All round anglers

These days it seems that more and more anglers are out and out specialists and fish only for a single species. Now I've nothing against that. Anglers have every right to do what gives them the most satisfaction.

However for myself, after having a bit of success with one species, I have a strong desire to move onto another. I'm also a bit of an old traditionalist git! You know: opening the season with tench, bream and barbel later, then a few sessions with pike as October dawns, then onto roach and maybe the odd chub. As winter sets in I'll be targeting grayling or even dace. Springtime finds me casting a fly for trout.

Up to now this year - 2002, I have caught Bream, barbel, perch, roach, dace, chub, eels, pike, grayling, rudd, brown and rainbow trout, carp, bleak and gudgeon, most of them deliberately.

How many all rounders are there on FM?

And finally Br Nicholas, the only species I have had no success with are Ruffe Slappers.

Oh, I forgot: Crucians.

And tench.

I would say I was a semi (steady) all rounder, I will fish for anything that a venue holds. Only a small portion of my sessions are geared towards single species and time of year dictates to a degree where and what I'll go after.

Hi Ron,
My interpretation of the term "all rounder" differs from yours in that over the years I've fished from boat, beach and bank.

Having served my apprenticeship on small rivers, I then went on to stillwaters, concentrating on pike mainly and joined the PAC in the late 70's.
The early 80's saw a complete change when I bought a half share in a charter boat and a (then) mate and I spent every weekend fishing off the Isle of Wight.
I can remember that we used to charge ?64 for a full days charter and the boat was licensed to carry 12.
The partnership turned sour eventually and soon after I got a job onboard the QE2.

The amount of time spent away from home didn't really justify joining a fishing club so I took up trout fly fishing (I could afford it then), just phoning for day-tickets when I wanted to go.

Unfortunately, this job ended after a six-month refit in Germany and soon after I was unable to carry on fly fishing due to the cost, in fact my last fly fishing trip cost ?40 at Dever Springs in Hampshire.

I sold all my fly gear (silly I know) and spent quite a lot on kitting myself out with beach gear about 10 or 12 years ago.
Learnt to cast properly with a multiplier and really enjoyed chasing a variety of species throughout the year, spring plaice, bass in summer, codling and whiting during the colder months.

This all came to an abrupt end when a back injury stopped me from working in 1996.

Since that time, and after having watched "A Passion for Angling", I've returned to my first love, the rivers.

Sorry to ramble on, I didn't really want this to read like a chapter from "This is your Life" but in answer to your original question - How many allrounders are there on FM?
I reckon that I might fit the bill!

Thanks for your comments Richard.

I think also what can describe an all rounder is the ability to fish any style, for any species, wherever in the world you might be.

The only style of fishing I have little experience is casting a double handed salmon fly rod.

Jack of all trades?

Definitely an all-rounder. The only trouble is that it is so time consuming! I frequently get distracted and end up Roach fishing rather than live bait snatching. I'm currently suffering (badly) from tennis elbow caused by a weekend's double-hauling at Grafham.

That's intersting Sean, I was one the phone to Barney (Gary Knowles)last night who told me that on a pike fishing trip recently, he got so involved with waggler fishing for roach livebaits. he forget why he wanted to catch them in the first place.

he was probably pissed Ron, Ive seen him forget how to put a bivvy up.....quite amusing actually.

After a good few years lay off from course fishing when my kids were growing up and cricket, football, horse riding etc were more important I regained my interest. This started as tench, bream and crucian chasing in my local ponds, as the autumn drew on I started pike fishing and all that first winter chased a 20!
This became the norm for about 4 years and I heard rumours of decent fish being caught in my local rivers, the Don and Dearne. I began by feeder fishing and soon discovered that more, although smaller fish could be caught on a stick float. I then had to learn how to fish the stick, both my catches and enjoyment improved.
I still have an adgenda of sorts by targeting fish by the differing four seasons both on still and moving water.
My biggest problem is that due to work and home commitments I can only fish sundays in the winter and sundays plus a few evening sessions during the summer BUT there is such a variety of species / venues I love to fish that I can never fully make up my mind what to do. I never think that I have made the wrong decision though as being on the bank, rod in hand is reward in itself. I can usually sneak at least one fish, except that bloody elusive 20lb pike, but tomorrow the new pike season starts so there I go.

Chub / old git,

I'm not involved in this debate so leave me alone..........

I'll consider myself a coarse all rounder when I've got a pike under my belt, some time in the next few weeks hopefully, just need need to get myself properly kitted out first.

lol, took your time!!!!

a video camera would have been a scream....

I think I classify as an all rounder. Fish for all coarse species. However I would rather sit at the bank biteless waiting for a big fish than catching tiddlers.

Due to 13 consecutive blanks barbel fishing on the severn along with two blanks carp fishing on the worcs avon I did spend an enjoyable day out with a pint of maggots and a bag of grounbait on the avon 'pleasure fishing' and caught around 50 perch and two gudgeon.

Anubody else struggling on the severn?

Stuart only fishes for carp but hes all round !

Barney.......you are involved now!
i have yet to meet a good piker who is a bad roacher.........i can't think why

Ron, normally I fish with the bivvy door facing towards the lake, however, if the wind is blowing from my left, I tend to turn the bivvy facing to the right, alternatively if the wind is blowing from my right, then I tend to turn the bivvy with the door facing to the left, If however the wind is blowing directly into the bivvy,, I will then turn the bivvy so the door is facing in the opposite direction of the lake, I guess this makes me an all rounder?

Definate all rounder me, I'll have a go for anything if the fancy takes, Ask me wife???

Grew up fishing for almost anything, got into Tench during the summer and Pike for the winter, then I turned 12 and started to take it seriously.

Fly fishing, Sea fishing, Match angling, Speci-stuff etc.

Still do it all, and I still do it all indifferently,,,,,, Long may that contiue.

yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm full of brandy now and i'm still not gonna take the bait...

Paul...I, I, I,...no dammitmI'm not gonna respond.

Except to say sometimes i have to throw my livebaits out !!!!

Sh*t - you got a response.......