Confidence.

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cg74

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We've all heard/read the cliches:

CONFIDENCE is the key to success....

I had the secret ingredient, CONFIDENCE....

If only I could put it on my hook, CONFIDENCE....

CONFIDENCE is the most important thing in fishing....

I can't emphasise enough how essential CONFIDENCE is....

Confidence must be the over hyped load of old bollox ever. Seems every article I read these days makes a reference to bloody confidence. What utter tosh it really is.

I sat for 48hrs in a swim teaming with carp, brimming with confidence. At one point I could see 20+ carp in a bay 80 yards out, so I bang a bait out, which didn't spook them to much. Putting another rod out at about 60 yards near to an island.
I had total confidence in my bait, rigs, swim selection and approach, yet the only action I had came about when I forgot to clip-off on reeling in, only realising my error when I'd reeled in half way. So rather than flinging the lead out haphazard, I stripped off a pile of line until I came across my marker knot; only it wasn't the one, it was an old marker, about 15 yards short so landing in middle of nowhere (though I never knew as it was dark). A 14lb common was the result.

After 40ish hrs my confidence stated to ebb. So out of desperation I opted to move, pre-baiting a spot enroute. Feeling dejected and completely lacking in any confidence; I went onto catch 9 carp including five 20's, three were caught using a float at real close range (a method I rarely use these days).

So please someone tell me what edge/advantage/importance confidence actually offers??:confused:
 
laguna

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Possibly makes you feel better when you catch and makes you feel worse when you dont.
An open mind is possibly the better ingredient with a view to having a good day/night/session regardless of what if anything you may have caught.

Those caught on a float close in, was it a pellet waggler or were you laid on?
 
no-one in particular

no-one in particular

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I think it just means you are more alert, think clearer, more likely to make the right decision, strike at the right time etc. When your confidence is low, your brain turns to mush and the opposite of all that happens. The real question is how to get that confidence and it is probably catching fish so, its a bit of a catch 22 situation.
 
chav professor

chav professor

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My confidence fluctuates, what has more impact on my fishing is those days where you 'know its going to happen'. When I arrive on a river I try and quickly ascertain wether the fish are 'up for it'....

It takes a lot of concentration to sit in swims for periods of time for what may just be a single bite and react appropriately on a difficult day. Its easy to stay sharp and focussed on days where you are confident of getting bites.

I have sat in my chair drifting off only to come to in a jolt of alertness only to come aware of some attention on the quiver tip, just in time to react to a fish. It is a weird sensation, but i put it down to holding the rod in my hand... Perhaps the initial knock transmitted through the rod blank alerts my sub-conscience wired into my instincts. I do believe when humans submerge themselves within the natural world and effectively hunt, we open up connections to instincts we possess that would otherwise lie dormant.

---------- Post added at 23:13 ---------- Previous post was at 23:12 ----------
markg said:
I think it just means you are more alert, think clearer, more likely to make the right decision, strike at the right time etc. When your confidence is low, your brain turns to mush and the opposite of all that happens. The real question is how to get that confidence and it is probably catching fish so, its a bit of a catch 22 situation.
Click to expand...

Mark, i just read your comment (it popped up whilst I was writing mine).... that was uncanny!
 
no-one in particular

no-one in particular

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A study of animals shows they have a over developed part of the brain that gives them a sixth sense. We had it too once but, that part of the brain has shrunk because we don't use it anymore. You don't need it for shopping around the supermarket (well, sometimes you do). This was actually a serious book I read once, probably some truth in it. I believe it is part of the frontal lobe so, watch out for an angler with a big lump on his forehead. I am daft sometimes !
I have experienced that sixth sense of knowing a bite is coming and sometimes I just sense a big fish has moved in and I have often been right.

Well Chav, maybe we will become telepathic one day. Bet you couldn't sleep the same as me.
 
murv

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cg74 said:
We've all heard/read the cliches:

CONFIDENCE is the key to success....

I had the secret ingredient, CONFIDENCE....

If only I could put it on my hook, CONFIDENCE....

CONFIDENCE is the most important thing in fishing....

I can't emphasise enough how essential CONFIDENCE is....

Confidence must be the over hyped load of old bollox ever. Seems every article I read these days makes a reference to bloody confidence. What utter tosh it really is.

I sat for 48hrs in a swim teaming with carp, brimming with confidence. At one point I could see 20+ carp in a bay 80 yards out, so I bang a bait out, which didn't spook them to much. Putting another rod out at about 60 yards near to an island.
I had total confidence in my bait, rigs, swim selection and approach, yet the only action I had came about when I forgot to clip-off on reeling in, only realising my error when I'd reeled in half way. So rather than flinging the lead out haphazard, I stripped off a pile of line until I came across my marker knot; only it wasn't the one, it was an old marker, about 15 yards short so landing in middle of nowhere (though I never knew as it was dark). A 14lb common was the result.

After 40ish hrs my confidence stated to ebb. So out of desperation I opted to move, pre-baiting a spot enroute. Feeling dejected and completely lacking in any confidence; I went onto catch 9 carp including five 20's, three were caught using a float at real close range (a method I rarely use these days).

So please someone tell me what edge/advantage/importance confidence actually offers??:confused:
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more.
The only time it may give an advantage is when the fishing is slow but you have confidence in the method/bait that you're using. That may make you more likely to stick it out and be successful when the fish start feeding rather than start chopping and changing.

In some ways it's almost nice fishing when you have little confidence (new venue maybe) and the tip thumps over for the first time
 
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I hear via the grapevine of a new bait flavourant called "Vertroue". This is the Afrikaans for the term "confidence".

"Vertroue" is available in small 115 ml bottles for £11-99 in several different flavours and colours. It is being field tested at the moment by several high profile carp anglers, a few of them may be in the English FIPSed world championship team next month.

:D
 
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I fished with a very good angler today, we both used exact set ups, but I was confident we would catch, he wasn't. Our catch rates were significantly different.
 
stu_the_blank

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Which way round Shaun?

I wouldn't use the word confidence, it has to be belief as far as I am concerned, I have to believe that what I am doing is likely to suceed, otherwise I change what I am doing.

Stu
 
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cg74

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shaunfox said:
I fished with a very good angler today, we both used exact set ups, but I was confident we would catch, he wasn't. Our catch rates were significantly different.
Click to expand...

Who caught the most?

An add on: I had great confidence in my insect repellent, jungle formula no less - it was another misplaced confidence.....
 
barbelboi

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Confidence is probably different for different people - is it the confidence of sitting there with a tried and tested bait believing it will/might work - or is it constantly changing and tweaking until you feel that the catch rate is about right for the conditions?
Jerry
 
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bennygesserit

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Confidence is a panacea for when you don't really understand whats going on in the swim in front of you and no one understands why you did or did not catch, like you said b *****ks.
 
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