Anti Angling

[Tee-Cee]

Sorry to interpose in your discussion, but for the life of me I cannot see why fishing needs to be 'daunting' any more than any other sport or pastime. Not to teach grandmother to suck eggs, but if you take up anything it will always have a learning curve and fishing is no different.
I've done photography, long distance walking and even six times a week jogging and all had to be 'learnt' (particularly jogging, amazingly) plus tennis and other group games, et al and frustratingly all took time until I picked up the basics, but I never saw any of them as 'daunting' simply because I wanted to do them!
Think back to picking up a rod for the first time (I was 7 years) and once shown how to put on the float and pinch on the shot I was left to just dangle the lot in the water. Over time I gradually increased my knowledge...........(hook attachment by others!)

No, I disagree that taking up fishing, with all the information available these days from countless sources is remotely difficult, BUT (and it is a big but) you have to want to do it in the first place, and you have to be prepared to get off your butt and go talk to people who can help. Reading some of the posts on FM I sometimes wonder why folk don't try to answer their own questions with a bit of research before the ask on FM. How many times do I read " Can anyone tell me what clubs are available in my area" when a quick scout around on the web would tell you that. Nothing will fall in your lap without effort!

If you want to do something badly enough, and that is a given for any sport or pastime, you must make some effort yourself and eventually you will come across people who will be happy to take you out for a few trips. I don't do it so much these days, but I would if asked, and happily so.

Where you find folk of any age group who might fancy fishing I have no idea, but to suggest it is difficult to get started doesn't sound right to me..............

ONLY MY OPINION, THOUGH!!


ps Perhaps we've reached the time when folk don't want to start at the beginning and gradually learn, but see a 20lb carp in a mag as 'I'll just pop out and catch one' sort of mentality.......Mmmmm

 

[no-one in particular]

Sorry to interpose in your discussion, but for the life of me I cannot see why fishing needs to be 'daunting' any more than any other sport or pastime. Not to teach grandmother to suck eggs, but if you take up anything it will always have a learning curve and fishing is no different.
I've done photography, long distance walking and even six times a week jogging and all had to be 'learnt' (particularly jogging, amazingly) plus tennis and other group games, et al and frustratingly all took time until I picked up the basics, but I never saw any of them as 'daunting' simply because I wanted to do them!
Think back to picking up a rod for the first time (I was 7 years) and once shown how to put on the float and pinch on the shot I was left to just dangle the lot in the water. Over time I gradually increased my knowledge...........(hook attachment by others!)

No, I disagree that taking up fishing, with all the information available these days from countless sources is remotely difficult, BUT (and it is a big but) you have to want to do it in the first place, and you have to be prepared to get off your butt and go talk to people who can help. Reading some of the posts on FM I sometimes wonder why folk don't try to answer their own questions with a bit of research before the ask on FM. How many times do I read " Can anyone tell me what clubs are available in my area" when a quick scout around on the web would tell you that. Nothing will fall in your lap without effort!

If you want to do something badly enough, and that is a given for any sport or pastime, you must make some effort yourself and eventually you will come across people who will be happy to take you out for a few trips. I don't do it so much these days, but I would if asked, and happily so.

Where you find folk of any age group who might fancy fishing I have no idea, but to suggest it is difficult to get started doesn't sound right to me..............

ONLY MY OPINION, THOUGH!!


ps Perhaps we've reached the time when folk don't want to start at the beginning and gradually learn, but see a 20lb carp in a mag as 'I'll just pop out and catch one' sort of mentality.......Mmmmm

The discussion started from encouraging the over 40,s to take up fishing instead of targeting the youngsters. I said there are a lot easier things to take up than fishing using green bowling as an example. But almost any example could be used, playing chess, tennis whatever. I can go down my local park, hire some rackets and balls and for a few quid I am up and running. No risk of falling foul of any laws, special police, no licence, club to join, doing it in the wrong place, the wrong time etc.
Now take fishing....given a choice what would you do?

 

[sam vimes]

I'm not convinced that looking at any river as a guide to the number of anglers there are nationally is a particularly good idea. My usual bit of river is about two miles long. I rarely see another angler. If I do, it's usually in the swim nearest to the bridge used for access. I could go to much more popular stretches of the same river and see quite a few people fishing. If I popped a short distance from the more popular river stretches, I could visit either of two big commies. Provided that it's not the depths of winter, you are likely to find hundreds of anglers, of all abilities, on these waters.

From my vantage point, coarse angling in the UK is as accessible as it ever was. Whether people can be bothered to take it up is another matter entirely. There have always been certain obstacles with regards to rod licences, permissions, clubs etc. The truth is that licences are cheaper and less complicated than when I was a kid. Many clubs are much cheaper for kids to join (compared to their full adult prices) than they were decades ago.

 

[no-one in particular]

There are still plenty of anglers on the lower and tidal Thames Mark but most of them fish at night for barbel and carp...

Have a look on Facebook in the Thames angling section and most photos are taken after dark.
Huge fish too...

They are not hobbyists though Peter which is what Jim said, you don't see those much anymore.
I was often told once that angling is the biggest participant sport in the country with over 3 million participants and that was when the population was less. Last time I looked licences were just over a million and with about 1/2 million sea anglers (a guess)that's a big decline.
I am fully expecting sea fishing to be licenced, banned from public places, rules put in place and policed as well one day, the creep has begun, so that will most likely decline as well.

 

[peter crabtree]

Steady on Mark or I'll be slashing my wrists in a minute...

 

[no-one in particular]

I'm not convinced that looking at any river as a guide to the number of anglers there are nationally is a particularly good idea. My usual bit of river is about two miles long. I rarely see another angler. If I do, it's usually in the swim nearest to the bridge used for access. I could go to much more popular stretches of the same river and see quite a few people fishing. If I popped a short distance from the more popular river stretches, I could visit either of two big commies. Provided that it's not the depths of winter, you are likely to find hundreds of anglers, of all abilities, on these waters.

From my vantage point, coarse angling in the UK is as accessible as it ever was. Whether people can be bothered to take it up is another matter entirely. There have always been certain obstacles with regards to rod licences, permissions, clubs etc. The truth is that licences are cheaper and less complicated than when I was a kid. Many clubs are much cheaper for kids to join (compared to their full adult prices) than they were decades ago.

I see lots of anglers on some commies, they are keeping the thing going to a large extent and maybe if they didn't exist you would see more anglers on rivers. Commies are fairly easy, you turn up, pay your money and as long as you obey their rules you don't have a problem. Its not so easy in the world past that. most of the best waters are run by clubs or syndicates, even the not so good waters the same, you have to pay a fee, not everyone wants to do that or can afford it, why does everyone think forking out £100 is so easy, for hard pressed families its not. It depends on where you live and how serious an angler you want to become. For example theres a small village near me and a river running through it, funnily enough that NT bit next to it, the rest is owned by two clubs I think, never see any of the local children fishing it or anyone else come to that. because it should have some free bit where the kids and adults can just have a mess about when they want. Is that an exception, I bet its not. I used to fish it about 6 times a year when one bit was a day ticket but I am not going to pay a club £100 just to do that and gave it up as did a lot of people.
This is an angling forum, the converted preaching to the converted and it all looks rosy but I wonder what the non converted think.

 

[sam vimes]

I was often told once that angling is the biggest participant sport in the country with over 3 million participants and that was when the population was less. Last time I looked licences were just over a million and with about 1/2 million sea anglers (a guess)that's a big decline.

I've never been remotely convinced by estimating participation based on licence sales. Go back to the days of regional licences and they claimed even greater participation. However, did they simply count numbers or actually dig a little deeper. Even as a kid I had three regional licences, Northumbrian, Yorkshire and Severn Trent. Did they bother to check this or just count it as three anglers? As they were entirely seperate entities, I very much doubt that there would have been any cross referencing at all.

Into the modern era of a single licence, we no longer have that issue. However, there is another complicating factor. I had two licences for years. Same goes for many specialist anglers. I know that the EA didn't count it as one sale because I'd always get two seperate renewal reminders. Now that they've introduced the single three rod licence, I fully expect the supposed participation figures to drop further.

You can also chuck Scotland into the mix. No licence required there at all. Absolutely nothing to base figures on at all. I also know a reasonable number of local anglers that only fish in Scotland. Naturally, they don't buy rod licences at all.

 

[no-one in particular]

Steady on Mark or I'll be slashing my wrists in a minute...

I do it lay it on thick, laugh a minute me

---------- Post added at 12:55 ---------- Previous post was at 12:47 ----------

I've never been remotely convinced by estimating participation based on licence sales. Go back to the days of regional licences and they claimed even greater participation. However, did they simply count numbers or actually dig a little deeper. Even as a kid I had three regional licences, Northumbrian, Yorkshire and Severn Trent. Did they bother to check this or just count it as three anglers? As they were entirely seperate entities, I very much doubt that there would have been any cross referencing at all.

Into the modern era of a single licence, we no longer have that issue. However, there is another complicating factor. I had two licences for years. Same goes for many specialist anglers. I know that the EA didn't count it as one sale because I'd always get two seperate renewal reminders. Now that they've introduced the single three rod licence, I fully expect the supposed participation figures to drop further.

You can also chuck Scotland into the mix. No licence required there at all. Absolutely nothing to base figures on at all. I also know a reasonable number of local anglers that only fish in Scotland. Naturally, they don't buy rod licences at all.

Your very probably right, its all doubtful figures. Its just what i was told and general impressions I get as I travel around and look at rivers, they must all be on commies these days. However, I think there has been a decline in modern licence sales over the years but maybe the picture looks bleaker than it is in reality.
Better stop because Peters going to end it all I keep on

 

[sam vimes]

I see lots of anglers on some commies, they are keeping the thing going to a large extent and maybe if they didn't exist you would see more anglers on rivers. Commies are fairly easy, you turn up, pay your money and as long as you obey their rules you don't have a problem. Its not so easy in the world past that. most of the best waters are run by clubs or syndicates, even the not so good waters the same, you have to pay a fee, not everyone wants to do that. It depends on where you live and how serious an angler you want to become. For example theres a small village near me and a river running through it, funnily enough that NT bit next to it, the rest is owned by two clubs I think, never see any of the local children fishing it or anyone else come to that. because it should have some free bit where the kids and adults can just have a mess about when they want. Is that an exception, I bet its not. I used to fish it about 6 times a year when one bit was a day ticket but I am not going to pay a club £100 just to do that and gave it up as did a lot of people.
This is an angling forum, the converted preaching to the converted and it all looks rosy but I wonder what the non converted think.

I know your beliefs and wishes from previous posts. I still see things from a different angle. Many clubs are cheap as hell, or even free, for kids and the EA licence is now free. I doubt they can do much more. I have my doubts that making free sections would make a difference at all. The reality is that fewer and fewer people are interested in going fishing. If they do want to go, it's to a commie. The idea that there are loads of kids desperate to go, but can't, isn't a reality I see. I can't bemoan the loss of free fishing in my area, because it was always very limited. The bits that were free when I was a youngster are still free now. I know plenty of kids that have relatives that fish. They can effectively go with them for free, or at very minimal cost on all kinds of waters. However, an awful lot of them simply aren't that interested. I'm in exactly that position with my nephew. He has kit that I've bought him. He can use mine if the situation demands something he hasn't got. He gets a free rod licence and I buy him a club ticket. He can also fish with me on a couple of syndicate waters for free. If I can persuade him to fish once a year, I'm doing well. He's just not that interested.

 

[no-one in particular]

I know your beliefs and wishes from previous posts. I still see things from a different angle. Many clubs are cheap as hell, or even free, for kids and the EA licence is now free. I doubt they can do much more. I have my doubts that making free sections would make a difference at all. The reality is that fewer and fewer people are interested in going fishing. If they do want to go, it's to a commie. The idea that there are loads of kids desperate to go, but can't, isn't a reality I see. I can't bemoan the loss of free fishing in my area, because it was always very limited. The bits that were free when I was a youngster are still free now.

Its all different perspectives from different experiences.

 

[Nobby C (ACA)]

You say that but I can't help believing that were there stretches of river or the village pond should such a thing as free fishing still exist then you would get embryo anglers having a dabble with some horrid little set up bought as a kit from a catalogue or whatever and perhaps progressing from there. I caught the bug while looking after a friends rod while he went home for lunch, the float dipped and went under, I lifted the rod and was shocked to feel a wriggle on the end, that's what got me going, a 4oz roach. I had paid nothing to do that.

 

[sam vimes]

You say that but I can't help believing that were there stretches of river or the village pond should such a thing as free fishing still exist then you would get embryo anglers having a dabble with some horrid little set up bought as a kit from a catalogue or whatever and perhaps progressing from there. I caught the bug while looking after a friends rod while he went home for lunch, the float dipped and went under, I lifted the rod and was shocked to feel a wriggle on the end, that's what got me going, a 4oz roach. I had paid nothing to do that.

Perhaps, but you can't always blame clubs and syndicates for such places not existing. A prime example being my local area. Such places have never existed for me. It didn't stop me getting into angling as a kid, despite having no angling relatives.

Where such free fishing did previously exist, you still can't necessarily blame avaricious clubs and syndicates for its loss. There are many factors that come into play. Many local councils are paranoid about liability and insurance. They often leave the running of their waters to a local club to avoid such risks. Then there are an awful lot that realise that they could make a few quid, without lifting a finger, by renting water out to anyone that'll pay. If they fail to do either, they'll sometimes just ban angling altogether. In this litigious age, I'm actually surprised that there's any free fishing left.

I know of clubs that "control" council owned waters. Technically, they are free fishing, you don't legally have to buy a club ticket to fish them. However, the council want people to join the club/buy a day ticket to minimize footfall and be covered by the club's insurance. Failure to do so, is not illegal, but absolves the council and club of any liability.