Chasing catch reports.

I still suspect that many do, at least from what I have heard. Apparently the belief that this leads to the chance of a good catch, or the chance of a big fish still lures the gullible to chase after these reports.

What some fail to appreciate is that such reports are several weeks old, and have already been under the cosh for some time. I have seen this scenario repeated over and over through the years. The reality is, it's neither the fault of the weeklies who report such things, given that such reports are often several weeks old before they see type, or those who are searching for a venue avidly.

It's a sad aspect, but in my book true, and often leads to disappointment.

Well, the "Circus" is not a fable but an actual fact of a few people chasing catch reports . . . "The Ringmaster" springs to mind . . . . . for one.

You know that the reports are typically outdated by the time they hit the comics, so personally I have never bothered with them.

I remember well, some years ago a chap took a brace of terrific 3 pound Roach from the Hampshire Avon.

For the next few weeks after the reports were in the papers the surrounding roads were turned into car parks . . . . and the banks became a veritable forest of rods . . . . .

It leaves me wondering just how much satisfaction (if any) one gets from repeat catches based on the reports . . . . . ?

The only catch reports I used to read were the match results on waters where I would be fishing for Pike or Zander, particular attention was paid to those reports that gave a summary of what species made up the top placed anglers.

Chasing fish through catch reports can be just a wild goose chase, I know of reports of big fish that have been submitted months after a capture or even from a completely different area of the country, keeps some happy though

It's something that's never bothered me. I've always preferred to cut my own trail and find the 'quiet' spots where nobody goes................

Pictures of big "winter" carp submitted to the comics...WITH LEAVES ON THE TREES IN THE BACKGROUND ....:wh:wh

barbelboi said:

It's something that's never bothered me. I've always preferred to cut my own trail and find the 'quiet' spots where nobody goes................

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SNAP!...you read my mind bb

john step said:

Pictures of big "winter" carp submitted to the comics...WITH LEAVES ON THE TREES IN THE BACKGROUND ....:wh:wh

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I knew of one report where the fish were caught in summer and the report not submitted until winter, the reason was that there would be less competition from other catches for whatever prizes were available, the photo was taken with an umbrella behind the captor who was wearing a T shirt

It's one of those slightly sadder aspects of the angling world. I think we've all done it and maybe suffered from it to a greater or lesser degree, Eons ago in my match angling days in fenland a big catch of bream taken in a match and reported always drew interest from other anglers-- it told them where a big shoal of fish were located and drew guys to the area.
On the big fish scene its often a little more intense , often to the detriment of another anglers hard work that often entails a lot of blanks/ guesswork/ long walks etx.
A case in point was a near 40lb pike from a lincs drain that was reported some ten years back. The following week the drain was pretty busy when the circus arrived, the pike was then banked several times over a reletively short period .

flightliner said:

A case in point was a near 40lb pike from a lincs drain that was reported some ten years back. The following week the drain was pretty busy when the circus arrived, the pike was then banked several times over a reletively short period

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I remember that Mick, wasn't one of those that caught the fish an angler that was later caught smuggling livebaits to Ireland?

Same thing happened at Boddington res after the capture of a 40 lb pike was published in the comics, the fish was later found dead.

Only those with supreme confidence or a touch of stupidity take no notice whatsoever of catch reports, whether they consist of media reports or local whispers. The exception are those that know a water inside out. When you know a water really well, you can often dispense with any type of tittle-tattle. However, actively chasing around after media catch reports is another matter entirely.

I'm rather unlikely to jump on a media report to end up visiting an unfamiliar venue, particularly if it's miles from home, and certainly not for an individual fish. I've no problem listening to grapevine whispers and friendly advice though. I find it very difficult to believe that even those that vehemently denounce "the circus" will be much different. Such whispers, tips and advice have made the angling world go round for as long as I remember.

The older I've got, and the more people I've got to know, the better my angling has been. I've also had angling opportunities that would never have come my way previously. I can't knock "the circus" too much, most are just desperately trying to "improve" their angling. I'm no different, I'm just going about it in a slightly different, and old fashioned, way. As ever, it's not what you know, it's who you know.

Hellfire, we've got people on here that regularly travel miles to fish. There are folks that have moved significant distances round the country, with fishing playing a part in their decision. I'm not suggesting that they are part of any particular circus, but is it really that much different? It's easy to be sneery, but the reality is that very few of us get to plow a genuinely lone furrow. This little island is far too crowded for that.

tigger said:

SNAP!...you read my mind bb

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But I won't use your line.......................

barbelboi said:

But I won't use your line.......................

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I won't let you....get your own bloody line

I remember when I use to do a lot of still water trout fishing I would read the catch reports of big fish and think there is no point fishing there all the fish have been caught and banged on the head.
It always appeared to me that those big fish were being caught on press days.

The Circus will follow catch reports, and many of the reports are more up to date than many think.

There was a member on here who is one of the Circus, he got caught with the Angling Times walking the bank of the venue, trying to find the trees in the background.

He was caught by another FM member. I got the phone call telling me, I had to laugh. That report was only 3 days after the catch had taken place.

The thing that does me in is the Circus when they report their catches. You would think they have been on the venue for every, when in fact most of the time, they know very little, or nothing about the place at all.

I simply don't care.

I know a couple of anglers who live by following reports and chasing certain fish. Good luck to them.


Then again I know a few anglers that go back and catch the same old fish multiple times to gain a few ounces weight.

Then again I know of a chap that worked for a fishing comic and used the submitted reports to go catch before publication.

If it makes them special in some eyes, why care.

The only important thing is to enjoy your fishing under whatever scene you set yourself

Ps. Binka, what bit of the Trent are you fishing?
(Smiley )

Graham Elliott 1 said:

Ps. Binka, what bit of the Trent are you fishing?
(Smiley )

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Graham, try the bit above Stoke near Biddulf moor :wh.

I think they have merit; its like when you ask an angler on the bank asks the time honoured "have you caught anything". Why do we do that, the same reason we read catch reports!.
For me its just an indication of how a place might fish, which species can be caught and what size I might expect them to go plus which baits work.
I have a local free angling paper, plenty of useful information in it from the reports.
The anglers list of dislikes is a very long and varied one from crayfish to bicycles, cormorants to jet skis, surely this one can escape the list. catch reports, gor blimey whatever next, fish, no we do that, bream........

I recently found out the results of a match held recently on a local river. It gave me a clue as to where a big shoal of roach might be located. I went there as soon as I could and bingo, I managed to find them and had a cracking day on the hemp'n tares with some real quality fish. This was quite a remote area and looking at the state of the grassy edges, hardly ever walked by anyone. I didn't see another angler, or person all day.

No circus here, but a bit of networking paid off. There are precious few hot spots in the 10 miles of Upper Stour I usually frequent, so any clues are most welcome.

No offence meant to anyone but, I often wonder how many anglers who adopt the seemingly altruistic stance have ever been at the ''sharp end'' of seeing a water raped by a constant procession of anglers eager to capitalise on the information garnered from the press reports regardless of how specific.

Ray Clark's post illustrates this clearly. No consideration is given to how long the captor had spent in terms of time or money before he achieved his success. ''Instant success seems to be the order of the day''.

Lest it be assumed from the above that I am a grumpy old ******, let me say that whilst being a member of FM I have always been more than willing to assist anyone in my branch of our sport by way of tackle and techniques, (Indeed I have done many times). What I will not do is reveal specific locations, or court publicity.

I have witnessed a swim on a river being fished day in day out by different anglers with the same fish being caught repeatedly, this because the swim produced a couple of big fish and the angler that caught them decided to tell all and sundry.

As far as I know the big fish were caught a couple of more times from that swim and then disappeared, moved because of pressure? lost in the snags that were present and tethered? or simply caught and later died through bad handling? the smaller fish continued to be caught, I stopped fishing the stretch and have never been back.