Keeping a sense of proportion.

[Neil Maidment]

Thirty years ago, I considered the Trent almost local (and that was from the South Coast)!

 

[sam vimes]

Don't all anglers want to catch bigger fish, other than the smaller one's you catch day in day out. ?????

Absolutely, I just feel that things have got skewed somewhere down the line. For example, a double figure barbel from the Yorkshire Ouse system really is a cracking fish that will, in most instances, have taken a good lump of time and effort to catch. However, I'd feel that it would be viewed as inconsequential by the angling media and southern based anglers. That's where I believe there is no sense of proportion or understanding of the big differences in fish sizes as you travel further north.

Don't for one moment think that I'm suggesting that I see southern fishing as easy, I have lived and fished down south, I know it's not the case. However, given the same time and dedication as a northern counterpart, it's almost inevetable that a southern angler will have considerably better PBs for pretty much every species. I'll acknowledge that this isn't the case when folk from south of the Humber start travelling in numbers to fish the Yorkshire Ouse System. In the mean time I'll keep my eyes open for the squadron of flying pigs.

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

Sam,

I understand what your saying, but it's not the fault of the Southern Anglers that the fish do grow bigger down here.

I used to drive to Burton Joyce fish all day, then drive back home to Hertfordshire, at one point I was doing this every other week, (then I found a good B&B in Newark) it wasn't for the big fish, i could have gone to the River Lea just around the corner for chub twice the size of those in the Trent.

When I go fishing it's to catch fish, the bigger the better, but I am just as happy catching small fish, as long as the fish dont get as small as Skippy's, I am all right........:wh

 

[guest61]

I just like fishing, I made an earlier post about catching three fish and being happy - I stand by it.

To me the Drennan cup is a 'vehicle' for Drennan to market the Drennan brand along side 'fish of note' in the Angling press.

I'm not sure where this North / South thing came into this thread but to me its a nonsense. In recent years I've focused on fishing closer to home (in the North West) so I spend less time travelling and more time fishing. There are some tremendous fish to be caught, these fish see relatively little angling pressure and certainly are not 'named', and this is on venues where you rarely see another angler.

Mark

 

[S-Kippy]

When I go fishing it's to catch fish, the bigger the better, but I am just as happy catching small fish, as long as the fish dont get as small as Skippy's, I am all right........:wh

Saucy get ! My "Personal Lows" are quite impressive actually.

I live right on top of the Colne Valley and I hate it.Totally carp dominated and most waters are rock hard. I simply dont have the time required to work these places out...and if I did I wouldn't bother. Its just not what I want to do.

Still no bivvy or bedchair in my shed....nor ever will be !

 

[chav professor]

Specimen angling by design is all about avoiding little fish and exclusively targeting larger than average fish. If you live on the doorstep of the Throop for example, by definition - you may well be a specimen hunter by default. But my experience of these venues is that they can be rock hard. Those throop fish see pressure every day of the season and they know they are being fished for.

I may not get a drennan cup, but my reward is greater - super fish - perhaps the chance of something extrordiary. But best of all, I have freedom to move from swim to swim and avoid the masses.

If you live near a water with 'Drennan' potential - its like a circus!! Realistic but challenging targets are what keep me motivated. I think if you catch the biggest fish from your venue by design, it is as skillfull as perhaps the majority of the monster fish that some anglers have regularly published in the press.

 

[richiekelly]

i am going to fish a new [for me] river this coming season for barbel and although there are some very big fish in it i will be happy to catch a barbel of any size from it.

 

[andreagrispi]

Ah! The fabled Dorset Stour and Hampshire Avon (to name but two).... mile upon mile upon mile totally devoid of fish (or so it seems)!

Yes, there are so many fine specimens to be had down here, that everyone has them crawling up the rod and leaping into the landing net (large size of course). It's all so easy!

Even the well known and easily available to anyone venues take a bit of "fishing" to be in with any sort of chance to reap the benefits.

Yes, I can go and buy some specimen catches, particularly of the trout variety, and frequently do so, but I get equal pleasure and satisfaction from targeting Gudgeon (giant of course) from my local little river.

Each to their own, take advantage of what's on offer where you are and enjoy angling for what it is..... and as Ron says, a sense of proportion is essential.

I've lived and fished down south and now based back in the north.

There are more large fish of each species down south but I've had my fare share of specimens up north.

Getting on for 100 7lb+ tench up to 9lb 6oz. 80 or so double figure bream to over 13lb; chub to over 7lb and roach to 2lb 6.5oz. Trouble is - there are more match type anglers up north.

 

[904_cannon]

I would be careful what you write/say about your local river Liddle, Chav.

 

[dannytaylor]

There are plenty of waters up north that can and do produce fish that are equally as good as some of the specimens caught down south.

Personally i agree fish size and merit of capture is all down to the waters you have available to you. True a 5Ib canal/drain tench is a super fish but it dosent take much effort to find out where bigger tench can be caught and make the effort to travel and fish one of these venues. Its all down to the individual..........

Pioneering new specimen waters is a far more challenging prospect than jumping on the latest "circus" water. It is too these anglers that i show respect as it takes a lot of determination and belief to target a water with unknown potential.

 

[sam vimes]

Sam,

I understand what your saying, but it's not the fault of the Southern Anglers that the fish do grow bigger down here.

I couldn't agree more and wasn't trying to suggest otherwise.

 

[waggy]

I'd be a very sad and bitter chap if I let the size of fish I catch worry me!

The obsession with weight is plain daft - it mattered when you were fishing for food, and it matters in match fishing, because it's the only convenient way (that I can think of, at any rate) to compare a haul of bleak to a brace of chub; but for big fish, LENGTH should be the "respect" factor - it increases with age, not condition, so does not tempt people to target spawning fish, and is a better general indicator of how old and experienced the fish is.
Plus, tape measures don't go wrong as easily as balances!
And they weigh less and pack small.

Mind you, I was happy enough to stop fishing to LAA size limits, and have to measure almost everything - and release most, unweighed.

Another factor is that you were looking at a competition, judged primarily by weight. That's bound to load the system in favour of a few waters per species. The competition should only be seen as a bit of fun for those who are conveniently sited or can afford huge petrol bills; the rest of us have no chance and needn't even bother to read the results. I've felt a lot less piscatorially inadequate since I stopped buying the papers and mags!

Well said, Alan.

 

[Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC)]

"The 5 FMers who were at one stage together on a certain water last Thursday (3 "fishing" and two more sensibly come down for an hour or so to talk!!) would have been grateful for 1 fish between us by the end!!" I don't wish to appear pedantic, but at one stage (after I arrived) there were 4 FM members 'fishing'. But I as I mainly lurk, perhaps it could be argued that I don't 'count'. I certainly don't catch...

Mea Culpa Garry...indeed there were 6 Fmers..2 watching and 4 bravely, forlornly tilting at windmills as we followed the impossible dream

 

[Garry Procter]

No culpa need attach to anyone - it was nice to meet you. If I had any forelock left I would have tugged it (wot wiv u been so posh an'all). I might continue the Quixotic quest this evening.

 

[The bad one]

The perspective is " you can only catch what's in front of you!" And if you live in a region where the fish don't go to a perceived record size. Then as long as there's a hole in your bum you ain't going to catch fish of that size.

Take this as an example. There's a day ticket water in the NW that did a 50+ common carp and as English as the Saxons. Would Drennan have given more weight to its capture than one 10 lbs bigger, given the location the NW, than a southern based fish?

You can go through all the big fish species doing the same calculation regionally where they are 10, 20 % lower than the Nt record.

Personally it matters not what Drennan or the media (southern based btw) think of it, those guys that catch such species from their region generally have put in the same time, dedication and effort as those from the southern pit circuit.

Put the same guys on the southern waters and the result would be the same.

The late great Alan Wilson was an example of this. And for those who don't know the name. Alan came from the NW and Blackpool, learnt his trade in the NW, the meres mainly, then took apart the southern waters for their big tench and bream. Towards the end of his cut short life was starting to do it with the barbel.

 

[Ray Roberts]

That's the trouble with you northen monkeys, you're so devisive. It's not our fault that our fish are bigger and our women are prettier.

On a more serious note, of course you can only catch what's in front of you. If the criteria of what consistitutes a worthwhile catch is what percentage of the UK record it is, then the southern waters will almost always, due to their location come up trumps. It bears no relation to the skill involved in it's capture. How it could be done otherwise is a bit beyond me.

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

If a Northern Angler cathes the biggest barbel or carp in a given water, it is no different from a southern angler, catching the biggest barbel or Carp in a given water.

Both have caught the biggest.

What you should be happy with is catching fish, full stop, if you get the biggest, thats the bonus isn't it ?? .

I fish waters with big fish, i don't always catch them, and i have had many blanks on these hard waters, a small fish is very welcome i can tell you.

 

[sam vimes]

If a Northern Angler cathes the biggest barbel or carp in a given water, it is no different from a southern angler, catching the biggest barbel or Carp in a given water.

Both have caught the biggest.

The difference comes in the form of recognition or coverage of the feat. One stands a good chance of some recognition/coverage, the other probably doesn't.

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

In media terms yes I agree it does.

I was wondering if it bothers the anglers that much..??

 

[sam vimes]

In media terms yes I agree it does.

I was wondering if it bothers the anglers that much..??

Ray, I've no idea but the sales demographics, based on area, of the angling press might make for interesting reading. It is noticeable that there are a few northern regional angling forums out there but I've not encountered Midlands or Southern equivalents (that doesn't mean they don't exist).