Ineligible angler wins County Champs final ?

[TF_tractorboy]

I have heared that the wining county champs team fielded a high profile angler who hadn’t even qualified for the semi final.

If this is true and AT want ideas how to improve the event, then maybe only the anglers who have qualified for the final or are next in line should someone not be able to go, should fish the event.

If not then open it up to the top 5 anglers in any county so all are on a level playing field.

Your thoughts?

[TF_wildinguk]

Just had a look and you’re right that said only finished in the top 30 in the county. Though he might of fished the semi if 9 people didn’t book in, as he would have been a reserve, and could have qualified that way, as the semi results haven’t been published anywhere I have seen.

[TF_fisky]

Quite a few anglers couldn’t fish the S Yorks semi final so by default anglers in the top 30 were invited to fish to try and fill the qualifier. This applied to every county, hence why anglers were asked to let AT know if they could or couldn’t fish. Unfortunately probably only 60% did.
Fair play to the angler in question because even though he finished 29th in the league he cared enough about the competition to book in for a reserve place if there was one going and he got his reward. Can’t see how this makes him ineligible?
I can’t see the top 5 in the league suggestion working because as somebody on here said a few weeks ago, the semi-final helps to filter out those anglers who aren’t interested in the competition. The winner of my county never even showed for the qualifier! Plus it’s likely that the top 5 in the county will be those who fish both days every weekend – at least with the top 20 you have a chance fishing just the one day.

[TF_Steve Lockett]

Good answer Ben. I know that down here in Devon, not all the places for the semi were taken up. If I had known, I would have gone along with my gear as I was on the fishery on the day shooting an article.

The real question here should be: There are people running matches on behalf of match anglers all over the country, often for no reward or thanks. So why do many match anglers just not bother letting the organisers know they will not be there?
Same old…

[Max]

For the first year of this competition, I think it was excellent (even though I didn’t fish it).

Imagine what its going to be like once they’ve learnt from this year – such as defining when the semi’s and final will actual take place early on. Or even giving people the option not to have their results covered in the weekly tables.

Well done to the organisers.

Bill (Max Floats)

[TF_tractorboy]

Fair doo’s Ben.

I can’t believe so many anglers would turn down the chance to fish in this event.

[Author]

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