Lapsed Match Angler

[BAZ (Angel of the North) aka Fester]

Very quick to tell you it's their bush you are fishing to, or that's my line you are fishing on. But not so quick at telling you that you have too many fish in your net (despite the knowing whispering).

Match fishing comradship at its best. I'd tell them where to shove it, and suspect you might do the same.
I can already hear the cries of you should have read the rules.

Even with the weights of fish that were caught, their is no way I could be tempted to fish with such money grabbing morons. I can just see their smarmy looking faces right now. Oh yes , and how carefull they are at slipping fish into their keepnet without anybody else seeing them.

It brings it all flooding back. Counting their little coins out from their little leather purses.

 

[Ian Cloke]

What's up Baz?? Has a matchman started fishing on one of your waters mate?

 

[Danny Lancaster]

Looking for a wrap around yourself there Baz?

 

[Peter Bishop]

Neil ,speaking from all the vast experience one win in 20 years of fishing club matches brings,I am not sure you have the methodical, single minded approach necessary to suceed in the cut throat world of match angling. Such disorganisation of your kit is the kind of thing I might do on one of our outings so, whisper it quietly, commercials.
Our club contests, between around 30 anglers are a bit of laugh, more about the camaraderie than who wins-and thats the way I like it.
I dont know what venue you were fishing but the size and quantity of fish caught is both mindblowing and morally questionable. I've never ever filled two keep nets in a match and the idea of filling nine (where the hell do you position nine nets and fish the margin to your left?)seems too ridiculous for words.
Though not suggesting catching 1lbs 12 ozs of roach from a canal would be more satisfying, when someone can amass a weight as big as 400lbs plus during a match you have to question the morality of stocking waters to that level.

 

[Danny Lancaster]

Lets not forget that this was a "high stakes" match also. As Peter says, the local 20-30 peg knock ups are much more informal affairs. More of a get together than mega-serious comps.

 

[BAZ (Angel of the North) aka Fester]

If money is involved there is no sutch thing as a friendly match. I have seen the knives come out all for the sake of a ?5 win.

 

[Steve Spiller]

Neil, did you say he was a mate?

"Pools Fodder" springs to mind.

You need to work on the "sink the tip and scoop method" it's fast and very quiet!

 

[Terry D]

I'm with Baz on this. Money at stake then all's fair in love and war and the only crime is getting caught. You'll soon find out who your mates are.

 

[Ged]

How much does nine keepnets cost?
remember, they have to meet new standards for fish safty.
Also, what happend to the rule of no fish over 2lb to be kept in keepnets?

 

[Neil Maidment]

How do the films put it? "The story is based on true life events. However, names, places, etc etc have been changed to protect the innocent (guilty)"

My tale is almost true!

I used to be a "severe" matchman (Mark W. will probably concur I was a right pain in the arse). Matches were my reason to fish: club, open, winter league and national. I also somehow got involved as secretary and captain for our "works" team (Barclays Bank - trying to organise a national team spread across the entire country was not easy - our results proved it!). I chucked it all in 1988.

The weights now achieved on some commercials are immense. Gold Valley regularly produces 200lb+ and Willinghurst regularly 300lb+. When I worked at GV, 2 years ago, I weighed in a lot of matches, the biggest weight was 278lb in 4 hours (56 carp - you do the maths!).

GV's maximum is now 80lb in a net (could be 11/12 fish or less) with silver fish in a separate net. They also have their own stock of keepnets for matchmens use. I have seen up to 8 nets in use at any one time.

Peter, my match "career" was very similar to yours!

Steve, try that with a 12lb common! Will Raison can do it, I can't!

 

[Neil Maidment]

I would also add, I really enjoyed team match fishing at a local and national level. I learnt huge amounts from my various team mates and have some cracking memories of team jaunts to all sorts of venues all over the country.

Not very successful, but damn good fun!

 

[Peter Bishop]

Actually Neil the camaradarie and laughs is what draws many people towards fishing matches. While Baz maintains it is the money, most matchmen realise they are unlikely to frame ,never mind win unless they are extraordinarily lucky on the day with the draw and dont make a mess of the peg. In most cases it is the kudos of winning that gets the adrenalin moving. Money ( a couple of hundred quid?) is a bonus.
Indeed , I always fear drawing a good peg in case I cock it up and get loads of stick(again). At least if you draw a shit peg you have a ready made excuse!
I've only entered a few big opens in my life (700 plus anglers) and was suitably chastised, though I did once come second in my section and second overall in a 50 peg open at Ian Heaps place in South Wales. Normally though I am the ultimate pools fodder, but enjoy all the banter and piss taking. One of my mates reached the Fish O Mania final two years ago and finished last. We sat behind him throughout. Christ did we give him some stick!!!

 

[BAZ (Angel of the North) aka Fester]

I wouldn't say that is allways the case Peter.
But there are those who want to win no matter who their mates are, or for how little.

 

[Mark Wintle]

I'll vouch for Neil's competitive streak! Look at the Species Race - Neil wanted to win that one but found he was up against another ex-matchman.

Interesting comments from Peter. I must have been the opposite. I wanted to win, and given a good draw had no worries about winning even if the standard that I was up against wasn't especially high, at least most of the time. I often wondered about those that turned up to fish yet never won anything - as long as they enjoyed it then what's the problem, and the occasional success is very much to be savoured.

But even **** Walker reckoned that we should all fish the occasional match. It sharpens your technique and forces you to think about your fishing. Graham still does, and I'm sure he'll agree it makes him think about his fishing. I think I need to find the time to fish one or two more matches as well.

As Neil says match fishing took us all over the country. From Dorset it was enlightening to be coached on the banks of the Trent, Nene, Witham, Welland etc by some big names. I've watched Nationals and other big matches on all sorts of venues and it is amazing what you can learn. And some of the top names really are in another league when it comes to catching fish (even if they know nothing about pike populations!). Neil still can't remember the Musters Hotel, mind!

I found match fishing give and take when it came to sharing information. Once top anglers trusted you to help them they'd help you with all sorts f useful info. Discretion is part of it, but I've had England Internationals picking my brains on venues like the Thames because I'd sussed it out.

 

[Neil Maidment]

I always wanted to win even when I knew sod all about the water and drew a rubbish peg!

Eventually I learned to narrow it down a bit. Just take on the pegs either side, then the next two, etc, etc and see what happens. Magically, the results improved (sometimes!).

Mark, come on. Musters Hotel? Bank match? National? Or a good night out?

Peter, I've blown my fair share of plum draws but some of my best memories are of producing a weight (sometimes small) from no hopers!

Except for the Leeds/Liverpool canal around Aintree that is! Had Tench "parading" through my peg all match. Left to right, right to left, back and forth. Ended up with 12oz! Still beat most of the guys either side though!

 

[GrahamM]

I've fished nine small club matches this year, won three of them and got placed in most of the others, giving me the club championship again for the 4th time in six years. Not bad for an old git!

I really look forward to fishing them, and the main prizes are trophies, not cash, apart from little side bets.

Of course you want to win, that's part of the fun, the competitiveness. Not much point in taking part if you don't want to win, no matter how remote you consider your chances.

There are some specialist anglers with terrible attitudes who would cut your throat for a PB and/or a weekly award. Just as there are match anglers who will do the same to win a match. That doesn't mean they're all bad.

As Mark says, fishing matches does make you think about your fishing. Especially on the club weater I fish as it isn't a commercial; it has everything from small carp to some over 20lb, crucians to over 2lb, and lots of silver fish. Every time someone does better than me I want to know what he did differently. As often as not it was down to the decision made at the start of the match: small carp, big carp, or silver fish, and the method used to catch them.

All good stuff that stands you in good stead for when you're pleasure fishing.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)]

I think I have fished in about 12 angling competitions in my life. Not all of them were English style pegged down affairs. A couple were bass competitions fished from boats.

I must have won about 5 of them, including a bass tournement involving 50 boats - that's 100 anglers fished to USA Bassmaster Rules.

I also won a fly casting competition and came second in a trout match.

Good fun at the time.

I've also fished with a few top class match anglers in my time including Benny Ashhurst, Billy Lane and **** Clegg.

**** Walker once stated that he wished match angling had never been invented. Yet he fished lots of matches, especially for the Hitchin AC.

Whenever Walker fished a match he was deadly serious about it - he wanted to win and quite often he did.

Of all the famous specimen hunters of recent times, Peter Stone was perhaps the greatest matchman. He won load of matches on the Thames especially and I think he still holds the record Thames match weight.

 

[GrahamM]

Jan Porter's got to be in the reckoning there Ron as well.

 

[Paul Klinkenborg]

And people wonder how carp diseases spread!
These overstocked money-making carp puddles are a disgrace to angling.

How will this country continue to produce world-class match anglers if everyone fishes these places? All the macho posing about "Sacking up" with "ton-up" nets makes me sick.

I'd rather fish a friendly club or open match on the Thames - takes more skill too!

If I were an anti-angling activist, places like Gold Valley would be a godsend - it's sheer fish abuse - unnatural environment, overstocking on a massive scale, plus year-round pressure on the unfortunate traumatised carp, who spend half their lives in keepnets - what better ammunition could the anti's want?!

On Sunday I shall be fishing a small friendly club match on the Thames, using a variety of methods for a variety of species. I dare say most "bag-up" merchants wouldn't know how to shot a float for use on running water!

 

[BAZ (Angel of the North) aka Fester]

I think a lot of anglers would agree with your 4th paragraph Paul.
Why should they care for the future of angling as long as they are raking it in today?