Scanned results sheet from yesterday's match

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Peregrine Team Esthwaite

Yup, cracking match - mostly buzzer fishing and a very nice day in perfect conditions.

I wish I had been told we could go back out before I had all my gear back in the car............................missed a nice afternoon's nymphing................

Charlie

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Sonik Sports Team Pitsford Pirates

These early season matches seem fairly pointless.

Almost an 8 fish rod average, sounds like it was a real test of skill.



Graham

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hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com

Totally agree with you Graham, but you know the desperados like to get their name up in lights

A bit off the beam there guys! Yes early season trout aren't difficult to catch, but competitions are about both catching fish and beating your opponents. In a competition with time bonus, as you well know, its all about finding where you can catch fish fastest and on what method. In other words, do your homework!
Most of the boats out practicing on Saturday never got further than Lodge Bank to Valley Creek.
Those of us who bothered to spend time looking around the lake, found fish in a variety of areas, in particular off the Stumps and in Pig Bay.
On Sunday, at least 20 out of the 28 boats simply turned left out of the lodge and started drifting down onto the same fish as had been hammered the previous day.
The rest of us motored across to fresh fish off the North Shore, result - 16 fish in the boat by 11.05. Not pretty, not difficult, but very effective on the day.
Boat partner Gary Morris and I had a great day out together, our competition was over quickly, but having taken our fish in, we went out and enjoyed catch and release away from the hotspots, catching on buzzers wherever we went.
As for wanting my name up in lights, I couldn't give a monkey's about that, what gave me the greatest satisfaction was knowing that the practice that my lad and I had put in had paid off with both of us in the top 4.
Paul

What a pair of miseries

It was a lovely day out on the water and some nice fishing, ideal conditions for nymphing and we all enjoyed it. Sure, you had to be in the right spot to finish quickly but where I was there was a bit more to it than chucking it out and hooking up straight away.

Charlie

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Sonik Sports Team Pitsford Pirates

Well done Paulo!

Don't mind my team mate Graham buddy, he's just suffering cabin fever.

Well done to my other three team mates Bart, Charlie and Jeff, decent bags, just need to winkle them out a bit quicker lads

The Pirate.

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Sonik Sports Team Pitsford Pirates - No pressure, just pleasure! Pip pip!

http://www.flyforums.co.uk/trade-cla...e-bonanza.html

http://www.soniksports.com/

http://www.flyforums.co.uk/fly-lines...unkistbob.html

Have to say I agree with Graham, as a competitive test of fishing this time of year these competitions are more about having a fun days fishing. That’s why the Alan West is such a great comp, no time bonus, no rush, just a relaxed day on the water.

Well done by the Pan I'm sure you enjoyed your day so thats what matters.

Some competitions at this of the season do provide very easy fishing and often the result can be a lottery. However, no so the 'Alan West' Memorial match. Graham Pearson went out and caught 8 overwintered fish from the bottom of the N Arm at Rutland for 24lb's odd. Several other boats also went down there in search of better quality fish. One boat finished in double quick time on the stockies but with no time bonus was well off the winning weight.
Given that the current rules for most competitions award time bonus for finishing early, you can not blame anglers for sitting on fish that may be easy to catch - the system is at fault not the fisherman. There was once a time when going in search of better quality fish, despite time bonus, paid off. In this day and age when the waters are socking with fish ranging from 1.5 - 4lb plus those days are all but over. Whilst it's great to come in with a bag of quality, overwintered fish, it is rare that they take top weight.
Would doing away with time bonus stop the 'stockie bashing'? I suspect not but it may well go a long way in reducing it. We enter competition's to catch fish and win, some are very good at it and are always in the frame at the end of a match - it does not make them 'deperados' who want to get their names up in lights.