Fin-telligence
HERE'S A GLASS half full/glass half empty conundrum that I have been puzzled about for some time now: are fish getting ever more clever, or is it that we anglers collectively need ever more assistance in catching them due to diminishing powers on our part?
These are purely personal observations that come about because my own fishing trips become more and more sporadic as times go on. My therefore infrequent trips to the tackle shop see me viewing rack upon rack of new and sometimes unidentifiable items of tackle, almost in a state of bewilderment.
I am astonished at the variety, and seemingly complex nature of the products we now need before setting off on a fishing expedition. Why have one particular item when 27 subtle variations of the same thing will almost certainly (allegedly) increase your chances of catching? Have fish really got so clever that anglers have to resort to these ever changing but subtle nuances if they are ever going to be successful?
A recent foray to previously helpful local dealer, with what I thought was a simple enquiry about a new rod left me more baffled than I have been for some time (And that's pretty bad, believe me!). I have had a pair of twin tip Avon type rods for a number of years and they have served me well until the last trip to Cl*tt*rc*te where I somehow contrived to snap 3” off of one of the tips.
I would like to say that it gave out as I heroically battled a behemoth carp from under the boards, but I suspect it had more to do with my abuse in hurling out an overloaded method feeder. Anyhow, the damage was done, and after long and at times painful negotiations with the family banker involving me in being told to volunteer to do ironing, dusting and hoovering, whatever they are, some (very) limited funds were put at my disposal.
Now, perhaps I am being a little bit naïve, but given that the old rods were 1¼lb, I thought a slight step up to 1½lb would be fine, and the Avon style, one quiver and one standard top is all I need for the fishing I do, or so I thought! Turns out that that is far too much of a generalisation to allow a meaningful recommendation to be made. First of all I had to tell the shop owner(s) what I was fishing for, and apparently 'bites' wasn't a helpful response. So, I listed a number of fish species that I was likely to encounter.
Having ascertained my modest wants on the types of fish I was after, there was now the little matter of the possible weights of these fish to be factored in. We soon agreed that I was obviously not a specimen hunter, so that seemed to help, until the type of fishing was brought into the equation. Mention of a bit of float fishing, some legering and the odd spot of method fishing à la Cl*tt*c*te brought on a bout of head scratching and teeth sucking from the proprietors. But that was nothing compared to the consternation caused when I reeled off the differing venues I was proposing to visit as I am planning to visit not only rivers, but lakes as well, such a diverse set of venues sent the teeth sucking/head scratching to new levels.
By now, several different rods had been brought out for a waggle, some made up ones off the displays, some from 'round the back', with their empty rod bags strewn around the shop, looking like discarded snake skins. The counter was by now littered with brochures, and exasperation was beginning to set in, on both sides. Apparently, for what I wanted to do, I really needed a waggler rod, for the float fishing, a quiver tip rod with at least three push in tips, possibly 2, 3 and 4oz, but to be decided later, and a two-piece twelve footer around 2¾lb wouldn't go amiss if the river was up a bit (more like 8¾lb just lately…!).
A deal was almost made when, after some serious rummaging, a 12' twin tip rod was triumphantly waved in my face. I agreed we were getting close, but with my pedant head on, I pointed out it was 1¾lb, not the 1½lb I was really looking for. The owner then told me there was no call for what I wanted any more, used to be, but the manufacturers stopped doing them and basically it was this or nothing. I expressed my dismay, as he seemed to have every other length/test curve combination, but what really broke the deal was my mention that I didn't particularly like the fact that his recommendation had the word 'Barbel' writ large on the butt.
That was red rag to bull time, and I was told that I should be aware that fish can't read so it didn't b*$$ding matter what was written on the rod. A light-hearted discourse then took place about his assertion that fish are stupid against my argument that if they were we shouldn't need all these different types of tackle he was trying to flog us. I invited him to carefully pick his way through the forest of rods that we had strewn all over the shop and look at his rod rack. All of his coarse rods had 'Carp' or Pike or 'Match' or Feeder' on the butts, but none of his fly rods had the word 'Trout' on them. 'That's because everyone knows they're b*$$ding trout rods' I was told.
Except the trout, of course, but there again, they can't read, can they…….?
You may not be surprised to learn that at this point I left the shop empty-handed. Perhaps I was expecting too much, and was being too picky, because once it became obvious that I wouldn't just buy what I had been told too, I sensed the customer relations department closed for the day. But then the proprietor did tell me early on that if he bought ten rods for stock he had to sell seven before he made a profit, so perhaps he was just trying hard to sell me no's 8 and 9. Who knows?
Ps
I have since found a pair of twin tip, 12' 1½lb TC rods that don't mention any species on the handle, so I don't expect much success, what with neither me, nor the fish, knowing what I should use them for.
Woody (ACA) 
