What is a traditional angler?

Mention the word "traditional" and it conjures up all sorts of visions of the past. Centrepin reels, quill floats, cane and wooden rods, plaited silk lines, greaves, bullocks pith and brains, creed wheat, tweeds, Norfolk jackets, Kelly kettles, bicycles, Peter Crabtree freezing his poor little nuts off dressed in a pair of shorts in the middle of winter, Chris Yates?

But other than Chris Yates, are the items I have mentioned really traditional in relation with the times when they were in regular use?

They certainly were not - I had to wear shorts too.

Return to the times of JW Martin or Henry Coxon. Was the use of split cane traditional? If you study the matter carefully you will find it was pretty revolutionary. And were there traditionalists around in those days muttering about the Coxon's latest Aerial centrepin reel being unfair on the fish?

Not a damn!

If you read the writings of Martin, Coxon, Bailey and even later: Bazley, you will discover that these guys were streets ahead of even today's traditionalists, and to be honest, in their day, there were no such things as traditionalists!

Jump aboard Tardis and give Martin the latest carbon rod, and he would chuck his bamboo, greenheart and hickory creations into the nearest skip!

Wouldn't he?

The protestations and pontifications of some of today's traditionalists make me laugh out loud!

What about you?

for me " traditional angling " is using the methods or equipment of the previous generation of anglers .because thats what your comfortable with.but it is human nature too romanticise our idea's of what is traditional

I think "Traditionalism" is a state of mind rather than tackle or bait (bread or cheese isn't natural).
Mr walker invented the electronic bite alarm and helped develop carbon rods, but you would consider him a "Trad".
I've never used boilies, pellets or a hair rig, so i'm a Trad.
It doesn't matter what method,bait,tackle or what type of fish you do.... "Just do it" :w

Maybe it's just a convenient phrase that describes an overall picture that avoids a whole lot of explanation. Think about working class, middle class etc. Often just a useful phrase that conveys a general impression of a person that’s not meant to be derogatory. Most would get the picture of someone described as a "traditional angler".

The last thing that Walker would ever consider himself to be would be a traditionalist.

Pete Stone, remember, was invited to become a member of the "Golden Scale Club". For those who do not know it, this is a most elitist and exclusive club, based on a form of arrant snobbery that should have disappeared from these islands a century ago. They foregather in various pubs in the extremely elitist south of England - never the North, there to drink what they think is real ale, or some odd blend of tea cooked in a Kelly kettle together with plum cake.

Then they go out dressed in the most silly outfits that you can imagine, from tweed Norfolk jackets, breeks and deerstalkers, to 17th century Isaak Walton suits. They even have Isaak Walton Ikons that they make supplication to!!!

Bunch of silly sods.

Poor old Stoney turned up at one of these meetings and when he brought out his Drennan Tench float rod and Shimano reel, he was given the "Black Gaff".

How truly awful that a bunch of prize twits should make judgement on one of our greatest all round anglers!

Ron The Hat Clay said:

The last thing that Walker would ever consider himself to be would be a traditionalist.

Pete Stone, remember, was invited to become a member of the "Golden Scale Club". For those who do not know it, this is a most elitist and exclusive club, based on a form of arrant snobbery that should have disappeared from these islands a century ago. They foregather in various pubs in the extremely elitist south of England - never the North, there to drink what they think is real ale, or some odd blend of tea cooked in a Kelly kettle together with plum cake.

Then they go out dressed in the most silly outfits that you can imagine, from tweed Norfolk jackets, breeks and deerstalkers, to 17th century Isaak Walton suits. They even have Isaak Walton Ikons that they make supplication to!!!

Bunch of silly sods.

Poor old Stoney turned up at one of these meetings and when he brought out his Drennan Tench float rod and Shimano reel, he was given the "Black Gaff".

How truly awful that a bunch of prize twits should make judgement on one of our greatest all round anglers!

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Brilliant!

"The Black Gaff"

dannytaylor said:

Brilliant!

"The Black Gaff"

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Do Traditionalists still use gaffs ?

No i think its just a saying they use, that really tickled me

How about Eel spears ?

why pigeon hole any form of fishing or anglers?

Yes but this Golden Scale Club actually exists!

On joining you get re-named some weird term like "Professor" or "Sir Jasper". You have to take part in their gudgeon matches, and then eat the damn things at the end of it. The order of the "Black Gaff" is given to any member who disobeys the club's "rules", using a carbon rod is one of the most serious misdemenours.

Ron The Hat Clay said:

Yes but this Golden Scale Club actually exists!

On joining you get re-named some weird term like "Professor" or "Sir Jasper". You have to take part in their gudgeon matches, and then eat the damn things at the end of it. The order of the "Black Gaff" is given to any member who disobeys the club's "rules", using a carbon rod is one of the most serious misdemenours.

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I like the idea of the Golden Scale Club, they sound like those Great British Eccentrics,
not unlike another Club I could mention who literally are mad as cheese. :wh

Lord Paul of Sheffield said:

why pigeon hole any form of fishing or anglers?

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So you can be judgemental about others - your (Ron et al) looking down on the Golden Scale club - their looking down on you sort of thing.....

As I said earlier, snobishness works both ways....... Peter stone walker and the like were pioneering anglers moving the sport forward. I enjoy a breadth and depth that fishing allows. Fishing traditional or ultra modern and places in-between........... So long as its fun!

The only place you get this nutty sort of discussion is on a forum it seemsmg: NOT IN THE REAL WORLD (well Suffolk lakes and rivers anyway).

I would always describe myself as a traditional angler, why do I think I am?

True I have some tweeds and some plus fours somewhere and even a couple of appropriate hats should I ever feel like getting in costume…hehehe

Yes I would also (being a person who is consulted by others on dress, style, elegance, etiquette and fashion) be among the first to say clothes maketh the man.

However clothes do not maketh the traditional angler. Nor in my opinion do solid or built/split cane rods and 50 year old centrepins.

So what does this Toad thinks makes the traditional angler simple.

A sound knowledge of watercraft along with reasonable mastery of several types/styles of fishing techniques, the ability to use (including casting) a reel well both centrepin and fixed spool, the mastery of trotting, stet pegging, float ledgering, ledgering, rolling legers, swing tipping, quiver fishing, free lining, floating bait fishing, paternoster rigs, live baiting, dead baiting, lure fishing, spinning, ground bait mixes, hook baits especially the less popular natural baits, sound knowledge of fish habits and habitats, an understanding of how fish are effected by changing light, changing seasons, changes in river flow, lake tow, not forgetting variations caused by different venues natural geography. Plus reasonable skills or knowledge of tackle making.

Or to put it simply and basically an angler with knowledge of and good mastery of most if not all angling and watercraft, including most styles, skills and techniques, an angler who has a very well rounded knowledge of most if not all fishing styles, techniques and methods.

As opposed to a person who has spent their angling time specialising in just one area.

But hey that's just my opinion.

But Toady, you can't really be a traditional angler.... not a real one anyway.... according to Ron, traditional anglers go round telling everyone how to do things and looking down their noses if you 'dare' to fish with a carbon blank, fixed lead etc.

Sounds to me you are just angler who enjoys fishing - but then again, you are blessed to live in God's county of Suffolk - perhaps we don't have to put up with that sort of ball bags!

Toady I personally think you defined a Traditional Angler' perfectly!!! You are a star

I have to take my hat (tweed cap) off to Ron, mind - this thread (we can can only pray it was a wind up) was a slow burner........

I couldn't agree with you more Toady.

If we look at the definition of the term "traditional", it means those extremely useful aspects of the past that have been brought into the present. Some aspects of the past we don't need, such as split cane. Others we do, such as centrepin reels and knowledge of certain angling techniques, stret pegging is a prime example.

chav professor said:

But Toady, you can't really be a traditional angler.... not a real one anyway.... according to Ron, traditional anglers go round telling everyone how to do things and looking down their noses if you 'dare' to fish with a carbon blank, fixed lead etc.

Sounds to me you are just angler who enjoys fishing - but then again, you are blessed to live in God's county of Suffolk - perhaps we don't have to put up with that sort of ball bags!

Toady I personally think you defined a Traditional Angler' perfectly!!! You are a star

I have to take my hat (tweed cap) off to Ron, mind - this thread (we can can only pray it was a wind up) was a slow burner........

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Hehehe.

Although being a Cockney I might dispute God Country being Suffolk, no matter how good the fishing is, as a married man of many years perhaps too many years...hehehe I prefer the slimness and sophistication of City girls and women...hehehe Even if I can only appreciate looking...hehehe

To me when used in angling "Traditional" has come to mean anyone who fishes for real fish.......in Rivers, pit's, reserviors..........rather than in mud holes with carp stocked so dense that they would die if anglers stopped fishing there!

watatoad said:

A sound knowledge of watercraft along with reasonable mastery of several types/styles of fishing techniques, the ability to use (including casting) a reel well both centrepin and fixed spool, the mastery of trotting, stet pegging, float ledgering, ledgering, rolling legers, swing tipping, quiver fishing, free lining, floating bait fishing, paternoster rigs, live baiting, dead baiting, lure fishing, spinning, ground bait mixes, hook baits especially the less popular natural baits, sound knowledge of fish habits and habitats, an understanding of how fish are effected by changing light, changing seasons, changes in river flow, lake tow, not forgetting variations caused by different venues natural geography. Plus reasonable skills or knowledge of tackle making.

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Don't think I'll bother being traditional then, I'm just going to keep on enjoying what I'm doing :w

well that makes me a traditional angler that makes me feel old