Post Description

The Greater Rod Race with Matt Hayes and Mick Brown

Introduction

If you thought fishing was a slow and relaxing pastime, think again. In the Great Rod Race, Matt Hayes and Mick Brown take up the fast and furious challenge of catching over 30 species of freshwater fish from British and Irish waters in 30 days. Will they succeed in this mission impossible? We'll have you hooked.

The task sees Matt and Mick travel all over the UK in an epic journey of over 4,000 miles. Starting on Ireland's beautiful West Coast on the mighty Lough Corrib on an August day, the final whistle blew on the banks of the river Test in Hampshire four weeks later. In between, Matt and Mick spanned the country, visiting Devon, Wales, the Midlands, the North East, the Lake District and the Home Counties.

The two fishing fanatics travelled in a custom-designed van, specially fitted out to help the lads store a huge range of tackle necessary to catch 30 different fish species. The challenge provided a tough test for Matt and Mick's all-round angling ability. Matt calculated that during the filming of Rod Race he used 37 different fishing methods. "It was by far and away the toughest challenge I've ever taken on in the sport," he says.

Disc 1. Days 1-6 1 x 58:00 min
The race commences at Kilarry off the Irish coast fishing for dog fish and rays. Its then onto Lochs Coirrib and Oughterard for perch, bream, roach and brown trout. With a bulging keep net, Matt and Mick continue to Woodford Fishery where an incredible carp awaits.

Disc 2. Days 7-12 1 x 90:00 min
On the River Shannon, we're shown how to use a sliding float to catch bream. Its then on to Lough Sheelin where trawling lands excellent pike. But will they land sufficient roach, pike and bream on Lake Lacken and Lough Ramor to get them across the Irish Sea?

Disc 3. Days 13-18 1 x 72:00 min
In Anglesey, our lads net rich pickings of barbel at the Lyn-y-Gors Fishery. Salmon and sea trout are the quarry on the beautiful River Cleddau after which Matt tries for trout and Mick for pike on the Llyn Brenig Reservoir.

Disc 4. Days 19-24 1 x 68:00 min
Over the Welsh border and onto Shropshire's Hampton Loade, Matt demonstrates his secret Time Bomb' method. After a monster barbel on the Warwickshire Avon, they look for big carps on Ecton Lake in Northamptonshire.

Disc 5. Days 25-30 1 x 58:00 min
Our angling experts go summer stalking at Stibbington Lake in Peterborough. But with the deadline closing in, will Matt and Mick manage to complete their goal of seven hundred pounds of fish in 30 days?