Why do we take so much gear

paul80 · Feb 5, 2012

Hi guys

Don't know about you lot but why o why do I take so much gear when I go fishing.

I do fish for carp but I am not a carp angler, but when ever I fishing i seem to take everything with me

A big bag with two large fox boxes and two small fox boxes, all cramed full of bits. On top of that there are three to five reels, (just in case) a rod hold all with five rods, umbrella, bank sticks, landing net etc, another big bag with food (mine and the fish) and cooking kit, and finally my chair. I have to lug this lot to the bank as I don't have a barrow.

Why o why do I lug so much and then only use about 10% of it I have tried so many times to cut down what I take but still end up taking everything. The only time I manage is if I know I will only be float fishing, other than that I have to take everything just in case.

Paul

Lord Paul of Sheffield · Feb 5, 2012

It's the "just in case" syndrome

I've doen it in the past - for a few hours fishing I've took a rucksack, holdall , 2 rods, 2 reels , brolly, chair, kitchen sink

in recent years I've cut down - it's a matter of checking what I take to make sure I've got enought of what I need and not every bit of kit I've got

for example if I'm fishing the maggot feeder I'll take 6 feeders in case I loose some and a couple of open end feeder in case I want to switch to a groundbait attack and 1 bag of groundbait- not all the maggot feedres I've got plus some all my open ended feeders plus leads, plus several different bags of groundbait

try cutting down a bit at a time - cold turkey is not the way to go - you'll panic that you've left something behind

sam vimes · Feb 5, 2012

Horses for courses. Sometimes I take the kitchen sink, sometimes I take a single rod, landing net and just what bits and bait I can carry in a bait apron.

dangermouse · Feb 5, 2012

Bait tends to be my biggest downfall, I inevitably take more than I need and end up lugging it back.

sam vimes · Feb 5, 2012

dangermouse said:
Bait tends to be my biggest downfall, I inevitably take more than I need and end up lugging it back.

Feel free to leave it behind. I'll tidy up after you.

dangermouse · Feb 5, 2012

sam vimes said:
Feel free to leave it behind. I'll tidy up after you.

Cool, I`ll pm you the GPS coordinates.

Jim Crosskey 2 · Feb 5, 2012

I had a brilliant holiday a few years ago as a treat for my 40th. Log cabin next to a lake - so you could take the kitchen sink and leave it on the covered veranda on the cabin... set up a load of rods, but then each day (or morning or afternoon or evening, whatever) you just grab the rod(s) and bits you need for the next few hours and a bucket of bait and go fishing, at a lake all of 20 yards away. The times I very much enjoyed were the evenings, when instead of the terrible chore of packing up from a day long session (which usually seems to take me a good 45 minutes) I'd just pick up what I was using, walk back to the cabin and dump it on the veranda and open a beer; and also the mornings, when you could wake up, grab a cup of coffee and then pick up the rods and bait and a chair and be fishing ten minutes later, again bypassing the another terrible chore - setting up!!

(took me bloody ages to pack up when it was time to go home though

mg

michaels · Feb 5, 2012

After some 48 years fishing, and I know still a whipper snapper compared to some, I think I now take to the bank what I need. The reason I say this, is that it tends to concentrate ones mind to the task in hand. So if I`m trotting I stick to the trotting rod etc.....

Fred Bonney · Feb 5, 2012

I agree it's the Just in case syndrome, but when you get older and the aches and pains set in. After a while it sort of becomes second nature to leave kit at home. Until that is, you get to the bank and find no reel or landing net.
The next step is to put everything in the car Just in case I forget something syndrome and take out only what you need.

You then move onto the next stage after walking from the parking area **** it i've left it in the car syndrome

mg:

barbelboi · Feb 5, 2012

A good 60% of my time is spent on the Thames tributaries and then I carry very little. For other modes of angling I take one of a couple of old Evolution medium carryalls loaded with whatever would be required for a session plus a holdall or quiver. I rarely take more than I can comfortably carry in one journey to a swim, however near or far it may be.
Jerry
PS I also have an odds and sods bag that I tend to leave in the car just in case, the rest stays in the garage.

dalesman · Feb 5, 2012

If Iam on the river and trotting, its a rod and landing net and tackle in my pockets of my waterproof/ or samll shoulder bag and bait bag around my neck. just need a couple of floats, shot and hooks simple.

dnahacker · Feb 5, 2012

I dont.. fly fishing has taught me different... i have spent 5 hours on the itchen today, match rod and pin, small shoulder bag with terminal tackle, bait apron and a landing net

waggler · Feb 5, 2012

Best to be prepared....I like to view the lugging around of tackle as my exercise box ticked for the week (or two)

terry m · Feb 5, 2012

I know it sounds obvious, but it is all about the planning. Plan for the likely events, not the wildly unlikely and take what you need, no more.

I follow this mantra for most of my fishing but if doing a 72 hour session in the summer I do tend to over-egg it a bit too!

andreagrispi · Feb 5, 2012

In the past I regularly used to take 18 to 20 stones of fishing gear. Not now. It has cost me a small fortune but I have about 5 or 6 sets of of totally independent fishing gear dependent on what/where I am fishing. Even down to cameras, scales, terminal tackle boxes, feeder boxes, float tubes, holdalls, landing nets and poles, trolleys, chairs - the lot!!

Don't like to reflect on the cost encured but my catch returns have massively improved as has my muscle/skeletal system.

ronroach · Feb 5, 2012

dnahacker said:
I dont.. fly fishing has taught me different... i have spent 5 hours on the itchen today, match rod and pin, small shoulder bag with terminal tackle, bait apron and a landing net

Same as above-fly fishing has taught me how little I really need. I take a rod, reel net and a few bits and bobs that fit in a pocket and that's it

Just need to have the confidence to belive in what you know you need and take nowt else.

Ron.

MarkTheSpark · Feb 6, 2012

I have invested in several smallish tackle bags (some from Aldi!) and divided my gear up into lure gear, pike gear, chub/barbel/bream and 'match' gear for tiddler-bashing/roach, etc.

It means investing in a few more bits of terminal tackle so you have a range in each bag. but it's SO worthwhile - my back's never felt better, and I don't have the nightmare job of sorting out what I need for each trip - just grab the appropriate tackle bag, rods in the quiver and go.

Peter Jacobs · Feb 6, 2012

I guess the reason I take 'too much' is that I hate being, wet, uncomfortable, hungry or thirsty, not to mention trying to catch on a method that has little or no chance on a given day.

So, I invested on one of those powa-walker things that takes all I need even onto the local stretches of the Hampshire Avon.

thx1138 · Feb 6, 2012

I am waiting to move house, and most of my gear is in storage. During this time, I've been restricted to using minimal gear for river fishing.

It really has changed my approach. Rather than lugging my gear to a swim, setting up and getting everything comfy and in place, now all I have is a rod, net, mat to sit on and what I can carry in my pockets. I am much more inclined to move swim if I havent had a bite, rather than plug away because it's too much hassle to move.
Most importantly, I am reading the river much more. Because I am much more mobile, I am thinking about where the fish might be, what they might be eating, how can I intercept them with the limited stuff at my disposal.

Try it. Dump the junk and Free your mind!

MarkTheSpark · Feb 6, 2012

james said:
I am waiting to move house, and most of my gear is in storage. During this time, I've been restricted to using minimal gear for river fishing.

It really has changed my approach. Rather than lugging my gear to a swim, setting up and getting everything comfy and in place, now all I have is a rod, net, mat to sit on and what I can carry in my pockets. I am much more inclined to move swim if I havent had a bite, rather than plug away because it's too much hassle to move.
Most importantly, I am reading the river much more. Because I am much more mobile, I am thinking about where the fish might be, what they might be eating, how can I intercept them with the limited stuff at my disposal.

Try it. Dump the junk and Free your mind!

Well said, James! I'm staggered at how many anglers I see hammering bivvy pegs in and erecting all manner of paraphernalia on the riverbank. The less you take, the less reason you have to stay in one spot....

Why do we take so much gear

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