When Paul Martin made contact with Anglers’ Net a few months back, I must say, we were intrigued to learn more about the angling board game he had developed. A short while later the game arrived by post and later that night Martin and I gave the game a play test.
The first thing we both commented on was the excellent build quality of the box and game components – all very impressive. Unfolded the board measures 50cm square and is divided into four sections; coarse pond, river, sea, and the trout lake.
The game is basically played by rolling dice and moving around the different sections of the board. When you travel around any of the four sections you can land on ‘bite’ squares which enable you to take a card from the pack. The bite cards reveal a catch related to the particular section you are in, a missed take, or if you’re really unlucky you can suffer various little mishaps which ultimately result in you losing a fish! Aside from the ‘bite’ cards, there are further squares on the board which offer a stroke of good fortune or hamper your progress around the various sections of the board.
There are five different methods of play, some of which allow you to target certain species from each section, go for a species lifespan target, or chase a set weight from each section – We decided to set a target weight for each section of the board game.
You then go round the board, entering each section and attaining your set target weight before being allowed back out of the gate and onto the next section. The game is easy enough to play and no knowledge of the sport is required – basically it’s a game of chance that all the family can get involved in.
We soon found the competitive edge getting the best of us though, each of us desperate to land on the bite cards and land the monster that would enable us to finish the section and move ahead of the other. In the end, Martin was the eventual victor, managing to bag the required weight from each section and getting to the finish just a few squares ahead… Grrr.
Over the next few weeks I played the game with various friends, both anglers and non anglers – all enjoyed the format and had a good laugh in the process.
I asked all the people who played the game how much they thought it would cost, with most estimating between £15.00 and £20.00; so at £14.99 ( £4.97P&P) it seems good value for money.
I must say that on receiving the game I was not sure quite what to expect, as not many games have ever been developed around our sport, all I can say is that I was happily surprised. The only thing I would say against the game, and it’s a petty one really, is that the player markers are little cars – it would have been nice to see some fishy related markers. All in all though, the game gets a bib thumbs up and would make an ideal gift for any angler.
Anglethon can be purchased via mail order from the Tarka Country website at: www.tarka-country.co.uk/anglethon delivered in four working days.
You can also buy online at: www.busy-lizzy-gifts.co.uk For further information contact paul@olmargamesdevon.fsbusiness.co.uk
Julian Grattidge
