Big Fish Column: Styles clash on reservoir

Angling has always been an incredibly diverse sport with the divides between the different branches large and numerous with relatively little crossover between coarse, sea and game disciplines.

Over and above that there have always been chasms of difference within the different branches too. Compare, for example, the contrast between the dry fly purists on the chalkstream and the nymphers afloat on big reservoirs; the beachcasters and light-line mullet anglers to the deep sea pirkers and the matchmen to the carp and specialist angler.

I have always considered myself fortunate enough to be able to spend time during the course of my work sitting behind some of the best match anglers around and I have picked up numerous tips which I have been able to apply very successfully to my own style of fishing.

More surprisingly perhaps is the fact that some of the names I have sat behind have been interested in the way I fish too!

That notwithstanding, I have always considered big fish anglers to be way behind the matchmen in terms of presentation and feeding and I suspect if they were to be brutally honest most big fish men would agree.

Last week, however, I attended a match versus carp angler duel at the heavily stocked Drayton Reservoir - a venue regularly fished by anglers of both disciplines - and witnessed the fascinating battle between carpers Steve Spurgeon and Shaun McSpadden and top matchmen Mark Pollard and Derek Willan.

With the carp boys spodding and fishing zig rigs at range and the matchmen opting for the splasher waggler on lighter gear closer in, many thought it would be a foregone conclusion and that match boys would walk it.

I, however, thought it might be a close call - in the event I was wrong too as the carp lads put some 295lb of carp on the bank with the match boys only saving their faces with 25lb in the last 30 minutes.

Any anglers wishing to report catches may contact me on 07780 755138 or ian@bigfishtrail.com