Understanding Match Fishing....or Not.

[maverick 7]

I thought about putting this thread under the Match Fishing Section but I think it involves more Coarse Fishing opinions than anything else. Anyway, last weekend I visited a local commercial and it appears that there was a local match going on so I hung around for a while looking over this fence at the competitors.

First fish I saw caught was a skimmer around a pound and a half....from the moment it was hooked to the moment it was in the keepnet...it lasted barely 10 seconds...the poor fish was skimmed across the surface like you would an empty swimfeeder.

The next fish was of a better stamp...maybe 3 or 4lb and that one took all of 20 seconds to get in the net...and it went on for the duration of my stay which was probably about an hour.....what is going on with these guys?

Normally I am a man who understands the term "everyone to their own"....but this just doesn't seem right to me. Are these people there solely for the money? Do they have ANY respect at all for the fish they are trawling through the water? I always thought the first and foremost thing anglers derived from angling was pleasure...but it didn't seem that way with these guys.

I don't like commercial fisheries but I do appreciate their existence although I loathe the way these type of anglers fish the venues. It seems that nothing else matters other than winning the bloody match...no thought at all for fish welfare.

....but I suppose that's part and parcel of commercial match fishing for you.

Maverick

 

[peter crabtree]

How long should it take to land, unhook and drop a 3lb skimmer in the net?

 

[itsfishingnotcatching]

How long should it take to land, unhook and drop a 3lb skimmer in the net?

Those Bream fight like crazy Simon :wh

 

[cg74]

How long should it take to land, unhook and drop a 3lb skimmer in the net?

Surely that mainly depends on the distance it was caught at?

 

[Derek Gibson]

And the tackle used.

 

[thecrow]

How long should it take to land, unhook and drop a 3lb skimmer in the net?

As long as it takes to not damage the fish in the process remembering that its likely that fish that live in commercials will be caught more often than a fish in say a river.

 

[no-one in particular]

Not forgetting the lure of the Filthy Lucre- all principles out of the window. !

 

[theartist]

Saw a guy last week catching many barbel to low doubles and each one took less than ten seconds to net, splashing on the surface in the process. Mine on the other hand probably took ten mins each time to land on my float gear, who's to say what's better but I know which I prefer.

 

[law]

This is why I'll never get back into match fishing.
Fish care seems to have been forgotten. One of the places I fish has a match lake and I regularly see people putting 15lb carp in the keepnet after being dragged out in a matter of seconds.

 

[nicepix]

How long should it take to land, unhook and drop a 3lb skimmer in the net?

Dunno. I've never considered the possibility of putting one in a net

But it seems that landing bream is calculated in increments of 10 seconds per 24 ounces

 

[caelan]

its not about a time just catch it land it I have caught plenty of bream
I don't think I hooked an landed any thing like 10seconds at that rate if they were on the feed that angler would need 10 keepnets in a match

 

[Rich P]

Isn't that why they're called 'skimmers'......?

 

[Titus]

I have no time for the anathema which is modern match fishing. It is so far removed from "The Contemplative Man's Recreation" that it is barely recognisable.

It is also the main reason that, despite being a long time member of the old ACA (Anglers Conservation Association), I will never give a penny to the the angling trust while they continue to support it.

 

[maverick 7]

I have no time for the anathema which is modern match fishing. It is so far removed from "The Contemplative Man's Recreation" that it is barely recognisable.

It is also the main reason that, despite being a long time member of the old ACA (Anglers Conservation Association), I will never give a penny to the the angling trust while they continue to support it.

This is exactly the point I am trying to make Titus ...despite the sarcastic comments that always seem in abundance on this forum...and always from the usual suspects too....smart arse replies like.. "isn't that why they call them skimmers"....amongst many other "witty" replies....I thought I made it pretty clear what I meant.

The point being that match fishing as I remember it in my teens certainly is far removed from what it is now as Titus rightly says...I was never a regular match angler but the matches I participated in was never like these are back in the day....a lot of the pleasure that I...and it seemed at the time many others derived from angling.... was actually playing the fish out depending on the strength of tackle employed and obviously the size of the fish..

What I saw last weekend was not what I personally would derive any pleasure from.... not to mention the bad handling of the fish to boot.

They can keep that style of fishing....definitely not for me.

Maverick

---------- Post added at 15:22 ---------- Previous post was at 15:20 ----------

its not about a time just catch it land it I have caught plenty of bream
I don't think I hooked an landed any thing like 10seconds at that rate if they were on the feed that angler would need 10 keepnets in a match

Sometimes Caelan...they have as many 4 keepnets on the go in commercial fishing matches.

Maverick

 

[stevejay]

All fair points but I think we need to differentiate rather than labelling all match fishing in this way. I too have issues with venues where 4 or more nets are needed and every entrant is expected to weigh in a hundred pounds. Agree that some of the winning weights at such venues mean the competition is as much about strength and stamina than pure angling skill.

However, there are certain disciplines of match fishing that retain the traditional principles. The canal match scene for instance, especially at harder venues, traditional river matches (making a comeback) with stick floats etc.

So whilst there are some issues I think commercial venue match fishing is also far removed from a lot of more traditional types of match fishing.

 

[no-one in particular]

Do match anglers go pleasure fishing? Do they lose the ability to enjoy fishing for the sake of it? Does it just become a means to compete and to win something?

I just wondered, I am not a match angler and have no idea whether this is the case but, I think I could be like that if I took it up full time professionally. Would I lose all interest in going fishing for pleasure? and fish where just a means to an end. I doubt this applies to the club or pleasure angler fishing in an occasional match but, I imagine the professional match angler must become "blase" about the fish and fishing as a sport if that's the right word. Fish just become "objects" where there numbers or weight is all that's important. I am not condoning it however, I can see how this would be the case given what human nature is. There's a sort of inevitability about it.

 

[itsfishingnotcatching]

Just substitute "Carps Angler", "Pikey", "Barbel Basher" or "ATr member" for Match Angler and emphasise all their bad points. It seems some on here merely seek to stir up animosity between the different forms of angling,
"Divide & Conquer".

Before jumping on the bandwagon be aware you are probably some Troll's next target.

 

[no-one in particular]

Just substitute "Carps Angler", "Pikey", "Barbel Basher" or "ATr member" for Match Angler and emphasise all their bad points. It seems some on here merely seek to stir up animosity between the different forms of angling,
"Divide & Conquer".

Before jumping on the bandwagon be aware you are probably some Troll's next target.

I am not jumping on the bandwagon Itsfish---, just taking part in the debate and giving some thought to it. I am actually defending the match angler and saying that theirs a bit of inevitability about it, its not there fault , its just human nature. That I could be the same and anyone else for that matter if I or they took up match fishing professionally. Its true I do not know this for sure , I just think its a possibility and couldn't be helped given the nature of the game.

Speed must be crucial to winning some matches so, its inevitable that participants will give this a priority. Its not preventable.

 

[maverick 7]

All fair points but I think we need to differentiate rather than labelling all match fishing in this way. I too have issues with venues where 4 or more nets are needed and every entrant is expected to weigh in a hundred pounds. Agree that some of the winning weights at such venues mean the competition is as much about strength and stamina than pure angling skill.

However, there are certain disciplines of match fishing that retain the traditional principles. The canal match scene for instance, especially at harder venues, traditional river matches (making a comeback) with stick floats etc.

So whilst there are some issues I think commercial venue match fishing is also far removed from a lot of more traditional types of match fishing.

Totally agree Steve........and we are only referring to commercial match fishing in this thread anyway. I have in the past also watched many canal matches as around my neck of the woods we have quite a few very decent canals to fish. You are spot on when you say they still retain that familiar and far more acceptable match attitude....and so do the ones on the rivers too ...but commercials....a different animal altogether.

Maverick

---------- Post added at 02:26 ---------- Previous post was at 02:18 ----------

Do match anglers go pleasure fishing? Do they lose the ability to enjoy fishing for the sake of it? Does it just become a means to compete and to win something?

I just wondered, I am not a match angler and have no idea whether this is the case but, I think I could be like that if I took it up full time professionally. Would I lose all interest in going fishing for pleasure? and fish where just a means to an end. I doubt this applies to the club or pleasure angler fishing in an occasional match but, I imagine the professional match angler must become "blase" about the fish and fishing as a sport if that's the right word. Fish just become "objects" where there numbers or weight is all that's important. I am not condoning it however, I can see how this would be the case given what human nature is. There's a sort of inevitability about it.

That is about the conclusion I am coming to too Mark.....I am really not sure if these people have "lost" something in the art of angling...they seem hell bent on just winning and the fish simply DO become just a number or a weight and a means to an end.....nothing more.

Not the way I was brought up to fish..... nor the way to treat them too....

Maverick

 

[mccn]

Hi all,

Some very good points made (with a little sarcasm for good measure) lol. Can i just say that there is several ways to look at all areas of the sport? I will give you some good examples of matches i fish/and organise at my local park lakes (they are not closed to any other day ticket anglers and are walk off matches whereby we fit ourselves in:
1. Some match anglers are exactly as being described and i've even disqualified anglers for certain levels of fish abuse (mixing carp with silver fish in a keepnet as an example).
2. I've witnessed and argued with carp anglers who have been either drunk or intoxicated with drugs who take an eternity to get out of their bivvy's to hit a running fish and lots of times they have hit a snag and become tethered (not nice)
3. This winter i have witnessed pike anglers so far away from their rods that when they have had a run or their pike float has disappeared they end up hooking the pike deep causing alsorts of problems when it comes to unhooking.

What i'm trying to say is that there are faults with all avenues of fishing which need to be addressed which do include match anglers (which breaks my heart as i have been one for many. many years).