Keep Yourself Match Fishing Fit

Match Fishing

When fishing in Devon, here at Newbarn Farm I am proud to say that we now have an official match lake, Willow pool. Which contains a good head of Roach (6oz up to 2lb plus), Tench, Bream and Golden Rudd.

When having a Devon fishing holiday, should you wish and if there is one arranged, you can enter a match, you are given a place to fish but not what areas to fish within your space. Well a good place to start is with the margin cover, island cover or far bank cover. Do this before putting any loose feed in because sometimes you can often catch the odd mug fish at the start of the competition.

While doing this pick a spot and concentrate on feeding an area so you can go there when you have finished searching the margins.

As for depths it is always good to plumb up an area to try to find any interesting features in your swim. Another thing to try is fishing shallower areas and working out to deeper areas during the session.

Match fishing is great fun, especially when your good at it and get good results. It’s the same with most things fishing when your first starting out you should try and watch as much match fishing as you can, rather than taking part.

The beauty of holiday cottages and fishing is that you have the total flexibility to watch good anglers fish, it is a great way to learn. Watching bad anglers fish can also be a great way to learn. If you can talk to the good anglers and learn what and why they do what they do, you can learn a great deal. Don’t forget to be considerate and don’t interfere, you need to read whether you are welcome or not.

Try to understand what they are doing and why they do it. Then go out and use it, see what results you get and mold it to suit yourself.

Read as much as you can about all aspects of fishing, books, magazines and articles. Remember what you have read and use it when you are fishing next, don’t be afraid to experiment. But you need to be able to remember one experiment under one set of conditions doesn’t mean it will necessarily work in another set of conditions. Write it down, if you think your not going to be able to remember, even down to the air temperature, water temperature and air pressure.

Then remember the old adage, practice makes perfect. Try it again, change it, remember what works, and remember what doesn’t. Then when you get the opportunity try a few matches.

If you can get a rounded experience of all things fishing, you can bring much more choices to your match fishing if things are not going well. There is no substitute for more experience and being able to adapt.

Don’t overcomplicate things, use your tried and tested successful ways of fishing, the ones you know work. I don’t mean exclude anything new, but if you want to experiment, don’t do it when your match fishing and under pressure. If you want to take your fishing down to the nuts and bolts, Reel, Rod, Line, Hook, Bait, Fish, so don’t get confused. Set your gear out in a methodical manner, that you are used to, know where everything is.

Don’t be disappointed if you don’t do well, learn from it. Don’t go out and buy an expensive bit of kit that will “transform your fishing experience”. At the end of the day, it is you and the fish.

Correspondingly, if you do great, don’t think you are the best thing since sliced bread or a luscious bollie, next time you will almost certainly be disappointed. Give yourself a debriefing, try and see why you were successful that time.

Never forget, Luck is where being prepared meets opportunity.

But above all have the most fun you can possibly have. Fishing is a smiling sport, full of great “ones that got away stories” it is you pitting yourself against a worthy competitor, sometimes winning, sometimes loosing, but always enjoying.

Come fishing in Devon on a Devon fishing holiday, stay at our holiday cottages and fishing for fun, Devon self catering cottages and fishing extraordinaire.