10% insurance discount for Match Fishing readers. Match Fishing magazine has secured an exclusive discount for its readers, with Anglers First Insurance. With so much expensive fishing tackle on the bank these days, the true value of an angler’s kit is often overlooked – until the unthinkable happens and it is lost, broken or stolen. Thanks to our newly signed deal, readers can now enjoy peace of mind that their kit is covered – and at a fraction of some of the prices quoted by other insurance companies.
FP1 Baits rod wins Hayfield 'Match This' qualifier. FP1 Baits ace Steven Mazza has won this year's Maver 'Match This' qualifying match at Hayfield Lakes from Peg 32 on Adam's Lake. Steve opted to fish the pellet waggler using 8mm pellets on the hook, and tempted carp up to 8lb to finish the match with 115-00-00 and qualify for the Grand Final in style. The fourth and latest Mega 'Match This' qualifier was attended by 65 anglers, and was the first hosted by Hayfield Lakes.
Darren Cox in Fish 'O' Mania Final!Garbolino-backed ace, Darren Cox has qualified for the Fish ‘O’ Mania final, after winning the 130-peg qualifying match at Shropshire’s Octoplus Boldings Fishery. Remarkably, this is the fourth time in his career that Darren has qualified for the big-money final – which this year carries a prize fund of £30,000. It is also the third time that he has qualified on his first attempt of a season!He commented: “I am over the moon to be in the final for a fourth time, and qualifying so early in the year will give me plenty of time to focus on practicing and preparing for it. "I was one of the last to draw on the day, and because I am not familiar with the pegs at Boldings, I picked the brains of a couple of local anglers after I had drawn.
Pete Bennett wins Packington qualifier. Banbury Gunsmiths rod Pete Bennett won Saturday's Maver 'Match This' qualifier at Packington Fishery, with an 84-11-0 net of F1 carp. Pete, 38, drew Peg 17 on Little Gearys
and fished hard pellet shallow to finish the match just 1lb 1oz in front of second placed Richie Hull. The third qualifier event of the 2013 Mega 'Match This' campaign was attended by 74 anglers and, thankfully, there was a marked improvement in the weather for this most recent qualifier with temperatures being much milder than in previous weeks.
Fishery bans Eastern European anglers. A Warwickshire fishery owner has made national headlines after banning Eastern European anglers from his fishery. Eddie Whitehead, owner of Dog Lane Fishery near Napton, put up a sign reading “No Eastern Europeans” after he had almost £10,000 worth of carp stolen. Eddie claims that migrant workers arrive just before dusk and fish his lakes – before taking what they catch for the table.
Gold Valley waives peg fees for open match anglers.
Gold Valley Lakes in Hampshire has introduced a new policy for its Saturday open matches, meaning that the peg fee will be waived until further notice. The idea is the brainchild of venue owners, and father and son duo, John and Will Raison, who are keen to pay anglers back for their support through the winter. England international and former World Champion Will explained: “My father and I are extremely lucky as we have a core of match anglers who support us right through the year, and so giving them free fishing for a few weeks in the spring is the least we can do.
Top tackle company sponsor exciting new league. An exciting new spring league is to take place at Shropshire venue, Weston Pools. Running over the course of four dates, the event is capped at a maximum of 50 anglers, with the overall result being decided on section points. To secure your place, a £10 deposit is required, with a further £32 to be paid on the first match to cover peg fees.
Incredible one-off bait deal at Chapmans this weekend. Lincolnshire tackle giant, Chapmans Angling is offering a unique one-off deal to customers this weekend – that will see them receive £50 worth of free bait with any sale over the value of £50!With an option for punters to either take a carp pack or a coarse pack, it doesn’t matter what discipline of angling you are into – there will be a bait pack to suit you!Chapmans General Manager, Mark Wilkinson explained: “With the weather starting to pick up, and the water temperature on the rise, now is the perfect time for anglers to get out there and go fishing – and we are sure that this great deal will encourage them to do just that!"As one of the country’s largest tackle retailers, we are fortunate in that we have massive buying power – and were able to buy up a large amount of very good bait at a very reasonable price. "After such a long, hard winter, we’re sure people are keen to get out and enjoy their fishing again – and this fantastic bargain will give them the incentive to do just that. One of the major factors in getting people on the bank in such a difficult economic climate is definitely cost, this huge FREE bait promotion will certainly help them on their way!”In addition to the great deal on offer, Chapmans has also arranged for several star anglers to come down to the store to help advise punters on how to catch at this time of year.
Expert anglers offer personalised online shopping experience.
Berkshire-based angling retailer, Experience Fishing is celebrating a successful first year in the trade, with the launch of an exciting new website. Staffed by keen anglers, the shop has built its quality reputation around being able to advise anglers on the tackle they need to catch more fish. This philosophy has seen the shop's business grow massively –and they are going to keep the same successful formula going on the online side as well, by actively encouraging customers to phone up with any questions or queries that they may have.
'Match This' Champ has Fisho in his sights. Former Maver 'Match This' Champion, Andy Power contemplated a lie in on Saturday, but was soon glad that he made the effort to get up after winning the year's first Fish 'O' Mania qualifier! Andy was showing as 17th place on the reserve list on the day, but due to a no-show he went on to win at Viaduct Fishery, Somerset. Andy, who fishes for Preston Innovation Thatchers was crowned Maver 'Match This' Champion back in 2011, and made contact with his first fish within minutes of the all-in. Fishing bomb and pellet he took several fish before switching to the pellet waggler with 10mm pellets fished at depth.
Harrell Confident That Rivermania Will Run This YearMatch fishing legend, Dave Harrell is convinced that his brainchild – an exciting new competition taking in most of the country’s top match rivers – is going to go ahead this year. “I have always felt that river fishing is lacking in a flagship, big-money event to capture the imagination of the anglers,” Dave explained. “For anglers in the Midlands, the Evesham Festival provides a great event for them to get involved with, but there are so many thriving river circuits up and down the country that have no greater prize to fish for – and I want to change that. "I ran a piece in the Angling Times outlining my idea, and asking for potential organisers to come forward, who might be interested in holding a qualifier on their venue.
'Match This' Final Place For Maver’s Ray Lamb
Maver-backed rod, Ray Lamb has secured the first place in the Maver 'Match This' Final, after winning 2013’s inaugural qualifier at Woodland View Fishery near Droitwich. Ray drew Peg 4 on High Pool and fished the long pole down the inside at 14 metres and short at six metres to finish the match with 55-09-00. The first Mega 'Match This' qualifier of the 2013 campaign was attended by 68 anglers. A hard frost the night before and the persistent cold weather leading up to the event, resulted in a difficult day's fishing for most.
Daiwa Dorking’s Mark Goddard In £50K FinalMark Goddard has become the second person to secure a place in the £50,000 Maver 'Match This' Final, after winning at Gold Valley Lakes near Aldershot. The qualifier was attended by 78 anglers and conditions leading up to the event were far from ideal, with temperatures most nights of the week dropping below freezing, coupled with bitterly cold easterly winds during the days. The winner on the day, and booking his place in the 2013 Mega 'Match This' final, was Mark Goddard (Daiwa Dorking). Mark drew end Peg 119 on Syndicate Lake and opted to fish a small Method feeder at 20 metres, alternating between a variety of small hook baits to keep fish coming to the net.
First And Second Place For English Teams, And Individual Victory For Alex BonesEnglish feeder teams have taken first and second place in the Van Den Eydne Matrix International Feeder Fishing Challenge, on Belgium’s Gent to Terneuzon Canal. Captain of the winning England Green Team, Match Fishing Editor Alex Bones, also lead from the front – taking individual victory with a perfect two-point score. His team, made up of Rob Wootton (who finished second overall), Grant Albutt, Adam Rooney and Adam Wakelin, had just 15 points after the first day – leaving the other squads with everything to do if they wanted to beat them. Alex explained: “England team manager, Tommy Pickering left it to each of the three teams to formulate their own tactics – and fortunately, I think we got things pretty much right.
