Among the categories that will be voted for are the best tackle of the year, top catches, team of the year, best river and stillwater, photo of the year, lifetime’s achievement and the greatest angler of all-time. The awards will be revealed in Angling Times Christmas Special issue on Tuesday, December 13 – a bumper edition featuring two free gifts!
AT editor Richard Lee said:
“By working with established websites we are able to unite fishing and give the whole sport the chance to voice their opinions. The results of these awards will carry real significance with the questions placed in front of over half a million fishing fanatics. It is a project we hope to nurture and grow into an annual project.”
Although anglers can vote for whichever name, product or event they want – a short-list of leading contenders will be drawn up to assist with the voting process.
The River of the Year category will be decided exclusively by the users of FishingMagic and the polls close at midnight on December 4th.
The 2011 categories list:
Greatest Angler Ever;
Services to Angling; Rod of the year 2011;
Reel of the year 2011; Pole of the year 2011;
Innovation of the year 2011; Bait of the year 2011;
Team of the year 2011;
Angler of the year 2011;
Catch of the year 2011
River of the year 2011
Fishery of the year 2011
Photo of the year 2011
For a full list of contenders see next Tuesday’s Angling Times, on-sale November 29th but for the FishingMagic poll the contenders are:
River Wye: Continues to produce huge weights of silver fish, barbel, plus incredible individual specimen fish with the biggest river carp and pike of the season falling from the venue. In February, during a match in Hereford, Hardian Whittle took first with 94lb and the top 8 anglers all carded over 50lb in what was one of the greatest matches ever on the venue.
River Trent: Silver fish are making a big comeback on this famous waterway with 20lb of roach now commonplace. In matches, it has produced chub over 8lb, and there’s been massive match weights to 80lb off the tidal… not to mention rumours of record-shaking barbel.
River Severn: In blistering form with a new match record of over 200lb of bream to Dave Harrell. On the match front again, Steve Maher clocked 140lb of barbel in a comp – the best-ever in five hours on the float.
River Lea: Continues to produce huge chub and barbel with chevins over 7lb now the norm for this specimen venue.
River Thames: New Thames record carp banked and in the Upper Thames champs Andy Pollard had a spectacular brace – a 14lb barbel and a 4lb perch! How many other venues could do that on the pole line?
Hants Avon: Big roach, chub, barbel, and string of 20lb pike – this legendary water continues to write the headlines in the paper. 2011 aslo saw the Royalty barbel record set.
River Yare: An amazing start to the season with average nets of skimmers and roach topping 20lb in events. The Yare has been a mecca for anglers since June 16 as big fields turned out to experience this spectacular sport. It was harder to blank than catch!
VOTE NOW!
