Belper & District Angling Club has a long history of match fishing – from entering team events to hosting regular social matches on our own waters. In the heyday of river match fishing, we even ran matches of up to 200 pegs on the River Derwent! See the match fishing history section below for press clippings and photos from that era.
Match fishing is at the very heart of our angling club. If you are a local matchman, or an angler who would like to get into match angling, you will find plenty on offer at BDAC. Our friendly matches include one-off matches and league/series, charity matches and memorial matches (including individual and pairs matches).
Our matches are held both on our stretch of the middle Derbyshire Derwent, as well as on our own Wyver Lane Pond. We also run occasional canal matches.
Our stillwater fishing matches are dominated by mixed bags, consisting of various species of silver fish, as well as the odd larger tench, bream, perch or carp. So, if you’re a little bored of matches dominated by single-species bags of carp or F1s, our club matches might be just what you’re looking for.
Results on our River Derwent fishing matches are equally as mixed – often silver fish will make up most of the weights, with roach, dace and grayling featuring in many bags, but you simply don’t know what you will catch next on the Derwent – a specimen chub, perch, bream, or even ide, could pop up in any peg – giving our river matches an air of mystery and excitement. A good fish last cast could bring you from obscurity into contention!
All sheduled match dates for the year are printed in our annual permits, whilst our Facebook page is the place book places for matches, and to find up-to-date match information, results, weights and photographs.
For all matches (except summer evening river matches), pegs are drawn at 8am and fished between 9.30am and 2.30pm. For summer evening river matches, pegs are drawn at 5pm.
Our match calendar includes the following:
- Spring series – Wyver Lane Pond – runs from March to May
- Autumn series – Wyver Lane Pond – runs from September to November
- Summer evening river series – River Derwent stretch alongside pond – runs from June to September
- Annual open river match – River Derwent ‘sewarage works’ stretch – held in July
- River matches – River Derwent various stretches – held throughout September, October and November.
- Annual pre-Christmas river match – River Derwent stretch alongside pond – held mid-to-late December.
- Annual memorial matches, which currently include:
- Harry Fitton memorial match (Wyver Lane Pond, June annually)
- Frank Posiac memorial pairs match (River Derwent, July annually)
- John Mason memorial match (River Derwent, August annually)
- Roy Melbourne memorial match (River Derwent, October annually)
We have also run matches on our length of Erewash Canal at Langley Mill, during May and October, which we may run again in future if there is enough interest from anglers. If you would be keen to fish matches on the canal, please contact the club to let us know!
Some assorted photos from previous BDAC club matches:
Belper & District AC – Match Fishing History
As previously mentioned, match angling has been at the heart of our angling club for many years. We occasionally come across press clippings from the 1980s and 1990s, when club matches were regularly reported on in the weekly angling press. Here is a selection for your entertainment and nostalgia. Let us know if you recognise any names or faces!
