We all fish to catch fish. But, is that the only reason you go ? My own thinking is that catching is not the only or even main reason i fish. Im just happy to be on the bank. Rain, wind or shine, i just love being there. The time flies by, i can think, ponder the universe and enjoy the peace. I listen to audio books on my phone, sometimes i think the rods are just a cover to stop me looking like some wierdo sat by the water grinning. I still go to the river/lake, even if i think the chances of a good day are virtually nil.
Is it just about catching?
- Thread starter ashes68
- Start date
Lord Paul of Sheffield
Well-known member
I lke to catch but I'm willing to try difficult places , just depends if I'm struggling for a bite then an easy venue to just get a fish is a must for me, other times it's about being out there
nicepix
Well-known member
If catching was that important I would fish different venues to those I regularly fish.
For me its all about finding new places, preferably un-fished or little fished areas of lakes and rivers and exploring the potential. I'm fortunate in that I'm just as happy scratching for small fish in a small water as trying for specimens in larger waters. Variety is the spice of life
For me its all about finding new places, preferably un-fished or little fished areas of lakes and rivers and exploring the potential. I'm fortunate in that I'm just as happy scratching for small fish in a small water as trying for specimens in larger waters. Variety is the spice of life
sam vimes
Well-known member
For me, pretty much, though not at all costs, and it's not the absolute be all and end all. If it weren't about catching fish then I'd not bother paying for licences, syndicates, clubs, gear and bait. As I'm currently lucky enough to be able to go whenever I want, I can pick and choose my times and venues appropriate to the conditions which will maximise the potential for catching something. However, they don't have to be massive and I don't have to catch hordes to keep me happy. Whilst I may learn from a blank, I still view it as a failure on my part. I've got something wrong, even if it's just the choice of venue, if it happens.
barbelboi
Well-known member
Of course I like catching but I also like to feel a sense of satisfaction when I do - rivers and the Colne valley gravel pits for me most of the time........
I go fishing for a multitude of reasons, in part escapism leave the rat race behind for a while. Enjoy the scenery, kick back and relax and free the mind. It helps I like to be outdoors - of course I fish to catch nobody wants to blank! For me fishing is about learning, always a challenge, adapt to the venue/environment. For me you can't beat the sound of the line screaming off the reel
terry m
Well-known member
The saying "Being there is enough", resonates well with me. But I must confess, endless blanks do test the mettle, and indeed the resolve.
Then when a decent specimen is in the net all of the blanks are forgotten.
Then when a decent specimen is in the net all of the blanks are forgotten.
B
binka
Guest
It's always nice to catch but for me it's very much a mix of things from a good crack on a weekend session with a mate to the peace and solitude I find during the week... All things that money can't genuinely buy.
chub_on_the_block
Well-known member
Several times i have become entranced by a particular water. One time in the 1980s it was a particular swim on the Yare on outskirts of Norwich. First time i walked the section it stood out for its deeper water and tree overhang and i saw a relaxed small group of about 20 large (1-2Ib) roach. On returning that first evening i got one out at 1Ib 3oz, but it was jungle fishing. I then spent the rest of that autumn and following winter still trying to locate that same shoal - but never did needless to say. Must have fished 30-40 sessions at dawn or dusk usually. Never saw any one else fish that section and that was also part of the magic of it.
In retrospect i wasted a whole autumn on that quest!
More recently I had a long series of blanks and disappointing results on a water after some initial success for a year or two beforehand. It gets dispiriting when you become dependent on a particular water and then its form (or your luck) goes off. Best fishing years for me have been when i have fished a range of places, conditions, targets etc. Those SW London club outings to all parts far and wide when i started still take some matching even today.
In retrospect i wasted a whole autumn on that quest!
More recently I had a long series of blanks and disappointing results on a water after some initial success for a year or two beforehand. It gets dispiriting when you become dependent on a particular water and then its form (or your luck) goes off. Best fishing years for me have been when i have fished a range of places, conditions, targets etc. Those SW London club outings to all parts far and wide when i started still take some matching even today.
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laguna
Well-known member
No. I fish to see what I can catch on and what methods work best on the day.
The scenery and wildlife are secondary to catching fish, catching is a bonus but a well deserved reward for good effort... even a blank is inspiring!
The scenery and wildlife are secondary to catching fish, catching is a bonus but a well deserved reward for good effort... even a blank is inspiring!
nicepix
Well-known member
I think that Jerry has hit the nail on the head. Yes, catching is the ultimate aim. But it doesn't have to be easy.
Derek Gibson
Well-known member
Yes, for me catching is the ''icing'' on the cake. Not the most important aspect, but without it the whole exercise is not complete.
Other factors that contribute are the surroundings, and dare I say it, relative ''solitude'', and different venues that offer a challenge.
That all said, catching remains very important to me.
Other factors that contribute are the surroundings, and dare I say it, relative ''solitude'', and different venues that offer a challenge.
That all said, catching remains very important to me.
robtherake
Well-known member
These days it's all about me time. Being a carer doesn't leave much time for fishing and so campaigns are out of the question. Simply getting away for a few hours to recharge the old mental batteries is enough. If I happen to catch a few it's a nice bonus.
laguna
Well-known member
Very much deserved too if you dont mind me saying so Rob, It can be very tiring mate :w
Tee-Cee
Senior Member
No, not in itself, but as part of the whole, from the float making, to the hook tying, trying to work out why I go wrong sometimes, why they should feed but don't, if my tactics were right on the day etc etc....................even sitting in the quiet room reading about it is just as enjoyable as catching.
It's just all of it for me...catching a good fish is just a bonus..
Like two weeks ago, sitting quietly by an old pond watching the float dither about, when movement caught my eye and a very small bird, almost running up and down a tree next to me, finally stopped and I was able to see it as a tree creeper.....never seen it before, or since , but I shall never forget it and worth a blank, any day of the week !
It's just all of it for me...catching a good fish is just a bonus..
Like two weeks ago, sitting quietly by an old pond watching the float dither about, when movement caught my eye and a very small bird, almost running up and down a tree next to me, finally stopped and I was able to see it as a tree creeper.....never seen it before, or since , but I shall never forget it and worth a blank, any day of the week !
neil1970
Well-known member
I think 150 hours over 3.5 months on one often very flooded river, with 3 fish, total weght 11lbs says that its not about catching for me.
robtherake
Well-known member
I think 150 hours over 3.5 months on one often very flooded river, with 3 fish, total weght 11lbs says that its not about catching for me.
Depends what they were, Neil. Three roach for 11lb, perhaps?
neil1970
Well-known member
Depends what they were, Neil. Three roach for 11lb, perhaps?
I wish Rob
A 2lb chub, 2+ rainbow, and a 6lb bream + a mix of inexperience, stubbornness and sheer stupidity I reckon
robtherake
Well-known member
You can say that again! Still, no-one said that life would be easy - gotta take the rough with the smooth, as they say