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Angling’s
showpiece event Fish’O’Mania is back in 2002 with a prize
fund of £33,000. That makes a staggering of £264,000 that
Matchroom Sport has poured into match fishing since 1994.
With
£25.000 going to the winner plus £8.000 distributed amongst
the 16 qualifiers, this is the match that all serious anglers
want to win. After eight successful years, Fish’O’Mania IX
will be happening in the summer of 2002 and once again it
will be live on Sky Sports, taking fishing’s premier match
into the nation’s living rooms.
As in
previous years there will be eight 300 peg qualifiers across
England, all with the top two anglers winning through to the
Grand Final. The eight qualifying events are staged by the
sport’s governing body, the National Federation of Anglers
who also steward the final. Central to the Fish’O’Mania success
story has been the involvement of Sky Sports who cover the
final live in a six hour show. In addition Sky show coverage
of the eight qualifiers through their weekly ‘Tight Lines’
magazine show.
All eight
previous winners will be sure to be fishing their way through
the heats, including last year’s victor Steve Jackson, who
put in the performance of his life to lift the trophy. Others
like 1998 winner Steve Ringer are almost fixtures at the final
having qualified five times in the eight years of the event.
Commented
promoter Barry Hearn, "What a show this has become. We’ve
never wavered from the basic formula for Fish’O’Mania and
it has worked every time. Next year we will be having the
main match, the celebrity match, the juniors and the ladies.
In addition there will be all the favourites; trade stands,
fun fair rides and a massive beer tent. Next year we will
also be looking to add to that; we may revive the bungee jumping
or balloon rides. Who knows what may happen but we will be
doing our best to make Fish’O’Mania XI the biggest one yet.
It seems that the sun always shines at Hayfield and I’m sure
that next summer, it will be hotter than ever."
The ever-popular
Celebrity Charity Challenge, featuring TV stars, previous
Fish’O’Mania Champions and Team England legends like Bob Nudd
and Alan Scotthorne, will once again take place. Matchroom
will also be staging again the Fish’O’Mania Ladies Championship
featuring the cream of ladies angling including 98 & 99 winner
Helen Dagnall. The Junior Match will also be taking place.
The
Format
The Fish'O'Mania
Grand Final is a five hour match fished under National Federation
of Anglers Match Rules.
Unlike
a regular match where the catch is weighed at the conclusion,
Fish'O'Mania comprises ten half-hourly weight-ins so at that
there is an ever-changing leader board.
At the
end of the five hours, the ten half-hourly weights will be
added together to determine the total catch and the winner.
There
are no bait restrictions. The only proviso on equipment is
that barbless hooks must be used.
The Celebrity
Match lasts for four hours and each team consists of three
celebrities fishing an hour each and the captain fishing the
final stint.
The Ladies
and Junior Matches last for three hours each and there is
a single weigh-in at the close of the match.
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