Match Rules

Des Taylors recent comments in AT together with the subsequent thread in FM has made me think a bit about the attitude of match anglers and the fact that some of them may pull deliberately for a break on big fish.

I am not against match angling. I have many friends who are keen match anglers. I have participated in may contest in my life (and won a few). However I do see that many match anglers regard the winning as paramount and not the welfare of the fish.

One of the most interesting forms of competitive angling in the world is bass fishing as is performed in USA, Southern Africa and other countries where these fish have been introduced. The fishing is done from specially designed boats, each one having an aerated live well which keep the bass in pristine condition. The tackle used is artificial lure only and the most important thing is that it is very strong. In fact 15lb line is minimum. The bass are played out as quick as possible, then placed in the livewell. Dead fish cannot be weighed in.

Often an official is in the boat with the anglers who keeps tally of the number of fish caught. The fish being released immediatly to the water. Ive always thought that this form of competition has the most concern for fish welfare.

Maybe some of the match rules in UK could be changed like minimum line strengths in waters with big hard fighting fish. Maybe we should go to a system of numbers of fish and not weight.

In South Africa they have a form of competition where the ability to catch several species of fish on artificial lures is tested. Once you have caught one species you must then catch another one.

Could such ideas work in UK

Matches like the lure competition could catch on in the UK in a small way, but never replace the traditional style coarse fishing matches.

However I don't see a reason why a minimum line strength could not be brought in. If it the same rule for everyone the most skillful angler will still win.

It is probably the same old thing, a few bad apples in the barrel. Anglers like Bob Nudd do care for their catch from the smallest up to the largest. I'm no match angler - only ever fished one in my life and hated it - but I do feel that the majority are decent anglers like ourselves. It may just mean a little bit of education and awareness needs to be put forward. The last thing we need at the moment is alienation of one branch of our sport/pastime; there's enough of that to combat already. At the end of the day we are all anglers wishing to catch fish.