The Go Fishing Show and Fish O'Mania 2009

[Graham Marsden]

This is a dedicated thread for discussing article: The Go Fishing Show and Fish O'Mania 2009

 

[Mark Wintle]

It's a shame it's so far away - an 8 hour round trip makes it just too far. But at least much of the rip-off of the NEC has gone.

I enjoyed the video which was very high quality and the way to go for web content.

 

[Merv Harrison]

Watched the event on Sky, superb coverage, interviews whilst contestants were fishing because of 'hook-ups', to me, made it all the more enjoyable. Also friday evenings Tight Lines, on which Matt Hall was delighted to be fishing peg 16 an unfancied peg. Also pegs 14-15-16 providing the top three weights.
As mentioned, the Barbel DID look in tip top condition. Re the venue, a circular pond with an island in the middle just does'nt do it for me, it just looked wrong.

 

[Cakey]

I watched it on sky also ,fell asleep here and there but overall it was good
like your vid Graham nice to see behind the scenes

 

[Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC)]

a circular pond with an island in the middle just does'nt do it for me, it just looked wrong.

Yep, me neither. It's 'that sort of fishery' that's done for angling what Macdonalds did for 'eating out'.

In my minds eye I see fish swimming round in a cirlce like the rubber ducks at the hook-a-duck stall at the fair ground.

ROLL UP ROLL UP.....

 

[Graham Marsden]

I agree about the circular pool, but you have to admit it's spot-on for the event, the cameras can zoom in for a front view on any of the contestants.

Try to look at it from a match angler's/TV viewer's aspect and consider that match anglers, pleasure (casual) anglers, and non-anglers, are the target audience.

 

[Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC)]

Good coverage Graham - think linking the Go Fishing Show with a fishing venue and event made sound "commercial" sense - sorry about the pun.

Whilst these sort of venues are not generally my cup of tea; there are commericals which have made even the doughnut an attractive venue. Monk Hall Farm in Shropshire is a prime example of how a commercial venue can become "naturalised" by excellent management.

Learned how to use my Heavy Metal from watching Uncle Dave rolling his bogies. However what was Nurse Cratchitt letting the two of you out .....rather a heavy responsibility for young Callum. And dressing Uncle Dave in light fawn slacks....tempting fate there!

Excellent piece Graham

Poshers:w

 

[Rodney Wrestt]

I watched it on T.V. too but I thought it was the slowest and least enjoyable one yet. I found the ones in Doncaster had a better atmosphere and there seemed to be more anglers catching in different areas. It was also strange that barbel were the main species caught over the head of carp.... and it was chopped worm and caster that held them in Matt's swim.

 

[Graham Marsden]

The barbel were in superb nick.

 

[Rodney Wrestt]

Yeah Graham, and they had packed in a lot of growing on since the last FishO, Tommy Pickering mentioned his surprise at how they'd grown on.

 

[Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC)]

But why did they NEED to put barbel in there? Surely the carp fulfill the large, hard fighting fish desire????

 

[ED (The ORIGINAL and REAL one)]

.....For a bit of variety,maybe ??

 

[Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC)]

Well if its for variety then they could throw in a few pike, catfish, zander, sturgeon, eels, mussels, terrapin, flounder, dog fish, cod, bass, etc too??????

 

[Rodney Wrestt]

Why not barbel? are they special?

 

[Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC)]

If you put barbel in a keep net for weighing later then there is a good chance that the first ray of its dorsal fin will get tangled in the net.

 

[Cakey]

thats why I asked on the Chavs v us thread about the 1/2hr weigh ins was for the barbel or for the TV

 

[Graham Marsden]

If you put barbel in a keep net for weighing later then there is a good chance that the first ray of its dorsal fin will get tangled in the net.

I suppose that depends on what type of net you use. A fine mesh one like the match lads use for carp didn't seem to be giving any problems on Saturday.

As for weighing in half-hourly at any of our matches I suppose it depends if we can organise it. Ideally we need a volunteer to rove the match length and do the job.

I think it was for the TV Cakey.

 

[Rodney Wrestt]

If you put barbel in a keep net for weighing later then there is a good chance that the first ray of its dorsal fin will get tangled in the net.

I see your point, their shape and length does seem inappropriate for keepnets, although they do have a separate retention system (I'm not sure if it's a wider keepnet or Queensford type setup) for fish deemed too large for the normal net and they can request an immediate weigh in of the fish, I'm not sure what the procedure is after that though.

As Graham said though the materials used is fish friendly and knotless also the dimensions are larger these days than they used to be.

 

[Bob Roberts]

Having officiated at several matches on commercial fisheries I cannot see how anyone differentiates between the serated dorsal of a barbel and that of a carp. They both have them and small carp in particular are notorious for getting hung up in keepnets.

On the subject of retention I have only ever witnessed one barbel die in a retaining system and that was in a Queensford of all things. I've yet to see a barbel keel over in a properly staked out keepnet and if I'm being perfectly honest with you, a Queensford is merely a small keepnet with a zip along the top rather than an open end. Whether it is even legal to use one is debatable because it doesn't meet the criteria laid down for minimum keepnet lengths.

It is fashionable to afford barbel 'special' status when it is no more precious than any other. In my current blog: http://www.bobrobertsonline.co.uk I broach this very subject.

Articficially reared barbel may yet be the saviours of angling, particularly on those river systems where natural recruitment is poor. But this comes at a price. Someone has to fund the breeding project and manage the surplus production in a way that is ecconomically sound and humane. Sales to commercial interests keep the price down and make the entire process viable.

The option is to slaughter the surplus fish stocks.

Which would you rather happen?

Without stillwater barbel the future for running water barbel is jeopardised. Without running water barbel what's left in our rivers? Where are the shoals of small chub and dace, of bream and roach. Those goliaths we catch today are not getting any younger and face increasing threats of predation.

Carp at the levels we see today are potentially unsustainable. They are not indigenous to the UK and the risk of currently known diseases and potentially ones we don't even know of yet could lead to a catastrophic collapse of our fish stocks. And then what do we have let?

Bio diversity is essential to future viability of fish stocks and for angling itself, be that in still or running water. To ring fence one species does no-one any favours.

 

[Rodney Wrestt]

That's surprising Bob, the Q.R.S. has always been viewed as a safer prospect for specimen fish (as long as it's staked out correctly and the fish is facing the right direction), much safer than the older sacks that were/are? used.