How fishing has changed!

A little light hearted perhaps, just thought it would be interesting to note how fishing has changed, perhaps progressed over the years.

After leaving coarse fishing a few decades ago and just returned, I noticed a LOT of changes. This is not meant as a way to criticise other methods of fishing, each to their I am always led to believe whether I like it or not.

I think yesterday while fishing a local commercial it really amazed me and made me think of all the changes since I last was a coarse fisherman (in particular). I am sure other branches of fishing have changed a lot too, but it seems coarse fishing has changed more than others such as sea and game.

While fishing yesterday, I heard a loud rumbling noise which I figured was a sea king from the local Navy base flying close by. I almost fell off my chair when I noticed it was a fisherman dragging along what resembled a black sideboard on wheels containing his fishing gear. I was stunned, it was as high as me (6ft). Amazing how much more gear people take fishing these days. I felt slightly underwhelmed just having a holdall and carry-all!! Oh well, it made getting back to the car easier.

Bite alarms, they were rare back in the day but now there is no escaping them. Seem to be everywhere, beeping and bleeping.

Carp fishing has taken over fishing tackle shops. When I was bit younger, Pike fishing was the specimen fish of choice but that seems to have become less popular (or cool?). All the carp gadgets and gizmos too, those depth charge things that get lobbed in, heavy duty rod, baitrunner reels..

Barbless hooks. I rarely ever used barbless, in fact most of my local shops at the time had to dig around to find the barbless.

Keepnet bans. I always used them with a good dose common sense. It's a good thing however but I miss being able to view the haul at the end of the day.

Baits, we have all kinds of things nowadays, pellets, flavourings, scents, fake baits....

Lines, different types, from braids to mono, flouro...

Lead has gone, although it was being phased out when I was fishing last.

Have the licenses changed too? Apart from being much dearer, was it not the local water authority that used to issue them?

Commercial fisheries, they were few and far between, now they are popping up everywhere.

Bait bans, I am confused as to why baits such as bloodworm are so widely banned for being a natural bait.

Terminal and gear side, PVA bags, feeders have changed, methods have changed, quick release clips...

It's all progress of course, has fishing become a commercial entity like everything else. Seems the art or skill of fishing has dwindled somewhat, folks rarely float fish any more, you don't see as many fisherman stalking the water with a rod and landing net. Many commercials make it so easy to bag 100lb of fish in a day as I found out yesterday.

Perhaps I am looking through rose tinted spectacles.

Anyone see things like me?

This is not meant as a way to slag off other types of fishing at all. We;re all fishing to varying degrees, I have just found the changes so dramatic I felt like posting them on here!

I will no doubt have forgotten something else!

Plenty of changes in detail but still the same old game at heart.
I'll bet the guys stalking quietly around weren't overly visible 30 years back, and ya can't blame 'em for keeping low now either.

rubio said:

Plenty of changes in detail but still the same old game at heart.
I'll bet the guys stalking quietly around weren't overly visible 30 years back, and ya can't blame 'em for keeping low now either.

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Now your talking my language, up close and personal was and is my preferred approach. Cant remember the last time I saw an angler on the bank moving quietly and staying low with just rod, landing net and small rucksack for his bait and bit's.

One thing I can't get my head around is camo slippers.

one big change is the clothing - it used to be army surplus not clothes have the fishing co logo in them

sumtime said:

One thing I can't get my head around is camo slippers.

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No wonder you idiot - yer supposed to wear'em on yer feet! mg:

sumtime said:

One thing I can't get my head around is camo slippers.

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Never seen any.......................

greenie62 said:

No wonder you idiot - yer supposed to wear'em on yer feet! mg:

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Ha ha, there are so many things I couldn't get my head round and now I know why. Thanks Greenie for putting me right. And "coma" slippers, (that came up when I spelt it wrong and the spell check corrected me and I thought it an improvement) .
Nice thread, funny thinking back to the day, siting on a uncomfortable stool with the old man, watching the rain pour off his flat cap, no brolly in those days, you sat in the rain, bread paste and sweaty maggots, a keep-net made of something rough and so small you couldn't get a big roach in it. Just watching big red floats with 6 swan shot (why are they called swan shot?) go round and round in an eddy. My bivvy was holding my duffel coat over my head. Pellets were something you put in your air gun and hair rigs were something for those strange creatures, my sisters.
The thing was we were fishing and we loved it, I think that pleasure has stayed the same through the ages despite all the latest fashions and gizmos.

.....and those wicker baskets? First time I opened mine a flock of racing pigeons flew out mg:

When I was a fired up young specimen hunter, the motivating force was always self satisfaction, should I achieve a goal, I dream't about it nightly.

Not for one moment did I consider emulating **** Walker, Jack Hilton etc, even less become famous. How different today, every young gun aspires to sponsorship, and wants to see his pictures in the press or on the internet.

In short personal satisfaction seems to have taken a back seat, only to be replaced by ego and self promotion. Even at the expense of devious practices, as we have seen in recent years. That's my stance anyway.

Yes, I forgot about the creaky wicker baskets.

Heavy fishing rods! One thing I have noticed that is definitely positive for me, rods are sooooo much lighter.

I did treat myself to a fishing trolley when I was a teenager. I managed to grab hold of an old person shop trolley thing, removed the baggage bit and there you go, a trolley for my seat box.

It's funny, but I have not noticed much of a change, the basic's are the same !!

Yes tackle has improved and the fish are bigger, but good anglers are still good anglers and poor anglers are still poor anglers.

Methods have changed, but there is nothing to stop any one Float fishing or going back to older methods.

I like using traditional fishing tackle , baits and methods, but that does not preclude me from, using modern tackle, comfortable bedchairs and bivvy's, and god forbid I even use a Carbon Pole on occasions !!

What does seem to have changed is the polarity of anglers opinions, be it Match fishing, Specimen Hunting, Pleasure Fishing or Carp Fishing.

There is no Right or Wrong way to go fishing, just enjoy what you are doing and leave all the other nonsense to those who care !!

Bob

When I first began to fish, it was tonkin cane rods, wooden centre pins, model perfect hooks, tied to catgut, silk main line you had to dry out on a drier after each trip, goose quill floats and wicker creels. A lot has changed since those days, with the exception of one thing, Me. I am still the nine year old snotty nosed kid running as fast as I can to get to the river bank, after school. Pete.

I remember the LAA river matches of the 60's when a coach full of anglers gear used to fit easily in the side boot of the coach.........................

I think that's it with most of us, while tackle and times have changed, the person perhaps has not so much. We all still get excited about hitting the water.

I've only been fishing for a month, but I still struggle to sleep the night before going out fishing. I still head to the swim almost running, I still worry the best swims will be taken etc etc. Much as it was for me twenty five years ago.

Another change, F1's, F2's...... I had no idea what one was until I asked on here a few weeks ago.

I still can't get over the sideboard on wheels that showed up for fishing yesterday. I am sure a vehicle would have been better for towing it!

Of course it has only changed if you want it to change.
Theres plenty of guys out there using cane and centrepins. They stick to little fished waters and are quite happy with a handfull of pristine Roach or Crucians. They dont have to stick 100lb of mouthless Carp into a net to have a good days fishing. They dont spend days on end camped out trying to bore the local leviathons into submission.
Its been said before and will be again, ''theres much more to fishing than just catching fish''.

sumtime said:

.....and those wicker baskets? First time I opened mine a flock of racing pigeons flew out mg:

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Nowt like wicker arse after sitting all day - not to be confused with Wicker Arches which is what your nostrils'll end up like if you keep picking your nose.

I certainly think tacklewise things have improved for the better, no more knotted landing nets with mesh holes the size of an old penny and rods that don't take a set or require muscles like Garth to hold all day.
Even the cheapest reels are better than the Woolies special or Black Prince.

Hooks and lines are much better, shot is worse since the ban on lead

As for methods the wheel is constantly being re-invented to sell and accompany the latest tackle 'innovation'. In my opinion the only really new method (in the UK) seems to be drop shotting although it looks to me from the more I read about it that this is really 'sink and draw' with a lure as opposed to a deadbait.

I find that the methods I learnt in the early 70's as a primary school boy in shorts still work very well.
Fine and far off was the watchword given by my Grandfather, nowadays I can fish the same but with heavier lines for the diameter and lighter tackle for fish I could only dream of and with a better chance of landing them.