Modern fishing, a joyless experience?

[Simon Vicos]

Are people becoming blind to other methods apart from matching rods, reels bite alarms and bolt rigging ?.

This seems to be the 'go to' method for not only Carp but also Tench, Bream, Roach, Rudd and now Crucians. Is it the law now that you cant fish any other way but to put some 'camo' on, sit back on your £200 bed chair and start pissing about with your alarms while you wait for the next unfortunate 4lb Tench or 1.5lb Crucian to hook itself then you crank it in on gear that could halt a charging Rhino?. Oh and said gear is transported to the waterside on a trolley that could deliver luggage to an aircraft.

Where did float fishing the margin go?, feelining?, touch legering and quivertipping with one rod?. Such rigging up converts every bite to a fish, is missing a bite now frowned on?.

Don't get me started on feeding a swim either or sitting quietly without shouting across the lake.

Or maybe I'm now just grumpy having reached 52 and still loving the one rod float or tip approach

 

[103841]

You’re not alone, just read my posts in HDYGO along with many others and you’ll struggle to find bivvies and camo.

 

[108831]

You are definitely not alone,I rarely even have a second rod made up,I want to see my float go under,I want to overcome conditions,sort out feeding,shotting problems,that's my enjoyment...

 

[theartist]

You’re not alone, just read my posts in HDYGO along with many others and you’ll struggle to find bivvies and camo.

Speak for yourself I use bivvies and camo and when the swinging party ends I may go fishing instead

 

[Weirdoh]

I love touch ledgering!! Me and the other half freeline everytime we go to a new venue because we can hit bottom perfectly without the resistance of lead that most carp have already experienced. Using knots where I used to rely on swivels and using spade end hooks has really upped my catch rate the last two seasons. Variety....the spice of life....just stay off that spice.
I got into float fishing two years ago using a centrepin and a longer midrange carbon rod and it really opened up so many possibilities. I do own 3 bivvies and 4 bite alarms but they are reserved for specific holidays and seasonal weather preferences where a simple chair on longer durations becomes unrealistic

 

[peterjg]

I spent too many years (38 years) bivvied up behind bite alarms. It is a joy now to watch a float or swingtip or quivertip for roach.

 

[flightliner]

Simon, is it the venues you're using, ones where the fishstock are big and guys using them consider long sessions are the way to go.
Many places I use from time to time can be fished with most all ways, tip, float, feeder, single or double rods with audible alarms and vizual indicators on account of the fish populations being varied in specie and size.
Most times out Guys can be seen using the variety mentioned , admittedly not in equel measure but that's mainly dependent on the water, canals for example will see an equal use of float, quivertip and (time of year depending) lures.

 

[shane99]

Or maybe I'm now just grumpy having reached 52 and still loving the one rod float or tip approach

Yes you are old & grumpy, just like me - one rod short session fishing is the best :thumbs:

 

[lambert1]

Me too 59 now and getting grumpier!

 

[108831]

Wait on a bit I'm nearly 65 and I'm very grumpy...

 

[rich66]

Must admit to not owning a bivvie, never understood those that set up and sit back. I do have one bait alarm and do put a second line out on occasion. But I love float fishing and always reach for my match rod first. Last season I discovered the joy of river fishing again and hope to expand on that. At 53 if it’s got fins I get the same amount of pleasure as I did when I was 9.

 

[bracket]

I will be 78 on Monday. I am old, grey, grizzly, cantankerous, fractious, disagreeable and rude. But grumpy? me? never. Pete.

 

[theartist]

I'm old school, one rod, always float fishing walking up and down rivers here and there but...... I'm actually envious of those in bivvies, those guys are camping and fishing, waking up to a beautiful waterside scene each morning, often with their mates, I think they are enjoying their fishing every bit as much as we are.

If they along with us don't take themselves too seriously and respect their quarry and that of others good luck to them

 

[108831]

How about before a pint Pete???

 

[108831]

I'm old school, one rod, always float fishing walking up and down rivers here and there but...... I'm actually envious of those in bivvies, those guys are camping and fishing, waking up to a beautiful waterside scene each morning, often with their mates, I think they are enjoying their fishing every bit as much as we are.

If they along with us don't take themselves too seriously and respect their quarry and that of others good luck to them

Most of em don't wake up till 9am,not on the waters I fish anyway...

 

[nottskev]

There are ceratinly some people on here who know how to catch carp and other big fish, but most, in their day to day fishing, like the type of thing you mention. Have you checked out the How Did You get On Thread, where people post reports of their outings?

Just in the last few weeks, there have been reports of floatfishing on canals and lakes, floater fishing for carp, lure fishing for bass, spinning for perch and pike, pole fishing for roach and tench....... and there will be plenty of people here fishing rivers in a few weeks' time.

 

[103841]

But we don’t seem to get any reports from a few days in the bivvie.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Over the years I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the different forms of fishing that I've indulged in . . . . . and I actually spent almost a decade fishing solely for Carp and spent many nights in the bivvy.

After some few years I took the conscious decision not to leave my rods out over the sleeping hours as I preferred to fish well into darkness, then bring the rods in, cook a meal, and get a few hours sleep and begin again before dawn.

Most of my 60 years fishing have been spent on the rivers float or feeder fishing with almost a decade fishing only matches or practicing on the match stetches . . . .

The last 5 or 6 years I have spent mostly fly fishing, again, preferring the rivers to lakes, although some lakes are better than others.

To my mind if I felt that any form of fishing had become "joyless" then I'd be looking to change something as I think fishing is the very best way of spending one's time.

 

[john step]

Joyless? The fish still have fins and swim in water. They still eat bread and worms. Everyone can do their own thing. No one is forced to follow the crowd.

Personally I love all sorts of fishing. I floatfish,ledger, barbel fish, carp fish, roach fish tench fish and so on.

Sometimes it is actually a pleasure to be beside a quiet lake in a bivvy for days on end. (I turned 70 last year and can be grumpy at times mg One doesn't have to have rods out all night. One can actually pull them in and get the most wonderful nights sleep in the open air.

I just wonder if the poster fishes in crowded noisy places and might be better off finding somewhere quieter to do his own thing. Chill out its a wonderful pastime.

 

[bracket]

How about before a pint Pete???

Witty. That is before a pint. After a pint you don't want to know me. Pete.