We've all seen and heard of many last-minute moments, when a solitary fish meant the difference between winning and losing. However, it becomes more acute and significant where international matches are concerned, In internationals, and indeed many continental matches, any hooked fish prior to the final signal MUST be netted and clear of the water BEFORE it's sounded, unlike the UK where you tend to get 15-20 minutes after the final whistle to play and land a fish.

England's joint manager Mark Addy looks towards Sean as the minutes tick by... wondering!On the banks of the Guadiana River in the dying minutes of the 57th World Angling Championships, one such defining moment occurred....
It was looking grim for England as the clock ticked closer to the last 5 minute signal, for Sean had already 'pricked' and lost two fish. He was well aware that he was currently lying around 13th in the section, a position, which could possibly cost England dear. What must have been going through his head before that 5 minute signal we can only imagine... and be thankful it wasn't one of us! But Sean, like the rest of the England team, is a true competitor right to the end, and I'm sure that his confidence of picking up a fish before the final whistle, never wavered for one minute... did it Sean?

But then, as if someone had waved a magic wand on the sound of the 5 minute whistle, the float buried and Sean hooked into a fish... and it was a decent one. Taking his time, he slowly but surely drew the fish closer to the waiting landing net and with just a minute to go before the final all-out signal, Sean lifted out a carp of just over 1.5kg and thereby effectively made sure of the Team Gold for England.

To say that there were also a few pulsating hearts behind Sean would be an understatement, not least of which was that of England joint manager Mark Addy. In ounce, or gram terms, that carp was worth its weight in gold, quite literally!

So was this the defining moment for England... what do you think?

Here is the sequence of Sean's last-minute capture of that most valuable carp. Allowing approximately half-a-minute before our camera took position, the whole sequence was recorded on it's internal clock... and it was 4.07 minutes!!! It highlighted an important feature of playing a fish, that of using Pulla-Bungs. Already an essential tool in any UK match anglers kit, the Pulla-Bung allows you to control the speed of which a fish can be landed... but not always safely. They do place a strain on the hook-hold and line, so it takes practice to know when the whole system feels right. We shall be looking at the actions of playing hard-fighting fish later and try to come up with the right solution for you. The Belgians are already using this system for big fish.
Sean's final catch weighed in at 5.150kgs and it's safe to assume that without that carp, England may well have had to settle for the silver!Our appreciation goes to our unpaid part-time photograher Sally, for all the last-gasp action-hero shots!