Just as pike matches cause dismay amongst some pike anglers and carp matches are not universally loved by all carp anglers so a new single species event scheduled for 2013 is likely to cause controversy in the barbel world and upset the purists.
The British Barbel Angling Championships (BBAC) is aimed primarily at specimen anglers rather than matchmen with competitors fishing a series of qualifier events on the rivers Wye, Trent and Severn from the start of the 2013 season.
It is proposed that each of the rivers will host a 24 hour qualifying round for pairs of anglers and, in the interests of barbel conservation, the recording system will ensure that no barbel caught will be retained in nets but weighed, witnessed and returned with a running total kept for every angler.
The top five pairs from the qualifying heats, together with the captor of the single biggest fish, will go through to the grand final that is planned for a River Trent venue in September 2013 with cash prizes and trophies up for grabs – along with the prestige og being crowned BBAC champions.
The organisers of the event, Barbel and River Angling Events UK, are looking for some 60 teams to enter the inaugural championship and, in addition, the company is looking for major sponsors, individual sponsors for the qualifiers and clubs that have suitable match venues on the rivers.
Anglers, sponsors and clubs interested in getting involved can contact the organisers at: riveranglingeventsuk@hotmail.co.uk
