Fishery inter club matches for BCAC qualifier

1. Introduction. Velocity Angling Complex will be hosting three fishery inter club matches on a yearly basis, syndicate members will have first refusal then it will go out to the general public to qualify for the British Carp Angling Championships 2008, which is planned to take place over the period from November 07 to January 08. The Organiser for these events will be the owner Shane Alway.

2. Aim.  The aim for these events are to allow the more budgeted angler an opportunity to fish an event which would normally cost around £600.00 per pair minimum, which I know most anglers cannot justify spending for 2 days fishing with no guarantee of being in the final at the end of it, for the cost of a weekends fishing for syndicate members i.e. £35.00 and an extra £15.00 for any day ticket angler each, this is an opportunity of a life time for the lucky anglers that qualify. It also brings together the syndicate and offers a good social weekend for all, the main aim will allow the top 2 pairs from each match to representing Velocity Angling Complex at the BCACS and fish with some of the best anglers in the Country of the cost of £35.00/£50.00.

3. Venue. Silverwood Lake here on Velocity Angling Complex will be the venue for all three qualifiers. The events will take the form of a 30hr match with the same guide lines as the BCACs these will be laid down by the organiser and a copy of rules are attached to this letter and will also be issued to each angler prior to every match along with a match catch report and match lake map boundaries.

4.  Sponsorship.  Dick Harman of GB Baits will be donating bait for the BCACs. Between GB Baits and Velocity Angling we will be paying your entry, supplying 10 kilos of boilie’s, 25 kilos of pellet as well as pop-ups and glug’s for your chosen venue.

5. Members/ Costings/Info. If you are interested in taking part then get in touch with the owner & organiser Shane at www.velocityangling.co.uk all contact details are available on the website. Members/day ticket who decide they want to fish the qualifiers will pair up with another member or friend and fish as a pair for the 30 hours, the normal BCAC match timings are a 48 hour match and not a 30 hour match, the reason I have reduced the timings is because I don’t feel that all anglers will be able to get the Friday off work and I want to offer this out to the majority and not the minority. The cost to enter is £35.00 per syndicate angler and £50 per day ticket angler. This covers the cost for the following:

                                        a) BCAC entry to your chosen qualifier  
                                        b) 25kg of pellet, 10kg of boilies, pop-ups and glug’s for each
                                             pair to use at the BCAC qualifier.

6. Dates. The fishery qualifiers will be held on the;

23rd to 25th November 2007 
                                                                                   
14th to 16th December 2007
                                                                                   
25th to 27th January 2007

This year all matches will be winter matches this is due to Mr Rob Hughes needing names by Feb 2008, by this time the fishery will be into the closed season, which will not allow me to cover any matches until the opening of the new season in April 2008. by this time it will be to late for names to go forward for the 2008 qualifiers.
Next year the fishery qualifiers for 2009 will be May 08, September 08, December 08.

8. British Carp Angling Championships. The winning pair and runners up from each of the 3 inter fishery qualifier matches will form the Velocity Angling Complex A&B team entered into the individual and team event, to fish at one of  the BCACs qualifiers of there choice and hopefully make it through to the BCAC semi/finals and finals next year. This competition is held annually and is the pinnacle of modern day British carp fishing.

9. Publicity. I am hoping that Steve Howard at Carp Addict magazine, Jon M at Carpforums.com and Neil Staniford of the West County Angle’s Carp Talk will print some coverage in the monthly/weekly magazines, and Carp forum’s of the events we will be running, not all are confirmed yet but is in the pipe line with at least 2 of them confirmed. 

10. Summary. Over the last 10 years the carp scene has grown dramatically these events will give it an extra boost and will identify carp anglers to represent Velocity Angling Complex in high profile events (BCACs) and across Europe, the reason I have added Europe is because it is my plan in the future to send a six man team from the syndicate/day ticket to events like The World Carp Classis Championships (WCCC), and World Carp Angling Championships (WCAC) if we as a syndicate can get funding and cover the cost through successful matches.

11. Rules.        Below is a list of rules for all the matches based upon BCACs

• 1. The draw for swims on the match are watercraft, and once chosen are final.
• 2. All personal must attend the draw in person (unless pre-arranged by the match organiser if you are going to be late).
• 3. You will fish as and score as a pair.
• 4. At the sound of the horn you may pre-bait and plumb your area and only in the confines of your own swim. You can only bait up by means of hand, rod (spod or Sling), catapult or throwing stick. Also during this time you will not be permitted to cast out any bait (including plastics) that is attached to a hook, hook link or hair.
• 5. Only on the sound of the second horn will you be allowed to cast in your baited rods, in your designated boundaries (these should have been pre-agreed with the pair/s nearest to you before you start).
• 6. Two rods per person, for the duration of the match, baited and in the water at any one time (unless directed otherwise). You may have a spare rod ready baited up in your swim, but at no point should there be a third rod in the water.
• 7. Strictly no baiting up by means of wading out bait or rowing boats or via floating vessel.
• 8. Everyone must cast there own rods out.
• 9. Any carp caught, must be landed by you or your partner, from the bank in your designated swim area. If you have a snagged fish then rescue it by any means possible check the fish for injury and take it to the nursery pond if injured if not returned the fish immediately without being weighed.
• 10. Foul hooked carp will not count towards your final weight, and should be also be checked for injury and taken to the nursery pond if injured, if not then return immediately without being weighed.
• 11. Once you have caught a carp during the match, it must be weighed by a member of the nearest paired swim. (Make sure both parties are happy that the scales are ok, zeroed correctly to allow for the weight of the sling etc). Once the weight has been agreed, the member of the other pair must enter the details onto the catch report score sheet and sign. (Only Commons, Mirrors, Leathers and grass carp will count).
• 12. Each pair should have at least one sack with between them.
• 13. Each person should have a suitable sized unhooking mat, and some form of carp clinic to hand.
• 14. A minimum of 10lbs line to be used.
• 15. Swims should be left litter free, use bins provided or take it home with you.
• 16. If a member leaves the match early (unless pre-arranged with the match organiser for a genuine reason) he will not receive any final match position at the end of the match.
• 17. At the sound of the third horn blast, competitors should wind in there rods immediately, anyone that was playing a fish before the horn will have a further 20 minutes to land the fish.
• 18. In the event of a tie there will be an accuracy casting competition to decide the winners.
• 19. Any queries on the venue should be directed to the match organiser, where he will have the final say on any disputes etc.

• 20. Anyone found cheating or breaking the rules, will be disqualified and will not position at the end of the match.
• 21. All venue rules will also apply as these must still be respected

 This list is not to be exhaustive; however we need guidelines by which to conduct our competitions and to also come inline with the British Carp Angling Championships rules, if in any doubt then ask somebody or just apply common sense.

12. Points    At the end of the match the organiser will collect the match catch reports and confirm the winning pair and runners up that will represent Velocity Angling at the BCAC qualifier.

13.  If there is a draw for 1st place then it will be decided on the pair with the biggest fish of the match if there is still tie then there will be an accuracy casting completion to find the winner.

Good luck to those that enter
Tight Lines

Match organiser and owner
Shane Alway.