Fishing is relaxing

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Stewart Bloor

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As someone who takes an active interest in the political scene, about 2.00am this morning I shuffled off to bed not exactly feeling on top of the world...(Ok, I'm letting my political affiliations out of the bag here...)...getting up this morning, the news was even worse. Well, what can a man do when his world has caved in, except to go fishing...so that's what I'm doing tonight.
Well, Ok, I'm exaggerating how I feel a little regarding the election, but it brings me to the point. People say that fishing is relaxing, it helps you take your mind off things. But does it? I've found that when I've got something bearing very heavily on my mind, being away at the waters edge can sometimes compound the problems because you've got nothing else to think about and you focus on the situation. Now, with minor situations, I find that getting away is great for the soul, but I'm talking about major things here.
Isn't going fishing when you're depressed a bit like getting drunk when you feel down? You actually feel worse...or so I'm told..the strongests thing I drink is Secret Agent to keep my eyes looking red....
 
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Jon Moores

Guest
Sedge, I think it depends on the type of fishing you're doing. Put very generally, sitting behind alarms tends to allow the mind to wander, but stalking, mixer fishing, fly fishing tend to preoccupy me with the fishing so the rest of the world totally vanishes. Why not choose what to do according to your mood.
 
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Rob Brownfield

Guest
Fishing.....relaxing??...Nahhh...
How can it be. I have to arrive at the water before first light so that i can sneak over the fence without the baliff seeing me...then I have to make sure that I can see a good 400 yards either side of me so that if they come to check my rod licence, I can quickly hide in the bushes. Then, i have to make sure the alarms on the 5 or 6 rods I am using are not turned up too loud. Its also a real hassle trying to cast into another anglers swim using a 2 hook rig. Then I have to wait until after dark to get back out.

Relaxing...is it Bu**ery!!!
 
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Philip Inzani

Guest
Well on a slightly different track it does make me laugh when a non fishy person says something about it being relaxing....they have an image of a garden gnome beside a tranquil pond amid buttercups and daisies, water lilies everywhere and a soft breeze making the Dragon flies cartwheel in the warm summer air??yeah right, cut scene to a big raw featureless pit. Your 3 days into a session, out of food knee deep in mud and freezing your wotsits off in a constant freezing deluge. You?ve gone without sleep for the last 30 hours and your considering a move to try and on fish round the other side which is a half mile hike with all your kit.

OK I know I paint a bit of a black/white image but I am sure you know what I mean. Trouble is you will never ever be able to explain this to a non fisherman, try it and they pause for a moment as if pondering deeply what you have said then come out with the all time classic "so do you eat what you catch?"
 
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Rob Brownfield

Guest
A highland loch in the depths of winter with a 60 mile an hour gale comming down the Glen with a wind chill of minus 15...now thats relaxing!!

Then again, a summers night, sun setting, a wee float bobbing up and down, tench bubbles, etc etc....lovely
 
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Kevan Farmer

Guest
Scientifically speaking I suppose the sunlight - whether the sun is out or not is another matter - is meant to be beneficial and to raise the spirits. Works for me anyway, but then I get S.A.D. in winter.
 
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David OLoughlin

Guest
ok I don't have many chances to fish. So your re-casting the swimfeeder constantly, trotting the float, feeding, canal tow path, but think of this. The missus lets you out to play, last few hours of day, wind drops, sun goes red, lights up the mountains. Boat drifting, bottle of whisky, fish rising. My own little spot that I manage to sneak away to each year.
 
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Davy North

Guest
It's quite right what Philip says about the way non fishing public regard the relaxation of our sport. "I bet it gives you a chance to get away from it all and clear your mind", is the comment I have had.

True in a way, but it's the every day humdrum your mind is empty of, and full of "fishing", trying to think like a fish, what to try next, should you move, change rigs. In fact your mind can be racing, but because it's a break from "real life" it is relaxing.

Going of track a while, Kevan, is S.A.D the syndrom where your mood is changed by lack of sun light? I only ask because for the last two years I've been working permanant nights. I the winter never seeing much of the sun, and my mood has been crap. I thought it was just the fact that I'm a right miserable sod, but I would like to find out more.
 
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DAVE COOPER

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Davy it's true. S.A.D. is (if I remember rightly) Seasonal Adjustment Disorder. It is to do with the amount of time we spend without natural sunlight affecting our physiology and psychology. It causes mood swings, depression and general torpor and tiredness.

You can ease it to a certain degree by making sure you get out for the maximum amount of time in natural light and by installing natural light emitting flourescent tubes and bulbs to electric lights when indoors.

Coop (probably a bit SAD for knowing anything about it)
 
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Davy North

Guest
Bloody hell, sounds like me. I'll have to get the old sun lamp out next winter. Or better still, "Well it's like this dear, I have to go fishing for the good of my health".

And then find another excuise for being a bad tempered sod!
 
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DAVE COOPER

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Well, even if the excuse works only once it has to be worth using for day on the bank. You never know you might even get more mileage out of it before she susses you.
 
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Steve Baker

Guest
Yep my fishing is relaxing (going back to the original thread) Sunday, sitting there listening to the birds sing, frogs croaking (bit late but theres always some desperate males about)wind blowing a bloody gale. Next thing i know i have a single toner on my microm m's,I run over (all of 5 feet and slip over in the bloody mud near my alarms, sod the pain all i want to do is get that fish, turned out to be a 3lb skinny little common that fought like the devil and was let go two minutes later leaving me to nurse a big bruise on my leg and arms. I LOVE FISHING.
 
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Alan Cooper

Guest
Fishing is relaxing but for the soul rather than the muscles and the body. I am afraid that I find the early morning rises very difficult nowadays and the tramp along the bank to the swim even more (not helped by the absolutely absurd amount of gear I lug!). And then I have to fight against my failing eyesight trying to thread the line through the rod rings and eventually I get to cast out and settle in. Is it relaxing then? Well yes,if I'm lake fishing. No it isn't if I'm trotting with centrepin over and over again, doing a bit of feeding and trotting again etc etc. And by the end of the day my right wrist and elbow hurt like hell (beginnings of arthritis) but I LOVE IT TO BITS!
 
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Chris Dunstall

Guest
I went back to the bank for the first time in 12 years last thursday and i am still feeling the effects of a fantastic relaxing day. Lets hope there are many more to come this year
 
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Kevan Farmer

Guest
Davy N. Coop got it right about SAD. Those permanent nights are killers - how are your guts too? They well and truly buggered me when I used to do them - perm nights. Go fishing, it's good for you.....
 
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Ben Herrington

Guest
its true try sitting on a pier with a 9ft telescopic when the waters as flat as a mill pond while using squid for bait (so it doesn't come off the hook) when there aren't any tourists and its as relaxing as ever!!
 
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