There is only one way...

peter crabtree · Oct 8, 2013

...to learn how to fish. You can ask questions on forums about which this or that tackle, read books and mags etc. You will get conflicting replies and personal preferences but do you really learn anything?
To my mind there is only one way and that's get out and practice. You soon find out for yourself.

Practice is the only way.
What do you think?

binka · Oct 8, 2013

I think media in its various forms can help someone make a more informed decision about something they know little about but for me there's no doubt that getting out there and gaining first hand experience is the way to go.

There can be so many variables on a given water, on a given day that could mean an exception to the rule and only experience will teach you how to deal with them... in my opinion of course

Having said that I enjoy a good article to kick start the mind occasionally.

mick b · Oct 9, 2013

I dunno Peter....
When I wanted to learn how to Wallis cast being given a few tips from a true master got me 'doing it' better than my seasons of self taught struggle.

Bit like making love I suppose, a good teacher helps in the initial stages!

.

steph mckenzie · Oct 9, 2013

It depends on the individual.

I learnt how to tie knots by reading IYCF magazine years ago now. They had little step by step diagrams, i found them very helpful. Having a starting point can be very useful.
Yes, i agree that practice will definitely improve on what you have already learnt.

hunters moon · Oct 9, 2013

I think we have all been angling for long enough to know that there are
no real short cuts to success at the end of the day it just comes down to
practice read all those wonderful books on fishing but you still have to put into practice everything that you have read and another wonderful thing about
our fishing is you never stop LEARNING

.
tight lines
hunters moon.

at the end of your fishing trip leave only footprints.

chub_on_the_block · Oct 9, 2013

I think that practice helps technique and sharpens skills - skills like landing that waggler accurately close to the far bank - but not all methods require much skill in that sense.

I think the main thing is gaining experience - knowing what to do or at least what the options are when faced with a set of conditions or an opportunity.

Getting out there and to a varity of venues definitely helps with this - a groundhog day approach at one water could only make you a better angler at that water. Watercraft, having a good idea where the target fish are likely to be, what methods or baits to try, etc etc. Basically not to have just one method you are comfortable with and not to fish the first vacant peg you come to after leaving the car park.

aebitim · Oct 9, 2013

In my early years the most usefull information came from other anglers who were fishing the venues I was. Getting out and fishing is 80%, time spent researching venues tactics technique and tackle can be frustrating but is rarely a complete waste of time.
Books are another source, at the moment I am re reading Mr Groziers Avon days and Stour ways to keep me on the ball for the winter roach quest.

sam vimes · Oct 9, 2013

Getting out and practicing is absolutely great, provided you've actually learned something in the first place. There are plenty of old anglers out there, that have "practiced" an awful lot, that would struggle to catch a bit of battered cod in a fish and chip shop. They might benefit from having a good read, leaning a few new tricks and then going out and practicing them.

You certainly can't learn everything from words and pictures on a page though. Some elements of fishing require time and experience gained from actually doing it.

rubio · Oct 9, 2013

Different strokes for different folks scenario again innit?
How do you personally learn best? Do you know for sure?
For me visual approach generally works best so books are limited use even if well written.

Bob Hornegold · Oct 9, 2013

I was lucky in that I met a group of lads back in the 1950s who took me under wing and taught me how to fish.

These were budding Specimen Hunters who not only helped with the fishing, but the making of specialised bits of fishing equipment, you just could not buy lots of things then.

They also encouraged me to read books, something I did not excell at, at school, these boosk were mainly written by angling greats like **** Walker, Fred J. Taylor and Peter Stone.

So in my case it was a bit of both, practical under some tuitorship and by reading the right books.

You certainly can't teach a person to mend the line whilst stick float fishing, but you can grasp the general princible from books and thats a starting point.

As Harry Vardon the famous old golfer use to say when he was told he was lucky :- The more I practice, the luckier I get !!

Bob

barbelboi · Oct 9, 2013

A bit similar to Bob (above). My father was a river Lea fisherman before the war (I never remember life before fishing) and, although we lived in Ruislip, often visited my grandmother’s house in Broxbourne to fish the Lea with his friends. He also had many fishing friends locally, was a member of a few Colne Valley groups and I used to go everywhere with him/them fishing the pits and rivers - learning from them and by my own trials and errors. I also added to this by reading books by Walker, Fred J, etc. and in the 60’s bought every issue of Creel to which many top anglers of the time contributed.
Jerry

john step · Oct 9, 2013

Bit of both for me too. The Billy Lane float book was a revelation. Up till then it was porcupine quills! I do wish though that I had an older fishing relative as a lad who was a decent angler to start me off. I was the only one in the family to have interest. It took years to feel confident. In fact I started trying to catch a fish with a home made cane and line at aged 8 and finally succeeded at age 11!!
Had I had a mentor he would have no doubt told me the hook which was probably a size 4 was just a teeny weeny bit crude!!!! It was this age I discovered Mr Crabtree and things took off.

jacksharp · Oct 9, 2013

John Wilson's book "Coarse Fishing Methods" is very helpful and a modern Mr Crabtree IMO.

I bought a good, used hardback copy from Amazon Marketplace for £0.01, yes ONE PENNY, plus postage. It's a great book for the beginner being well written and beautifully illustrated and photographed and if anyone wants one for a penny, here it is!

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wilsons-Coarse-Fishing-Method-Manual/dp/0752210998/ref=aag_m_pw_dp?ie=UTF8&m=A7CL6GT0UVQKS"]John Wilson's Coarse Fishing Method Manual: Amazon.co.uk: John Wilson: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Q7Y5VBP5L.@@AMEPARAM@@41Q7Y5VBP5L[/ame]

For some reason every time I copy and paste a link to the £0.01 copy it comes up as currently unavailable. However enter the title in a search in Amazon and you'll find it.

chub_on_the_block · Oct 9, 2013

I put this on a different thread - but i probably learnt more from this than anything else until i started club outings, going to different places and learning from what the others were doing:

In the 70s when i was young there was also the Fishermans Handbook to collect every week - i still have my three very chunky volumes. One of the main contributors was Graham Marsden, former editor of FM, and many other big names and angling writers also contributed to it.

These handbooks were more like an instruction manual of what to do and how to do it and they covered all forms of UK fishing, all the target species, all the issues from the angling politics of the time to fishing and conservation, and even detailed where to fish sections for particular areas.

terry m · Oct 10, 2013

Good books can supplement knowledge, but for me there is no substitute for practice and experience.

jacksharp · Oct 11, 2013

terry m said:
Good books can supplement knowledge, but for me there is no substitute for practice and experience.

True, but everyone has to start somewhere and the time that you inevitably spend not fishing due to work, family, etc can be spent reading up on stuff and getting inspired. I owe Mr Crabtree as many thanks as I owe my dad for getting me into fishing.

Tee-Cee · Oct 11, 2013

It's all rather a long time ago now but until I joined a club with quality fishermen that went out on coach trips to rivers including the Upper Thames, Hants Avon, Dorset Stour, Medway just to mention a few, I just floundered around with my mates.
It was all good fun going by train to reaches of the Gt Ouse at St Neots, Over and Swavesey etc from Finsbury Park Station but it was one rod, the same float and the hope you didn't lose both hooks!

Once in a club it was easy to pick up tips from the 'old boys' at the front of the coach and to watch them fish with, I realised later, such great skill. Learnt all about hemp/berry fishing and the use of bread in al it's forms AND it was always a good idea to have more than ONE float!
Later I fished canals and learnt about fishing really light with single caster, which, with regular holidays to Ringwood, Ibsley and the Royalty on the Hants Avon formed the basis of my fishing knowledge.

Yes, I agree, it is a bit of both as what I've learnt from books has always helped me considerably over the years and even now I thirst for knowledge from good books. This along with what I learn from obviously very good anglers on FM keeps me up to date with the latest trend and fashions some of which I use and some I let pass me by......

My advice? Don't be afraid to ask questions, listen to what others have to say, and try to think outside the box.....................................

kamen · Oct 11, 2013

peter crabtree said:
...to learn how to fish. You can ask questions on forums about which this or that tackle, read books and mags etc. You will get conflicting replies and personal preferences but do you really learn anything?
To my mind there is only one way and that's get out and practice. You soon find out for yourself.

Practice is the only way.
What do you think?

.

This is how it worked for me:

Dad showed me, I learnt. I read, I taught dad something new. Dad read, he taught me....and on and on.

To me, fishing, and learning to fish, is all about company, relationship and sharing. I think those who fish on their own, and I do not mean to demean the hours of practice or the spirit they show for the sport, but they are missing out. Yes, they could log in and find out what is working on a venue. Or spend hours, days or even years looking for the perfect bait rig combo. But if you had your dad, friend or somone on the next peg to bounce ideas off, that is how you learn.

Ever had someone who you have looked at and thought "They haven't been fishing long, look at that set up" on the next peg, only for them to catch a fish a chuck while you struggle?

daji · Oct 11, 2013

Some of the 'old boys' that others thought of as interfering old gits gave me a huge amount of help when i was a kid and i'm still very grateful for that.

i generally research via the internet and when i think i've got a hang of the theory i then try to put it into practice.

brummiephil · Oct 12, 2013

peter crabtree said:
...to learn how to fish. You can ask questions on forums about which this or that tackle, read books and mags etc. You will get conflicting replies and personal preferences but do you really learn anything?
To my mind there is only one way and that's get out and practice. You soon find out for yourself.

Practice is the only way.
What do you think?

I have to say that I came back to fishing after a 20 year break and the whole world had changed. I have asked questions on here taken the advice to the bank and its really helped

lots of the guys on here have been really helpful but one guy stands out as my online mentor ' chef' thanks for all of your advice on here and the phone
cheers buddy !!

There is only one way...

AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)

binka

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