Garbolino backed superstar Grant Albutt bagged the richest prize in match fishing by winning the Parkdean Masters 25,000 pound winner take all final at White Acres recently. Grant a runner-up on two previous occasions bagged the best pay day of his illustrious angling career by putting in a stunning performance of shallow F1 fishing over the four hour event against the country's best commercial carp anglers to weigh in 78lb's. Well done to Grant from everyone at Garbolino, a top bloke and a stunning angler!
We asked Grant to comment about his win and let us know exactly how he caught, here are his comments: -
"Well I needed a section win on the last day to give me 31 points with a throw away a last in the section which was a bad result. I drew peg 4 on Trellawny which to be fair is one of the worst pegs in that section and during the week it had destroyed some top anglers, so I was out of the big final as far as I could see but I thought I would get my head down and catch as much out of my peg as I could. As it happens it fished very hard and I won the section with 32lb, 8lb clear of anyone else, so I got my section win and now it was a waiting game to see how every one else has done to see if I could sneak into the £25000 final! Sneak in I did as the 23rd angler out of 24! Close or what, but it didnt matter to me I was in that final and all I wanted was a chance. Morning came and at the draw everyone wanted 15 or 16. I was 23rd to draw so had to watch all the fancied pegs go. I pulled out peg 40, the same peg my mate Adam Wakelin drew last year and won it so I new if it wasnt going to be dominated by 15 & 16 I was in with a chance if the F1's were there and feeding. I set my stall out for a shallow attack and after 20 minutes I was on the pole fishing at 14m with a Karpa Slap float; a 6mm VDE pellet and 0.16mm Garbo Line line loose feeding 4mm feed pellets. It took 15 mins to get my first fish and then it was a steady catch rate throughout flicking my rig over making a slap on the water making a constant noise and loose feeding 5 to 12 pellets. I new I was winning as people were shouting down to me but then Des shipp started catching big fish and had overtaken me so as I was fishing I tried catching a little quicker and I was talking to myself saying there was no way I was comming second again to anyone and that helped me to step up a gear. 4 o'clock came and Steve Sanders told me I caught 20 F1's in the last hour and Des only had 2 fish for around 12lb but it was going to be close. As I didnt no how many F1's I had I was so nervous! Des had weighed 67lb and I wasnt sure that I had that. My first net went 40lb and at that point I had a fair idea it was mine as I new I had split my fish equally. The second weigh went straight round into the 30s thats all I needed to see. I roared like a lion the title was mine at last! I would like to take this opportunity to thank all who watched and congratulated me after the match and all the people who text and rang me, but most of all my biggest sponsors Garbolino who supply me with the best equipment that I need for the job and Sandra HALKON HUNT for keeping me dry and making me look smart as I am a bit of a tart! Thanks to anyone else i`ve missed you know who you are.
