Trout Fishing Competitions.

 

Some years ago Benson and Hedge ran a nationwide trout fishing competition with heats on several of the big reservoirs.   I was in the Hereford Flyfishers Club at the time and one year they decided to enter.   We were down to fish at Rutland water which I knew fairly well and  though I was never that much interested in competition fishing it could be a nice day out..

At this stage I would mention my friends call me Golden Boxxocks  due to my luck, as they see it, in fishing in general and I admit I am a lucky fisherman for some reason.    Anyway we arrived at Rutland for the match and I found I was drawn with one of the local Rutland club member who had apparently fished for England.  Seemed a decent bloke and I told him he could have charge of the boat , go where he wanted as he knew the place better than me and I would control the drougue etc.   I was only really  there for a days fishing!!

To cut a long story short everywhere he took me I seemed to catch a fish and he wasn’t doing too well.  Pretty sure it was an eight fish limit and by early afternoon I had seven and I could see he was getting rather agitated and conversation dropped off somewhat.  I asked him at one point if there were many Perch about and he replies “ some, but not over deep water like this”.  Well you guessed it a few casts later I caught a perch.   This really did pxxs him off, “Oh he can catch perch as well” he said sarcastically” and silence reigned.   Anyway I caught my last fish and as it turned out I won the match too though our team did not qualify for the next round.

Back at the landing stage part of the prize was a waistcoat as I recall.  I didn’t really need it so I thought he might like it as he was the one who put me on the fish.  He was talking to his team mates when I went over to him and offered him the waistcoat.  He simply turned his back. Known as a poor loser I guess    Ah well at least I tried !!