From Matt Hayes : Total Fishing, TV Presenting, Photography

"Matt Hayes Predator Trips - Pike on the Fly

Fly fishing for pike is becoming increasingly popular and Matt Hayes is an expert with fish to over thirty pounds on fly to his credit and numerous twenty pounders."

This gets under my skin.

Mr Hayes with out doubt has 'expertise' within the realm of coarse angling...
but as he has only been fly fishing for maybe five years the word 'expert' seems a little self absorbed within the fledgling sport of pike fly fishing.

In this realm I would say names like Barry Reynolds (3 books and 2 DVDs published on the subject with 35 years chasing pike on the fly) and David Wolsoncroft- Dodds would have specialized expertise.

But although Mr Hayes has a power of pike knowledge using other techniques his fly fishing exploits - to watch are like having your lower regions clamped in a vice...

Is it another case of 'I need a wide angle lense for this shot, Sir Michael as my smile and head blot out the surrounding landscape'...

You can't expect his own website (advertising his services) as "sort of knowledgeable about fly fishing for pike" ... not really the done thing in marketing

True, he's a bit of a tool but he seems to be a pretty good all round angler. He's willing to try all sorts of baits and tactics.

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Cheers,
Lawrence

Matt may not be an expert in fly fishing for pike but certainly has a quite a bit of experience at it and presents a good alround fishing show with his co-presenter sir mick.

Alan

I have to say, that Mick comes across as the sort of bloke that I would like to spend a day fishing with, whereas !!!

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[I]"The fish and I were both stunned and disbelieving to find ourselves connected by a line." William Humphrey in "The Armchair Angler"[/I]

I'd gladly spend the day with either of them. The Duke's hilarious at times, and MH clearly knows his subject, at least in coarse fishing.

Spot on Regan Mick is a diamond met up with him once...had lunch with his missus really nice couple....to my shame I can't remember her name

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an interesting mix of apathy and panic

Clive M

Mrs Brown!!

ggggggggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrroooooooooooooaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnn!

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an interesting mix of apathy and panic

Clive M

Just my opinion but I think Matt Hayes represents and presents the sport of angling very well indeed.... He’s enthusiastic without be too ott, unlike other presenters I've mentioned in other posts.... He is very knowledgeable about the sport and his quarry... Most importantly the welfare of the fish is paramount.....Together with "The Duke" it makes for an interesting and entertaining show.....Matt Hayes and Mick Brown, the Morcombe and Wise of angling.
Cheers Dave

I really enjoyed 'the fishing rod race' series 1 and 2 - and Mike is a very easy angler to watch... my issue is Mr Hayes stumblimg into fly fishing like a blind stockie then only a matter of a four or five years later promoting is own fly fishing starter kit and being a self proclaimed 'pike expert' on the fly.

Behind the scenes I know of two cases where famous UK guides took him out for a few days for a ff show on river grayling and said it was desperate watching him bumble around in front of the camera and he didn't know one end of the fly rod from the other... I don't have an issue with this, we all have to start somewhere... but when your in the public eye only a short while later calling yourself a fly fishing expert of any description is simply taking the p1ss, whatever the motives.