Is match fishing like riding a bike....

[Total]

I'm only playing but it is a bit of a confidence issue I think. The tackle talk is just tackle banter.

^^Mmmmn!.......I've been around the block a bit....well more than a bit! ...Being a carer for our special needs twins gives me a unique insight into people and their ways..

I actually enjoy reading your posts and your progress in our sport after your return.....It's refreshing and reminds me when I was as keen as mustard....Confidence is one of those strange traits, but sometimes you've got to be bold and get on with it or you'll never find out...I wish you well on your continued fishing journey/posts....Be lucky...

 

[NJ1875]

I fished my first match today since we’ve been able too. Last one was the Saturday before lock down. It was a tough venue - Vale Golf Club near Evesham. The lake seemed only to be stocked with Carp which were busy spawning. They were cruising round the top all day but showing no interest in any bait. 14lb won the match, I came in 3rd with 10lb 7oz. So I think we were all a bit ring rusty or it could just have been one of those days.

 

[Northantslad]

Not sure that it is a comparable analogy, so no. Every match day can be different, especially for a multi venue match angler, so 'learning' the fishing is perhaps, whilst an essential asset, sitting alongside a will to compete, discipline in being ready-kit and venue knowledge/form- for anyone who wishes to match fish as well as they ride a bike anyway.

Got me thinking, when people talk about an 'experienced match angler', i don't always think they are referring to fishing ability alone, they will also now the do's and dont's, when to have the eyes or the mouth open, the poker face almost and also in getting to know the bluffing that goes on.

 

[Peter]

Fishing per se, not just match fishing is constantly evolving and it's the thinking proactive anglers that will always be ahead of the game.
The best I've met over the years will have no problem telling others how they're catching and even explaining it to people as by the time the people who they've shown have got to grips with it they will have refined it and taken it to another level maintaining their advantage.
You're never to old to learn and it's never been easier with the amount of information available now on the net or via coaching days, every day is a learning day. If you're prepared to put in the effort you can improve if you choose to.
One of the great aspects of the sport is that if you choose to you can pay your money and fish with/against the very best on a regular basis, not something it's possible to do in most sports.

 

[DontKillZander]

It's more like -

 

[Dusty]

I shall tell you tomorrow. My first match of the season ?

 

[ATTICUS FINCH]

With regards to the thread title I think I am probably more qualified to say wether it's true or not .
How do I hear you say ,well I was a pretty useful angler back in the day and gave up to work on the golf handicap.
Well the upshot was no better than thirteen handicap? ,and what with suffering a nasty bout of pneumonia which has left unable to walk our first let alone all eighteen holes it's back to fishing ,and being a competitive bugger I joined my old club to fish there matches again , all this after a near ten year lay off.
So tonight will be my first match and I will be finding out if I can still ride my bike .
So look for my answer sometime tomorrow for the answer.

 

[Dusty]

With regards to the thread title I think I am probably more qualified to say wether it's true or not .
How do I hear you say ,well I was a pretty useful angler back in the day and gave up to work on the golf handicap.
Well the upshot was no better than thirteen handicap? ,and what with suffering a nasty bout of pneumonia which has left unable to walk our first let alone all eighteen holes it's back to fishing ,and being a competitive bugger I joined my old club to fish there matches again , all this after a near ten year lay off.
So tonight will be my first match and I will be finding out if I can still ride my bike .
So look for my answer sometime tomorrow for the answer.

Good luck mate.

 

[robert d]

Is match fishing like riding a bike...... once you learn you never forget?

Or is it a case of all fingers and thumbs and getting battered from either side

If you've fished a match this weekend tell us all about it, how you fared, and the more photos the better

Usually fingers and thumbs for me until I've been out 3 or 4 times and settled into a routine ,getting casting right ,mixing my micros in water and not forgetting them until they're porridge .

 

[Total]

With regards to the thread title I think I am probably more qualified to say wether it's true or not .
How do I hear you say ,well I was a pretty useful angler back in the day and gave up to work on the golf handicap.
Well the upshot was no better than thirteen handicap? ,and what with suffering a nasty bout of pneumonia which has left unable to walk our first let alone all eighteen holes it's back to fishing ,and being a competitive bugger I joined my old club to fish there matches again , all this after a near ten year lay off.
So tonight will be my first match and I will be finding out if I can still ride my bike .
So look for my answer sometime tomorrow for the answer.

I wish you well Bill and with a bit of good fortune I'm sure you'll do ok...Be lucky...

 

[Total]

Usually fingers and thumbs for me until I've been out 3 or 4 times and settled into a routine ,getting casting right ,mixing my micros in water and not forgetting them until they're porridge .

Good reliable prep' is always the way/secret Bob whether you be pleasure fishing or match fishing....And as you say, the routine will follow....I've got to the stage now if something is not right, change it, simple as that....Enjoyment is and always was my driver when fishing and having a good laugh along the way...

 

[ATTICUS FINCH]

evening all.
well I can still ride a bike it would seem .
match kicked off at six ,fish thru to nine .
so three hours to catch as many as ya can.
i got to my peg and it was half decent with a nice patch of lillies to my left and a nice bit of open water all to myself ,
the quarry was to be roach and rudd and hopefully the odd tench would put in an appearance.
its a shallow lake with all of three foot in front anywhere i plumbed..
six elastic with a small .3gm float on a .015 mainline and a .010 hooklength with an eighteen fine wire maggot hook
g/bait was a 50 50 mix of sensas lake and a sweet bream mix.
the all in and two pots of gbait went out to ten metres with a smattering of maggots and half a dozen niblets of corn.
the hook was baited with double red maggot and layed out to fall slowly through the cloudy g/bait.
three seconds , yes three seconds later im playing a two pound tench .
what a start .
ended up with two more green gods and afew roach for a match winning weight of 9lb 13oz.
might not sound much but it more than doubled second place with 4lb dead on the scales .

happy days and look out chris froome cos i can still ride a bike.

 

[Total]

@ ATTICUS FINCH .....Reeesulttt! ....Well angled...

 

[ATTICUS FINCH]

cheers mate, bloody awful weather to boot ,stop start rain all night.
all the gear soaked thru ,that will be sorted tomorrow.nets are in the back garden though .

 

[Total]

cheers mate, bloody awful weather to boot ,stop start rain all night.
all the gear soaked thru ,that will be sorted tomorrow.nets are in the back garden though .

All part of the fun Bill... ....I used to love those summer 3 hour evening bashes on my docks....

 

[kevin o connor]

Of course it is like riding a bike. Some people love it while others hate it. You can be sure once you post about it you are going to get lots of posts saying what a load of numties match anglers (cyclists) are !

 

[ATTICUS FINCH]

Of course it is like riding a bike. Some people love it while others hate it. You can be sure once you post about it you are going to get lots of posts saying what a load of numties match anglers (cyclists) are !

thing is Kev in real life i cant ride a bike anymore.

 

[kevin o connor]

thing is Kev in real life i cant ride a bike anymore.

Sorry to hear that, but I can't match fish !

 

[The Big Fella]

hi

I think it’s fair to say if your a match angler you will still remember the basics and it’s relatively easy to fish the easier style of fishing like a short pole and get into a rhythm.

However I personally think if it’s been a while since you last fished some of the harder disciplines such as fishing shallow at max lengths, or the finesse required to drop a feeder repeatedly in a small gap/rat hole on a far bank at 30-40 yards may take a session or to to get back FULLY in the groove

The main reason being is although there has probably never been as much advice available to help improve your technique via internet and you tube editorials and the like practice practice practice there can be no substitute and like anything you may still be doing it almost right but if your up against a polished match angler in tune with the method on the day even those small % by end of 5 hours it’s likely a fair few pounds deficit can be the result.

Even some of the greats I watched a video of Des Shipp recently saying that he had struggled on a method not down to the fish he was just not quite “on it“ and he knew it was down to practice etc.

I know that if I’ve been fishing mainly pole for weeks on end or cause of not going much I go and fish a practice on a tip regardless of if it’s the best method on the the day just to try and keep things half tidy and undoubtedly I’d be lying if I said it didn’t improve the further into a session as it becomes more natural to me.

In my opinion the best “top anglers” can do everything by second nature skill set wise, and secondly from their watercraft / match experience they make judgment calls on changes required far quicker than other anglers and that’s why they are at the top of the tree but they will all still practice.

So in summary I think you can still ride the bike LOL but your a bit all over the road ?