Cheap/free match fishing

mike donigan · Mar 10, 2004

I am looking to fish matches that do not cost much money, maybe two to three pounds maximum. I appreciate this would not pay very big prizes but to be honest fishing is fun to me and isnt about money,id be happy to fish just for the thrill of being the winner and win nothing.

Does anyone know a northwest (manchester) water or club where this is possible???

alternatively is anybody in the manc area interested in getting together to fish friendly, cheap matches on a regular basis just for fun?? i am hoping to get a group of people together who want to compete with each other but who put the love of fishing first and not the prize money. maybe we could have a mini league or something.

anyone who is interested in doing this please post a reply or email me direct on donigan@tiscali.co.uk

matches would probably be fished on a sunday each week (my day off lol!!)

mike donigan · Mar 12, 2004

does anybody know of any clubs in manchester area that run affordable matches??

Ado Rus · Dec 20, 2007

Where abouts from Manchester are you? I know there is a match held every sunday on the Canal just before you get into Ashton Under Lyne...

dave stokes · Dec 21, 2007

wow.............

nearly 4 years to get an answer.

wonder if he still goes fishing.

Larry Teepot · Jan 25, 2008

may have been saving up to pay a peg Fee

Evan NotMightyAtAll · Jan 25, 2008

A man after my own heart tho.

I would love to find and be able to fish match series with sympathetically minded fellow anglers with no pools and sensible bait limits... followed by a mandatory decent pint and a natter before home.

I think I'll stick to looking out for the rocking horse poo. Methinks there is a reason ittook four years for an answer. To be honest that's quicker than I would have expected !

On a serious note has anyone thought of a Dad and Son / Senior and a Junior pairs type series of matches as maybe a way of sparking some youngsters interest ? Could be on the disused rivers, with bait limits both as to volume and as to value and limited (a) to rod and reel or (b) whips or poles costing no more than £X... ? Take away the intimidating "two grand pole needed or get humiliated" barrier for a junior or two ?

dave stokes · Jan 25, 2008

i was thinking of running just that sort of match .

on the road stretch at b.joyce .

second sunday of the new season2022 .

names please if interested.................../forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif

Larry Teepot · Jan 25, 2008

its not about what the tackle costs......fishing is to relax if you want to play with the big boys ...do it ..if you dont just go out and enjoy yourself.I have a Benny Ashurst trent rod every now and then ill use it .its fibre glass i love it me dad gave it me.Its probably as old as me who cares what others think i still catch fish on it

Evan NotMightyAtAll · Jan 25, 2008

its not about what the tackle costs......

Isn't it tho ?

Its got ahell of a lot to do with the chronic lack of juniors coming through and the reduction in numbers overall. Ain't just the carp puddle syndrome.

In the good old days of a thousand pegger even the most ordinary clubman had thathope of landing on 'the' swim for a red letterday and, that if it did happen, he wouldn'tbe impossiblyfar behind the match quasi professionals and everyone else in tackle terms. These days..... ? So the ordinary clubman gave up. Tell me he hasn't.

Neither can heafford to kit his 12 year old out with the sort of stuff Dudley FatRichSpoiltBrat up the road gets from his over indulgent parent. And you try being that 12 year oldturning up for his first ever dabble at even a junior match carrying his Dad's old Benny Ashurst trent rod....

Evan NotMightyAtAll · Jan 25, 2008

if you want to play with the big boys ...do it ..if you dont just go out and enjoy yourself

With the honourable exception of the FM fish ins, which are genuinely pools pressure free, have you ever actually tried to fish a match with the 'big boys' in it when you have refused to join in the pools ???

I really would and do rather just fish for the enjoyment of fishing and, if its a match,the added thrillofcompetition and to meet some fellow club members on a friendly and possibly convivial basis. Not just forthe 'shillin on the soide'. But you just try not entering the pools in the real world. Depriving the big boys of their dinner.... quickest way to find yourself in the Coventryleper colony every day of the week.

Gambling taints and corrupts everything it touches I'm afraid. When its not about the fishing but the money and the 'big boys' who wouldn't dream of fishingif it wasn't for the prospect of the payout made up of the contribution of the fleeced sheep also-rans then not for me thanks.

Larry Teepot · Jan 25, 2008

i think you last statement sums it up ...not for you..so just go fishing its pretty simple/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif

Evan NotMightyAtAll · Jan 25, 2008

Fishing is for me and the odd friendly competitive match too.... or would be if it weren't for those whose only realinterest isthe pools and the profit to bemade from them. And who then freeze out those of us who just want to fishcompetitively for the craigh on the day and dare to threaten their wallets by breaking ranks and declining to participate in the pools. Lord knows where that would end if it were allowed to catch on, people actually fishing matches because its fun to compete every now and then, not because of the money....

It's all very well sayin 'not for you' but why should I lose out on the fun of the odd friendly competitive match because of people with that attitude ?

Lots of people have evidently followed your advice - how else would you explain the 95% decline in match fishing ?

[Edit]Thinking out loud, how many people who don't match fish even friendlies now would or might fish say half a dozen matches in a season if they were rod, reeland running line only, no poles or whips....

Or no pole or whip whose original RRP was more than £200.....[/Edit]

trev matthews (100M bronze) · Jan 25, 2008

I started a local pub match/outing and once a month we get about 15 guys on the bank fishing, that includes the kids too. Apart from the odd side bet and mine and Chris' mandatory £1 for the first £1 for the biggest and £1 for the most species bet there is no pools money to win. We all go back to the pub later in the evening and have a small results ceremony sometimes we will have a prize for the juniors donated by our local tackle shop, and everyone is happy. We take lots of pictures and put them on the pub NB. Its good fun and it doesnt cost the earth. Match rules have been relaxed so that the adults can wander round helping the kids if they ask for it.Everyones a winner.

Larry Teepot · Jan 25, 2008

then the only advice i can give you is....if there aint a club that fits your ideal perception....start one then maybe you can again enjoy the way you want to fish

kingfisher · Jun 25, 2008

I enjoy match fishing, we only fish about eight matches in the season and I think Its enough for me, I fish the matches to support the club and the people who work hard organising it I always feel I have had a nice day no matter how the resultsturns out try it

Windy · Jun 26, 2008

Too right Kingfisher, couldn't agree more. Shame that Mr. I'mATeepot's only real interest in fishing would appear to be making money through betting. Great advice that, anyone who doesn't want to get caught up in gambling should start their own club... and fish some of the hundreds of new fresh, free, open and rentable waters available to new clubs without financing all over the UK. Yeah right.

A lot simpler just to start backing the horses or greyhounds perhaps, no need to buy any tackle, leave the house, sofa or lager filled fridge. And it would at least keep the likes of the 'not worth doing unless there's a payday in it' faction away from polluting the honest joy of fishing well and competitively for the sheer fun and sake of it. Not that anyone is particularly with me, I fear, the gambling / pools ethos has become so deeply engrained in match fishing it is too late to seek to change it.

Even tho most such matches and pools are illegal. How many clubs have obtained, even applied for, the relevant gambling and / or lottery licence ? Don't believe me ? Go look it up...

kingfisher · Jun 26, 2008

some clubs are very match orientated at the end of the day ,Its your choice to match fish or pleasure fish whatever does it matter If you enjoy It

stikflote · Sep 2, 2008

Our club matches 20 plus a year, maximum you can win is ?5 we pay three sections depending on turn out all put a ?1 in, if winners in your section then section is not paid but 2- 3 are we have a golden peg and thats a?1 too

slime monster · Sep 2, 2008

<blockquote class=quoteheader>stikflote wrote (see)</blockquote><blockquote class=quote>Our club matches 20 plus a year, maximum you can win is £5 we pay three sections depending on turn out all put a £1 in, if winners in your section then section is not paid but 2- 3 are we have a golden peg and thats a£1 too</blockquote>
cant get much cheaper than that

Cheap/free match fishing

mike donigan

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mike donigan

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Ado Rus

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dave stokes

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Larry Teepot

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Evan NotMightyAtAll

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dave stokes

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Larry Teepot

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Evan NotMightyAtAll

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Evan NotMightyAtAll

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Larry Teepot

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Evan NotMightyAtAll

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trev matthews (100M bronze)

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Larry Teepot

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kingfisher

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Windy

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kingfisher

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stikflote

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slime monster

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