Matt Hayes is an extremely knowledgeable all-round angler and Electronic Arts is probably a leading computer game developer, so this title should definitely have been a winner.

Sadly reality didn't live up to my hopes.

The game involves selecting a lure and casting it out into a lake or river to catch a predatory fish. There is a large choice of lures and a reasonable choice of water to fish in but that's where the game starts to fall down.

Unless you choose exactly the right lure for the water, you don't catch anything and, even when you get it right, the results are hardly awe-inspiring.

It is possible to change the air and water temperature to improve conditions and the player can move from place to place hunting for the biggest fish. The fun is supposed to start when you hook into something but I even found that to be dull.

A bar along the bottom of the screen shows how much the fish is fighting and the player has to pull harder or softer to make sure it doesn't escape.

Anyone who remembers early golf games will also remember the dreadful commentary that accompanied every shot.

Just transpose that banal wittering into a fishing environment.

In short, the game is about as exciting as fishing a village pond on a wet Wednesday and I felt I would rather fall in a real lake than be forced to play it for very long. I was totally piked-off in about 20 minutes.

Price: £19.99.

Contact: www.ea.com
Feel good factor: 3 out of 10.