Matches - Why an early start?

[Dave]

Here's a question based upon something Rob posted on an earlier thread...

Getting up early for a match

Why do matches mainly start early - 8;00am draw, fish 9:30 - 3:30pm or thereabouts when they miss the best part of the day ?

Surely a late start, no rush, fish lunchtime whilst 6:00pm would be better ?

 

[Anglingman]

was common when i lived in the midlands to fish a sunday afternoon/eve match. Worked well. could do things with the family in the morning, have a roast and then drive to the venue for a 2pm draw fish 3-8 and grab a pint on the way home. A match down here in the south is a full day mission !

 

[rob6709]

Here's a question based upon something Rob posted on an earlier thread...



Why do matches mainly start early - 8;00am draw, fish 9:30 - 3:30pm or thereabouts when they miss the best part of the day ?

Surely a late start, no rush, fish lunchtime whilst 6:00pm would be better ?

I whole heartedly agree that a lunch time and 6pm finish would be better

 

[floatfisher]

Might just be tradition? Years gone by the matches on the Lancaster canal used to be three hours, draw at 8 fish 9 till 12 so there was time to get in the pub after the weigh in, Sunday hours being 12 till 2pm in those days.

 

[Phoenixicus]

Some venues will have two contests a day now.
I would have thought the morning start would be better than an afternoon as when the sun is out quite a few venues will switch off for a few hours

 

[wuffie]

Can't wait to get there so a later start would see me pacing up and down waiting to set off, plus a late finish would end up rushing around at the wrong end of the day.

 

[Wise Owl]

And if we didn't book the pond to start early, some of the Tight fishery owners would have pleasure anglers on before the match

 

[NathanWatson]

Most matches I know of draw later than that! I agree, a little later would sometimes be nice, not in winter though!

 

[genesis]

And if we didn't book the pond to start early, some of the Tight fishery owners would have pleasure anglers on before the match

Spot on mate. We tried to book a couple of matches last year for 12 noon starts. However both fishery owners said they could not guarantee that pleasure anglers would not fish before we did. Might work if you own your water and it's members only.

 

[changrilla]

You have to get up early anyway to catch the worms. Might as well go fishing

It leaves the banks free in the afternoon for non mathchers?

 

[Phoenixicus]

C''mon guys I thought it would have been obvious to you Commie anglers.
Morning start means they can book two contest a day, but if not still sell 1/2 day permits when the contest is finished.
How many match anglers actually stay on to fish?
Kerching

 

[Sportsman]

Fisheries are a business. Why would the owners not want to maximise their profits, just like any other business?

 

[G0zzer2]

Few of the commercials in my area would want people on the site until 7pm opr later, which would happen if matches finished at 6pm. They have a life to live and beds to go home to. However,I do agree that on natural waters finishing early afternoon is ridiculous in Summer. The problem is that a lot of wives expect their husbands to get home for tea.

The answer? Change your wife!!

 

[Nicky Dodds]

There are some clubs that hold matches on canal systems that start at stupid o clock. The reason being that round about normal 'match time' starts coincides with all the weekend admirals getting their toys out. I suppose they'll get at least half the match uninterrupted that way.

 

[Phoenixicus]

The same reason why we used to fish all our matches early on the Severn,mid-afternoon in the Summer and it's a boat every 5 mins.
The Wye is the same but that's all canoes &kayaks

 

[GUCANGLER]

Many years ago a mate and me fished a couple of matches at Mapledurham on the Thames, had to set off at 2am as matches were 5am untill 10am due to the heavy boat traffic. Nodded off on the M4 on the way home, woke with a jolt, looked at my mate who was driving to see him asleep aswell!! Woke him up just before we went down the embankment, that was the last time we went to Mapledurham

 

[Simon R]

One of our trophies is called the Early Morning Cup and at one time had a draw time of 4am - fish 5 till 11 and home in time for Sunday lunch - that was 20 odd years ago though, we don't do it anymore however footage of one such match is available on YouTube
Prior to my tenure as match secretary the draw for the match would take place in a local hostelry the previous evening so you could down to the lake and prebait your spot before returning at 4am the next morning.

We still do have a couple of all-night matches from 9pm until 9am - the first of which is in just over a fortnights time but generally speaking we fish the same times as every club in the land. We used to fish matches down at Carpvale, back when it was owned by Kev Whincup and he always advised that we should fish 12 till 6 or 1 till 7 for better sport. I did propose it but got so many howls of protest and anglers who said they couldn't fish those times that I reverted back to 'normal' start and finish times.




Simon

 

[Northantslad]

Part of the enjoyment for me is, when it fits, having breakfast together. Fisheries taking the opportunity to fit in two matches or anglers on there before the match would put me off, places fish hard enough sometimes when its been hammered the day before, let alone an hour before. Bringing it back to food, i don't use restaurants that do sittings and wouldn't be interested in lakes that did, even worse, restaurants that don;t do sittings but do hurry you along.

 

[johng19]

I would like the idea of early ones. When I first started fishing use to go at 4 to 5 in the morning home for dinner. Fished good up to about 10 then went slow. Now we start at 10. Think now we tend to fish the worst hours of the day.
Maybe commercial's have change that, fish get use to the feeding patterns of the fisherman. In the olden days there where no commercials ( Or that we fished ) so fish tended to have there own feeding patterns, early mornings and late evening where the best times.

 

[Wise Owl]

Spot on mate. We tried to book a couple of matches last year for 12 noon starts. However both fishery owners said they could not guarantee that pleasure anglers would not fish before we did. Might work if you own your water and it's members only.

Would i be a BIRK with a head made of WOOD to ask where