Match Fishing Over?

[TF_moto46]

I loved my match fishing days from the age of 15 through to mid twenties but now into my thirties and having the usual mortgage, family, career etc etc I just cannot get the same enthusiasm as the years before. I was never a top match angler but did win a few yearly decent club leagues, fished a few team nationals with good results, won a good few matches etc so wasnt the worst.

I also love pole fishing and always fish a match approach keeping busy and getting the best from a peg but nowadays im just alienated with where it’s all going especially with the commercials and big money festivals – the last open I fished the following put me off;

– arguments and complaints from most of the anglers fishing
– being put on a peg I would have never fished out of choice
– pressure on myself of wanting to at least frame and excepting nothing less
– having to fish the times set out rather than your own
– lost 2 big carp in a row before any one else had a bite (hook broke, foul hooked) and lost my head and then fished the wrong approach !!!!!!

Also I cannot see how on earth people are enthusiastic about some commercials where you have virtually no room to fish and you are packed in like sardines it makes no sense to me what so ever. Anyway im not putting down match fishing or what people prefer these are my personal thoughts, maybe im annoyed I can’t get the bug again does anyone else feel the same? and if so what did you do to get back into things?!!!

[TF_joffmiester]

Moto i think a lot of anglers go through what your going through same old same old pressure money i bet you wonder how some anglers can go 4 or 5 times a week same faces winning same faces in magazines .Moto your not alone i hear it most days in Tackle shops on the bank . All i can say is take your time get the bug back fish when you want to and the main thing start enjoying it again i’m sure if its getting you down a break is needed go and watch a few matches seat with a few anglers you know .it’s in your blood kiddo try going back to Natural venues i’m sure it will come back to you well i hope it doe’s
Commercials are a different kettle of fish you have anglers now that have been brought up on them and are very good at what they do big money prizes does create a lot of selfish anglers but it’s what they choose to do £50 enterance to fish 10 yards a part with a change of a big payout floats a lot of boats and it’s a choice we can all have if you choose to.
family should always come first kiddo 😉 😉 😉 i’m sure you will bet through it moto

[TF_geepsterParticipant]

Moto
I remember talking to Bob Nudd about this, and asking him how, as a family man, he had been able to balance this with match fishing,
He said: “gareth, you have to be very selfish indeed to be a successful match angler.”
It’s all about choices.

["H"…Participant]

is it me or has this “situation”only appeared since the domination of commercials? ive spoke to many who have become disheartened through fishing them,i myself have,being a natural water angler at heart,realising to compete on commies I couldn’t do both,maybe not good enough I don’t know,but since knocking commies on the head I once again enjoy my matches and feel I can compete on a more level/fare playing field,just a my thoughts!

[TF_Kagger TNB]

Moto, I’m at work this week so can’t fish, but yesterday the opening day match on the Yare attracted 92 people. Ninety two ( in case anyone thought that was a typo). On a weekday.

Come and have a go. It’s superb, and will perhaps add a bit of variety to your fishing, which might help with the enthusiasm.

I’ll be there a week on Saturday. If you come, I might be able to give you a bit of info about your peg, so you’re not fishing ‘blind’.

[TF_matchace]

to be totally honest im going through the same thing
i sold all my tackle 4 years ago
and im trying to make a comeback
but i havnt got the same buzz
i know im a lot better than i have being doing
maybe its the same for me i dont know

[TF_JohnH]

Moto, I could not agree with you more. A commy near me boasts having 300 turn up every weekend!! I think I would rather bin my gear too if it came to that.

Try a few quiet pleasure sessions, when I go I just find some room and fish how I want to and when I want to.

[TF_vicci5]

I steer well clear of commercials now too, just felt like I was becoming disillusioned with it all and just stopped going fishing full stop for months. Then I went on holiday the other year to the lake district and decided to take my gear. I was staying right on the shores of Windermere and pre-baited each night and every morning was catching bream after bream. They had probably never seen a hook before! Since then I’ve fished Grasmere for roach and perch, Esthwaite for the same, great fishing and fantastic scenery. Now I spend all my time on natural venues, sometimes matchs sometimes pleasure. I fish canals, my local drain with the long pole for big tench, feeder fishing on reservoirs for bream and roach. Have even started brushing up on my river skills too. stick, waggler, blockend feeder. I still enjoy the competitive element of match fishing, but prefer more variety in my fishing and I believe it is that which keeps you stimulated. There is so much more to fishing than just hauling out fish. I was once fishing a canal match when I witnessed a stoat trying to catch a rat on the far bank. The rat, fighting for its life, leapt into the water and the stoat leapt in after it. The stoat gave chase as far as the middle of the canal then decided to turn and swim back to the far bank. The rat continued to the other side and lived to fight another day. I won the match that day with just over 7lb of roach, skimmers and perch but will always remember the day for what I had seen.

[TF_moto46]

Hi All,

Some great reponses really appreciate the comments and offers of help especially 🙂

I honestly thought I would be in the minority but seems like for all the good commercials have done it has spawned (pardon the pun) a different type of an angler and approach to match fishing. As said above some of these anglers only know this type of fishing during their career and only fish a few waters almost becoming unbeatable on half decent pegs.

If I think back most of my personal success was on the River Yare, Grand Union Canal and in Ireland so natural venues is where my heart is at so this sounds to be the route to take.

I do know a few guys who fish the Yare matches Wayne Anderson, Chris Ward etc so will have a look at the next match and sit through one hopefully this will get the bug back. Great turnout and really shows the appetite is still there.

One of the stories I heard recently was how Kieron Rich won the match at Barford for the Fisho qualifyer. I’m taking nothing away from the guy who is obviously a top angler and nice guy (met him in an Angling Direct open day) but apparently he won by dobbing Carp and at one stage was even stood up on his box seat to spot the cruising fish and drop the baits on their heads!

I wonder what the old legends of match fishing would have made of this !!!!!!!!

[TF_paulnewell]

I had problems when I was shafted at my old venue . Fishing is in my blood and probably yours . I will repeat that in the midlands the biggest membership club is Birmingam AA . 36£ a year !!!! And a booklet of venues with fantastic choice . I’m thinking maybe there’s similar in your area ? I went away from matchfishing for a while . Fishing prawns for big perch , Floating bread for carp , and even spinning for pike and perch on the river avon . Because of the small cost of membership , somewhat smaller than your 8£ a day commies you have the choice of 2 or 10 hrs . And you meet some characters , not matchmen but a type that purely go for the pleasure . This gave me a new buzz and I have gone back matchfishing . Not commercials . Now I can pleasure fish again .

[TF_stevied]

i have not fished a match for a long time due to family circumstances, the last 3 or 4 i won so i have got fond memories, just hope i can fish matches in the future but things will have to change,
bad pegging is not only for commercials, the first club match that i won was on a canal long before commy ponds, the pegging was so bad we could touch each other with our rods and using my 12 foot roach pole (now would be called a whip) i had to be careful that i didn’t get caught on the far bank. just for the record i landed 6 fish for a net busting 4.5oz lol. nobody got 2 fish.
the worst pegging ha to be on a commy where the chap in the next peg put his top kits on a roost bolted to his box, this stopped me using running tackle – his stonfo connecters were touching my shoulders if i hat tried casting i would have broke his kits.
i now go fishing where and when i can and long for the days of yesteryear.
enjoy what you have got, it can all change tomorrow. these days i bake more cakes than catch fish better check on the parkin in the oven then back to dreaming about catching fish. will be on the bank soon i hope, but until then catch one for me 😀

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