Never A Truer Word Spoken?

Neil Maidment · Aug 1, 2009

Quote from a "well known angler":

"The truth is, that wherever you fish, 10% of the anglers (the capable ones) catch 90% of the fish and the other 10% of fish are caught by the other 90% of anglers."

Discuss!

Where do you fit in?

Stealph Viper · Aug 1, 2009

I must be 99th then, cause i catch 1% of the fish.
If there was a lake only full of Roach, i would be the one that caught a Perch.

dezza · Aug 1, 2009

This can be applied to many other things in life, not just angling Neil. When I played golf, I discovered that only about 10% of the members of the club I joined had a single figure handicap.

It depends on how one measures success when the question "Where do I fit in? is asked.

I tend to go along with the well worn saying that anglers go through 3 phases in their angling careers. The first phase is wanting to catch as many fish as possible, the second is the need to catch the biggest fish, and finally the desire to catch the most difficult fish.

As regards myself, I guess I want to catch fish in the most skilful way these days, thats why I do a lot of fly fishing and lure fishing I guess.

Claudia Crowther · Aug 1, 2009

I'm anything but a capable angler....I'm lucky to catch a gudgeon lol, unless fishing GV of course, with a fag lid up

captainbarnacles · Aug 1, 2009

I dont realy care if i'm in the 90% or 10% list , i realy just go out and have fun catching what i can.

Apart from the pro match guys i think i can hold my own with most, but then again i have nothing to prove , as i am not in the game for glory.

I like to just fish, and battle my wits agains whatever crafty creacher comes my way , maybe a chubby or roach tench or bream , float fished or one off the top, its all fun not preasure.

Neil Maidment · Aug 1, 2009

"When it comes to picking out the big ones, a different technique is needed which not one angler in fifty is even willing to try, let alone persevere with."

Quote from the same angler.

Fred Bonney · Aug 1, 2009

I'm going through a phase of perseverance, and also just having fun on the other days.

alan whittington · Aug 1, 2009

My venue of choice the middle Thames is putting i and many others in the situation of forgetting what catching fish is like,its like 'scotty beamed em up',i know im getting older but my korum chair is more like a bed at the moment,so im definitely one of the 90% at the moment(hoping for promotion)

.

rookie_fly_guy · Aug 1, 2009

Definatley with Stealph on that one, I'd be fishing a runs lake and catch a 2oz perch. But hopefully as I gain more experience I'll creep up the numbers.

Neil Maidment · Aug 1, 2009

My perseverance is being severely tested. Six weeks into the season and I've had just two chub (both 5lb+) from a "quiet" stretch of the Stour. I know my target of really big chub are there, I see them on a regular basis, but they are in a difficult place to reach (on the float) and conditions have to be right to stand any chance of good presentation. It's a long time since I've concentrated on such a target!

Thank God for the occassional fly fishing trip for suicidal trout!

By the way, the quotes are from a certain R.Walker (1976) and are contained in a letter hung on the wall of Avington's kitchen!

Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC) · Aug 1, 2009

No bites from South Yorkshire then Neil???

Any hints from RW as to what that different technique may be?

I must acknowledge that the rewards in terms of consistently catching larger fish do (and probably should) go to those who think about the quarry and the conditions and then put thought into actions.

I am trying to put more thought into how I fish - after the point made by a well known piscator, and occasional contributor to this hallowed forum, that they have little time in a week to go fishing so wish to ensure that the time they have is more likely to be successful than not. We each have our own measure of success but a bit more thought and planning may enhance that. (I know....it doesn't always work.....alright...it quite often doesn't work...but when it pays off.....

)

Chris Season32 · Aug 1, 2009

"The truth is, that wherever you fish, 10% of the anglers (the capable ones) catch 90% of the fish and the other 10% of fish are caught by the other 90% of anglers."

I've had kids outfish me with a margin whip, are they in that 10%?

It might have relevance on commercials, but margin is not that great on clubwaters in my experience.

sagalout · Aug 1, 2009

I'm in the totally sh1t but happy group.

alan whittington · Aug 1, 2009

Thing is Sagalout i used to catch loads of fish,without trying,im left wondering whether ive got an age related problem cos im starting to forget what its like.

Rodney Wrestt · Aug 1, 2009

I'm in the small percentage of anglers whom the fish actually laugh at.

Impecunious · Aug 1, 2009

Don't know about the 90/10 split but the 80/20 split is widely recognised in business and other parts of life and is known as the Pareto principle after an Italian who propounded the theory over 100 years ago.

Mark Wintle · Aug 2, 2009

Walker's quote about 10% and 90% is hard to prove though I know that in my match fishing days my success rate was around 6 - 7 times what the law of averages would expect. In other words, if I fished 30 matches in a season with an average attendance of 30 then the law of averages would expect that I'd win one, come 2nd once etc. But in fact I'd do much better than that.

His other quote stems from the times when, depending on the region, you would find legions of anglers all fishing much the same way, i.e. with reasonably fine float gear, that would struggle to hold a modest chub in snaggy water never mind a big one. This was based on observation of visitors to his Ouse water where many visiting anglers chose the most open water possible to fish with light float gear instead of the 'jungle warfare' that he preferred. That universal method is rapidly changing into a preference for 'bolt rig and boilies' for the average angler.

Chris Hammond ( RSPB ACA PAC} · Aug 2, 2009

I'm a naturally ungifted angler. I probably fit into the over 90's.

However, to echo the words of Arnold Bennett,

" Even mediocre talent, when combined with fixity of purpose and regular industry will, infallibly, result in gratifying success."

In other words practise makes perfect.

sagalout · Aug 2, 2009

alan whittington said:
Thing is Sagalout i used to catch loads of fish,without trying,im left wondering whether ive got an age related problem cos im starting to forget what its like.

Alan, it could be you are looking with with rose tinted glasses

, remember nostagia ain't what it used to be

alan whittington · Aug 2, 2009

Trouble is Sagalout ive got photographic evidence(perhaps i had better throw it away and start afresh)

.I was one of them blokes who if i drew a good peg in a match everybody(well nearly everybody)gave up,now i dont matchfish the fish dont eat my bait LOL.

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