Today's Match Scene

#1

I remember fishing annual matches on the Macc Canal in the late 50s and 60s. The major prize was one weeks fishing holiday in Ireland, a mega prize on a cut in those days. I think it was two shillings to fish (10p) and that was all you paid. There was always 200 to over 300 in this annual match. In 1959 (I used my nappy as a bait towel) I caught five perch for 10 oz. I can't remember what area I was as all the canal looked the same, just one small channel down the middle and the rest was weed. I doubt if the pegs were as much as eight yards apart but everyone was as keen a mustard to have a go for that coveted holiday. To sum up loads of friendships were formed in these matches as they still are today in some matches. The end result of that particular match was that 1lb 15oz won and there were over 200 blanks. Nobody moaned and these were really enjoyable days, to me the current match scene is a bit different.
Fast forward to today, how many of us would fish a match with that format today?
Feel completely free to take the yellow stream out of me for putting this on here but match angling was for the masses then. It doesn't take much to work out that this is far from the case today.
Enjoy your yellow stream taking, Bill

Drynet · #2

Fast forward to today, how many of us would fish a match with that format today?

I would no problem

joffmiester · #3

i was'nt born then bill but i remember following IVAN, ROY MARLOW,TOM BEDDER,JOHN CASTLEDINE EDGAR PARNNEL,DAVE ROSSI BRAIN ENVIS BRAIN HOLMES all fished to these rules bank to bank on the witham trent nene drains and lakes no one moaned and to be far if you sat next to any of these lads they would go out of there way to help you
todays fishing is all about winning todays stars are running out of venues with big matches on so the competition is harder and the edge to stay in front often kept secret from others if you look at the current england squad they all fish in the three big teams the knowledge that must be passed around in these teams must be brilliant and practice is second nature
we will never see theses day come back bill but we are the lucky ones to have the memories of the great glory days and to of fished such matches and you had your fair share of glory bill

joffmiester · #4

ps i would sooner sit down with you and have a beer and talk about the old days than some of the younger ones

#5

One of the points I was trying to get over, not very successfully, was that in those days was that huge turnouts of all ability of angler from your very top anglers to the man that could hardly ever afford a pint would fish. True, fuel was next to nothing but anglers would get to places by any means they could; there used to be an unimagineable amount of bikes. No car would have less than four in it, buses and trains were also used.
OK todays fuel is a ridiculous price but the transport system is uncomparable nowadays; if I want to go to London I can be there in 90 minutes, those days it was four hours plus.
Also going for todays matches, a) take your big cities, Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester (I had heard of it!) and more. All these have canals and they certainly fish better now than they did then, my early days at Dams and Lock were consistent, - five blanks!
These cities all have massive populations, more than there ever used to be. Going along with that fact these cities also have more anglers, there must be huge numbers of them in each.
Yet, put an open match on them and how many would turn up today?
I can't remember how I got to the Macc Canal but my bike was certainly part of the journey.
Has money something to do with today's pathetic turnouts. Is it stopping the bloke who can't afford a pint from going? Is that type of angler still about, - they are you know.

It's Bill again.

#6

Good stuff Bill

I think modern day pressures of work, family life and finanances etc have a lot to do with dwindelling match attendances aswell as other well publicised factors. It is noticeable in my opinion since commercials took a hold of the matchfishing scene prize money started to drop significantly....£6 - £7 peg fees etc. The canal circuit prize money is higher in comparison with only minimal peg fees, i personally would like to see some of the Breweries get involved with match fishing again, i am sure some very big matches would come along if they came onboard again.
As for me... i always put my family first before fishing any competition, i manage to enter a lot of matches over 9 months or so of the year but due to my circumstances i cant practice anywhere near enough like the very top lads can do ( most of them are single

) i love every minute of competeting at the level i fish and have made many friends over the years....long may it continue

Dodge

#7

Well said Dodge

I am not advocating scrapping fishing for money I just though it was an interesting point that in days of 300 or so fishing canal matches on many occasions they did not fish for any coin. Your nominal peg fee (around two bob, 10p) was used to cover peg fees and buy prizes. The prizes were often things nobody wanted, I remember winning a set of pots and pans, a clock and a set of pillow cases somewhere! The first thing I ever won was a leather wallet, I should have give it to Rocco to keep his £1s in!

Just to add a bit of interest I have records of a very old Izaak Walton Open (one shilling to fish, 5p) from the turn of the 1900s. the main prize was a superb pair of styled leather boots! (Stafford was a boot and shoe town then). I have no record of how many fished but it must have been hundreds and hundreds to cover all the prizes.

Whatever happens I'll stump up my £12 tomorrow!

Bill again!

#8

I think the problem now bill is there are too many venues, when i started match fishing canals about 17 years ago every wolves aa match was between 60 and 100 pegs, a lot of the anglers that fished them matches now fish club matches. The cafe where we go is full of club anglers sat and sun, so i think there are as many anglers but lots more venues. Plus we are now definately spoilt, fishing has never been so good.

#9

A thought provoking topic Bill

Whilst my grey cells dont go quite that far back, I've always been interested to read and learn about the competition scene those days.

Obviously as well as competitors of all capabilities participating, the dedication and the incredible determination 'to be there' - given the lack of 'instant' transport - always astounds me.............

The topic has provoked memories of my 'works' match fishing in the 70's. Working for a relatively large co, it always held its annual championship, which too bought together matches of 200 pegs - generally in teams of 16 back then - anything between 12 and 16 teams taking part. And these teams certainly contained anglers of all levels!

Perhaps it was pure naivity on my part, but I certainly dont recollect the secrecy existing then that surrounds todays fishing and seemingly win at all cost metality. You'd find yourself pegged by guys that you'd usually never seen before, or likely to see again, and yet you'd have banter before the off, discuss tactics with the 'opposition' and even parlez through the match, confiding with each other on how you caught that last fish.

A far cry seemingly from today, where I even find in club fishing you are likely to be fed some bum info................

Sad...........

Changing tack, picking up on Lloyd's comment

there are too many venues

true, the advent of the commercials has bought an abundance of venues now readily accessible to all.

But it aint too far ago where in a 5 mile radius where I live that you could fish or had the pick off - during summer months that is - at least 6 evening matches midweek, each attracting around the 40/50 mark, plus weekend matches - Beechdale, Staffs Worcs Gailey etc that often were 90 plus peg matches.

Sadly it seems to me, that rather being satisfied with that few pound of fish which would comprise of many bites and keep you occupied, the 'desire' to 'sack up' with the ton which might be 10 fish - 2 an hour - and win 100 sovs plus in the process has decimated that era.

Anyway, enough of my waffle, keep them memories coming Bill

#10

Nice to hear varied and different views on this.
One thing I didn't originally add was that cheating in any type of form was rife in match fishing years ago. I have seen some 'crackers' in my time, two anglers next to each other with a bream each, one weighs the two in. What could a young kid do that saw this? If prizes were given for invention, how about this one!
Canal match plumbing up. The chap next to me plumbed up with a plummet the size of a walnut; at least it went in that size! He did this a dozen times or so before the whistle went. What a way of getting bloodworm and/or joker into your peg before the start! In this match the said baits were banned; this chap won the section by the most amazing of margins it was almost untrue. This was years ago, he weighed in 3 lbs odd and nobody else had anywhere near a lb. Taking fish was also rife as lots af matchmen took plastic buckets with them.
I remember a Stafford matchman weighing in over 4 lb of orange gudgeon in years ago. He got accused and never fished another match!
I think match fishing is squeaky clean today. before anyone shouts too loud I live at Stafford and it weren't me!
As for helping anglers TK I find anyone is helpful today. In my early days I was often told to crappity smack off by some of the top cut anglers of the day! I think on this point everybody sees it from a personal point of view anyway.
My question is; would we as match anglers fish for far less money than is currently in vogue. Would fishing far say £5 bring match angling back to the masses? I don't think it would but look forward to hear your comments.

#11

I was often told to F**k off by some of the top cut anglers of the day

You obviously mixed in (and still do) far more auspicious circles than me Bill. What I think goes on today to a degree is that you are given pucka info by fellow competitors when they recognise or think you are no threat to them........and that comments not intended as a slight on your abilities

Remember the cheating going on........one works championship on the Severn in the 70's. A dead pike floated past half the 200 peg field. It turned up 5 hours later in someones net who tried to weigh it in......

I'm sure feeding before the off must have gone on too..........half the time on the rivers you couldnt see the guy on the next peg. This was the days when you couldnt plumb up before the off too

Re

My question is; would we as match anglers fish for far less money than is currently in vogue. Would fishing far say £5 bring match angling back to the masses?

Did the venues of yesteryear also contribute to the numbers fishing the big opens - eg 600 on the BAA Severn/Avon .
Did Joe Soap enter, thinking that if there was only realistically 50 decent pegs out of the 600, and non of the cracks drew one, he'd be in with a chance of winning if fortunate to draw a noted peg?

#12

TK I couldn't really say about matches like the H Samuel and others as I never fished them. I fact I was only in the BAA for one season as they insured your kit all in at the one price. I don't think that lasted long as they had many claims.
In the 'old days' you literally had to wait before an open match 'came around' that you could get to. You would easily go a month before there was one to fish, distance making getting there impossible, remember we used to take bikes on trains, buses and all sorts! kit wise it was easy because it was one rod, one landing net pole and one rod tied to your cross bar!! In those days the biggest item you carried about was sandwiches; I think that still applies to some taday!!!!!
I can only say as I find but I must have been a real cheeky little William the Conquerer in my younger days as I lost count of the number of times supposedly top canal experts told me to crappity smack off!

Bill

#13

By the way Mr Meister how is Brian Envis getting on; we fished many times on the River Trent at Shardlow (Leicester bank) I'm sure he'll remember it. I also remmber a young kid with an infectious grin fishing down there with a market trader. He mede a few more bob that I did; turned out it was Gary Linneker!!!

#14

Going back to prizes in the 50`s & 60`s Bill ::) think you mentioned winning some pots & pans

i bet that was a decent prize back then coz hardly anyone had a pot to yellow stream in back in those days :D ;)

#15

I dont know about squeeky clean bill, i've heard some crackers like a well known angler feeding pellets that wern't the fisheries own when asked said he lets me use them. Another owner telling an angler you need 4 pints of hemp on this peg when the limit was supposed to be 1.
Some things i've heard in the pub about cheating beggars belief, but i can't understand why the anglers moaning about it carry on going.

#16

Just to report I did have a pot to yellow stream in, in the 50s; I just didn't empty it very often.

Who brought Pellets into this consevation, not me.

Bill

#17

You have got to watch out for that Lloydy Bill

You might of bumped into him on the odd occasion

........ you cant miss him really

#18

You have got to watch out for that Lloydy Bill

You might of bumped into him on the odd occasion ........ you cant miss him really
I remember the first time i drew next to bill, it was about 30 degrees when bill said we could do with some rain, >:(30 minutes later cars couldnt get through pendeford cus it was flooded.

#19

You have got to watch out for that Lloydy Bill

You might of bumped into him on the odd occasion ........ you cant miss him really
I remember the first time i drew next to bill, it was about 30 degrees when bill said we could do with some rain, >:(30 minutes later cars couldnt get through pendeford cus it was flooded.

And he still aint had his haircut !!!

#20

When it went up to two bob for 10 minutes work I stopped having it cut.

Bill