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The History Of... Match Fishing
Believe it or not, the UK’s only ‘proper’ match fishing title came into being for little more reason than back in 1985, David Hall Publishing didn’t really have a job for Roger Mortimer. The original DHP team – David and Cherry Hall, Mark Downes, a designer called Keith Bull and Roger – were survivors of a company that had owned and lost Coarse Fisherman magazine. They decided to start again with ‘David Hall’s Coarse Fishing’ with David at the editorial helm, Downsie selling the ads and Cherry keeping everyone in line. Unfortunately there was insufficient cash to support a passenger so it was decided to publish a series of one shots on which Roger would write the editorial and sell the ads. Roger produced Specimen Fish Special, a Game Fishing Special, even a Pike Fishing Special but it was ‘Match Fisherman’ that really captured his imagination. The first Match Fisherman arrived on the bookshelves in the late autumn of 1985 and sold for £1. It ran to a ‘whopping’ 64 pages and was printed in black and white with only the covers in colour.
While the page design rarely ran to little more than a picture per page (often the same picture would be used twice in the same issue!) even then the company secured the top writers. The first issue included articles by the greats of the day, including England star Alan McAtee, Nottingham legend Frank Barlow and current England boss Mark Downes. There was even a first appearance by current editor Dave Harrell.
Six months later a second issue was produced and four months after that came the third. During this period the specimen title continued to appear but it was the match magazine that showed the most long-term promise. It may have had something to do with the fact that competition fishing was Roger’s passion – David and Roger were fishing three matches a week at the time and publishing magazines was seen as a good way of keeping Wednesdays free for visits to the Warwickshire Avon.
Because the specials had been well received, Match Fisherman was seen to have real potential and, rather than continue with a series of one-shots that neither advertisers nor readers could keep track of, the decision was made to launch the publication as a bi-monthly. The first of these – now renamed Match Fishing magazine, arrived in the newsagents on January 23rd, 1987. Tom Pickering made an appearance and there was another piece by Dave Harrell. Do you notice a pattern developing here?
Having seen the title through launch and from a series of one-shots to a bi-monthly, Roger was head-hunted by the Angling Times. It took him three years to see sense. David Hall edited the magazine during Roger’s absence and when he returned from his ‘sabbatical’ in early 1990 it was to edit the magazine as a monthly.
The title continued to grow and in June 1993 ‘technology’ arrived at David Hall Publishing – the magazine went full colour! And the frantic work with the crayons wasn’t the only change; the issue was up to 116 pages and all that for just £2! Incidentally, that issue carried a one-page article entitled the Young Lions – all about a young Ricky Teale.
By the middle of 1994 Roger had gained an assistant, Alan Barnes, and by December of that year DHP had spawned another one-shot – Advanced Pole Fishing Techniques – but more of that elsewhere.
Roger always prided himself on the fact that he was a reasonable angler but with the arrival of Dave Wesson – a former World Champion no less – as his editorial assistant towards the end of 1996, DHP had clearly taken a step in the right direction on the staff front. Dave stayed alongside Roger for more than five years, rising from editorial assistant to assistant editor, then becoming editor of Advanced Pole before finally taking over from Roger on Match Fishing in early 2002. Dave did a good job and kept the title on course for more than 12 months but it’s probably true to say that when he stepped into the editorship, his interest in the sport was beginning to fade. Within 12 months Dave had left the hot seat, heading back to his Australian ‘home’ with a fiancée in tow.
His departure left something of a void and the title went through six months without an official editor. Alex Bones and Pat McInnes (now the editor of Advanced Pole Fishing) did a good job of steering the ship but when Sean Ashby arrived in July 2003, it looked as though the long-term future of Match Fishing had been assured. After all, you’d be hard pushed to find a keener editor than a current England international wouldn’t you?
Sean’s enthusiasm and experience gave the title an immediate lift but after six months in the hot seat it looked as though the amount of time an England squad member is intended to be on the bank fishing (as opposed to taking photographs and writing about fishing!) was not conducive to running a magazine. Sean ended up working for Browning and DHP ended up looking for a new editor!
Thankfully, the ideal candidate didn’t take too much finding. Dave Harrell is an angler that’s fished at the very highest level (for England) and has won titles that us ‘mere mortals’ can only dream of: Kamasan Matchman of the Year twice (when matches of less than 60 pegs didn’t score points), twice winner of the Evesham Festival and one of the top all-rounders in the UK. We knew Dave could write, he’d proven that back in the very first issue of Match Angler, but what he’s proved since taking over the reins in February 2004 is that he’s as passionate about the sport as Roger ever was.
It wouldn’t be easy for Roger to admit, but under the stewardship of Dave Harrell, aided and abetted by double UK Champion Jon Arthur, Match Fishing magazine is better now than it’s ever been. Twenty-three years down the road, the title is bigger, better and brighter than ever.
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