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Fishing betting with William Hill
As the popularity of recreational fishing – sometimes called competitive or sport fishing – continues to rise in line with a number of high-profile tournaments, calls for the sport to be accepted on to the Olympic programme are on the increase.
The Rome-based Confederation Internationale de la Peche Sportive petitioned for the International Olympic Committee to recognise fishing in time for the Tokyo Games in 2020, using its 50 million active anglers it represents from 70 countries as evidence of its eligibility as a mass participation sport.
In the US, there are believed to be 40 million anglers, nearly double the number of people who play golf. In the UK, there are an estimated three million active anglers.
But while these efforts have so far gone unheeded, it may surprise some to learn that angling was once granted Olympics status.
In Paris in 1900, around 600 fishermen and women from six countries took part in six events along the River Seine. It's said that 20,000 turned up to watch over four days of competition, with Frenchman Elie Lesueur credited with the win for catching the biggest fish.
But while fishing may no longer feature under the Olympic flag, there are still plenty of opportunities to bet on fishing throughout the year.
From weight and size betting to outrights on the winning angler, you'll find a number of fishing betting markets here at William Hill for all of the biggest fishing events on the planet.
Fish-O-Mania betting
Fish-O-Mania, now over 25 years old following its formation in 1994, is the most high-profile fishing event in the UK.
Held annually in locations that have tended to rotate between Doncaster and Stoke in recent years and described by organisers as both the “FA Cup of fishing” and the “Superbowl of fishing”, Fish-O-Mania sees 24 qualified anglers fishing off for a top prize of £50,000.
Whittled down from thousands of entrants via a number of qualifying heats, sporting promoter Barry Hearn has masterminded its popularity in conjunction with Sky Sports after being inspired by WWE Wrestling.
Its success is not simply down to its longevity, but the fact that the format abandoned the traditional post-match weigh-in in favour of weighing the fish every 30 minutes.
This allows for real-time leaderboards that up the excitement during a competition that lasts over five hours. The event also features a Ladies and Juniors competition.
With three wins, Jamie Hughes is the most successful angler in the tournament's history, and in 2019 – the event's 25th anniversary year – he took part in an unprecedented eighth consecutive Grand Final.
However, it was debutant Andy Bennett from Manchester who took the title in 2019, finishing with a total match weight of 52,200kg to see off the challenges of Simon Skelton in second and veteran Hughes in third.
As winner, Bennett will automatically qualify for the 2020 competition and with such an impressive haul will no doubt begin as one of the Fish-O-Mania betting favourites.
Fishing tournament betting
Pitched as the Champions League of angling with a lucrative top prize of up to £100,000, the Maver Mega Match is comprised of 24 qualifiers events taking place all over the UK, from April until August.
The winner of each qualifying event earns a spot at the September Grand Final at Maver Hayfield Lakes in Doncaster, with the winner crowned after five hours of fishing.
Previous winners of the Maver Mega Match have included Andy Power, Zac Brown, Chris Cameron, Peter Upperton, Jon Whincup, Rob Wootton, Les Thompson and David Burley.
Then there's the Golden Reel event which takes a similar format of 24 qualifiers held all over the country, leading to the Grand Final at Larford Lakes in Worcestershire.
In 2018, Andy Power won with a bag weighing in at 77,000kg, over 20,000kg ahead of Jake King in second place and Jack Danby in third.
How to win betting on fishing
As well as looking to back previous tournament champions and much-fancied names like Fish-O-Mania legend Jamie Hughes and recent big money tournament winners Andy Bennett and Andy Power, another consideration to keep in mind when betting on fishing is the vital importance of the peg draw.
This occurs before any fishing commences and decides where the anglers will be situated.
Naturally, some areas of the water appear to be more populated with fish than others, leading to preferred pegs that can have a key sway on the anglers' chances of success and the subsequent fishing odds.
You should now be equipped to tackle all of the fishing betting markets.
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