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- Apr 27, 2009
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- 5,543
I would suggest a few things as offering part of the explanation.
The 1st would be that an awful lot of the old standard lines (Maxima, Bayer Perlon etc) were, and still are, significantly under rated. 2lb in either is a lot closer in diameter and breaking strain to a modern 3lb+ line.
The 2nd would come down to the vagaries of stock changes, particularly with respect to the Trent. I recall taking club trips to the Trent in the 80s. Most went expecting to catch roach with the hope of bonus bream and the odd chub. When I was fishing occasional Trent matches in the early 90s, it was chub with the odd bream. Fast forward another five to ten years and the river seemed to be wall to wall barbel. In the present day, the Trent seems to have a better balanced stock than I ever remember.
Finally, I'd throw in the angling mentality of many matchmen. My experience is that most, but not all, would rather catch 10lb of bits than sit it out for a single 10lb barbel that may not come along. The best of them might also have the skill to land such a bonus fish without resorting to the heavier set ups that make it easier to extract such fish but might also impact on the number of smaller fish that they could catch along the way. An awful lot of pleasure anglers end up hedging their bets, by using bigger hooks and heavier lines, in a way that most matchmen won't. They won't usually be able to catch as big a bag of roach and dace as a good matchman on lighter gear could.
The 1st would be that an awful lot of the old standard lines (Maxima, Bayer Perlon etc) were, and still are, significantly under rated. 2lb in either is a lot closer in diameter and breaking strain to a modern 3lb+ line.
The 2nd would come down to the vagaries of stock changes, particularly with respect to the Trent. I recall taking club trips to the Trent in the 80s. Most went expecting to catch roach with the hope of bonus bream and the odd chub. When I was fishing occasional Trent matches in the early 90s, it was chub with the odd bream. Fast forward another five to ten years and the river seemed to be wall to wall barbel. In the present day, the Trent seems to have a better balanced stock than I ever remember.
Finally, I'd throw in the angling mentality of many matchmen. My experience is that most, but not all, would rather catch 10lb of bits than sit it out for a single 10lb barbel that may not come along. The best of them might also have the skill to land such a bonus fish without resorting to the heavier set ups that make it easier to extract such fish but might also impact on the number of smaller fish that they could catch along the way. An awful lot of pleasure anglers end up hedging their bets, by using bigger hooks and heavier lines, in a way that most matchmen won't. They won't usually be able to catch as big a bag of roach and dace as a good matchman on lighter gear could.