Neil Machin

For some time now I have had the desire to make products that will really help my fellow anglers capitalise on the fish in their swim.

I started off with my new ‘Method Mould’ marketed by Garbolino and now after discussions with the new kids on the block ‘Bag’em Matchbaits I am about to enter a new exciting time in my fishing career.

There are so many baits on the market that don’t quite fit into the matchman’s niche for many reasons, but I believe with the backing of Bag’em matchbaits this could be a thing of the past.

Right now I am spending time at the Bag’em factory producing brand new products for the serious and not so serious match angler. These will be the baits that I and many of my friends USE not just endorse.

From the start of our discussions the quality aspect has been at the forefront and neither myself nor Bag’em Matchbaits are willing to compromise on this issue. I am certain you will be seeing baits that really work in all situations in your tackle shop very soon.

This agreement is for the long term and is one which gives me freedom to continually develop baits for todays and tomorrows market. I hope you will like what you see.

Neil’s achievement list speaks for itself..

• Kamasan Matchman of the year 07-08
• Fishomania 2006 Winner
• 2006 - Park Dean Masters winner
• 2006 - White Acres Festival winner

Andy May

Ultima and Shimano sponsored Andy May has joined the Bag’em team.

“After seeing the quality of the Bag’em groundbaits I had absolutely no hesitation in joining the team. These are phenomenal groundbaits and I will be using them for all of my match fishing this year and beyond as I am so impressed. You will see me using all these baits in the features I am doing for ‘Pole Fishing’ magazine this year.”

Andy has won the Kamasan Matchman of the Year title two times in a row!

When he was younger he was a world individual youth silver medalist. He wins countless matches on the open match scene on all methods and on all types of waters.

He is a full time match fishing coach www.fishingcoaching.co.uk

Jamie Hughes
Winner 2010 Kamasan Matchman
of the Year

I am a 26 year old scaffolder from the Wirral. I started fishing at about 5 years old when my Grandad took me to local ponds every Saturday.

I began fishing seriously at 15 with local clubs before moving to fish with Sensas Rod & Reel when I was 20 where I qualified for the Angling Times winter league final.

In 2006 I made the decision to fish as an individual under the Chester Tackle Locker banner and also to concentrate entirely on commercials. Fortunately this has turned out to be a good move as my fishing has improved greatly over the past few seasons.

Achievements to date:

• Kamasan Matchman of the year 2010/2011
• Runner up in Kamasan Matchman of the year 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 season
• 4th in 2008/2009 season
• Fishomania Finalist 2008
• Maver Pairs Finalist 2008
• Heronbrook Festival Winner 2007
• Heronbrook Spring League Winner 2009

I have joined the Bag’em Team because all of the products are of an extremely high quality and there is something to cover all my requirements.

Adam Richards
Winner 2009 Kamasan Matchman
of the Year

Adam Richards is 20 years old and studying to be a sports teacher at University.

He started fishing when he was around 6 years old, visiting local ponds and rivers in the North East.

By the time he was 10 he had started on the match scene with his Dad. Just a few years later he was a regular in open matches and has been there since.

Adam has just returned from the Preston Festival at White Acres, where he finished 11th out of 180 of the best match anglers in the country (it would have been higher were it not for a dispute which saw him given 10lb less than he should have had on Bolingey Lake). In the Parkdean Masters Final he subsequently qualified for the next day but drew an unfancied end of the lake. However he put in a brilliant display of shallow fishing to weigh in 70lb of small F1 carp, beating top names like Phil Ringer, Steve Sanders, Des Shipp and our very own Neil Machin into the bargain. He was an agonising 4lb from scooping the £25,000 winners cheque taken by Adam Wakelin.

The Parkdean Masters was the culmination of an incredible season so far for Adam:

• Kamasan Matchman of the year 2009 winner.
• He won the Maver Pairs Final at Larford Lakes in August with 260lbs.
• Recent years have seen Adam qualify for the Maver Pairs three times. He finished 4th individually and 4th as a pair in the 2007 Maver British Pole Pairs.
• Also in 2007 he was 2nd in a Fish O Mania qualifier having finished 4th twice and 5th in other matches.
• 2007 saw Adam get 26 Kamasan match points and 28 the year previously. Let us see what the future brings.
• Adam fishes big open matches at Woodland Lakes and The Oaks in North Yorkshire as well as most big money competitions and two White Acres festivals a year.

He is a definite star of the future with a great attitude on the bank and already has a wealth of big match experience to build on.

Pemb Wrighting

I am a plasterer from Hampshire and sponsored by Maver.

I first started fishing at the age of about 7. At the age of ten I started to fish local junior matches. These went well and I enjoyed every minute of them, so at the age of 13 with a lot of help from my parents I progressed onto the open match circuit. This led to fishing for a few teams around my area, mainly Milo Bordon and Daiwa Dorking. In 2004 and 2005 I was selected to fish for the England under 21 team. 2005 was a particularly successful year, we won a team Gold medal at the World champs, and an individual Silver medal.

Recently I have decided to pack in team fishing to fully concentrate on individual matches. So far it seems to be going very well and am enjoying fishing more than ever.

I am delighted to be a part of the Bag’em baits team. The products are clearly some of the best on the market, just look at who uses them!

Achievements:

• Team gold medal in under 21 World championships
• Individual silver medal in under 21 World Championships
• Silver team medal in div 2 national with Daiwa Dorking
• Winner of the 2008 Maver Classic
• Runner-up in the 2010 Maver Classic
• Top 10 finish at a Whiteacres festivals

Claire Dagnall

Claire is an England International and works full time at Leeda as 2XL and Leeda Brand Manager. She’s married to Mike Dagnell who fishes for Kamasan Starlets, they live in Redditch, Worcestershire.

I started fishing at the age of 10 in local parks with my dad (we lived in Birmingham then).

I fished my first match at Swanshurst Park and from that got asked to join the BAA/Starlets Junior team. I then started fishing junior matches eventually becoming team captain.

My achievements so far:

• Represented England in 7 World Championships, won 3 team gold medals, 1 silver and one bronze
• Won Ladies National twice
• Won Ladies Fishomania twice
• Open wins Bridgewater Canal, Moorlands Farm, Woodland View etc
• Embassy Pairs Final Qualifier
• Drennan League Round Winner
• Won 1 day of Challenge Sensas Final
• Member of Kamasan Starlets Match Squad

I enjoy fishing the open match circuit, particularly team matches and festivals at White Acres. The highlight of my year is competing in the World Championships.

Claire is delighted to be sponsored by Leeda/MAP/Rive and Bag’em.

Lee Thornton

I am 21 and I used to live in Ramsey St Marys in the heart of the fens and it was a choice of doing nothing or fishing the countless fen drains around my house!! I first started fishing with my best friend at the time and his father. I joined a club, first of all fishing junior matches, then onto the senior club matches.

My first open win was at thirteen on the Old Nene, At fourteen/Fifteen joined Sensas Dick Clegg Mark One and my fishing has just progressed from there.



Achievements include:

• Drennan U21 team gold
• Fishomania Runner up
• Senses challenge frames
• Drennan National Superleague frames
• Countless open wins
• Tunnel Barn Farm winter league team win
• Barford lakes winter team win
• Runner up individually angling times east midland winter league
• Fished two Angling time’s winter league semi finals and finals

One moment that sticks out for me for some reason was when I was fishing a club match for Ramsey AC. The angler on the far bank (I won’t name names!) struck like zorro into the tree. After entangling his rig in the branches he pulled back for a break to see his top four come flying off and into the middle of the lake. After twenty minutes of coming up with various ideas to get it back he eventually stripped naked, jumped into the lake and retrieved his top kit! I had to stop fishing for the tears!!

Pete Goodman

My name is Peter Goodman, I am 28 years old and single.

I began fishing at about the age of 5 as I lived next to a river, I am self taught.

From the age of 20 I became a member of the very successful Sensas Dick Clegg Mark 1 side.




My successes so far are:

• I was in the squad winning the East Midlands winter league and qualifying for the semi finals and finals of the AT winter league for 3 consecutive years
• I fished the uk super league in the old format and the super league in regional format
• I fished several NFA nationals from 5th division to the 1st division, and was 2nd in the Gallion Cup on the Nene
• Winner of the hospital cup on the Forty Foot, and won The Eastern Regional Shield on the Ouse, with Mark 1
• Qualified for the fish o final 2006, finished 7th with 37Kilo
• Qualified for the Maver Pairs 2007 with Lee Thornton at Monk Lakes
• Won the Tunnel Barn winter league as a team 2007/2008
• Qualified for the Maver Pairs 2008 with Lee Thornton at Barford lakes
• Had 3 top 8 finishes in the Fish o qualifers this year
• Had numerous open wins on matches from 30 pegs to 100+ pegs

I joined the Bag’em team because it’s a company that is developing bait that’s of outstanding quality. Neil Machin is the single most consistent angler in the country, and he has taken the time to develop a product that is made for catching fish rather than trying to catch anglers with gimmicky ideas. When the new Pro competition range is launched in spring 09 it will give anglers of all abilities the edge over competitors using inferior products.

Matt Smith

I’m a 22 year old, self employed painter and decorator, from Stourbridge in the West Midlands, I was first introduced to fishing at the age of 12 by my dad fishing the River Avon around Evesham and the canals around Birmingham.

At the age of 17 I decided to leave the canals and rivers behind and focus entirely on commercials and have never looked back.

The last few years has seen me fishing regular opens and leagues all over the Midlands, Fish o mania qualifiers, Maver Pairs qualifiers/ finals and numerous festivals each season.

All of the Bag’em range has received alot of thought and is made of the best quality, and will cater for all my fishing needs.

• Fish o Mania finalist 2008
• 3rd Overall Maver Larford festival 2008
• 4th Overall Manor Farm Festival
• 4th Overall Kamasan British open 2009
• 3rd Overall Maver pairs Larford Qualifier 2007
• Maver Pairs Finalist 2007 
• 4th Overall Fish o mania qualifier Larford 2007
• Manor Farm winter league team win 2009
• 12th Overall White Acres silverfish Festival 2009, inc lake win.

Trevor Robinson

I am 26 and live in Newcastle Under Lyme.

I started fishing from a very young age with my dad on the River Dane in Holmes Chapel catching Chub & Dace.  I started match fishing when I was 18 in the Audley Anglers Club with matches mainly at Border Fishery in Cheshire.  Border Fishery was where I first met Jeff Moors who took me under his wing and taught me everything I know to date along with the help of Neil Machin & Andy Moors, probably the best trio of anglers you could wish to be taught by.  


I progressed from club angling to joining Mosella Border side which was captained by Jeff Moors and had good success from then onward.  We gained a new sponsor with Browning and I was asked to fish for Mosella Garbolino who were a well respected Northern team with some great talent.  Now bringing me up to date I have had the opportunity to work with Bag’em matchbaits along with Maver Midlands.

• Angling Achievements to Date.
• Angling Times Winter League Finalist 2010
• British Open Finalist 2006/07/08/09/forthcoming 10.
• Maver Pairs Finalist 07/08/09
• British Pole Championships Runner Up
• Maver Classic Qualifier 07/08/09
• White Acres Milo Festival April 2009 – Finished 8th.
• UK Champs 2008 finished 8th.
• Tunnel Barn Winter League Team Winners 2009/2010
• Heronbrook Spring League Team Winners 2010
• Cudmore Teams of Three Winter League Winners 2007.
• Heronbrook Pairs Winners (150 pegs) 2007
• Browning Challenge Winner 2006
• Many Open Match frames.

I have joined Bag’em matchbaits because they produce top quality products and are a must for confidence.

Pete Rice

The photograph shows Pete Rice (sitting) with Mike Hamlington owner of Tunnel Barn Farm Fishery.

I first went fishing when I was 6 years old with my grandfather on a local river where he caught a 2lb tench, the only fish of the day. That fish had me hooked and from then on every Sunday I pestered him to take me fishing.

I joined a local fishing club when I was 12 years old and started fishing their matches on the local rivers Avon and Arrow. Those days matches were drawn at 7am and only 4 hrs long so that everyone could get back in time for the pub!

I fished my first open match at 15 because I thought that I was good enough after winning the club aggregate for 2 years, how wrong I was!! The class of angler in the opens was so good that I was totally lost. The anglers like Ken Giles and Clive Smith were the local stars and they were fishing tactics I had never heard of. It took me 12 months, fishing 3 times a week before winning my first open on January 1st. I had a lot of luck to win, not skill, but over the years I have turned that luck into a bit of skill.

The very first match that I won was in 1973 at Hampton Ferry. There were 80 pegs and I won with a weight of 18lb 10oz of chub and roach.

Here are a few others I have done ok in:

• Daily Mirror champ at Longleat in 1981.
• Runner up in John Smiths festival at Evesham in 1989.
• Won Float only league at Tyford on the river Avon 3 times in 5 years
• 1st in the Maver pairs qualifier at Tunnel Barn 2007. 100 pegs and won with a weight of 197lb.
• Won 16 Wednesday open matches at Tunnel Barn on the trot in 2007.
• 1st in the Maver pairs qualifier at Tunnel Barn 2008. 100 pegs and won with a weight of 144lb.
• 1st in Fish O Mania Qualifier at Tunnel Barn 2008. 130 pegs, won with a weight of 195lb.

Pete has worked full time at Tunnel Barn Farm Fisheries for the last 8 years and is a Qualified National Sports Council coach.

Mike Robinson

I stated fishing at the age of 8 on local ponds and canals with my uncle, and over the years it has become a real passion in my life. In my early teen years I started to fish with a local club, and it was not long before I started to compete and beat older anglers within the club.

Just after leaving school, my first ever job was a shop assistant in ‘Fosters of Birmingham’ and it was not long before I got into the open match fishing scene.

Working in the shop enabled me to absorb lots of information from anglers on the bank, and anglers in the shop. My achievements on the bank lead me into team fishing, and it was not long before I was fishing for the old ‘Fosters – Tipton’ team.

I have been involved within the fishing tackle industry for close to 19 years now, and I am now the Brand Manager for MAP. Even though a lot of my time on the bank is involved testing new products, I still fish lots of open matches and festivals mainly on the commercial scene.

• Super League pick ups
• Fished two Angling Times Semi Finals and Finals
• Shropshire Winter League Winner Twice
• Individual Winter League Round Winner
• Countless Open matches wins on commercials / Warks Avon & River Severn.
• 2nd Overall in Browning Retail Masters
• 4TH overall Maver Summer Festival

Jonathan Watt

I would describe myself as a 44 year old competent match angler/advanced coarse fisherman.

I have my own business development consultancy which keeps me busy but vitally also gives me the opportunity to pursue the other real passion in my life, fresh water Angling.

I started fishing at the age of ten catching the beautiful rudd and perch that lived in vast numbers on my local pond, I soon progressed onto rivers and more established lakes. I was spotted fishing the Sussex Ouse and was asked to join the then powerful Isfield and District angling club team as a junior. We fished against adults and I represented them in the Angling Times winter league in the late seventies.

After many years out in the angling wilderness, I returned to the South of England and went back to my roots and started fishing again. Boy had it changed, the pole was king everyone wanted to catch carp and this was all done on a commercial fishery-there was much to learn.

Being ultra competitive by nature I wished to challenge skills and myself so I soon started to compete in club competitions before progressing onto the open match circuit.
2006 was good for me and I broke venue records at Framfield fisheries, Passies Ponds and Old Bury Hill all with carp weights, the press started to notice and the Angling Times described me as one of Britain's hottest match anglers. My best 5-hour weight that summer was 340lb from Framfield.

In 2007 I broke the record (which remains still) for the biggest pole caught fish under NFA match rules when I landed a monster Wells Catfish that tipped the scales at 33lbs and was one of a 5 fish haul that went over the ton in a team contest at the Faulkenvile fishery in East Sussex. The last 18 months or so have seen me switch my attentions somewhat to learn the new techniques required to achieve consistently good bags of silverfish and this is now starting to pay dividends.

Going forwards, I would like to continue to be competitive and embrace the wonderful advancement in modern tackle, bait and their respective development to help me stay ahead of the game.

Tight Lines.

Lee Taylor

Lee, from Warwickshire, started fishing when he was 7 years old on the canals around the Warwickshire area, before progressing to win junior matches and successfully compete outside the junior age group in the club circuit.

During 2006-2007 Lee fished waters including Barston in Solihull and Spring Pools in Rugby, which accumulated in him winning the Intersite individual at Barston in 2006 and coming 4th in the final of the Stafford Moor Mania in 2007.

Over the last winter months I have been concentrating on my silver fish sport at a venue called Dog Lane where I have been taking part in their ‘silvers only’ pairs winter league. We have had a great league with plenty of roach , skimmers and perch being caught, myself and my dad finished 2nd overall in the league, with myself having the top weight of the league with 22lb of quality roach!!

Lee said "I'm heavily involved with the www.total-fishing.com and www.total-fishingclub.com web sites . These two sites get like minded anglers involved in some cracking matches and events over the country. One which is currently taking place at the minute is the Total Fishing world series!! I was lucky enough to qualify for the final later this year which will be held at The Glebe. I won my section at Cudmore with a net of skimmers and carp which will see me now partake in the final , and hopefully winning a trip to watch the world champs in 2010."

"My summer matches will include the Boddington masters series with matches also at Makins , and a 2 day festival at the Glebe. Later on in the year I will also be attending the ACA masters at the Glebe where I will be putting in 2 teams under the Total-fishingclub banner!!"

Nigel Baxter

Nigel Baxter is a very experienced, retired Northamptonshire based match fisherman who regularly fishes matches four times a week.

He has been match fishing all his life. Starting at club level and progressing into open matches.



Nigel’s won countless river matches including:

• Winter League Nene Championship
• Wellend Championship
• 300 peg opens at Ouse & Nene
• He’s fished for the famous Oundle match team, winning the winter league final in Denmark

Nowadays Nigel fishes opens on commercials, mostly at Decoy Lakes in Peterborough. He’s a regular winner & framer and holds the best weight at Decoy being 194lbs.
His best winning weight in carp matches is 332lbs on the pole.

Dean Jones

I have been a full time fishery manager at Kilworth Sticks in Leicestershire since Dec 2008.

I am 26 and used to work full time at the Bag’em factory, not only making the bait, but advising and helping to develop new bait ideas. I have four years worth of fishery related studies up to a Higher National Diploma.

I am Captain of our local match team called Bag’em East Northants, and fished with many of Northamptonshires local teams.

I enjoy the challenge and pressure of doing articles with magazines, please click through to my latest one in Improve Your Course Fishing magazine.

DAY TICKETS AND MATCH BOOKINGS AVAILABLE AT KILWORTH STICKS CALL DEAN ON MOB 07969 837107.

Dave Smith

Dave is one of the most respected junior angling coaches in the country, he is also the Project coordinator of the “Get Hooked on Fishing Border” scheme, and the onsite coach at the prestigious Border Fishery in Altrincham, Cheshire.

Dave works with thousands of young anglers each year introducing them to angling, developing their angling skills and improving their angling techniques. Dave is either fishing or coaching on a daily basis and with over 45 years of match and specimen angling behind him he makes the ideal person to field test many of our products.

Hollie Smith

Hi I’m 8 years old and a student at Sandford Hill Primary School, and I love angling. My dad Dave runs a Get Hooked on Fishing scheme so since I could walk I have been able to fish with my Dad.

Having my Dad always on hand to help me is brilliant, but he also has some great mates like Neil Machin, Andy May, Pete Goodman and Andy Moors, so picking up tips and asking for advice is not a problem, and face it, who better to ask.

All this help makes my fishing seem easy; I have already done 100lb plus sessions, and the support and products I get from Bag’em have gone a long way in making those catches happen. I love it when new products come out, testing them with my Dad is brilliant, I get really excited because when they start to work I catch more fish.

Loads of Love Hollie