So, you go to fishing heaven...

You move location (or country as I did) and the fishing is beyond your expectations. Nearly every trip produces a fish you could have only dreamed about in a previous life. How would it change you and your outlook?

Merry Christmas everyone!

No offence intended buddy, but personally if it was like that it would probably bore me, it is one of the reasons i hate the false PB lakes and carp puddles here, half of the challenge is overcoming the unknown and adversity to acheive something difficult, France is full of giant carp, some lakes deliberately stuffed for the size brigade, not for me.

In a way that is my story. Up to the age of about 40 my angling revolved around club matches and visiting venues to practise in advance of matches.
There were points depending on numbers and weight of fish caught.
Success was a total weight even if it consisted of huge numbers of tiny fish.
2lb 1oz of minnows would be better than one 2lb roach. Disillusionment was setting in.
The final straw came when pegged on a canal I could see the sandy bottom all the way across and could see there were no fish. That was after an away and a hotel bill!

I started fishing my club waters in a new light...no maggots, just bread, worm and meat etc. I was astounded at the size of fish I caught when there was a more relaxed attitude and NO time limit.

After bumming round Europe in a caravan for a few years I have settled in a quieter area. I don't know if the fishing has always been this good up here or with age comes patience but the barbel and preditor fishing is the stuff of dreams. So as your heading says...."you go to fishing heaven".

Tight lines to you and enjoy your own fishing heaven. No where is 100% perfect every time out and I suspect you still get blanks from time to time and that makes the good times even better.

Just wish I did it years before

To be honest, I wouldn't want my success rate to change unless I deserved it. My heaven would be a mite empty, though; no-one else but me, just the wildlife and the babbling brook, would be perfect.

I'm one of a fortunate few that has already seen a premonition of my heaven and destiny in a dream...

Yeah, but who is she.

wanderer said:

Yeah, but who is she.

Click to expand...

Mrs Hardy of course!!

For me, heaven in an angling sense would be the glorious River Wye for the fantastic fishing, wildlife and sublime scenery. I realise that as I live near to Hereford and have done so all of my life that I experience the angling equivalent to heaven on earth each and every time that I venture down to its banks. Truly fishing magic whether I catch or not.

Thanks for the replies. Moving has certainly changed my perspective on fishing. I'm pretty much doing just saltwater stuff now, so 100% natural.

Fishing is extremely popular in NZ. Everyone fishes to some degree or another. Every house in our immediate neighbourhood has a decent fishing boat parked on the driveway and they all get used on a regular basis.

However, while people certainly enjoy the sport aspect, fishing is inextricably linked with catching dinner and many simply don't see the point of fishing just for fun. Having been here for three years, this attitude is rubbing off on me and I have found myself cursing when I hook in to a big fish rather than something smaller! Smaller snapper, around the 3 - 6 lb are generally nicer to eat and prepare than their bigger brothers (which I generally release).

When I first arrived, I was keen to do some shark fishing. It wouldn't be hard to find fish well over 200 lb. The response from the locals was why bother, you can't eat it.

I have pretty much lost interest in freshwater fishing, although I do enjoy reading about it on FM and have my winter trout campaigns. Makes me feel a little sad, but the passion is gone.

Just random ramblings and a confession from a lifelong and once devout coarse angler who finds himself living on a small island surrounded by an ocean that contains lots of very big fishies.