Is competition fishing for you?
Some people hate the very thought of fishing competitions and I can understand that. After all fishing is a great way to lose ourselves, day dream a little, become absorbed and perhaps for one moment leave behind our everyday lives. Reaching targets, fighting for promotion and in recent times just trying to hold on to a job means that many of us have been thrown into a head to head battle on a daily basis. So why take all this and add it to a days fishing? Its all personal preference of course and that is my firm belief across the world of fishing. If you don't like it, don't do it.
Personally I have had some very enjoyable times on the match circuit and found them to be a huge buzz. I also learned. A lot. Many of the tactics that we use during our "pleasure" trips have been dreamed up by competitive anglers looking for an edge. You note I have highlighted the word pleasure there because it has always interested me when anglers define pleasure/competition fishing in this way. For me even a competition has to be pleasurable. Sure we have a different mind set and I guess we add some pressure to the day. But I try to forget all that, enjoy the day, enjoy the social side and of course enjoy the fishing.
During a competition my heart always pounds a little harder when a fish is hooked. Just one fish, that's all it takes to win a match and I have experienced both the enormous high when you pull off a win, or qualify to the next round coupled with the lows when you miss out. But isn't that what fishing is all about anyway, competition or no competition? Most of the matches I entered were reservoir based because if you have an eye on an England cap for example (as I did), this is where the eliminators/finals take place. It was also an opportunity to travel around the country, see new venues, practice a variety of methods and gain invaluable experience.
All well and good but when we take into account that most of the fly fishing enjoyed in the UK is on a small water, why have they been virtually ignored by the competition circuit? After all by providing small water anglers with a chance to enjoy a match in more familiar surroundings we may encourage a few to step up to something a bit bigger in the future. There is of course the long standing Troutmasters Competition organised by Trout Fisherman magazine which has a huge following, although this encompasses both large and small still waters. Catch a big fish, head to a fish off and if you win, you are in the final. It has been hugely successful and I love to see our anglers proudly wearing their badges after they have caught a big fish here at Exe Valley. But … there is room for a small water competition that has a similar format to the matches fished on reservoirs … and it has arrived.
The World Bank Masters Individual Competition 2012 is the brainchild of 2009 world fly fishing Champion Iain Barr. Heats are going to be available nationwide and I am pleased to say that both Hart Flyshop and Exe Valley Fishery have become involved in this exciting new event. I will post full details here tomorrow regarding our heats which will take place on Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th March 2012.
