07.09.17

Match Academy Star Students Join The Team!

The 2017 Guru Match Academy saw star graduates, Nathan Mills and Harry Peet, each secure a one-year £1000 Tackle Guru Sponsorship deal!

The second-year format for the event was similar to the previous year, with countrywide students applying for the Academy. Successful applicants spent the morning with the Guru’s at Makins Fishery in Warwickshire, where they learned a syllabus of techniques and skills. After a lunch break and tactical talk, it was competition time as the youngsters battled it out in a three-hour match. Meanwhile, our team of Guru’s had close eyes on all, with the task to choose one young Guru from each day to join the team on a 12-month £1000 sponsorship deal!

On both days it proved agonizingly difficult to choose winners, and the sponsorship choice was based on much more than the results of the match. Brand Manager, Adam Rooney explained: “Between all the Guru’s, we looked to select two young anglers that had a variety of assets. Firstly, and as you’d expect, we needed them to be great anglers. However, we also looked closely at their attitude on the bank towards people and the fishing. We needed to pick anglers with the drive to learn, and we had a great insight as to how well they listened and learned during coaching. We were looking for outgoing anglers, who were enthusiastic and pushed themselves, and choosing was a mind-mashing task! On behalf of all the Guru’s I want to say how impressed we were with all the young anglers. You were all a pleasure to work with, and I hope we’ll see everyone back year-on-year.

Nathan Mills, Essex, winner of Day One £1000 Tackle Guru sponsorship deal.

Harry Peet, Manchester, winner of the Day Two £1000 Tackle Guru sponsorship deal.

“On the first day, Nathan Mills from Essex caught all of our eyes. Partnered with Guru’s Mark Griffiths, he was super-keen to learn a variety of skills as the duo practiced numerous methods from the Pellet Waggler, to the Method Feeder, bomb and pole. Nathan was keen to ask questions, and always had a smile on his face. When it came to the match in the afternoon, he gave an excellent demonstration of what he’d learned in the morning, and we could all see that he’d progressed through the Academy, taking in and applying all he had learned. It’s going to be a pleasure helping him out over the next 12-months!

“The second day proved equally difficult to choose a star student, and it was a young man who we met last year who was chosen – Harry Peet from Manchester. The thing that struck us immediately was how much he had improved from last year, embracing what he learned at the Academy and applying it in his own fishing. Working with our Guru, Mikey Williams, Harry showed a class performance and displayed some excellent techniques. His casting was incredibly accurate, and after a lesson from Mikey he showed he could adapt and change methods to keep fish coming throughout the match in the afternoon. I’m sure Harry has plenty to offer in terms of ideas and we’re all exited to work with both the new young Gurus going forward!”

Next year’s Guru match Academy is already in the pipeline. Keep your eyes peeled for applications been taken after Christmas, when the dates and arrangements will be announced.

Mainline Match Baits and Daiwa sponsored the Academy with some awesome prizes!

Mikey and Harry - a duo not to be reckoned with!

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