Feeder Ace Steve Ringer has been crowned champion after winning the 2024 Outlaw Pro backed UK Angling Championship. His section win at Barston made it a perfect 4 point score across events at Hallcroft, Makins and Rookery.
It wasn’t all plain sailing though as four-time UK Champ Andy Power and Defending Champ Jamie Hughes were right on his heels going into the final round. Carp on the T-Bag early on saw Steve take an early section lead, but a barren mid spell saw him drop to 3rd in section opening the door for Power and Hughes. He dug deep and a string of carp in the last hour put him back in command and the rest is history.
"With a perfect score of 3 points going into the last round at the mighty Barston lakes the pressure was well and truly on. A one point lead over Andy Power and just two points over Jamie Hughes plus a host of others meant there was no room for error," Steve told us.
"Wanting to leave nothing to chance I had two good practice days basically learning as much as I could about the PVA bag after getting some good information from Alex Walker."
"You might be thinking well why not hybrid feeder, well to cut a long story short when it came to carp the PVA bag out fished it," he added.
"I also decided whatever happened I was going to be positive; basically it was carp or bust. So at the draw I was over the moon to draw 28. Definitely a carp area and one with form."
"My only worry was it was freezing. And I wasn't sure what effect that would have. I opted for a 3 line approach. 52m long, then 40m on my bait up line. 40m I fed a hemp, corn, pellet mix through a bait up feeder. Then a pinging line at 25m."
"Kicked off at 52m on the PVA bag loaded with a pellet mix. Had a dream start catching two carp for 25lb after 30 minutes. Both on a Ringers orange slim wafter to a size 8 QM1 hook."
"Then I added another two F1's and I was flying, but as expected it died. During the next two hours I had nothing off any line."
Steve was getting a little bit desperate, knowing the chasing pack were catching well he had to do something to change his fortune. He decided to start a new line at 62m and cast past the baited area of his swim, making sure he cast more to the left as it appeared there were few carp present to his right.
"Thankfully this worked, it seemed everything had backed off into the wider area of the lake. Two carp for 20lb and I was back in the race, managing four more to finish with eight carp," he recalled.
"Despite trying numerous times I never had a single bite over bait, so the cold wind must have killed it."
"Come the end I knew it was tight in the section, my eight carp plus bits went 96lb which just edged Sam Williams 91lb."
"This gave me the perfect 4 section wins and the title I always wanted in the form of UK Champion."
"I Must add a congratulations to Jamie Hughes on second and Wako on third, with Wako also winning the match with 151lb from peg 18."
"Been a brilliant event that I've loved every second of, with the icing on the cake being finally getting over the line and my name on the coveted trophy. I might retire now," Steve joked.
The UK Champs has been running since 1984 so this year marked it’s 40th Anniversary. Highlights will be shown on TNT Sports on the 23rd October with net coverage of all events shortly afterwards on the Outlaw Pro YTchannell.
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