Timely Reminder

Seeing as we are approaching the end of the year I thought it would be a good idea to suggest to members that it is very useful to keep a fishing diary cum journal.

Since the 70s I have kept a fishing diary/journal, some early entries are missing and are of course forgotten and to be honest it is at times a real pain to keep up but it is great to remind oneself of the obligatory utter failures, some great times or great catches. The diaries remind me of baits both good and bad, newly tried rigs or swims or venues and of course weather conditions and water temperatures.

They remind me of my wife catching far too many fish and my kids fishing and growing up and soon (I hope) my two grandsons fishing. Memories of friends and friends passed away.

Yep, totally agree, very important and usefull, even easier now, put it in the computer memory.

Yes I also agree, I have a number of dog eared old diaries going back to the early sixties. I dip into them occasionally to refresh my memory of catches made and venues fished. Sadly some references are of old friends I fished with who have long since passed. But I smile and remember them fondly. Yes they are of value to me.

I think it's a great idea.

I only wish I had the resolve to keep it up though, with me it's a bit like the New Year's Resolution that fades off towards the end of Feb mg:

I do keep telling myself I'm going to do it and I can't think of anything better than recording your thoughts whilst sat on a riverbank awaiting a bite but I will have to buck myself up in order to actually stick to it.

I do keeps thousands of images which are all in separate folders listed by the date of the session and recently I have even started to back them up for safety such is their sentimental value in terms of memories, whilst I often come across sessions I would have otherwise forgot it would be nice to have some notes and my thoughts at that time to be able to look back on in years to come.

Derek Gibson said:

Yes I also agree, I have a number of dog eared old diaries going back to the early sixties. I dip into them occasionally to refresh my memory of catches made and venues fished. Sadly some references are of old friends I fished with who have long since passed. But I smile and remember them fondly. Yes they are of value to me.

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I have mine reaching back to the mid seventies Del. Yesterday I was working on my garage up n over door with my near nieghbour replacing a pair of cones and cables when he picked up an old foto album from several on a nearby shelf.He turned a few pages making the odd comment then concluded saying his biggest regret as an angler (he's won £££££s in matches-- big ones with hundreds competing) was never keeping written and pictorial records of his angling days.

It's great to keep records although I think I may take it too far as well, my missus certainly thinks so as she knows when i'm deep in concentration it usually means I am thinking of a new format for what I call my 'Fish Charts'

At present I have a huge map on the wall above my desk with stickers on it showing every river I've fished along with the catch total, biggest, and best day for each species. I also have this replicated in an old road atlas.

I also have an album for each venue with the same catch records along with an O.S. map, a hand drawn map and photos of nice fish and scenery. I have recently added ratings in regards distance from home, length of banks fishable, scenery and wildlife spotted.

Also a binder for the end of year totals and pb's not that the latter gets changed much nowadays.

Oh and a scrapbook where a diary of each trip is logged with a little write up, hopefully some nice photos and each fish caught in order. When i'm fishing I got a little book in my apron where they go in as caught r for roach b for barbel etc to be tallied up and logged at the end of the day.

I could keep records of baits and temperatures but I see it more of thing to look back on rather than for research to make me a better fisherman, so whilst it can be time consuming it is a lot of fun and can make the smallest trip more memorable.

Like I say I think I may be taking it a bit far but my inner geek will always win I guess.

I used to make notes when I matchfished, so I could try to build my knowledge of a particular venue. But I didn't do it for fun however.

Your last sentence says it all mate, if it makes it enjoyable and you enjoy it then its worth it!

At the end of the day what ever makes you fishing day better get on with it mate!

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I use to keep a record of all my trips to the Roding. It came depressing to read as it showed just how the river was being ruined by abstraction and pollution.

Thinking of doing this when i start fishing again, what exactly do you guys log down. I was thinking: rig, bait, catches, location, weather, best time for bites

Reading through my early Diary/Log books; on one day back in 1978 I had caught 11 Tench on the float between 2lb and 4lb 2oz before work at a local gravel pit; and when I wrote it a 4lber was a stonker of a fish; and I had just read the Rickards and Webb book 'Fishing for Big Tench' when a 5lber was a fairly unusual weight.

Then several years later I was catching Tench of up to 5lb to 7lb plus at my local estate lake: one morning before work I had two fives and a six, and nowerdays there have been at least two Tench of 11lb plus caught by members (not caught by me) at two of my clubs lakes. It just goes to show how Tench (and other fish) have steadily increased in size since those early days LOL.

NB: Mind you; to me any Tench over 3lb is a good fish worth getting up early for; even today LOL..

Keith

I've kept a fishing diary since I was at school. I used to make rough notes then write it again in a more legible form when I got home. For the last twenty years or so I've not done that and what I write on the bank is not re -written.
I also have an entry every week called "on the home front"where I write details of events that have happened, within the family usually. Very mundane stuff for the most part but it does cover all the highs and lows and it's surprising, looking back at the old diaries, what I'd forgotten. Cold days are recorded not only in the text but in the near illegible writing whilst trying to keep the pen steady in cold hands; blue splodges on the page on wet days.
The diaries are often a bit dog eared but the contents all bring back memories which a neatly written record wouldn't necessarily do. If I'm lure fishing I often leave it until the end of the session (unless I catch something), otherwise I'm making a note every hour or so.

Does it make a difference in how you fish? I think it does, it's surprising what I come across when looking back. I often think "I'd forgotten about that method, must try it again." Or "That was a mistake, I won't do that again."

I too wish I had the discipline to sustain diaries or logs.

I simply keep a list of all of the memorable specimens captured over the years.

I rarely peruse the list but when I do I often realise that I had completely forgotten the details. I am convinced that a proper diary would paint a better picture for my struggling memory bank!!