Reality check needed?

steve2 · Jul 7, 2016

Although I no longer fish the matches I still receive the results from the league organizer. In the write up he sent apologies that the match weights are a bit low on the two venues fished so far.
The first one he said fished badly this year because no one caught more than 200lbs and only 10 other weights were over a 100lbs. Average weight in this match was over 60lbs
The second because no one caught over a 100lbs, average weight in this match was 30lbs.
What as happened to match men these days, do they need a reality check?
I remember a good day was 10lbs of fish.

mikench · Jul 7, 2016

On some commercials and overstocked lakes one might as well net the fish and be done with it. That is where they will end up in any case. I will stick to natural ponds , lakes and rivers and if I catch nothing so be it

Lord Paul of Sheffield · Jul 7, 2016

Carp in matches puts the weight up

Chefster · Jul 7, 2016

mikench said:
On some commercials and overstocked lakes one might as well net the fish and be done with it. That is where they will end up in any case. I will stick to natural ponds , lakes and rivers and if I catch nothing so be it

overstocked or not,youve still got to catch them--do you think you could compete with these guys catching 200lb weights???

Ray Daywalker Clarke · Jul 7, 2016

Chefster said:
overstocked or not,youve still got to catch them--do you think you could compete with these guys catching 200lb weights???

On some of the over stocked mud holes, all you have to do is put out a bait, NO skill really needed, as they are so overstocked the fish are running up the line, and 200lb of carp is easy, it's also not what i call fishing.

Match fishing has changed so much, some of these Matchmen have never fished a river match, and i doubt some of them every will. Can they compete on rivers ?? who knows.

I have to make the point that not all mud puddles are easy, but those that are make a good starting point for young anglers. The down side being, they think it is easy fishing everywhere, and they soon turn to only wanting to catch Carp of 30lb plus.

Chefster · Jul 7, 2016

Ray Daywalker Clarke said:
On some of the over stocked mud holes, all you have to do is put out a bait, NO skill really needed, as they are so overstocked the fish are running up the line, and 200lb of carp is easy, it's also not what i call fishing.

Match fishing has changed so much, some of these Matchmen have never fished a river match, and i doubt some of them every will. Can they compete on rivers ?? who knows.

I have to make the point that not all mud puddles are easy, but those that are make a good starting point for young anglers. The down side being, they think it is easy fishing everywhere, and they soon turn to only wanting to catch Carp of 30lb plus.

At the end of the day,times have changed..I was brought up on rivers and canals,but choose now to fish where i want to,The commercials i fish are capable of producing 200lb weights,but you have to put a lot of work in to make that achievable,some days the fish just dont want to feed,others thay do,but from what your saying,any "idiot" can do it...at the beginning of the week,i achieved my first ever 200lb match weight,i had to work hard for it,mentally and physically.....and i was quite happy,but now youve said that,i hink i,ll pack-up fishing and just come on here and put people down

Ray Daywalker Clarke · Jul 7, 2016

Chefster said:
At the end of the day,times have changed..I was brought up on rivers and canals,but choose now to fish where i want to,The commercials i fish are capable of producing 200lb weights,but you have to put a lot of work in to make that achievable,some days the fish just dont want to feed,others thay do,but from what your saying,any "idiot" can do it...at the beginning of the week,i achieved my first ever 200lb match weight,i had to work hard for it,mentally and physically.....and i was quite happy,but now youve said that,i hink i,ll pack-up fishing and just come on here and put people down

Who's putting people down ?? Clearly you didn't read what i said.

Try reading it again.

Well done on your 200lb by the way

maggot_dangler · Jul 7, 2016

Chefster said:
overstocked or not,youve still got to catch them--do you think you could compete with these guys catching 200lb weights???

I think the other big question there is Do you want to catch that sort of weight , I know i am happy with 10 to 20 lbs with the odd one now and then that just tops 50 .

PG ...

binka · Jul 8, 2016

I fondly remember doing my first two hundred pounds, stepping on those scales at the tender age of six and glancing at the dial...

sam vimes · Jul 8, 2016

I'm constantly puzzled by what exactly people are talking about when they say "commercial". It's often apparent that it means something quite different to many others than it does to me. I appreciate the fact that the likes of Linear Fisheries are definitely a commercial venture. However, I still wouldn't describe such a place as a commie. Commies are the types of water that hold Fishomania and Fishomania qualifiers.

Ray Daywalker Clarke said:
The down side being, they think it is easy fishing everywhere, and they soon turn to only wanting to catch Carp of 30lb plus.

I believe you might be blurring lines somewhere. Matchmen don't usually want 30lb+ carp. Match type commercials don't commonly have 30lb+ carp. Beyond that, who cares what other people want to do? I dare say that they think you chasing roach, or me being happy catching anything, is a bit strange. There is no one true path to fishing nirvana.

no-one in particular · Jul 8, 2016

steve2 said:
Although I no longer fish the matches I still receive the results from the league organizer. In the write up he sent apologies that the match weights are a bit low on the two venues fished so far.
The first one he said fished badly this year because no one caught more than 200lbs and only 10 other weights were over a 100lbs. Average weight in this match was over 60lbs
The second because no one caught over a 100lbs, average weight in this match was 30lbs.

I would complain and tell him to put some more stock in.

trotter2 · Jul 8, 2016

I think its all down to the individual some may want to catch over 100lb of carp others don't.
I a not interested in over stocked stillwaters, and carp have very little interest to me I would rather catch Tench and roach all day but like I say each to there own preferences.
It does not make you a better angler because you can bag up with 200 lb of carp on an over stocked lake there is just as much skill and luck involved in a 12lb club match win. Yes I agree there is differences in techniques but do what you enjoy that's the name of the game IMO

.

mikench · Jul 8, 2016

overstocked or not,youve still got to catch them--do you think you could compete with these guys catching 200lb weights???

I most definitely could not and I admire them for their skill and energy. Well done to you too! My only chance of 200lb plus of fish would be if I raided Billingsgate fish market

I honestly would not want to catch such a number and do not possess a keep net in any event. I fish for relaxation and just concentrating on setting up my feeder rig, fiddling with a quick change bead, tying a loop knot, putting a hook on said bead and finally casting out can and does take me 10 minutes but I enjoy it, it relaxes me and I know it is doing me good. I am in my own little world and feel content. I then pour myself a coffee and wait for my first bite. Watching Steve Ringer makes me feel tired. I also enjoy savouring a nice glass of wine or ice cold beer. I like nice food prepared carefully and slowly and then consumed at leisure. These activities can be carried out at a frenetic pace and one can have your starter , main and dessert all served at once if you wish but unless you are in a race why would you. I am trying pellet waggler fishing and doubt I will ever be able to play a fish and catapult out pellets at the same time like Mr Ringer.

one day I might fish a water where I can use a keep net but until then I am just enjoying the hobby. You clearly do too and that is all that matters; good luck to you. Tight lines to all

Ray Daywalker Clarke · Jul 8, 2016

sam vimes said:
I'm constantly puzzled by what exactly people are talking about when they say "commercial". It's often apparent that it means something quite different to many others than it does to me. I appreciate the fact that the likes of Linear Fisheries are definitely a commercial venture. However, I still wouldn't describe such a place as a commie. Commies are the types of water that hold Fishomania and Fishomania qualifiers.

I believe you might be blurring lines somewhere. Matchmen don't usually want 30lb+ carp. Match type commercials don't commonly have 30lb+ carp. Beyond that, who cares what other people want to do? I dare say that they think you chasing roach, or me being happy catching anything, is a bit strange. There is no one true path to fishing nirvana.

Who said anything about Matchmen or the way that others want to fish ??

The match type commercials as you call them hold some very big Carp. One near me called Lake John has had 40lb plus carp caught. The young lads I am talking about don't do match fishing. They start fishing on the commies, get the bug, then turn to carp angling thinking it is easy fishing.

Clearly you are blurring the lines from what i said, to what you think.

I don't care what other anglers want to fish for, or what kind of fishery they want to fish, it's each to their own. I had a couple of mates, Matchmen, went to Drayton Res, in it's hay day. They came back having caught well over 200lb of fish each, in a matter of hours. I asked what it was like, the reply. It's not fishing.

The place was so over stocked if you threw a bit of crust out a few yards, there would be 4,5,6,or more carp going for the same bit of crust. They said there was NO skill in fishing the place, what ever you put on your hook, was taken in seconds. It's not the kind of water I fish or would want to. I also said not all these kind of waters are easy.

trotter2 · Jul 8, 2016

The problem lies with match fishing in a mixed fishery the introduction of large carp prevents anglers fishing light on difficult days to get bites.
Leaving hooks in a bonus carp should be avoided . And can be annoying to get bust up when targeting silver fish in a match situation. Its a tricky one.

steve2 · Jul 8, 2016

Most of the fish on the first venue are caught using 2 sections of a pole and heavy elastic and the fish are more or less dragged into the net. This pond is so over stocked that I have seen fish come half out of the water to take dropped bait. The last match I fished on here over 3000lbs of carp were caught between 20 anglers and there were still more queuing waiting to be caught when the match ended.

Modern match fishing to me had by now had become a fish catching race that the reason I gave up.

Don't forget the rules on here are there for fish welfare

sam vimes · Jul 8, 2016

Ray Daywalker Clarke said:
Who said anything about Matchmen or the way that others want to fish ??

The OP was about match weights and I rather assumed that said matches must involve matchmen. As to the latter, you commenting that people wanting to catch 30lb plus fish as being a downside.

Ray Daywalker Clarke said:
The match type commercials as you call them hold some very big Carp. One near me called Lake John has had 40lb plus carp caught.

I wasn't for one moment trying to suggest that no match commie doesn't have 30lb+ carp. I know such fish are present in quite a few of such places. I was suggesting that most match commies don't have them and most matchmen really don't want to tangle with such fish in matches. I understand that it's because they usually take far too long to land and put their kit in jeopardy. Far better to catch six 7lb fish in the same time. Perhaps the resident match types could either back that thinking or blow it apart?
I know that quite a few match type commies routinely remove fish as they get "too big". Places I know sell them or, if they have one, put them in a "specimen" pool. It's also one of the reasons that the dreaded F1 carp exist. They are ideal in that they don't often exceed 5lb or so.

trotter2 · Jul 8, 2016

That's correct Sam a lot of the club match ponds take the big carp out when they reach a size which match anglers find unacceptable for regular match fishing and sell them. With the return from sales they restock with smaller carp and the circle starts again.
It a good idea and is used by many clubs to raise finances.

Ray Daywalker Clarke · Jul 8, 2016

sam vimes said:
The OP was about match weights and I rather assumed that said matches must involve matchmen. As to the latter, you commenting that people wanting to catch 30lb plus fish as being a downside.

Sam,

It is a downside. Many of theses young anglers dont have the know how or the skill to go to some waters after such fish. It's been said on here many times about young anglers with all the gear and no idea.

Fish damage and fish welfare. Most commies are barbless hooks, they then go to waters where than can use barbed hooks, and have no idea of unhooking a fish from a barbed hook.

With many of these commie waters its mostly carp, and the kids don't get to learn more about our sport/hobby, other species, water craft etc etc.

Like I said, the commies are great for getting kids hooked on the sport, and there are many clubs that help kids out, but we still need to do more.

---------- Post added at 18:55 ---------- Previous post was at 18:45 ----------

sam vimes said:
I wasn't for one moment trying to suggest that no match commie doesn't have 30lb+ carp. I know such fish are present in quite a few of such places. I was suggesting that most match commies don't have them and most matchmen really don't want to tangle with such fish in matches. I understand that it's because they usually take far too long to land and put their kit in jeopardy. Far better to catch six 7lb fish in the same time. Perhaps the resident match types could either back that thinking or blow it apart?
I know that quite a few match type commies routinely remove fish as they get "too big". Places I know sell them or, if they have one, put them in a "specimen" pool. It's also one of the reasons that the dreaded F1 carp exist. They are ideal in that they don't often exceed 5lb or so.

Thats another downside, The F1 Carp. We don't need them, and as always it's man playing with nature.

I left a club a few years back due to F1 carp. They had a fantastic lake, great for Silvers, Tench etc etc. I set off for a few hours one Sunday morning. First person on the water early doors. To cut a long story short, I caught over 60 F1 carp in less than an hour. Not another species to be seen.

I was back in the car park and home within 2 hours. The club stocked the F1's to improve the fishing, the fishing was great before. The truth was the committee, mainly match men, wanted more weight in evening matches. I quit along with other members, the result is a muddy F1 puddle now.

Chefster · Jul 8, 2016

Ray Daywalker Clarke said:
Sam,

It is a downside. Many of theses young anglers dont have the know how or the skill to go to some waters after such fish. It's been said on here many times about young anglers with all the gear and no idea.

Fish damage and fish welfare. Most commies are barbless hooks, they then go to waters where than can use barbed hooks, and have no idea of unhooking a fish from a barbed hook.

With many of these commie waters its mostly carp, and the kids don't get to learn more about our sport/hobby, other species, water craft etc etc.

Like I said, the commies are great for getting kids hooked on the sport, and there are many clubs that help kids out, but we still need to do more.

---------- Post added at 18:55 ---------- Previous post was at 18:45 ----------

Thats another downside, The F1 Carp. We don't need them, and as always it's man playing with nature.

I left a club a few years back due to F1 carp. They had a fantastic lake, great for Silvers, Tench etc etc. I set off for a few hours one Sunday morning. First person on the water early doors. To cut a long story short, I caught over 60 F1 carp in less than an hour. Not another species to be seen.

I was back in the car park and home within 2 hours. The club stocked the F1's to improve the fishing, the fishing was great before. The truth was the committee, mainly match men, wanted more weight in evening matches. I quit along with other members, the result is a muddy F1 puddle now.

Just out of interest,how many "kids"do you help??,and secondly,F1,s have been a good introduction to the sport,in the right enviroment..

Reality check needed?

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