Stick floats history

[Match Aerial]

That's the good thing about match fishing any mistakes in your set up soon become apparent Backhand totally agree.

[Backhand]

That's the good thing about match fishing any mistakes in your set up soon become apparent Backhand totally agree.

Thanks Match Aerial.
You learn very quickly in a match environment. Fishing is a strange sport because it's very hard to say who is right and who is wrong. Most individuals fishing on there own think they are doing it right. A lot would have been taught by there dad, some from there mates etc. In a pleasure fishing situation how do they know whether what they are doing or how much they caught is the maximum. I also understand that they don't care anyway, as going fishing is the pastime in itself. Just being out fishing is all that matters, whether you catch 10 fish or 100 it's irrelevant.
Match fishing is the opposite it is the only aspect of fishing that proves who is right or wrong. If you aren't doing it right you will soon be found out. Those that are using the right floats, bait, tactics will always rise to the top. It's then down to the others to catch up. I loved match fishing for that reason, it is a fast learning curve for those that want to put the effort in.Everyone has heard anglers say, "ah, but I caught a really big one last week." who can tell whether that is true.
The match scales never lie.

[Match Aerial]

You are dead right mate.If you want too find out how good you really are,fish some matches .


MA

[Olly]

I always fished for bites when match fishing! The lightest line & smallest hooks I could see!! Quite a challenge with a 3lb fish let alone a carp --- how things have changed!!

[Backhand]

I always fished for bites when match fishing! The lightest line & smallest hooks I could see!! Quite a challenge with a 3lb fish let alone a carp --- how things have changed!!

I stopped aged 42 in 1997. My era was canal matches every week 80-100+ pegs League matches 36 teams of 6 anglers 216 anglers all in a row. Fenland drain matches in the winter when the roach stopped feeding on the canal. Angling times winter leagues 144 pegs and many more I haven't got the room to post. I stopped when I knew the decline had started. I have never had any interested in fishing a commercial fishery. I know some that love it, but it's not my cup of tea. I would rather catch wild fish that are hard to catch. I have never wanted to catch 100lb. I would rather go to fair venues where everyone stood a chance. Invariably this meant Roach waters, my favorite match fishing fish.
I think this has started to go off the subject of stick floats.

[Backhand]

Hi Backhand
Yes, the winners will catch the fish, though sometimes they will be using different floats/methods/baits. One cannot pin down the cause, or there is always uncertainty. I fished matches too in the past and noted how fashions change and how everyone tended to copy everyone else. I've never bothered with wire floats myself, but I imagine with all that loading they would cast quite nicely. I think the float that feels good to one angler may not feel so to another. Stick float used to be my favourite way of fishing on the Thames, though a feeder often did much better. At one time everyone used wagglers, before that it was dumpys. Fashions come and go.

I agree about fashion's Firebird, with river fishing the float you use depends a lot on what the target fish are. When it was roach winning matches then quite often it was stick float fishing the crease that was the winning method. On different venues or rivers it might be Chub and quite often this would entail long distance waggler fishing against trees or bushes. The feeder put an end to that though. My background is canal match fishing and predominately when roach were the target in the 70's-90 before poles took over and bream and carp became the target fish. They were far better and more even matches when roach were the quarry. Everyone float fished with rod and reel. There were certain methods that were head and shoulders above the rest. They became the fashion because it was the best method. If you weren't on " the method " you seldom did any good unless you drew a flyer.

[Stuart Whiting]

Hi Backhand
Yes, the winners will catch the fish, though sometimes they will be using different floats/methods/baits. One cannot pin down the cause, or there is always uncertainty. I fished matches too in the past and noted how fashions change and how everyone tended to copy everyone else. I've never bothered with wire floats myself, but I imagine with all that loading they would cast quite nicely. I think the float that feels good to one angler may not feel so to another. Stick float used to be my favourite way of fishing on the Thames, though a feeder often did much better. At one time everyone used wagglers, before that it was dumpys. Fashions come and go.

I agree about fashion's Firebird, with river fishing the float you use depends a lot on what the target fish are. When it was roach winning matches then quite often it was stick float fishing the crease that was the winning method. On different venues or rivers it might be Chub and quite often this would entail long distance waggler fishing against trees or bushes. The feeder put an end to that though. My background is canal match fishing and predominately when roach were the target in the 70's-90 before poles took over and bream and carp became the target fish. They were far better and more even matches when roach were the quarry. Everyone float fished with rod and reel. There were certain methods that were head and shoulders above the rest. They became the fashion because it was the best method. If you weren't on " the method " you seldom did any good unless you drew a flyer.

How so very true backhand, in fact the last few posts you've put up on this page is all good sound advice,
this is all my sought of fishing being a big roach and dace fanatic and take serious interest in any quality discussions like this

Stuart

[Backhand]

Hi Backhand



How so very true backhand, in fact the last few posts you've put up on this page is all good sound advice,
this is all my sought of fishing being a big roach and dace fanatic and take serious interest in any quality discussions like this

Stuart

Thanks Thames Mudlarker

I match fished very seriously for 25 years. Looking back I spent an awful lot of time doing it. But I wouldn't have changed my life for anything. I was happy to catch between 5-8 lb of roach/gudgeon/perch to do well in canal matches. These were 80-100+ peg matches and very competitive. It was great fun trying to compete, plus also trying to come up with new methods that were better than the one's currently being used. My advantage was, that I'm self taught, so I wasn't blinkered by "the method" or even what anyone else was doing. I'm just sad that those days have long gone. Not for me, because I had my day, but anyone doing it now. The majority of matches now are on commercials and if they are lucky might be fishing against 20-30 and sometimes a lot less. In the 70's-90's we actually thought it would go on forever. There are a lot of reason why it didn't, if you had a spare couple of hours I could list them all. Angler's are there worst enemies sometimes and a couple of rule changes would have helped it survive, at least a few years more.
I'm hoping to start posting about floats I made and the reasoning behind them. The actual floats are a pretty basic design, so no one will be blown away by them. I'm hoping it's more the story that goes with design that will be of interest. I very rarely talk to other about fishing, as I have probably got the matcherman's sense of secrecy still installed in me. But I do like telling a story.

[Match Aerial]

I am away interested in old match fishing story's.
Looking forward to anything you have to say backhand

MA

[Backhand]

I am away interested in old match fishing story's.
Looking forward to anything you have to say backhand

MA

I now need to start thing about what I am going to say, I don't want it to be an anticlimax. I only work part time Mon-Thurs, So will probably have to start thinking on Friday.