The Great Rod race with Matt Hayes

MIDLANDER Matt Hayes stars in a new angling TV show in a difference in May in which he tries to catch 35 species of fish in the UK inside a month.

Entitled ‘The Great Rod Race’, Matt joins predator specialist Mick Brown for the 15 part Discovery Home and Leisure show

Among the venues they visit for the show is Dudley’s Himley Hall where they catch grass carp and crucian carp plus a couple of surprises that the TV people won’t tell me about.
”They are basically tasked with catching every fish species in Britain in a month and some fish, such as the Ferox trout and stone loach virtually impossible to find let alone to catch,” said a Discovery spokesman.

What’s more, some of the fish are so small – like the bullhead or Miller’s Thumb – that anglers would not normally attempt to catch them. They really have to adapt their skills and their mindsets, fishing for catfish one day and sticklebacks the next.”

To catch each species Matt uses diverse styles of angling, from fly-fishing for trout and salmon to legering with boilies for carp.

Matt and Mick make their journey around the

in a custom-fitted van – complete with bunk beds, a small stove for cooking and special storage for their tackle. The van itself is a state-of-the-art fisherman’s haven, fitted with rod racks, trays, compartments and even a fridge/freezer for bait.
Says Matt: “There are very few fishing challenges left now. Everywhere has been fished, every kind of fish has been caught and that’s what makes this show unique. Plus, every angler in the

is sure to have an opinion on how they would approach this challenge, and will no doubt be arguing which tactics we should or shouldn’t have used from the comfort of their armchairs.”