Fuel Prices- does it affect your fishing ?

[Bob Hornegold]

As an OAP and on a limited pension, I find I'm thinking more and more about the cost of filling up my car ?

The cost of fishing one of my favourite rivers has gone up by a third and although I will fish the river again, I will cut down my visits to the venue by a third.

Has the cost of fuel affected your fishing ?

Bob

 

[Peter Jacobs]

I am still "in work" so I'm not too bothered by the cost of fuel especially when I live virtually opposite the Hampshire Avon, albeit above Salisbury where Trout and Grayling dominate the river.

Even so it is only 14 miles of so to get to places like Britford below Salisbury where the Coarse fishing can be excellent.
The Itchen is but an hour away as is the Test, so the fuel cost is not really an issue.

Between my home and Fordingbridge there are many stillwaters available too; all within 50 minutes or so.

 

[sam vimes]

Yes, fuel prices have affected my fishing. Trips to the Trent have reduced, trips to my syndicate, a whole three miles away, have increased.

 

[barbelboi]

Yes it does, being also retired luckily most of my club/s waters are within 10-15 miles of where I live and, thankfully, have a good selection of pits, ponds and rivers. Nowadays trips to places I used to also frequent such as the Lower Itchen, Marsh Farm, the Dorset Stour and Barton Court are kept to one or two visits a year. I remember during it's heyday in the 70's fishing the Cherwell at least three times a week after work - a ninety five mile round trip.
Jerry

 

[Frank Elson]

As another pensioner - albeit with some part time earnings - yes it has affected me.
More fishing local club waters, more fishing the Ribble which is just 20 miles away and less (none this year) visits to the Trent.

 

[dalesman]

Iam lucky I have two major yorkshire rivers with in 15 mins, swale and ure and a wealth of still waters with in same 15 mins. Trips to the seven have ceased.

 

[S-Kippy]

Its certainly a consideration but unfortunately this is what I do though I have tried to cut down on bait & tackle costs. My long time fishing mate Phil and I have been sharing cars for years so that helps...and if its a long journey we are almost without exception fishing together.

I am much more irritated by the fuel cost of ferrying beloved daughter to & from Uni in Soton.That's a round trip of 160 miles from here...or TWO trips to Bury Hill in fishing terms ! I drive over the Lower Itchen on me way too...that niggles !

 

[little oik]

It is a consideration .Although I have a number of lakes within easy reach and I fish them regularly there are a few lakes which are about 30 miles away that I enjoy fishing .However they need prebaiting so its not just the one journey that you need to think about .Also as there are only a small number of pegs available you need to plan 3 or 4 days and try to get to fish them midweek otherwise you might find someone already there when you turn up .

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

As a pensioner, the state one apart from £72 per month private, it doesn't bother me that much - yet! I've just come down from a gas-guzzler (avg 25MPG) to a more economical car (avg 32mpg short runs) so that has helped, but then I've never been one for chasing across country regularly for a bit of fishing. What I do want now is more reassurance that when I get there I will have a reasonable chance of catching a fish and enjoying myself. I've got my own little bit of river in Oxford that I very rarely visit because there's simply no flow at the moment and for all I know could be being poached, but it ain't worth going there to check. If it is being poached I doubt anyone is catching, but they'll have one hell of a shock when I do start going!!!

 

[Jamesy]

I joined a local club in order that I wouldn't have to travel so much and let my membership of a previous lapse to pay for it. Great plan but this new club observes the closed season because its a SSSI, and I've discovered it is fiendishly difficult water to fish, so I have travelled further afield this year than ever. Pennywise; Pound foolish.

 

[PitsfordPirate]

I used to travel all over the country throughout the year to trout or coarse fish, however rising costs have put paid to that, it was expensive before but I just cannot justify it now, I normally stick to a 25 mile radius these days.

The Pirate.

 

[stu_the_blank]

It hasn't yet but it will do. Has made me start thinking about the journeys in money rather than time!

Really grates that of the £80 it costs to fill up, about £65 is tax. What I think about our MP's would be deleted if I posted it! Now where's my expenses form:wh

Will probably plan longer trips to further afield places in future.

Stu

 

[andreagrispi]

I use to regularly travel up to 200 mile round trip for a days fishing, now have reduced it to up to 100 mile round trips from home.

I aim for big fish and there is no point fishing a water with little if any opportunity of the fish the size I seek. Therefore 1 session on a suitable water is worth 20 on an unsuitable one.

 

[Bluenose]

Definitely. I moved house to be closer to better fishing, if I still lived where I once did, then no way would I be getting out anywhere near as much. As it is now I do consider the fuel cost of any trip outside of my immediate (10 mile) vicinity. It's a shame for it means less cash going over the tackle shop counter for bait and the likes.

As a slight aside I wonder how it will effect those clubs whom rent stretches of river that are quite distant from the major towns and cities in which the clubs are based.

There are several clubs I know whom rent stretches of the upper severn for example, and the cost (in fuel) to get there and back is in some cases more than the cost of the season ticket.

 

[dezza]

A 40 mile radius is my limit, although I have a car that does more than 800 miles per tankful which gets filled every 8 weeks or so.

This week I have done 67 miles up to now, all on trips to a very local water, it's only 10 minutes away and contains a few cracking roach.

I am looking at getting one of those "squashed up" little cars although rod lengths are a problem. They are really easy to park in tight spots too. Please rod companies, make all your rods in 4 pieces.

Please!

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

There's a way around everything, Ron

 

[terry m]

I am five minutes from the Hampshire Avon at Ibsley Bridge, plus countless Avon Valley gravel pits on tap so as yet fuel prices are not affecting my fishing - thankfully.

 

[agamemnon]

i cant afford to fish linear (45 mile trip) as much as id like but its no worries as i live 1 mile away from a club lake so ive managed to get a trip most weeks this year