Match fishing.Why?

[Fours]

My intention is not to be contentious, but.....please explain to me the attraction of match fishing.

It is unquestionably a huge part of the sport, but I'd like to get an idea of whether you get the same experience from it as a non-match angler.

Maybe I should quantify that.I fish for pleasure.The pleasure comes from a multitude of elements.

For example: Fishing for a specific species;Relishing the tranquility;Using a rod and reel!

The list is endless and I'm sure they cross over for the match fisherman to an extent.

I have total respect for all on here, just want to know what I'm missing out on!

Case for the defence please.

[suffolktoad]

The competition, being the winner, beating others, being the best on the day, winning, sponsorship, the money. Proving you're the number one kid on the block. Seeing other feeling beaten and downcast and knowing that they will remember it for ages.

[Fours]

The competition, being the winner, beating others, being the best on the day, winning, sponsorship, the money. Proving you're the number one kid on the block. Seeing other feeling beaten and downcast and knowing that they will remember it for ages.

Ummm.

No enjoyment in terms of just 'being there' then?

Pole, i'm presuming?

[Steve Walker]

I used to fish club matches when I was a teenager. The attractions for me were:

 

* I got to fish places I would not normally get to fish

* The challenge of competition

* The buzz of winning

* The camaraderie of the club

* The opportunity to be measured against others and to improve my own fishing as a result

 

There is a huge satisfaction in winning a club match when you're a junior

 

It doesn't really appeal to me now, and I haven't fished a match for over 20 years, but I can certainly see why people enjoy it.

[Mark Wintle]

On top of the competitive side, there can be a tremendous atmosphere and 'buzz' especially on major events. Anyone who fished one of the major matches when they really were major will know what I mean. I've fished the Nationals at 1000 pegs plus plus other big matches of similar size (go back 60 years and many matches were 2000-4000!) and watched world championships and similar.

 

There is also the buzz from really testing your skills and mettle against others, making decisions, planning tactics, changing tactics, not just against the fish but the clock as well. Your skills, or lack of them, really get found out one way or another in competition. Plenty of pleasure anglers can talk a good match but only those that have walked the walk really can show that they can do it. rarely been downtrodden for long even after a bad match, only ever had one really bad run that lasted 5 months then broke out of it and carried on as normal, win some lose plenty more,always another match, next week.

 

And along the way, the same fun, pleasure, tranquillity and enjoyment as any other angling. And there's a lot more to it than just pole fishing!

[Dick Dastardly]

For me match fishing's biggest plus is that it can turn mediocre fishing into an exciting day out! I won't go into all the history of it but just give an example.

 

The local Working Mans Club used to have a small brick pond that I was a member of. Despite only being a few acres it had some very good carp in it including one that sometimes topped 40lbs,still in my mind a big fish for a natural UK water. The pleasure/general fishing was pretty pants though.A lot due to the vast amounts of small micro Rudd that were in it. You would very quickly bore of catching these and unless you specifically targeted the carp it was hard to get through the small fish to get better ones. Not very exciting fishing Im sure you would agree and certainly not something you would want to do regularly.........

 

However add the element of competition and all of a sudden these small fish and being able to catch more of them and quicker than a few other guys become very exciting! The tactical planning, learning/developing new techniques just to try and win makes this a far more absorbing fishing than just sat there wishing you weren't getting all these small Rudd!.

[Rusty]

Case for the defence please.

 

Don't think there needs to be one really Fours. I've never tried it and probably won't but there are plenty of anglers competing in matches who thoroughly enjoy it and wouldn't do anything else. I work with a guy who only fishes matches, he gets a particular buzz from doing well either at a bad peg or against the elements. He doesn't like getting bad pegs but if everything conspires against him there's still a match to fish and an objective. Most pleasure anglers would probably not go out if conditions were so bad that there was very little chance of them catching their target species.

 

I don't understand the whole match scene but then I don't understand people buying 4x4 vehicles when they'll never go offroad.

[jason.p]

Ummm.

No enjoyment in terms of just 'being there' then?

Pole, i'm presuming?

 

I thought you said you had no intention of being contentious

 

There are many different aspects of fishing, Match- pleasure-predator-river-stillwater-specimen . game and coarse, to name but a few. And yes, some misguided souls like to use a pole (like myself)

I don't feel as though I have to justify the sort of fishing I enjoy. Each to his own.

[ginger]

I too fish for pleasure with no particular species in mind, when asked 'what am I fishing for'? my answer is always FISH! I do however, fish club matches when possible and enjoy the competition, especially when some of the bods are really good with the seemingly the ability to catch fish at will from a puddle at the side of the road. To win a section or even (less often though) the match is particularly satisfying. The major attraction is in having to fish pegs on either of the club pits that perhaps I would never choose, that is a challenge. In the pegs I would pick when pleasure fishing I could reasonably expect to catch, even if only a few bits, whereas an unknown swim means trying different methods and techniques. Having said that, My two methods are either groundbait feeder or waggler. I have a pole but cannot get on with it and I do not need to win to the extent that 'at any cost' is normal. Give it a go, you will probably get blitzed but it may make you think outside your normal box and that could well improve your pleasure fishing.

[watatoad]

Excitement, taking part, different venues, being part of a bigger thing, competition...most important trying to learn a few new tricks off the other anglers...every little thing I learn gets me closer to being PERFECT...

 

Wait a minute I have just remembered I am already perfect so I am just trying to improve on perfection...

 

 

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