Match Fishing in Britain - A Selection of Classic Articles on the History of Angling Competitions (Angling Series)

By Read Books Ltd.

This book contains classic material dating back to the 1900s and before. The content has been carefully selected for its interest and relevance to a modern audience. Carefully selecting the best articles from our collection we have compiled a series of historical and informative publications on the subject of angling. The titles in this range include "A Fisherman's Guide to Baits" "Angling in Ireland" "A Guide to Sea Fishing" and many more. Each publication has been professionally curated and includes all details on the original source material. This particular instalment, "Match Fishing in Britain" contains information on the history of angling competitions. It is intended to illustrate aspects of match fishing and serves as a guide for anyone wishing to obtain a general knowledge of the subject and understand the field in its historical context. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Sep 6, 2016
• ISBN: 9781473358812

Book preview

Casting Tournaments

By CUNICULUS

MENTION tournament casting and the average fly fisherman usually lifts his eyebrows, regarding the speaker much as he would if one suggested upstream worming on the Test or Itchen. Words fail him, and he shudders at the thought of such a thing. Nevertheless the fact remains, those who throw a pretty fly at tournaments throughout the country are first-class sportsmen, and in addition the majority are good fishermen in every sense of the word.

Can it be doubted that the ability to throw a fly or bait a prodigious distance indicates skilled control of one’s weapons? This must be of service to every fisherman. Further, we must admit that we owe our featherweight rods to the casting tournaments of America and Europe. With the aid of experience gained at these tournaments, tackle manufacturers have experimented and produced rods of light weight which will stand the strain of picking up and casting a long line. Fairly heavy lines to boot, which would have killed the rods produced but a few years ago. Present-day light rods will cope with any fair fishing conditions and remain straight and true. With them the fisherman enjoys comfort and knows nothing of the wrist break and ache common to those who used heavy 11- or 12-foot rods before these featherweights were available.

The British Casting Association was formed in 1930 by a few enthusiastic fishermen who were keen on the sport of casting. In 1931 a tournament was held at the Norwood Lake, marred only by the weather which, true to English tradition, did its best to damp the ardour of competitors and spectators alike. It says much for the hardiness of these pioneers that the programme was completed and the majority of the spectators remained to the finish. Since then, annual tournaments have been held at Thorney Weir (twice), the Crystal Palace (now, alas, no longer) (twice), and last year at Iver, on Mr. Farlow’s lake.

Each tournament is more successful and interesting than the last, and the Tigers creep from their lairs each year to cast prodigious distances calculated to cause a mere rabbit to wonder whether it would not be better to turn to Halma. But in spite of all the tigers, special rods, reels, and lines, there is plenty of scope for the novice, who comes along with his ordinary fishing tackle. In open events there can be no restrictions as to tackle used, hence the designation, but amateur events are restricted to those using ordinary fishing tackle, and events which have proved more and more popular year by year are designed specially for the