After recent threads on here about cheating in competitions I thought it would be good to show that self-regulation can be a good thing.

During a rock hard Eyebrook Lexus qualifier yesterday, I was on two fish and hooked a third while motoring back up a drift with my leader over the side of the boat. None of the surrounding boats seemed to know what the rule was, and my boat partner was happy for me to take the fish but I was 90% certain it should not count so I released it. I have subsequently checked and this is correct.

I ended up with five and six won the event, plus a couple of folks had very big fish, so it looked like I would not go through, but the winner turned out to have qualified already, so I made it to the final - karma, eh ?

Anyway, I can tell you it feels much better to have done the right thing and I would have felt terrible if I had won or got through, having taken that fish.

Honesty is not just the best policy, it's the ONLY policy.

Charlie

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Sonik Sports Team Pitsford Pirates

Well done Charlie, no doubt you slept well also.
Congrats on qualifying.

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"A glint of sun has warmed the air,The flies will soon hatch out, To lure and tempt from their deep lair, The bonnie speckled trout." SKB tackle supporter. I love Furled Leaders.

Charlie

having seen you caught fish whilst your leader was hanging in the water whilst you unhooked another, and now this?

Well, one believes you could hook a trout in your cistern


Congratulations on getting through - well deseved indeed.



Ben

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Next time you catch one when motoring my advice would be to get your rod tip down, get that engine cut and swung round round leave it for 10 seconds then get that fish in the bass bag ( good angling youth )

but taff that would be cheating !!

Well done and I applaud you and even more that you got the result for doing the right thing.

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Kevin

I,d like to say you done the right thing as well,just watch one of your fellow "competitors" does not accuse you of trolling

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Silversedge
LETS TACKLE CANCER SUPPORTER
"MON THE HILL CLIMBERS!!"

the problem is some anglers will win at all costs and catch any way they can well done charlie on what you done it just shows skill will always beat cheating

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fishing or the wife she is history orry dear]

Well done indeed. It's great to here stories like this. You should be very proud of yourself. There are a lot of anglers who would NOT have returned the fish.

I witnessed a similar incident on Lough Owel this year at the National Championship. I was on the engine motoring back to restart a drift. My partner was holding his rod up and his flies were dangling in front of my face with his point fly bouncing on the wave about 4 feet from the 15hp engine. I nearly shat mysel when a decent trout came out of the water and took his point fly.

He already had a very good trout in the boat and as the fishing was tough to say the least, this fish would almost definately have put him on the irish Team. As soon as he hooked it he said "This one's going back". Not for one second did he consider keeping this fish as it was caught outside the rules.

His reward for his honeaty was later catching the heaviest fish of the day a nice wild Brown of over 3lbs. He finished second overall only a small way behind the winner. He qualified for the 2010 Irish Team and most importantly gained a lot of respect from his fellow anglers.

OO

---------- Post added at 11:01 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:56 AM ----------


Are ya serious

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Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate
YOU DONT NEED EYES TO SEE YOU NEED VISION

Spot on Charlie

Whilst were on the subject.............................. can we do away with that long un-established rule of ... ' ALL FISH TO THE BOAT COUNT ' ....... if i had a quid for every time a boat partner has spoke these words to me over the years .........
My answer is not in my boat thanks, fairdoos, a foul hooked fish maybe has slashed at the fly...... but it isn't hooked fairly, next they'll be suggesting... all plucks and nips count in C+R.
Fred.