Pegged Beach Match 28th January 2023
Seaton Sluice Beach – Fishing 18:00 – 22:00
Longbenton and Seaton Burn Sea Angling club are running a beach pegged match on the 28th January 2023 on Seaton Sluice Beach. The club currently runs summer pegged matches in the River Tyne, which are straight length matches. The match on the 28th will be length to points match.
Pegged matches are very rarely fished outside of the Rivers in the North East. Very few on the open shoreline. If they are fished it is usually a straight length match. Most North East Matches are Rovers, usually over miles. Some over 30 miles of coastline. Quite a few members have never fished a pegged match and I said I would provide some of the rules and more information how they run. Also how the match on the 28th will be ran.
Two types of scoring
Straight Length Match
Straight length match is what it says, you measure the length of each fish and add them up to give you a total length. Person with the longest total length wins the match. Some clubs or organizations have different variations of it but in the simplest form that is what it is. Some clubs for example have a minimum size of say 20cm and all fish under that do not count.
Length to Points Match
SAMF – Sea Anglers Match federation have come up with a chart that provides points for certain species of fish depending on size. Larger fish provide more points. In a straight measure match, a 36cm Codling weighing 1lb is beaten by 2 x 19cm Dabs weighing about 5oz’s for both. The LSBSAC match on the 28/01/23 will be a length to Points Match.
SAMF Conversion Chart Below
Species are listed down the left hand side. Length in cm is highlighted to the right of the species and the points are listed below it. So if I caught a 30cm Whiting, this would score 20 points, if I caught 30cm Codling 28 points and if I caught a 30cm Flounder, it would be 32 points.
Match Rules for the LBSAC Match
All fish to be measured on a measure down to the nearest cm.
Fish must be placed in a bucket and taken to the adjacent angler to be measured, witnessed and recorded on the match card, then gently returned immediately in front of the witness.
Sized fish being retained by the angler to be taken home to eat, must be scored on the tail, either with a knife or scissors.
Fish length, points and running total must be recorded and signed by the adjacent angler before the next cast is retrieved. (Catch a fish, place it in your bucket, cast out. Then take the fish to the angler next to you before you are allowed to reel in again).
At the end of the match all match cards must be signed off by the adjacent angler. Last fish, total points, largest 2 fish (points) and largest flatfish (points) are to be recorded and signed off by adjacent angler.
All anglers are stewards in the match.
All fish will count in LSBSAC match. All Species of fish will count and if not listed, will come under the Unspecified category on card. SAMF cards start at 18cm. Nothing under 18cm counts in a SAMF match. In our match all fish will count. Any fish under 18cm will be worth 1 point. So if you catch 3 fish under 18cm, you will have 3 points.
Match will be 3 hooks as per normal club rules.
Match 28th January 2023
Meet at the below before 17:15. Fishing times 18:00 to 22:00.
Entry Fee and Payout
The pegged match will not count towards the club championship and will be a money match. 100% pay out. The match is £6 towards the Heaviest Bags (points), paying out 1st, 2nd and 3rd. £2 towards Heaviest Fish (Points), paying out 1st and 2nd. If people want to round it up to a straight £10 entry fee. There will also be a optional lucky peg. £1 entry. At the end of the match, all pegs that have paid £1 go into the bag and one gets drawn. If 25 enter, one person will receive £25. Will also run a optional £1 Heaviest Flatfish, if 25 pegs enter, the prize will be £25. This will be the flatfish worth most points, if this is Heaviest fish or 2nd Heaviest fish. The Heaviest flatfish will be additional money on top of the original prize.
The Match
You will arrive, pay your money and draw a peg. You will be given a SAMF Card and Sheet to record your fish on.
I will go over all the rules for anyone who wants me to.
Sheet to record fish
Go to your peg and start fishing at 18:00
Example – Imaginary match.
First cast I am into a fish. A decent Dab. Unclip rig, Dab goes in Bucket still attached to rig.
Clip on a new rig, and cast out.
Unhook fish, place fish back in bucket. Take bucket (with fish), match measure, SAMF card and score card to angler next to me. Can be either angler unless you are last peg. If one is about to cast, ill go to the one looking at his/her rod tip.
Pass my card to angler and I measure the fish. Both agree 34 cm Dab.
Angler fills out the card, Species, Dab, 34cm. Check the score on the SAMF Card below. Dab down the left hand side. 34cms = 48 points.
Scorecard looks like this.
2nd cast into another fish. Decent Bass.
Do exactly the same as before. This time he is just 42cm, we both agree. Check chart.
A whopping 74 points.
Next cast pull in a small coalie. All fish in this match count though. Cast back out, walk over to adjacent peg.
Measure it and its only 16cm. SAMF card starts at 18cm. In this match any fish under 18cm counts as 1 point.
Match all goes to pot and don’t catch another fish. End of the match is called. Walk over to adjacent peg, signs my card off and I am going to sign his. At the bottom he has put last fish and scored through. Filled in fish points, Heaviest fish, 2nd heaviest fish and signed it off. My heaviest flatfish was one of my 2 heaviest fish, will add another box for heaviest flat fish for the match Sunday.
Hope that helps a few and everyone has a good match.