I have no comparisons to make really as I'm to young to know as it seems most of these improvements were made while I was not fishing, that is no excuse though as I can clearly see there is alot in the way of things that do help the angler, internet has made word of mouth venue finding alot quicker (aka the circus etc), google earth yes has helped to a degree as has fish finders and the like but you know something, I still prefer not to use them to much past the old box tickings: Is there fish in there (no point wasting your time if nothing put in) can I get there (old school car rekkie), can I fish it safely, when am I off to have a go? whats the weather going to be like (accu minutecast etc) That is pretty much it. Nothing beats finding fish slightly off the beaten track or chopping out a few pegs and getting the feeding confidence going, that does take at least some effort (time and money too) so I'm guilty as the next man but cannot help feel the achievements were more rewarding in yesteryear and success was earn't much more, So I agree with Derek, it is sad to a degree but you only have to admit how much of what you went fishing to escape has crept into the hobby as a whole and you can see why, just my opinion.
people are so used to "paying" for results these days, its hard not to fall into this catagory......here is one example from scratch:
You pay your ISP to seek out forums (like here) to get knowledge, advice etc (has to be paid for in advance), petrol to do a rekkie (ditto), forums for any tips (ditto), getting the right gear or needing a few bits to fish with total confidence (ditto), pay your ticket/license (ditto)....if your baiting up that adds to the cost......how much total has been paid to get that fish out of the water? Admittedly your basic set up is aggregated over its lifetime but unless you are given everything free, in theory your buying your catches and thus fishing enjoyment one way or another!
People have very little patience these day's, the neccessity being the proverbial mother of all these so called improvemnts has been the guiding force (I still had to wait two years and painfully blanked every session prior to catch my first Barbel and even then couldn't afford scales to weigh it) so its about getting instant results and doing as little waiting around as possible, we could walk everywhere but many decided a car would improve on time at some point, it stuck. Also the press try to ensure people get these instant results, but none of it is free, unless you are an experienced and frugal poacher.
All the good guy's I know are finishing last btw and all the old boy's have done all the hard work for us young guns anyway, why can't we just admit it (so I guess a thanks is in order too!
)
anyway rant over....
