Some anglers will do anything to catch more fish...

GUDGEON hidden in flasks, eels secreted in landing net handles, and adding stones to weigh nets – anglers have been trying different ways to get one over on their mates almost since man caught his first fish.

Call it what you will – cheating, stroke pulling, or simply a bit of fun – no matter how elaborate the scheme seems, it has probably been done.

And before you go thinking it’s always the match angler looking to win a few quid, it’s not – it’s rife in all aspects of fishing.

While some scams might seem a serious miscarriage of fishing etiquette, on most occasions there’s no malice intended, and some funny consequences are the result.

This week we pick out some of the cheekiest moves anglers have made over the years and reveal what we think the punishments should be for those found guilty as charged (Page 54).

But beware, before you start thinking ‘I might try that’ be aware that some scams will never work in a million years!

I remember a few years back when a group of anglers fishing the gin-clear northern canals were accused of cheating by holding sections of their pole under the water and blowing down them to stir up the bottom before their matches started. This would ensure there was a bit of colour in the water which would act like a magnet to fish... in theory.

I was so intrigued by this I had to try it for myself, and after many attempts I can safely say that this is one trick you can rule out. Unless you have the lung strength of a blue whale it’s impossible to achieve.

And if you do have to resort to taking a gudgeon in a flask to your next match, then you probably need to look at fishing a better venue to begin with!

Enjoy the issue, and tight lines for the week ahead.