Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 40 total)
  • Fishing
  • loddrik
    Free Member

    Never really understood the appeal. A lot of sitting around staring at the water, which is nice and tranquil I guess, but surely can be done without a rod. What’s the appeal? How long do you go for and what do you do to occupy yourself if you’re out there for a long time?

    It’s not something I’m likely to take up but I’ve always been curious.

    donks
    Free Member

    Most carp fishermen seem to sleep till the alarm goes. We used to get stoned or spend the day untangling lines.
    River fishing for a couple of hours is all I can stand not this carping for days on end.

    MrNutt
    Free Member

    I naturally assumed that they just sat in those little “pop up self abuse auditoriums” and displayed their techniques to fellow fishermen set up on the opposite riverbank, ensuring that neither fisherman could accidentally come into physical contact with each other thus maintaining fishings strong retrosexual image.

    Many fishermen don’t condone the use of so called “smart” technology as “attention aids” and often consider bridges to be “religious structures of modernday multisexualists”.

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

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    esselgruntfuttock
    Free Member

    Well I only do sea fishing, but in answer to the question, as far as I’m concerned it’s all about ‘anticipation’, you never know what your’e gonna catch (if anything!) & usually, if it’s big enough, you can eat it.
    Plus I love being by the sea. Can’t be arsed with course fishing though, totally pointless. (IMO)

    surroundedbyhills
    Free Member

    you need to try fly fishing – takes proper skill and when done properly it is a true art form. Landing a nice wild brown trout is an experience.
    BTW some people think bikes are for kids.

    grim168
    Free Member

    Peace and quiet and away from it all

    yunki
    Free Member

    adrenaline..

    It’s quite an exhilarating sensation to have a very disgruntled life force tugging away at your rod..

    I very rarely do much fishing at all these days as I started thinking a bit too deeply about the experience from the fish’s side of the equation..

    I dabbled with a theory of hookless fishing for a while in my early 20s, to see if any fish would cling on in an effort to come ashore.. wondering if there was a fish equivalent of our scuba divers that participated in their pastime by way of a symbiotic relationship with unwitting anglers.. and caught this little beauty in the canal*..

    If I fish at all now it’s generally for the table though..

    *some embellishment to this fishy tale may have taken place at this point

    johndoh
    Free Member

    Not fished for a while (coarse) but when I did it was usually sunrise to sunset. I would walk/ride miles with all my kit every Saturday and Sunday all season.

    PiknMix
    Free Member

    I use my fishing time as a total switch off, none of this carp bivvy alarm wakey rubbish.
    I leave my phone at home, I set out before sunrise and I get home after sunset. Nothing in between that time matters apart from that little float sinking.
    I love it, I’m fishing Saturday and can’t wait.

    I saw a kingfisher, a grassnake and a stoat last time I was out. Purely brilliant.

    JoeG
    Free Member

    Yunki – have you considered noodling? No hook involved!

    MrNutt
    Free Member

    It’s quite an exhilarating sensation to have a very disgruntled life force tugging away at your rod..

    I refer you to my earlier post, thats “Fisherman code”.

    This exposé will be on Dispatches next week, just you watch.

    esselgruntfuttock
    Free Member

    If I fish at all now it’s generally for the table though..

    Not Pike though surely, unless you soak it in clean water 1st?

    Me with a Cod & a Ling…


    Cod/ling by jimmyg352, on Flickr

    jim76
    Free Member

    I’ve been into both mountain biking and carp fishing for over 20 years now.

    I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve been asked “what is the appeal of fishing?” and “isn’t it boring sitting there all day?” etc. The simple answer is – if you don’t get it then you probably never will. It’s very hard to put into words but for me it’s the peace and quiet, tranquility, the being outside and by the water, the challenge that it brings, the banter that is shared between friends when we go and of course the moment when you finally get a take and bank a fish.
    I’m a carp angler – forgive the comment further above, not all carp anglers are “sleep all the time wait for bite alarm rubbish..” or whatever it was. As with anything, you get out what you put in. Yes there can be an element of luck involved but make no mistake there is a difference between chucking a rod out and catching a fish from a water stuffed full of stocked fish and being good enough to catch frequently, from different venues, some of which have low fish stocks and have obstacles such as gravel bars, heavy weed and snags etc to negotiate. There’s more to it than sitting there all day / night, often all weekend in pursuit of carp. The time, effort, watercraft, skill, patience all make a big difference, then there’s the cost involved and determination to go even when it’s solid rain or like last weekend, wet AND cold..

    I’m glad I have two pastimes that differ so much – when I’m at the lake and am not busy fish spotting, baiting up, tying rigs, preparing food, stalking fish, moving swims, generally trying to suss out what way I can catch said fish, sometimes even catching fish! I can sit there with a cuppa, read a MTB mag and think about the next ride.

    No need to explain why I mountain bike, is there ? 😉

    Nobeerinthefridge
    Free Member

    Never really understood the appeal. A lot of sitting around staring at the water, which is nice and tranquil I guess, but surely can be done without a rod. What’s the appeal? How long do you go for and what do you do to occupy yourself if you’re out there for a long time?

    It’s not something I’m likely to take up but I’ve always been curious.

    See that’s the thing, you don’t have to understand the appeal of any activity,what you have to understand is that people enjoy different things. The vast majority of people in this here nation won’t Understand why I left a roaring fire this evening to ride in a pishing wet November night at drumlanrig.

    mattzzzzzz
    Free Member

    I used to bivvy up for a few days or three waiting, baiting, contemplating and even sometimes mastur well you get the picture .it can be exhilarating it can be boring- best shared with good friends and have a craic
    Spent my first week in France carp fishing doing bugger all and we had a poor week , second time we went it was like a military operation of up at 6 , bait the far bank( walk round drop bait under trees on a plate size gravel area set trap and wait- rebait at ten and so on, mate had a mid 40 mirror and the week was worthwhile
    These days one rod, small bag, landing net, unhooking mat( a soft mat for placing fish on so they don’t damage themselves) and I go and stalk barbel – a real hard fighting fish that grow to 20 odd pounds , they really do try and pull you in.
    Your either into it or your not, its our hunter gatherererer in us.
    Heres me with a baby one;

    swiss01
    Free Member

    not pike surely…..?

    ah, the british and their funny eating habits. just for you (it’s in swedish but you get the gist)
    http://www.recept.nu/pelle_johansson/huvudratter/fisk_och_skaldjur/ugnsbakad_hel_gadda/

    i don’t do a whole lot of fishing here but if i do it’s fly fishing. as above, it’s well tricky but once you’re into to it, totally absorbing

    and why might it be that i go fishing mainly in sweden (other than mrs swiss’s brother having a fishing company). it’d be things like this
    http://www.fiskesnack.com/fotoalbum/showimage.php?iid=96919&cid=9 (sadly this is not me)

    I_Ache
    Free Member

    I always think fishing is just an excuse to spend time away from the wife that you don’t like. I hate waiting so really can’t see the point in it.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    I remember as a kid going fishing with my neighbour. It was great, all going really well, til disaster struck and we caught a bloody fish.

    esselgruntfuttock
    Free Member

    Biking to thrill,
    Fishing to chill.
    Innit.

    Pike, very earthy unless you soak em in clean water first. I know cos my mate catches then eats them.

    snakebite
    Free Member

    I still go barbel fishing, chill time for me. sometime I catch something, sometimes I don’t. Bit like biking, sometimes its the best ride ever, sometimes it isn’t.

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    Fly fishing on the Test. Do you need to ask why?

    Trailing lines off the back of a yacht for mackerel for the BBQ? Do you need to ask why?

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    It’s a dangerous pastime;

    http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/10031318.Uckfield_angler_scarred_for_life_by_fox_attack/

    The 41-year-old, who has been catching fish for more than 20 years, said: “The first I knew of it was waking up to find this fox was across my face.

    arthural
    Free Member

    Fishing is like a meditation. You are left there with your thoughts. It’s great opportunity to calm down and look at the every day routine from different perspective. That’s the way I see fishing 😉

    surroundedbyhills
    Free Member

    snakebite
    I still go barbel fishing, chill time for me. sometime I catch something, sometimes I don’t. Bit like biking, sometimes its the best ride ever, sometimes it isn’t.

    Posted 57 minutes ago #

    And you get to meet famous people – like Jim Kerr off of Simple Minds..

    yunki
    Free Member

    Not Pike though surely, unless you soak it in clean water 1st?

    I’ve never eaten a Pike, although they were very popular in high end restaurants for a while a few years back.. They’re strict carnivores so shouldn’t be too muddy.. Carp on the other hand are bottom feeders so need a good flushing out before cooking..

    So how about a nice giant flounder instead..? (sorry about the glasses)

    chojin
    Free Member

    Fishermen just get in the way of Kayaks.

    mattzzzzzz
    Free Member

    I played a c**k in a kayak once for 5 minutes on *50lb braid* there was no way the smug b**tard was ruining my swim and getting away with it,

    * really strong line that without scissors or a knife you are unlikely to snap*

    mattzzzzzz
    Free Member

    I played a c**k in a kayak once for 5 minutes on *50lb braid* there was no way the smug b**tard was ruining my swim and getting away with it,

    * really strong line that without scissors or a knife you are unlikely to snap*

    mikey3
    Free Member

    I used to go to the wye barbel fishing,spend all day just walking all the beats.Now everywhere is just clogged up with people who take enough tackle to stock a shop and dont move all day.For me it was about walking the river,most people now seem to think it only matters if you come ready for a month stay.

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    ruining my swim

    [Don Corleone Voice]

    You swim with the fishes?

    [/Don Corleone Voice]

    bigjim
    Full Member

    I do a bit of fishing, mostly fly fishing. I mostly do it to be in nice remote places with no one else around, I don’t catch too many fish. I think my trout dinners are working out about £45 a pop!

    I do struggle with the ethics of fishing a bit. I think barbed hooks should be illegal. I hate fishing programs like Robson Green’s where they keep fish out the water for minutes before put it back. I think catching a fish to eat it is quite justifiable though. Yum yum.

    gusamc
    Free Member

    me and dad used to sea fish (handlines – cod/haddock/mackerel), or towing feathers for pollock, also used to spear flounders using a glass box and tv ariel pole

    I’ve done river fishing (worms) but didn’t have the patience, mum was river with fly/bait and would nip off up the riverside on the raleigh shopper with rod, fags, sarnies, flask, books and come back 15 hours later sunburnt to buggery, midged senseless, caught nothing and had a great day …………. funny things people (*she also took noculars and bird books mind you)

    elzorillo
    Free Member

    Never seen the attraction, but what really put me off was seeing one of my old mates sat deadly still in this umbarella/tent thing for three whole days and nights.. I visited him a couple of times as he sat there motionless, staring into the water. On the third day I said.. ‘how many you caught?’

    His answer in a steely determined voice.. ‘None.. YET’

    Sod that!

    McHamish
    Free Member

    Used to fish from about age 10 – 18, joined a club, used to enter matches and pleasure fish…loved it. I would get excited the day before fishing even if I had just come back from fishing.

    A few years ago I got back into it, but don’t go very often as i spend the weekends with the wife usually.

    Still get a little bit excited, but I’m a bit lazy about it now…I no longer get up while it’s still dark.

    It’s a bit of relaxation and spattered with excitement.

    You’ve got your feet up relaxing and the float wobbles a bit, your hand hovers over the road and you lean forward a bit. Swearing at the bloody fish to eat the damned maggot and stop pissing about!

    DaveyBoyWonder
    Free Member

    I used to go loads when I was a teenager. The year I finished my GCSEs I spent literally the whole summer up at 6am and by the lake near my parents at 6:30.

    Lost interest for about 10 years, sold all my stuff and bought a couple of decent rods, reels etc – the bare minimum really and now its generally just a holiday pasttime stalking big carp, tench, barbel etc. Just got back from Devon the other week and had a couple of really good carp on freelined bread on the top and 2 weeks in France booked in June and the house has its own fishing ponds so hoping to get a lot of fishing whilst drinking them little bottles of biere d’or type stuff in the sun for a fortnight!

    PJM1974
    Free Member

    I don’t get the appeal either. Tried it once, didn’t really get on with it. I found that after a while it really hurt my bo…

    *rereads thread title*

    Oh…erm…

    johndoh
    Free Member

    Fishing is like a meditation. You are left there with your thoughts. It’s great opportunity to calm down and look at the every day routine from different perspective.

    That. And shooting ducks with lead shot from the maggi-pult.

    (I was only 14 or so 🙂 )

    winston
    Free Member

    Was on a french campsite earlier in the year with a couple of carp pools. In the bar one evening and a blokes mobile went off. instead of answering it he sprinted out the door and down to the lake. Turns out he had some kind of gizmo rigged to his bite alarm that rang him

    Really not sure thats fishing

    But saltwater fly off a kayak – now THAT is fishing

    votchy
    Free Member

    Used to take fishing very seriously when I was younger, regularly fished 3 matches a week (was on 3 shifts and thought nothing of fishing a midweeker when on nights!!). Used to enjoy the variety and different skills/techniques required between rivers, canals and lakes and what species were present. Lost interest when the commercial fisheries started to dominate the match fishing opens, lots of regular matches dried up on my local rivers and canals due to lack of support and the matches on the commercials became too expensive as many were being won by the guy who could use the most bait ie the sponsored anglers. Still fish but only probably half a dozen times a year for a couple of hours each time on my local river, walking distance from home and the 1 mile stretch I fish has a variety of different species meaning something is likely to feed whatever the weather, few bits in my pocket, pint of maggots, a pole and landing net has resulted in barbel to 6lb, chub to 4lb, bream to 4lb, roach and perch over a pound, the occasional rudd plus a few minnows and gudgeon, never seem to get the same species in the same spots either so can be quite rewarding as you never know what you might catch, just spend 10 or 15 mins at each spot then walk further downstream to the next, river runs alongside a busy road at the back of an industrial estate but always see plenty of wildlife and always quiet, might go Fri pm after writing this.

    nickswolves
    Free Member

    As said above, if you don’t get it you probably never will. As with most anglers, I started at an early age when my Dad took me along. At first I was like ‘bored now can we go home’ until I caught my first carp, the next I was ‘when can we go again dad?’ I then joined a junior fishing club and fished matches – 20 years on I still match fish for money at weekends when time permits. I won just under a £1k last season in winnings*

    *I possibly spent a good part of this in the first place on tackle, bait etc. needed to win, but still 🙂

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