Ground Rules. Loch Style Pairs Competition and you share the boat with your partner, no neutral boatman on guard to keep score. Just like the Esthwaite Pairs in reality.
The comp lasts 8 hrs. There is a maximum number of fish to the boat of say, 12 fish, but there is no time bonus.
Result
Boat A catches the 12 fish Limit in 3 hrs, for 24lb.
Boat B catches 8 fish in 7 hrs 55 mins. including a stockie of 8 lbs, 5 minutes before the end of the competition to give them a total bag wt. of 24lb 1 oz.
Is this fair in reality with the rules stating no time bonus? Of course it is.
But is this the best method of identifying the "Top" pair of anglers on the day?

if those were the defined rules and everybody accepts them by entering the competition, then YES

As far as the outlined rules go then, Yes

__________________
Eddie
"We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilisation."
Voltaire

So, are the rules the best and fairest for all of the participants?
Surely the rules should be structured to reward the best anglers on the day whatever way you look at it?

The best rules are the ones everyone agree's too and if you don't like them don't fish, whatever way you look at it.

Time bonus, no time bonus, C&R or no C&R, 8 fish limit or 12 fish limit. The best angler on the day is the one who wins with the agreed rules, it's that simple.

there is always going to be an element of luck in fishing competitions, be it size of fish, lost fish (or lack of) etc. Freak results will happen, just got to grin and bear it.

The rules should be structured for the benefit of ALL the participants, not just those who think they are the best, whatever that means. Best at ripping Blobs through stockie shoals I presume.

Whining because someone caught a big fish with 5 minutes to go is just acting like a spoilt brat. They fished harder than you, because they slogged it out for 8 hours while you sat on your ar*e doing nothing for more than half the match, and so deserved their reward. Hoicking out a dozen stockies in three hours proves nothing about someone's angling ability.

Sorry but your wrong with the above quote.
It proves that the person has done there homework.
1 fished a practice session.
2 found the stockies
3 found there depth
4 found the flies that will work at a given retrieve
5 worked out that catching those stockies with time bonus will beat the other anglers even if they catch a limit of residents.

If you want to win you do what is required , not fish the way that the majority of the participants that JUST make up the field.
Depending on the match rules you may need to fish tubes on the rudder.
Why enter a comp and then not try to win by handicapping yourself?

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Fine, but to then whinge because you've caught a load of average stockies and sat on your butt for four or five hours and get beaten by someone who has fished the whole match, caught fewer but bigger fish than you is just acting like a snivelling kid.

Haul out as many stockies as you like, but don't run away with the idea that that makes you the best angler. It doesn't. There's a whole lot more to being the best than just pulling faster than anyone else.

I was active in loch style competitions and in their administration when this rule change was introduced. I voted against it the time because I felt it would not be to the benefit of England's long term future in competitions. I rather think I was right to judge by results over the last four or five years.

Bob
The best angler is the person who wins the comp , simples.
As long as he has fished to the rules.

Same goes for internationals , the team that wins is the one that does its homework well.

Most people that slag off pulling blobs in comps are too old and lazy and are not fit enough to compete. ( I do pull blobs when required and I'm close to retirement age )

Just because guys pull blobs does not mean that they are not highly capable of fishing other methods.

I sure do not believe its the reason for poor international results in recent years.

The sniveling kids out there are all the losers that were too lazy to break a sweat when it was needed and hide behind the excuse ' I was fishing for residents'.

Its brilliant that they enter comps with time bonus rules and then handicap themselves out instantly by fishing the wrong method.

Continual losers , comes to mind.

__________________
Better a 'has been' than a 'never was' !
http://te-ff.org/
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