more fisheries will now start to recognise the importance of implementing the correct management measures to conserve this very special species.”