Single Species Anglers

How many of you only ever fish for one species?

In my angling career I have had spells where I have only fished for a single species, or with a single method. Fly fishing for trout comes to mind here as was barbel fishing on the Trent. However after a period of time I have come back to having a bash for them all. For example this year I have caught roach to 1 1/2 lbs, perch to 3lbs 2oz, tench to 6 1/4 lbs, bream to 7 1/4 lbs, carp to 20 1/4 lbs, barbel to 9lbs 2 oz, chub to 4 1/4 lbs, dace to 12oz, trout to 3 1/2lbs and pike to 14 lbs.

A real mixed bag I suppose. I also caught a few exotic species to add to the total.

But I know that some of you only ever fish for one species. My good friend Steve Pope for example, as far as I can see only ever fishes for barbel.

So my question to the single species anglers is simple:

What makes you tick?

Hi Ron,

I would love to be able to find the time to fish for other species but because I'm so wrapped up in the barbel world I just find it too difficult.

That could be an excuse I must admit!

I'm hoping to fish for perch during December but certainly July through till the end of November its barbel all he way.

I'm almost certain to be in Ausralia for January and February and then its barbel again till the close season.

I've no real interest in chub but really want to go for the grayling as good fishing is on my doorstep.


And then before you know it the new season starts and its barbel once again.

Barbel take up most of my life outside of family and I still love evry minute so I suppose it really is what makes me tick!

I do envy your fishing this year, and I hope to catch a good few "exotics" when I'm away!

We will catch up for some barbelling at some point!

All the best,

Steve.

To my mind, life is too short and nature's river 'table' too best stocked with different species for me to concentrate on one alone.
(Been there and done that, got the T shirt and the video too)

No, I love the different challenges that come from the different species throughout the year, thats what keeps the old grey matter ticking over.

Within a few weeks of the end of the river season there are the Trout to consider on the fly rods which I'll target until the end of August/mid September and then back onto the rivers for Roach, Chub and Grayling.
In between and in the warmer months the Tench, Bream and Carp fishing beckons and I'm only too eager to answer that call with a good few weekends in the bivvy.

Single species tunnel vision?

Nope, no thanks.

Ron
if it swims I'll fish for it - except eels

The only I fish for a single species is through the winter months when theres a hard frost or snow and that is trotting for the Lady or possibly wetting a spider or two in the Yorkshire Dales. Rest of the time is any thing I fancy to target on a given day.

This Year Bream 10lb 2oz, Perch 3lb 6oz, Tench 5lb, Chub 6lb 6oz, Common Carp 27lb 5oz, Roach 2lb 3oz Barbel 8lb 9oz and to many bloody minnows to count. On the float apart from the carp and bream and short 6 hours sessions.

Here's a belter -

"What do they know of fishing who know only one fish and one way to fish for him?" - Jack Hargreaves

Definately not a single species angler. Pleasure fish for all sorts, although I have rarely fished for pike, and I dont have the gear for it anymore. I have not targeted barbel or larger carp for some years either, not sure how i would fit in on the bank these days if i did.

Not guilty, I'll fish for most of 'em in pits, ponds, streams and rivers.
Jerry

a Carp bandit for years, managed a bit of eels, perch,and pike inbetween, a few years on the rivers for chub with the odd barbel sorty, little bit with the fly, but mainly carp

The Monk said:

a Carp bandit for years, managed a bit of eels, perch,and pike inbetween, a few years on the rivers for chub with the odd barbel sorty, little bit with the fly, but mainly carp

Click to expand...

And not a single mention of Ruffe Slappers. You can't be feeling yourself these days, Monk.

Jeff Woodhouse said:

And not a single mention of Ruffe Slappers. You can't be feeling yourself these days, Monk.

Click to expand...

Probably because that joke has been done to death.....

I struggle to focus on one species for a whole day; once I've caught one, I start wondering what else might be about.
And if I haven't caught one, I stop wondering and fish for something else PDQ.
All wrong, of course, but I can't get my brain and instincts to agree with each other.

I started course fishing at a young age, then got into match fishing for agood few years. witham, welland,winter leagues on the trent and so on, no commercials then thank god can,t stand em. Then I did carp fishing for 15 years, then lost interest after i caught a 40lber. Then went back to course fishing, what I had learned in the old days all came back to me and I realised what I had been missing. Trotting a float on a river is tops and is a very rewarding way of catching the fish of your choice, mine is roach, dace, chub, barbel. Catching barbel on the float is real experience. So you see life takes you through many challenges but my first love is course fishing. glad to be back.

Redfin - I am similar (except the 40Ib carp bit).

It must be hard to stay motivated once you have got a few 30s or 40s on the bank, or if PBs or lake records are you thing. These things will only get harder and harder demanding ever more time and effort the longer you go on. Never been remotely close on those counts (not that i have tried). I can understand the motivation, just as i can understand winning matches. Guess i just dont take it so seriously. However, i do class myself as a good angler - and proud to be so. Hard to prove if you dont win matches/break records, but just knowing that i can usually do reasonably well in a swim for whatever i am after, given the right conditions, is enough. I do miss the club match style competition but would probably be sicck of it after a while if I went back to it.

Ron The Hat Clay said:

How many of you only ever fish for one species?

In my angling career I have had spells where I have only fished for a single species, or with a single method. Fly fishing for trout comes to mind here as was barbel fishing on the Trent. However after a period of time I have come back to having a bash for them all. For example this year I have caught roach to 1 1/2 lbs, perch to 3lbs 2oz, tench to 6 1/4 lbs, bream to 7 1/4 lbs, carp to 20 1/4 lbs, barbel to 9lbs 2 oz, chub to 4 1/4 lbs, dace to 12oz, trout to 3 1/2lbs and pike to 14 lbs.

A real mixed bag I suppose. I also caught a few exotic species to add to the total.

But I know that some of you only ever fish for one species. My good friend Steve Pope for example, as far as I can see only ever fishes for barbel.

So my question to the single species anglers is simple:

What makes you tick?

Click to expand...

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Ron ?

I'm not sure about this question

We all know you were a Specimen Hunter and I dare say you concentraqted on one species at a time ?

So My answer would be, I only fish for one species at a time-- today it was Pike.

Not a touch and judging from the other 9 Pike anglers on the lake, they did not have a run either ?

Next week I'm fishing another Pike water and I will fishing throughout the day for Pike, then swopping over to Carp rods at night.

So that it's for me, I fish by the seasons ( within reason ) and only one species at a time.

In the last couple of seasons I have managed 15+ Barbel, 35lb + Carp, 2lb12ozs Grayling, 4lb + Perch, 7lb + Chub.

Each one of these was a Targetted species.

I did go through a stage where I only fish for one or two species a year, but life is just too short !!

Bob

Jeff Woodhouse said:

And not a single mention of Ruffe Slappers. You can't be feeling yourself these days, Monk.

Click to expand...

Yes I must admit Woody, they are my second favorite specie, well sometimes my first, lol

You really can`t beat a pair of 38`s in the sack

I too am of the view that number of species targetted is limited by time available.

Whilst I would not target silverfish/match fish - unless catching bait - I would happily target pretty much any other species. But, in honesty I tend to gravitate back to carp, barbel and chub in the summer and autumn, and pike, pike and pike in the winter. Why? Because that is what I enjoy doing, and I live in the slim hope of one day banking a 30lb Esox.

Seem to remember I had something to say about Single Species Anglers...........!


http://www.fishingmagic.com/features/articles/humour/12098-the-alternative-angler.html

Although I did spend a (maximum of a) couple of seasons after chub, then barbel, this was when I was initially getting to grips with the species. After that I fish for whatever seems the best bet for the venue and the conditions. Most of the time I have a target in mind and there'll be the potential of a personal best, sometimes it's just to catch something (anything) from a hard water and the challenge is the venue itself.

I find that having some kind of challenge to work towards gives me more "focus" on what I do and how I do it. Apart from maximising the chances of catching, it also takes my mind away from other things and increases the leisure aspect of fishing.

Variety being the spice of life I get renewed enthusiasm from being able to switch venue and/or species whether it's just because the time/conditions are right or just as a break from cycle of blanks. Par for the course on hard waters.

Sometimes events take over of their own accord.
I remember several years ago when a small group of us were targetting a section of the Lea where we'd heard a massive chub had been lost by someone. After a few visits, one of us (a certain Mr Hornegold ) managed to land a 35lb mirror on his light chub tackle.
The carp gear came straight out and 3 of us ended up with 35lb+ carp and a host of others in the double and twenties mark.

Great fishing.

Having just started my autumn chub sessions and caught a 22lb carp on the second visit, I may follow suit and give them a go for a month 'til conditions are more appropriate. And why not? They're seldom caught, unknown fish and could be any size! Another challenge.



I'd hate to be tied to just one species, life would be so dull.

Wish we had a few of those up here. The chub fishing is a bit slow at the moment!

Althougth, having said that the Wharfe has a few decent carp in it due to flooding gravel pits.