Future of match fishing.

[TF_JohnH]

Whilst its good to see the Fishomania being enlarged next year it does seem to be at odds with what’s happening to the sport in general from my observation.
Most fishery owners I speak to are telling me that matches are getting smaller, with the vast majority sub 20 anglers. I realise that there are matches pretty much 7 days a week now and many working, obviously, cant fish mid week but even at weekends many matches are small.
Our own club has a very active match programme but we struggle to get 30 despite having 500 members. Clearly the vast majority don’t fish matches.
Also the age profile is very much at the older end, something I see when I visit the tackle shop too.
The high cost of fuel no doubt is encouraging those that still fish matches to stay local, that’s not going to change.
It does seem to me that we are on a downward slope.

[TF_Kagger TNB]

Not round here.

During the summer a small match on the Yare is 50+ pegs.

After mid October you’re probably talking 20peggers, but the are loads to pick from.

[TF_JohnH]

I don’t understand why contributors are so reluctant to post. Surely someone has an opinion on this? Over 200 have read this and only one response.
You only get out the site what you put in.

[Anonymous]

I cannot comment on matches on commercial fisheries because I never fish them.
I fish the Trent almost exclusively up to the end of October 2 matches a week with large variations in attendances.
Burton on Trent gets 70+, including some youngsters now that there is a Drennan sponsored final to qualify for.
I first fished the festival in 2010 when there were just 48 of us – this year is 60+ and a long reserve list.
The Tidal Festival had about 50 this July of all ages.
Colin Walton’s Wednesday matches attract 20 -30 of mostly old boys like myself.
I understand the Thursday league at South Clifton on he Tidal is well attended.

I think the fundamental issue is that fishing, not just match fishing, peaked with the baby boomers and we are now all 60+.
20 years from now the demographic will have changed completely and it will be a very different society – and as Tony Marshall keeps asking ‘Who will I have to fish against in 20 years time?’

I don’t know anything about the fishing industries business models – but I would not be inclined to invest any long term money in it.

[TF_JohnH]

Thanks for comment, I was primarily referring to commercial fisheries in my first post. I should have considered the river scene too but rarely fish rivers now.
It is clear that in regions with good river fishing that turnouts are holding up, albeit I recall fishing the Welland, and Witham in the 70s with turnouts of several hundreds, I think the Severn and Avon was the same. However these anglers were travelling long distances from the industrial heartlands. I suspect attendees now are more likely to be locals..

[Anonymous]

Yes I remember those bygone fenland matches – it is a real shame that the rivers are now gin clear and weed choked.

The Trent matches still attract from far and wide. Burton in particular has a good mix from down the West Midlands and up through Yorkshire.
There are guys from Norwich and Cambridgeshire fish at Newark.

I have always assumed it was the commercials that only attracted relatively local support given that they are offering similar fishing.

[TF_JohnH]

Good to hear that anglers are still travelling to fish the Trent, I do suspect that it is something that will die out with them. Of course in the 70s we had no choice but to travel, local waterways near me were so polluted and commercials were yet to explode. I thought that many had stopped fishing rivers as their cars were being broken into. This was something that was not a problem in the 70s, certainly not on the scale it became later.
This seem to come at the same time as the clean rivers resulted in much lower weights..

[Anonymous]

The only car breaking incident I was ever aware of was on the Sheffield canal about 20 years ago.
I think you would be surprised if you went back to the Trent – I believe the fishing is better than it ever was in the so called good old days now that both fish and fisherman have adjusted to the clear water and vegetation.
But yes I agree, the match fishing will die with our generation leaving the river to the scruffy, litter leaving, barbel anglers.

[TF_gazer]

I think one thing that makes it look worse is with the amount of commercials all having a match dilutes the numbers so if 5 commies have a match on the same day all in a 20 mile radius and 20 people fish each one in the old days before commies you would have had one 100 pegger bit basic maths but the point is shown

[TF_Kagger TNB]

… and on our local commercials there a lot of youngsters fishing.

Younger than me (46) anyway lol

[TF_CriagH66]

No problems in the Midlands. My match year:
Jan – March: Makins individual Phase 2, 45 anglers some youngsters in their mid 20’s – great anglers. Also opens on the Avon in Barford with 20 to 30 depending on river conditions – mainly old boys.
April-June: Run an Individual Spring League with Atlleborough Sports AC. 10 matches on the bounce with about 30 regular anglers, all ages from mid twenty’s to fossils.
June onward back on the rivers, Barston Avon Festival and opens with approx 25/30 anglers and the excellent Soar Masters run by Joff, 60 – 70 anglers. Then the Barford Winter League, 9 teams of 6.
There’s always the Wreake opens on the Grand Onion in Market Harborough throughout the year with excellent turnouts.
Absolutely loads going on if you can be flexible about your fishing. Lose the commercial goggles!
I get the definite impression anglers are coming to match fishing at a later age, missing the junior and starting in their mid twenties, early thirties.

[TF_dirkdiggler]

In short it hasn’t got one.
I watched fisho and the International the day after oh dear where are the crowds?
Went to Cudmore a few months ago and oh the shops gone and it was Saturday and it was dead.
Went to Lakemore and the shop there was in a low stock troubled state.
The problems seem to be that as the world is changing into an instant gratification society fishing doesn’t fit in anymore as it’s expensive and difficult to get started plus it isn’t anywhere near as cool as getting cammoed up and sitting in the bivvy getting chonged up with your mates.
It’s an older mans game and is just not attractive to younger ones.
Allied to the fact that the country as a whole is still on it’s arse unless you live inside the M25.
Voila…the perfect storm.

[TF_jrowe]

Hello john just read your report do you live in the west Country if so I can mirror your concerns over the last two years our club matches have drop and in local opens too not sure how to overcome this situation as most young anglers seem hell bent on landing a 30lb carp
wish we had more lakes with silvers anyway let’s hope there will be a turn around in the near future

[TF_dirkdiggler]

Don’t worry carp fishing is about to be on a serious decline over the next decade too.
Otters are to carp fishing what Cormorants are to silver fish.
Ignored by the general public as a kind of cuddly swimming dog these feckers are on the march.
So fishing in general is under threat from one direction or another……where are those golf clubs again 😉

[Author]

Posts