Graham Whatmore
Senior Member
Reading through your article Mark it struck me that todays anglers wouldn't or couldn't even begin to understand the basics, the learning and the hard work that went into match fishing on a river, especially one as difficult as the Stour in Summer.
The art of river match fishing is a thing of the past and I doubt it will ever be resurrected. Todays anglers aren't the slightest bit interested in flogging themselves to death for a few miserable bleak and tiny dace week after week just to gain a few points for a team neither would they understand the satisfaction we matchmen got out of it. The feeling of elation after the weigh in when you realised you had won put you on a high for week was wonderful.
River match anglers were a group apart from the normal anglers and though I, like you, have suffered untold misery in the search for a few fish but I wouldn't have swapped the experience for the world.
Cracking article Mark and it has resurrected a lot of memories for me at least.
The art of river match fishing is a thing of the past and I doubt it will ever be resurrected. Todays anglers aren't the slightest bit interested in flogging themselves to death for a few miserable bleak and tiny dace week after week just to gain a few points for a team neither would they understand the satisfaction we matchmen got out of it. The feeling of elation after the weigh in when you realised you had won put you on a high for week was wonderful.
River match anglers were a group apart from the normal anglers and though I, like you, have suffered untold misery in the search for a few fish but I wouldn't have swapped the experience for the world.
Cracking article Mark and it has resurrected a lot of memories for me at least.