THE rumours surrounding which fishery would host this year’s Fish O’Mania final were finally put to bed earlier this month.
After much speculation and gossip that it would be held at Cudmore Fisheries, which last hosted it in 2017, organisers took everyone by surprise by revealing that Falcon Lake, part of the Westwood Lakes complex, in Lincolnshire, had got the nod for 2022.
With the venue having good mixed stocks, lots of room for spectators and a great layout for the TV cameras, it’s a refreshing, if somewhat unexpected choice.
Had Cudmore, or the other front runner, Hayfield Lakes – which has held the final for the past four years – been chosen again, there would have been grumblings from match anglers that their Blue Riband event was becoming a little too predictable.
After all, hosting the same style event at the same time of year on the same venue will almost always lead to a similar result, as the fish are likely to be in the same places annually.
All any match angler wants is to be in with a fair chance and a level playing field, and by removing this layer of predictability and switching the £50,000 match to a wholly new environment is a move that will be welcomed by many.
However, the run-up to the big announcement got me thinking that maybe it’s time for the Angling Trust to follow other sporting bodies and have its own dedicated venue for big matches and internationals. Angling’s version of Wembley or Twickenham, if you like...