A late result - Elm, Decoy

While I was away the Fenland Rods fished a match on Elm Lake which resulted in what I think may be a club record - 259 lb of mainly barbel by several-rimes Club Champion Kevin Lee. I am told the fish were mainly barbel. Here's the result: No peg numbers are given, but Kevin was on peg 15 and I believe he used mainly cat meat.

The next day an angler took 300 lb from the same peg 15.

Also while I was away Chris Barley won an Open on peg 29 on Beastie with 395 lb, while on peg 30 Jon Whincup was second with 305 lb. Both fished shallow all day.

There are plenty of anglers who think that these weights are hideous, and that anyone can do it - consequently they refuse to fish commercials, which is ridiculous. Chris and Jon and two of the best anglers in the country; on a natural water I would rate their chance of beating say Alan Scotthorne and Des Shipp as 50/50. On a carp-dominated stillwater I would rate them as 2 to 1 favorites. I think that these are both Personal Best weights.

Saying that huge weights are denigrating matchfishing is like saying that because a lot of snooker players have made maximum breaks in the past few years it's easy. The fact is that the average angler, thanks largely to improvements in tackle, and articles in angling magazines, is far, far better than the average angler was even only 30 years ago. It's helped by climate change, of course, which means fish are surviving better on all waters, and eating more, and growing faster, because our water is warm for longer than it used to be.