Thinking about your continuance of fishing as you get older

The bad one · Oct 3, 2012

As someone who has been active all his life and fished most of it, in some of the most remote but beautiful locations the UK has to offer. I now find through aging and the rigours of that active life that getting to those places I love so much, is getting harder and harder.

No longer can I do the 2-3 mile walks with heavy tackle to some remote unfished swim down the river.

I guess what I'm saying is I feel the two are robbing me of what I once had and finding the coming to terms with it difficult.

So what I want to know from those who have been through such experiences, found coping mechanisms for this robbery.

Someone once wrote "that time is a thief!" I'd add to that aging is the biggest thief to a fisherman!

Peter Jacobs · Oct 3, 2012

The bad one said:
Someone once wrote "that time is a thief!"

Valerie Bloom (MBE)

"Time's a jockey, racing horses,
The sun and moon across the skies.
Time's a thief, stealing your beauty"

I guess that car park swims become more and more attractive as the ability and the will to walk for miles recede.

Jeff Woodhouse · Oct 3, 2012

I can't be bothered walking miles now, Phil, it wastes time that is more important spent fishing even if it's not in the place you wished. You do find new places and times to go when no one else is there, but don't be deceived into thinking that very early starts are the way to go. Yesterday I passed a bloke who'd been uo since 4 o'clock and had caught absolutely zilch, so with a start of 10:30 what chance would I have? I expected nothing and was rewarded with a very nice 2+lbs chub, not big, nothing to write about (why am I then) but a beautiful fish that really made my day, the rest were small roach and dace. Little things...

Enjoy it whilst it lasts - 'Tomorrow is promised to no one.'

paul80 · Oct 3, 2012

Hi

I know where you are coming from with this

I must admit I tend to fish as close to the car park these days, and if there has to be a walk then I take the minimum amount of gear, and I have a setup designed just for those situations, 1 rod, 1 reel 1 small tackle box, 1 lightweight seat, and a thin waterproof coat in case it rains, everything fits into a small back Korum pack and away I go, but still not to far, gone are the days when I would walk all around a lake before I chose my swim, also gone are the days when I fish if its cold and gone are the days that I set of if its raining, don't mind it if it rains when I am already there but I no longer go if its already raining.

Ill health has just got the better of me nowadays, and the sad thing is I am still only in my fifties, so the signs are not looking good for me are they.

Paul

Eric Edwards · Oct 3, 2012

Buy a boat, it's easy.

geoffmaynard · Oct 3, 2012

Eric Edwards said:
Buy a boat, it's easy.

Easy for you, a big healthy geezer! For those with another 20 years on the clock, just getting in and out of a boat can be a major problem.

Lord Paul of Sheffield · Oct 3, 2012

This is where commercials come in

Jeff Woodhouse · Oct 3, 2012

Eric Edwards said:
Buy a boat, it's easy.

Huh? I just sold mine because I was getting too old!

Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC) · Oct 3, 2012

Lord Paul of Sheffield said:
This is where commercials come in

The toilets and full English breakfasts make some quite attractive. But not for me at the moment. Perhaps one day if it's that or not at all.

paul80 · Oct 4, 2012

"commercials" the new word for geriatric luxury.

Swims you can park next to, Toilets and café's and so many fish you find more than one in your net every time you net the one on your line.

Luxury

Paul

itsfishingnotcatching · Oct 4, 2012

paul80 said:
Ill health has just got the better of me nowadays, and the sad thing is I am still only in my fifties, so the signs are not looking good for me are they.

Having similar problems (at a similar age) so if it's a new venue, I always check the parking and the distance to swims. Hope to pay a second visit to the Wye later this month but will be fishing the swims closest to my car with as little tackle as I can get away with.

paul80 said:
"commercials" the new word for geriatric luxury.

I anticipate there will be a point where these will be my only viable fishing locations, but I wouldn't tar them all with the same brush. (I know a couple where the bailiff will bring your sandwich to your peg

)

paul80 · Oct 4, 2012

itsfishingnotcatching; (I know a couple where the bailiff will bring your sandwich to your peg :D)[/QUOTE said:
I used to know one where they did that as well, but only on match days but it was done for everyone fishing, be they in the match or not.

Sadly the new owner of the lake has stopped that service, even though he has put the prices up.

Paul

Lord Paul of Sheffield · Oct 4, 2012

Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC) said:
The toilets and full English breakfasts make some quite attractive. But not for me at the moment. Perhaps one day if it's that or not at all.

they are not everybodys cup of tea but for the older or less abled angler they may provide fishing for a few years once the walk to the river is no longer an option

chub_on_the_block · Oct 4, 2012

For me, so far it is eye sight issues. The glasses i wear to see things far away (well anything more than 5 feet away) are really messing up how i see things close-up. Without glasses i had obviously evolved to be a watch-maker or something - very good close up. Fishing wise, i am forever taking my glasses off to bait a hook, tie a knot etc, then putting them back on to see the float/bobbin. Complete pain in the jacksie. Before my eyes were young enough to adjust to the close-up stuff whilst wearing the glasses.

As regards general fitness, all i can say is that i have met plenty in their 70s who can still run around playing tennis and are very fit. It is possible if exercise is a major part of the lifestyle. Hope i can keep it going too.

The bad one · Oct 5, 2012

The general fitness wouldn't be a problem had it not been for the 10,000s of miles walked, run and cycled... exercise if you like. Because that is what has done for my knees to the point they are wrecked and have not much more than a mile in them before the arthritic pain become intolerable.

little oik · Oct 5, 2012

Its one of the reasons I moved over here . OK some lakes can be a long walk but there are a lot of others where you can walk 200 yds to fish if not less (even little fished swims ) No close season (apart from self policing) Free fishing everywhere apart from the odd commercial. Not so many species available as the UK, but I am in the middle of a large number of lakes and rivers which have roach and rudd to 3lb and more if you can find them ,Hybrids to 6 or 7lb, huge quantities of big bream and of course Tench in every lake and fairly good Pike fishing around as well .
If game fishing is your thing then you do have to pay to fish certain areas but fishing with a worm even in the Shannon can be full of surprises .

Against's
Rain oh and did I mention Rain

Bluenose · Oct 5, 2012

Phillipo, the one thing that I would respectfully suggest you consider is the amount of gear you take.

You use the term "...2-3 mile walks with heavy tackle..." One of the major load bearing joints is the knee joint, especially when hills (riverbanks) are the chosen terrain. Seriously thinking about the amount of gear you take is the way forward I believe. I remember the articles written by John Conway and his tackle load when fishing the ribble was enough to make even the fittest bloke cringe.

I accept your chosen river can be tackle hungry, and that lots of bait is often the way, however I'd argue (perhaps not very strongly) that using your knowledge of said river, visiting the less snaggy areas and perhaps using methods which require less bait could be a starter for 10.

The bad one · Oct 6, 2012

Eddie most of that has been done mate. Brolly's out and left in the car at every opportunity and it's a lightweight brolly. Even nicked the Coast Man's idea of taking a small quality domestic brolly if showers are in the forecast. As for the less saggy areas all those areas are always the bottom end of the length.

The least snaggy area and very productive length on the river is the furthest walk, 1100 metres from the car park. It's through muddy fields, churned up by cattle, poorly drained and up hill all the way back.

How the hell can a descending hill that drops about 250 -300 ft over it decent and length, turn into a S***hole beats my understanding that's for sure

I've got to the point where I dread any of my two fishing partners suggesting we go there

mg:

The easy parking/walk has fished rubbish this year for the kind of fish I want to catch.
And that's the lamentable fact for me, I've been a big fish angler for over 40 years and had it all, still do, but it's getting to them now that's the problem. The desire is still there to catch them, but the body's now starting to fail in that quest and I know it's only going to get worse as the years roll on. And that's the hardest part to reconcile with the desire.

stu_the_blank · Oct 6, 2012

The bad one said:
The desire is still there to catch them, but the body's now starting to fail in that quest and I know it's only going to get worse as the years roll on. And that's the hardest part to reconcile with the desire.

The trouble with getting old Bad One, is that the alternative is far worse!

It's like everything else in life, you have to lower your expectations to match your capabilities (sport, women etc!)

If it's any consolation, a member of my syndicate caught his first 20 in his 70th year about 5 yrs ago, he's broken his pb a few times since. He is getting frail now, so the younger members help him get his gear down etc now and keep an eye on him.

You need a sherpa! (or two)

Stu

904_cannon · Oct 6, 2012

Try staggering about on crutches dragging a trolley behind, a case of step, step and drag; step, step and drag. Could become a new dance craze

The last time I fished the Wye I managed to get to the river bank only to find a small plank bridge not quite wide enough for the trolley wheels to fit on, had it not been for those two gentlemen?? Steve Richardson (eelfisher) & Nick Rose of the NAC (and CSG) it would have been another hour+ of step, step and drag to get upstream; at least I had a decent chub from the one swim I managed to fish.

When I arrived back at the car park I realised that I'd lost my 'phone when I tripped over a car tyre rut in the field.

After another hour+ of me and my mate looking round the by then pitch black field trying to find the phone - couldn't call it from my mates as there was no signal - tripped over the same rut, and there reflecting in my torch light was my 'phone. When we eventually got back to the car park it rang, it was another hapless CSG member who couldn't find his way back, and could we please start flashing the car headlights for him to get his bearings

Oh the the joys of proper fishing

Thinking about your continuance of fishing as you get older

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