new record chub

i`m surprised that the prposed new british record chub debacle hasn`t been discussed more on this site (perhaps it has and i`ve just missed it???).
can i congratulate matt on catching a wonderful fish and fingers crossed he and the chub will take their place at the top of the chub specimen list.
now i used the word debacle on the second line of this piece....i think perhaps witch hunt,sour grapes or even jealousy might be better.why i here you ask???....well let me tell you.it just seems to me that ever since this story came to light,every so called expert has been jumping on the bloody bandwagon and knocking matt and his capture.
is it because this fish was caught fair and square from a still water and not a sacred river??? or is it because matt is just an ordinary member of the fishing public just doing what he loves best and just happened to be in the right place at the right time,when lady luck was shining down on him???
i happen to think it`s the latter!!!!
now doubts have been put forward that matt perhaps got his overall measurement of the fish wrong and because of this,the weight must be automatically wrong also.as it turns out,his scales were checked and they are 2ounces over but this fish still beats the existing record.if matt and his witnesses have made a genuine,honest mistake,then i believe they will put their hands up and say ok and accept it.
matt is sticking by his guns though and well done to him for taking this stand....he and his witnesses have done everything by the book!!!
matt hayes said something once that has stuck with me for a while now.he was mentioning the young lad who caught that huge perch from a non descript pond and claimed a new record.he said that when the youngster caught that fish etc... he struck a blow for the happy splodger.well i hope the happy splodger (matt) gets the record ok`d and sticks two fingers up to those who called him and tried to knock him down!!!!

one other thing,if matt hayes or des taylor or jan porter or john wilson caught this fish,would there be any doubting their honesty or integrity......no there bloody wouldn`t!!!!

Nick,
it has been discussed.....i for one wish it could have been proved to be a record but this time i have to go with the BRFC.....one of the pictures gave a great chance to check the length of the fish and apparently it didn't add up.

I read somewhere that "record chasers" had already asked about their chances of fishing the water.

Now i wonder who that could be? any ideas anyone

paul,just because there might be a doubt over it`s length,doesn`t mean its not the stated weight.i`m looking at a pic of matt cradling it now and he is clearly supporting a big stomach on it.

Nick,

Having met with the BRFC earlier this year I'd re-iterate what they say. No fish is a British Record until it has been ratified as such. To do that the captor has to submit a claim with witness statements, photos, scales etc. The BRFC coarse fish committee then investigate and accept or reject the claim. It is then ratified by the full committee.

At present this fish is only a potential record, and only when the above has been processed will it either be a new record, or not a record.

I am not qualified to say one way or the other, and I don't care about who catches a record. What I do care about, and many others feel the same, is that the BRFC are able to get to the truth of the claim - Was it weighed accurately on properly zeroed scales? Do the dimensions of the fish support the claim? Was it caught by fair angling? Is it the species claimed? The BRFC's procedures are geared to achieving this and until they have finished their machinations it's best left as a potential record.

What I will say, and this doesn't necessarily apply in any way to Matt's fish, is that there are plenty of ludicrous record claims; grass carp as chub, fish totally misweighed, fish caught in nets, obvious hybrids, and for every genuine record breaker probably several of these silly attempts - just ask the news desks of the weeklies!

Nick,i agree with what Mark says.

But what i dont agree with is high profile anglers [those who appear in the angling press often]who slate this record saying that this is no way a record.The correct way should be to congratulate the angler and wait for the BRFC`s findings despite their own suspitions. I felt sorry for the bloke concerned.One minute he could be a potential record breaker,the next the poor bloke is being ravaged from all sides.Like you said Nick if this was a well known angler either TV personality,Drennan cup winner,or otherwise, absolutely nothing would have been said.Its disgusting.

Anyone know who tried to fish the water after the claim was made?

Mark......sock on!