Having visited the show at the National Exhibition Centre last year, my wife and I were interested to see whether it would convert to an outdoor experience.
Arriving at Browning Cudmore Fishery near Newcastle in Staffordshire, well posted signs directed us to the parking field across from the site. Parking was free! We wandered over to the entrance gates to pay our £12.50 each and went through the gates on to the show site. We didn’t book advance tickets as the weather forecast had not been good and I didn’t want to chance it.
Entering the first marquee we came to, (it proved to be SONUBAITS) we had a quick look around before a queue of people took our attention. SONUBAITS had their own ‘coconut shy’! Using a catapult, customers were firing squash balls down range to knock off bait prizes, 3 balls in exchange for a measly pound coin! I can do that…..easy! My first ball wrapped around the frame of the catapult and then dropped at my feet, much to the amusement of the watching crowd. (embarrassed…) The staff, obviously gleeful in my shame, picked up my effort and handed it back to me for another go. This time however, the ball sailed off to hit the top corner of the display stand…this was not going well. (really embarrassed…) Time to open my eyes. Second shot took down my first prize, third shot took down two prizes! Ha! Not so funny now ‘eh? Stunned by my unerring accuracy, the lad behind the counter handed me three bottles of bait dye which will come in extremely handy! (smug…) Lots of other prizes were handed out and the stand was very popular.
The lay out of the display tents was not particularly easy to follow. We couldn’t find many direction markers and resorted to wandering around (mainly as a result of ‘bloke sense’) trying to find things we had read about prior to arrival. I wanted to try the casting competition run by GREYS, but their stand seemed glaringly empty each time we passed. Visiting the SHIMANO area, I was pleased to see Jan Porter. (How tall is he?) Many people were milling about hoping to meet Jan, and to his credit, he took time to speak to everyone who approached him, making special effort to talk to younger anglers. I asked if I could take a camera shot to accompany this piece to which he replied I could have a picture with him if I liked. The wife (Dawn) thought this hysterical and laughingly offered to oblige. (Thanks!) Jan seemed a smashing chap and gave the impression he was interested in each story that he heard. Nice chap.
Cudmore has many pools and some offered the chance to see ‘star’ anglers in action. Kev Green, the editor of ‘Improve Your Coarse Fishing’ magazine and star of numerous TV fishing shows was on one of the stock ponds giving young anglers tips and advice on float fishing. As each angler sat with Kev, he gave great advice and ensured EVERYONE caught something before they moved on. I know Kev as I unsuccessfully tried to get a place on his magazine last year (see diary of a Nearly Man…) and it was great to see him again. After a quick chat about the fortunes of our shared Manchester City, Kev needed to go for some lunch as he had been fishing all morning without even a brew to sort him out! Before he went, he promised to return to help those who had missed out, which he later did. Another nice chap.
Kev Green shows how it’s done
Dawn and I had a look around most of the tackle manufacturers displays. The recent rain made it a bit sticky underfoot, but most people had the common sense to wear sensible foot wear although we did see the odd pair of high heels! (even some ladies wore them!) Steel decking and duck boards made things a little easier, but I imagine the rain that came later in the day made Sunday a quagmire.
Hungry, we decided to find something to eat. Go Fishing was amply supplied with food, mainly burgers, chips and pizzas. We paid £7 for two hotdogs, a coffee and a cola. Comparable with most outdoor events, the food was hot and freshly prepared (and nice) and we didn’t have to queue longer than five minutes. There is little I hate more than standing in a line while people shout orders at the harassed staff, so this was a welcome change.
The ‘Fish-o-Mania’ final, sponsored by ‘Party Poker’ was taking place on Arena pool. This computer designed match pool is intended to give each matchman an equal chance from identical pegs. I’ve never seen a match quite like this. Coverage by Sky Sports meant that the actual fishing area was cordoned off, but members of the public could still see everything from lofty vantage points directly behind the anglers. There is some debate amongst the angling community as to whether this match series benefits the overall image of angling. Catching vast nets of fish may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there is no denying the spectacle. Eventual winner Matt Hall caught steadily throughout to win with 34.77kg of mainly barbel to become the first man to win the title twice. (Oh, and he got £25,000 for doing it…). We stayed for a few minutes watching Cudmore’s Neil Machin fishing the quiver tip. Dawn has never seen this method before (she’s not an angler) so she was intrigued to watch Neil feed meat and hook barbel on almost every cast as the tip buried round repeatedly. Match fishing isn’t really my thing, so we moved away to look for other things.
Near the cabin, at the FOX MATCH stand, I found Bob Nudd. Giving tips and sharing stories with the public, Bob was the consummate professional. Smiling all day must be tough, especially in the rain, but he soldiered on giving autographs and posing for photographs as we watched. I asked Bob for a quote about his thoughts for the day; “…staging the event outside for the first time allows people to see their favourite anglers actually do the business on the bank. Because we are not at the NEC, prices are slightly lower, and, combined with ‘Fish-o-mania’, it becomes more of a spectacle for the paying public. “ Dawn was immediately on hand again with the camera to record our meeting…Lucky Bob!
Bob gets to meet me!!
Angling Times Carp editor Steve Broad found time to give me a few hints on my carp angling. Fishing on Avoca pool, Steve and his team were struggling to catch on cue. Speaking to him, he explained that sometimes the public expect him to produce fish automatically just because he works for AT. Having had very limited experience of trying to catch for a feature, it was a relief to find it wasn’t just me that couldn’t catch when I needed to! We spent some time with Steve before moving on, but we did have the luck to watch a ‘famous’ angler, who will remain nameless, strike at a screaming run, but forget to engage the baitrunner resulting in a huge ‘bird’s nest’ at the reel and a lost fish! Shouldn’t laugh because we’ve all done it…but it was funny!
I found time to speak to the legendary Matt Hayes between his presentations. Matt told me he felt “..it’s an enjoyable event, held outside for the first time, an interesting experiment. Personally I feel it’s better for the public this way as they get ‘close up’, but for the tackle manufacturer’s it may not be such a good way to showcase the tackle.” A huge range of TFG gear was available at the show, well presented, and Matt was on hand to demonstrate it or answer any questions we had. I never got chance to ask if he would sack Mick Brown and let me have a go, he was just too busy!
Kids in a toy shop!
To conclude; I personally enjoyed the event as did my wife. It was nice to go with a non-angler to gauge how the show appealed. As a spectacle it was far better than the NEC arrangement, I was able to walk up to any ‘star’, get a picture or a few words which would have made any youngsters day. (I’m sadly no longer a youngster…) I saw lots of kids with shirts full of autographs so I’m sure they will have loved meeting the professionals. The ‘Fish-o-Mania’ was very popular, as was the ‘celebrity’ event (may have had something to do with a team of glamour models), but if match fishing isn’t for you, then there was plenty of other things to fill your day. Free gifts, prizes and cheap tackle were all worth the trip, and the admission price wasn’t too bad. The show would have benefited from better weather and a bit more signage, but overall I think it was a success; Cudmore Fishery is definitely now on the big stage when it comes to fronting a fishing extravaganza.
Clint Walker, July 2009
