Match anglers can look forward to a trip to China each year if a new initiative by MatchBox owner Jim Burton gets the green light.
Jim spends much of his time in China and has found a sponsor to back a ‘China Challenge’ in which UK based matchmen will take on Chinese anglers for a big cash prize expected to be in the region of £5,000.
The event will be in the central Wuhan region where anglers will fish large stocked stillwaters over several days for familiar fish like carp, and some less familiar species.
“This has been in negotiation for some time and now all it depends on is the response from the UK,” explained Jim. “The Chinese are out-and-out paste anglers and I can’t wait to find out how these species will respond to English tactics like the pellet waggler or balling it in.”
Jim plans to run the event roughly to CIPS world championship rules, which means that any form of legering won’t be allowed.
As well as carp the venues hold bleak that run to half a pound and a surface-feeding bream-like species. Jim expects weights of up to around 50lb in three hours.
The plan is to run the first China Challenge in June or October 2009, it’s too hot in between, and new fishing television channel www.onlinefishing.tv expects to cover it. The cost for anglers will be about £1,000 each for the week, all inclusive. For now any anglers interested need to drop Jim an email at jim@matchboxtackle.eu .