[Wizard]

think it means he doesn't know

[oliver reed]

So its a bit like asking the old lady at the bus stop 'What was that bus I just missed,the 114?'

I'm sure if you're really keen to see a bit of barbel butchery it'll pop up on sky sports some time soon...

[shaun]

I did notice them tipping the bags of fish onto a mat , with the mat been on the gravel path and should really been on the grass .Like Oliver Reed says a lively carp in the 2-4 lb bracket once hooked then brought in quick stands a high chance of flapping on then off the mat. Poor really for the standards they should be showing.

[Southenerinaforiegnland]

Originally Posted by oliver reed

Thats the problem with modern match fishing- as specimen anglers targetting carp we as a whole, barring a percentage as ever, tend to give our quarry some tlc when we catch them.

'Hardcore' match anglers however merely see the poor f1 types thrown into a farmers would be swimming pool known loosely as a fishery as a potential cash payout. Speed is the key factor, not fish care. Believe it or not, what you've seen on tv is an improvement on what used to go on- hundreds of pounds of carp were crammed into inadequate sized keepnets on hot days to suffer damage or worse...

Nowadays many fisheries show a modicum of concern for their stock, probably due to the rising costs of replacing 'fodder' for the next days match.

The problem with commercial carp fisheries is that the species, ie carp, put up a good scrap when hooked. Great if you're pleasure fishing on a rod n line, not so when you're in a rush to land the fish and put back out for the next bite. Because of this, matchmen have a tendancy to 'skull' the carp in which is hardly beneficial, but a lively four pounder once netted stands a very good chance of flapping and being dropped.

A 4oz roach however is a different subject-general coarse fish don't fight as hard, therefore come in quicker and behave more whilst being unhooked. But come winter time your local canal will be harder than a coffin nail to get results on, whereas the overstocked venues such as Crudmore offer good 'sport' all year round. This obviously appeals to matchmen more hence their popularity.

I think fishing for bigger fish with a pole during matches should be outlawed personally, fish care and matches hardly go hand in hand on many waters. But I guess thats the price the poor carp have to pay for becoming so darned popular...

I bet the roach n perch love the lack of attention though...

Not a truer word spoken.. One of the main reasons i moved away from the match scene was what i consider damn right cruelity to the fish.... the commercial fishery has a lot to answer for IMHO. There is a lot that we can learn from match fishing regarding building a swim and baiting etc I just wish they would take notice of how we look after our captures...........