The Doncaster sports star has added another glittering prize to his haul

Doncaster angling superstar Tommy Pickering has added another catch to his impressive array of trophies - after being crowned World Veteran Champion.

The much-acclaimed city fisherman beat off the competition to scoop gold at the World Championships in Croatia and also helped England to silver in the team event.

Talking to Angling Trust Competions after his victory, Tommy said: “I fished the best two matches of my life.

“I’ve had chances in this match in the past two years, and lost fish have cost me – I guess it went my way this time.

“It was very much my cup of tea and very British fishing, on the waggler through the water feeding a little ball of groundbait each time and coming back with a fish every cast.”

Tommy has scooped a string of fishing’s biggest titles during his glittering career - first landing gold at the world championships in 1989.

The win makes him the only angler to have won gold in both events.

And Tommy won it using the same method that got him victory 37 years ago in Bulgaria – the waggler.

Drawing B section on Croatia’s Pionirski Lake at the Ivanec complex on both days, he fished a 10g waggler at between 30m and 25m with maggots and worm sections to take nets of 4-000 and 5-300, made up of small roach, skimmers and carassio.

He added: ”On day one I drew peg 11 in B section, which I was happy with as I felt the section was going to be quite fair.

“The plan was to start on the waggler and feed the pole line for the final hour when the carassio moved closer in.

“I never had to pick the pole up though, as my bankrunner Harry Billing was brilliant and told me I was winning the section so keep going on the waggler.

“I think I caught 112 roach, two skimmers and eight carassio for 4-000 and the section win by well over a kilo.

“Drawing in the same section on day two was great but peg 1, I felt wasn’t the best.

“There was a weedbed at 30m so I had to fish a bit shorter and as a result, didn’t catch as many fish,” Tommy explained,

“However, there were more carassio, fished between 4oz and 1lb, on the waggler fishing exactly the same as the day before.

“I finished on 40 roach, 14 carassio and a bonus 3lb carp. I caught the carp with an hour to go, and it put me well up, but that final hour was the longest 60 minutes I’ve ever had in fishing waiting for the whistle!”

“I’d won the section with over five kilos, so was on two points, but I’m old enough and wise enough to not take anything for granted, so when the news was confirmed, it was chaos!

“A great moment rounded off with a silver for the team, who all worked so, so hard. I’m chuffed for all of them, but especially the boys on the bank – Dickie Carr, Keith Austin and Kev Folwell. They’re the ones who really put the graft in.

“Team gold would have been nice, but silver will do just as well,” he added.