Time to give Dick Clegg a Knighthood - Reader letter
It sometimes annoys me how little recognition angling gets from the country’s bigwigs.
If an England football manager had as much success as Dick Clegg had as manager of our national fishing side, he’d have been knighted by now (Angling Times, April 21).
I know that he has been awarded an MBE and an OBE, but I still don’t think that’s enough to mark the contribution he’s made.
Quite simply, he took the side from also-rans to number one in the world and kept them there for 17 years. I bet that our England football bosses can only dream of picking up six world titles. Even one would be a start.
Mark Lester, Nottingham
Dick Clegg guided England to be the best in the world
‘What I wish I’d known at 20’ - Adam Rooney
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, so for this series, we asked some of angling’s stars what nuggets of wisdom they would share with their 20 year-old selves and why. It makes interesting reading...
Adam Rooney - former starlets ace and boss of guru tackle
“When I look back at my fishing at the age of 20, there were clearly things that I should have done differently. One of my biggest flaws was setting up too much gear and this often made me late for the start of contests.
“I’d regularly fish the White Acres festivals with top anglers such as Richie Hull and Gaz Stanley and although I experienced success there, I would certainly have a lot more rods and top kits out than pretty much anyone else!
“It all boiled down to a lack of confidence in certain areas on my attack, but I now know that you need to focus on a select few methods that you feel that you’ve mastered. If you stick to your guns with these, they tend to work more times than they fail. One of the best ways to realise what your faults are is to surround yourself with anglers who are proven winners.
“Fishing with Richie taught me so much. I’d take time out from actually fishing and sit behind him, taking note of every little detail. He was the best by a mile at commercial meat fishing and by quizzing him almost constantly I managed to master the tactic.
“It’s so tempting to rush to the lakeside and start fishing as quickly as you can but if there are local experts on site, take a little time to have a chat with them. There’s no doubt that small amount of time will make a massive difference to the amount you catch when you finally wet a line.”
Starlets were quick to recognise the talent of a young Adam Rooney.
The trophy that put Adam on the road to big-time match fishing success.
‘What I wish I’d known at 20’ - Andy May
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, so for this series, we asked some of angling’s stars what nuggets of wisdom they would share with their 20 year-old selves and why. It makes interesting reading...
Andy May - Match ace and 2016 fish O’Mania champion
“I would advise any youngsters or novice anglers to pick a couple of types of venue and tactics and get to grips with them.
“I was obsessed with fishing at 20 and spent my time jumping around a wide range of venues. Carr Mill Dam, the River Weaver and Cudmore Fisheries all came into the equation and as you can guess, the tactics required on all of those were very different!
“Learn the intricacies of each and continue to develop as you go along to make youself a real master of what you use.
“I chased points to win the Kamasan Matchman of the Year and I managed to achieve that three times but I wonder whether I didn’t spend enough time concentrating on a handful of approaches.
“I’m also a massive advocate of asking questions to others on the bank. I didn’t have the confidence back in the day – I’ve changed a little since then!”
1999 first kamasan trophy
2016 Fish ‘O Mania Champion
World Champs cancelled!
Match fishing has been struck the ultimate blow with the cancellation of the Men’s World Championships, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It was scheduled to be held in Italy in September, but world match fishing governing body FIPSED has had to pull the plug, consigning the event to the same fate as the World Feeder, Ladies, Youth, Disabled, Veterans, Masters and European Champs. The likely outcome seems a full postponement of all these until 2021.
“I think there are plans to have the Veterans and Feeder events fished in October, but as for everything else, it’s been scrubbed,” said England boss Mark Downes.
“I’ve pressed for things to be carried over a year, so that we are fishing the venue in Italy that we’re supposed to be on in a few months’ time when we return in 2021.
“Everything is still a bit up in the air at the moment, but at least we have clarification and can begin to plan for next year. It’ll feel odd come September, not getting ready for a World Champs!”
Action from a previous fishing World Champs
Giant reservoir match to raise thousands for the NHS
WELSH angler David Healey is trying to raise thousands of pounds for the NHS through a massive fishing match… and he wants you to fish it!
The 35-year-old from Cwmbran reached out to anglers on Facebook to see who would participate in a fundraising fish-off on the 434-acre Llandegfedd Reservoir in Wales, and within just a couple of days more than 150 people had signed-up!
The 434-acre Llandegfedd Reservoir will host the epic match
He’s now calling for other anglers to step forward, alongside tackle manufacturers, to help sponsor a potential raffle on the match day.
“The response has been unbelievable and it’s fantastic to see that anglers want to show their respect and support for NHS staff,” David says.
“I will confirm a date when the lockdown has been lifted, but hopefully we can raise at least £2,000 for the NHS, which has given us such a great service during the battle against Covid-19.
“With the assistance of my mates Rob Skellet and Adam Toomey, we have the potential to make this the biggest natural water fishing match in Welsh history.”
Organiser David Healey
Get involved
If you’re interested in taking part or would like to donate a prize, email Dave at davidjohnhealey@gmail.com.
Fishing legend set to publish his life story
Rather than spend the lockdown sorting out his tackle, angling legend Tommy Pickering has been busy fulfilling his long-term ambition of writing his autobiography, filled with tales of a glittering match fishing career.
Tommy hard at work writing his fishing tales
Set to be called The Bionic Bleaker, after Tommy’s nickname gained from his ability to rapidly catch small fish, the book will include tales of big matches in the 1970s and 1980s through to his recent experiences as England feeder team boss.
“I’ve been on about doing it for years,” Tommy tells us,
“I didn’t want it to be a glorified tale of my life, so I’ve kept it honest. I’m about 200 pages in so far.”
Tommy with a bream
Yorkshire matchmen plan to get more kids fishing
A GROUP of veteran Yorkshire match anglers is planning to run a series of events for junior anglers after the Covid-19 lockdown as part of a drive to get more youngsters into the sport.
The forward-thinking initiative, which is being headed up by 66-year-old Kev Holvey, has been granted free use of Moorfields Fishery in Goole to host the matches, and tackle has been donated by local anglers for the youngsters to use on the day. The lucky participants will also be able to keep the equipment once the sessions are finished.
Kev, who ran a similar series of events last winter until fisheries were forced to close, said:
“We’ve already collected a vast amount of kit from supportive anglers and there is certainly a desire for these sorts of events. Over the winter we had around 20 kids and their parents attending each match. The kids love it, and at the start of each session we name each one of them after an angling superstar. They can get quite feisty if you get it wrong, saying things like, “No, I’m Bob Nudd today!”
For more information and to sign up for ‘Kev Holvey’s Coaching For Kids’, please visit his personal Facebook page.
