The Hopeful
Match Fisher
Last
week I caught up on a few old back editions of Tight Lines, which I get as an
edited video podcast onto my computer. I've been a fan of the program
mainly because they cover some of the big match events and also get some decent
guests in to talk about their experiences.
On
one such recent episode Callum Dicks was on and Keith Arthur was talking to him
about the recent Parkdean Masters match, which is considered one of the most
prestigious titles in the match fishing game. As far as I know, in order
to fish on the Parkdean Masters you have to qualify by good results at the
White Acres Festival, which runs the week before. I think they take the
top twenty-four anglers, based upon results in their sections. By all
accounts there are something like five matches to gain qualification points,
about 180 anglers each all in. Now here comes the rub: according to
Callum Dicks you cannot finish less than second or third in your section on any
of the five matches and then expect to qualify for the Parkdean Masters.
Sounds tough! Yet what I found when I looked at who had made it through
to Masters was a list of mostly the same faces who seem to do consistently well
in the commercial match fishing world.
Now if you are still with me, what I'm aiming to work out here is not the obvious (the best guys always do well), but rather how it is that these characters manage to do it so consistently. There are so many variables to take into account when match fishing (or any sort of fishing for that matter). So how is it that these few are yet able to rise to the top so regularly?
There is of course a simple answer: 'experience'. Or perhaps it could be 'ability', but these basic answers are just too simple for my inquiring mind. I'm sure we have all heard that preparation is the key to success: it's that old 'fail to prepare - prepare to fail' adage. I believe that is true, but it's still to generalised for me. In a previous life I was software engineer and I so I'm just always trying to discover how things work by reverse engineering them!
It seems to me then that the best match anglers are able to achieve consistency by lessening the odds of success in a number of key areas of preparation and performance. By doing so they improve their chances over other anglers. There are of course some random factors involved, such as the peg draw, over which no amount of preparation and performance can influence the result at the point you put your hand into the draw bag. However, many other factors might be predicted to be within certain limits so that an angler could make preparations to cope with the range of possibilities. I believe that it's good decision making within this array of possibilities which gives one angler an advantage over another.
So what are these key areas? Well to be fair I'm not sure I could find them all, but here is a go:
Weather
The weather has a huge effect on fishing. It's not just a case of basic temperature, but also temperature change. That of course is linked to air pressure, which can determine the direction of the wind. All of these can make a huge difference on the day. There is a practical angle to this. For example turning up for a match on a very windy day prepared only to fish a long pole is not a good decision. But as we all know, sudden changes in temperature can be devastating, even in the height of summer. These days we have good weather forecasts to ever greater levels detail, and they are becoming ever more localised. Surely having some idea of the weather trends can help in preparation. For example, if there is to be a lot of rain overnight then a lot of cold water, which is denser then warmer water and therefore sinks, is going to mean deeper swims may not be popular with bottom feeding fish. Yet as we know the forecasters can also get it wrong, so packing rigs and tactics to be able to cope with a sudden change can be a good move. The point is that the successful angler won't leave it until the whistle before deciding how to fish the match.
Fish Behaviour
An
understanding of fish behaviour can also lessen the odds - sometimes called
watercraft. It's amazing how apparently similar days can fish entirely
differently on the same water! What is it that makes fish go on the feed,
or puts them off? How are fish governed by their body clocks? How
do carp, caught multiple times, react to a common bait like pellets? How
can fish be made competitive, to seek out feed in a sort of frenzy? What
puts fish off? I'm sure most of these factors can vary from water to
water, yet there are some common patterns species by species. A
successful matchman will be able to make some good choices to rule out or rule
in certain approaches on any given day, to improve the odds.
Bait
I
think bait choice works in two directions: positively and negatively.
It's about offering acceptable baits and avoiding unacceptable ones. We
all know that some baits seem to work well for certain species, and we also
know that some will help us to avoid others. So when approaching a water
where a good head of bream exists, or carp, roach, tench, etc, there will be
some choices that can narrow down and improve your chances. But I think
that in commercial waters the choice is less about what the fish are happy to
eat and more about what makes them feel safe to feed. It's also worth
noting (again in commercial waters) that there is likely not enough natural
food to satisfy the fish population. Also, just like animals reared
in captivity, if they are released to rely on their natural state they may not
have the experience to cope. My point is that fish have to eat, and
therefore make subliminal decisions about risk verses need.
I
like to increase my chances of a good catch simply by carrying a variety of
baits to the peg. I've got a decent size bait bag, which usually gets
packed with various pellets, meat, corn, worms (sometimes) and premixed
paste. In my garage I've got two large plastic crates overflowing with
baits and groundbaits because I like to prepare my baits at home. I
prefer to keep a stock of many varieties ready to pick and stuff in the
bag. I never leave bait choice to the point I get to the water or buy my
ticket.
Clearly
experience, local knowledge and confidence will come into play here.
Decision making about when to change baits is also key on match days.
Perhaps one of the most important and critical skills is loose-feeding
behaviour, which is another whole article in itself, but we all know that the volume
of feed and timing are the main variables. I think this is area where the
top matchmen can pull away from the rest of the field - not simply by employing
dry knowledge of what works, but rather because they can 'feel' and interpret
what is happening in front of them and then make good decisions.
This
is a complex area, perhaps the most complex of all the areas considered, but a
lot of the probabilities and uncertainties can be narrowed by carrying a
variety of baits and by having some local knowledge about what has or hasn't
worked well in recent matches.
Angler's
Effort
We
have all done it. You sit bored on your box after lobbing out a method
feeder hoping for something to happen, which it hasn't done for the last three
hours! Patience is not a virtue for the match angler. My wife still
thinks I go fishing to relax. Hard work is surely a part of match
fishing, linked to making decisions and taking risks. If you don't put in
an effort then you are not going to improve your chances by trying alternative
methods and approaches.
Equipment
Equipment
can mean options - options for methods and approaches. But for me the point
here is good use of equipment. It's about technique. A few weeks
back I fished a match where I had an island at about 60 yards to fish up
to. The guy next to me had much the same to aim at, except he seemed to
have a more suitable feeder rod for getting an accurate and consistent drop-in
where it made the most difference. I was hitting the sweet-spot less than
half the time. His equipment and techniques were a big difference between
us and in the end he was a decent way ahead of me at the weigh-in. Having
the right equipment in our boxes and bags is important, but more important is
learning to use it well. Practice is a big deal in this area.
Freedom
to Innovate
I'm
sure this is an important factor. Anglers follow each other where gear and
techniques are concerned, for reasons of 'tried and tested' and fashion (I'm
well guilty of the second of these). But I'm sure there is an edge to be
had by trying new things. Sometimes it can be a tiny change or maybe a
whole new approach. Steve Ringer always seems to be talking along these
lines: he often seems to be experimenting with some new way or other.
Obviously when you work in the tackle industry you have to be innovative, but
new idea shouldn't be the preserve of the professionals. I'm sure that
those who are prepared to take risks and think out of the box can improve their
odds tremendously.
Confidence
Everyone
knows that practice can help. A trip to the water to have a look, ask
some questions and walk the match length can surely narrow the
probabilities. Internet searches might highlight results and often some
information about what has worked well for the winner. The Angling Times
is also a mine of match intelligence waiting to be dug through.
I
find that confidence comes from good preparation and some familiarity with what
has happened in the past, by me or by others. We've all had the experience of
throwing our tackle together at 10:00pm the night before. I’m sure that leads to a 'oh well whatever
happens' mindset, which just ends up hoping for luck.
Multiple Probabilities
Let me sum up a bit. If you have ever bet on a six horse accumulator or played the National Lottery then you will have come across the effect of multiple probabilities. For each 'ball' there are many different possible outcomes, just like for each of the factors I've outlined here. If there are several possible baits, or way the fish might respond, methods and rigs, then these can work together to give whole range of possible approaches on the day. Perhaps only a few of these approaches might get an angler into the winning weights, and perhaps these will have to change at different points in the match. So for example, fishing a long range method with a certain mix and hookbait might catch some fish, but perhaps on the day more can be had up in the water on a 14m pole, with light feed. Or it could be both, or some other of the hundreds of possible approaches! The best match anglers will be able to narrow the possibilities down, and therefore give themselves the best chance.
As
I've already written, some factors, such as the peg draw, seem to be
random. But even then there are ways to improve your chances. In a
recent 40-peg match I fished the draw could have put you on either of the two
lakes reserved for the day, which are quite different and need a different
approach; I prepared accordingly. Yet most of the other factors are under
much easier control. I'm sure that with experience and bit of planning
you can help yourself a lot. You almost need a planning checklist to
force yourself into asking some key questions the night before. The most
consistent anglers get themselves into the winning lane even before they get to
the water!
So
if you think it through, there are actually very few truly random factors in
match fishing. Certainly that is a very long way from complete certainty,
but somewhere in between is a scale of predictability which can be improved by thought,
planning and experience. Whenever I have done well or badly in a
match I can see how other choices could have improved my chances, or indeed did
so. It's about turning those understandings from hindsight after the
match, into preparations before, and good decisions during the five hours by
the water.
Well there are a few thoughts! I just hope if can put them into practice to improve my own results.
Hopeful
No comments:
Post a Comment