Bagging Up

About 1971, I happened to be on holiday in England and found myself fishing from the dam wall at Grafham.

By 11-30 am the morning I caught a limit of 8 trout, all nice fish from 2 lbs to 41/2 lbs.

I packed my tackle, filled in my catch return form and made my way back to the car park, sweating under the weight of a pile of trout I was wondering what to do with.

One particular angler asked to see my bag. I showed him. He told me that after "bagging up" like that he always took out a second ticket so that he could "bag up" even further. He also told be of a local fishmonger who would pay me for the catch.

Some time ago I was fishing a fenland drain in Cambs. I did well that morning and had 12 tench to 5 lbs and 4 bream to 61/2 lbs in my big keepnet.

At 12 noon I released the fish, but this did not go un-noticed. A guy on the opposite bank saw my catch and screamed to his three mates that a bloke on the opposite bank had "bagged up" with a "shedful" of tench.

The point is, why must we use such terms?

"Bagging up" to me seems to smack of the attitude that you must rape the environment somehow.

My old friend Tony Miles told me of the time he caught his 30 pound pike. After doing so he packed up fishing. It was his biggest pike and somehow it did not seem right to carry on.

A very well known pike angler actually thought that Tony was mad to pack up. He must strike whilst the iron was hot.

"Bag up" as it were.

And then there are the reports in the angling press. "Bag up" here. "Bag up" there. Go to Ireland and "bag up" in bream.

By "bagging up", what are anglers trying to prove? How good they are?

Modern angling should not be a case of proving how good you are by how much you can catch or by how much you can "bag up". Once you have caught a couple of good fish, you have proven everything in terms of your prowess, you don't need to rub it in.

Or perhaps I again am proving to be a stupid old fart. There have been times in the past where I have caught enormous bags if fish. Somehow these catches pale into insignificance when compared with the odd specimen where I had to use every iota of angling skill I possess.

Bagging up does not always give you the most satisfaction.

What do you think?

I agree entirely Ron. I have often become quite bored when catching large bags of fish and used to think I was unusual in feeling this way. A few weeks ago I fished a swim on the Severn which I had fished previously on a few occasions with nothing to show for my efforts. After 10 minutes I hooked a 12-6 barbel and was over the moon as it was a personal best and was just reward for my determination.Less than 20mins later I had another double which kept me on a high but slightly took the edge of the first fish. 2 hours later, having netted another 7 big barbel, I had had enough and, although I had travelled down for the night, I decided to pack up and get my head down til the morning. Needless to say, looking back, one has to take advantage of these rare opportunities but I still get more of a buzz from catching one big fish after a lengthy period of inactivity

I can see what your saying a bit. Once I was fishing a water that I had never fished before but was told there was big perch in there. I caught a few and some of the locals came round and said your 'bagging up mate'

When I think about it I wasn't, they were not particularly big perch (well they were nice for me), I was just enjoying doing some fishing. It certainly is a horrible term, although I think the term 'rape the environment' is harsh.

It is perhaps the mentality of some anglers that we cannot go fishing to enjoy fishing, me must go to catch. To me fishing is an experience. If I?m pike fishing with my mates then its a time to sit about and blether and smoke some ciggies without the missus moaning.
If im tench fishing in the morning its a time to be up before everyone else and enjoy the dawn chorus and the mist rolling of the water.

Its all about the experience. Ever noticed why your brekky tastes so much better when cooked by the waterside?

When you all get as old as me, you tend to look back on your angling career. And the things I remember most were certainly not the big catches and big fish I have caught.

For instance when I caught 4 double figure barbel from the Trent in one session, it somehow pales to the 9 pounder I caught on the Swale.

That, to me, was the best barbel I have ever caught in my life.

I caught a lovely 13/4 lb roach from the Idle a couple of years ago by sheer skill using a stick float. It was a far better fish than any of the 30 odd 2 pounders I caught quite easily from an Oxfordshire gravel pit in 95 and 96.

And I will never forget the truly wild brown trout of 4lbs I took from a Drakensberg stream in a nymph of my own tying in 1988.

Take it from me, the most memorable catches of your life are not the biggest fish or the biggest bags, but the fish that were caught by overcoming a set of problems and by setting out to do just that.

And succeeding.

I agree Ron, fishing (for many of us) is not a case of catching as many fish as possible in a given time....it's about being out and in the countryside enjoying the whole experience.... in conjuction with what you are saying, how often do people say...."god, dont you find it boring".. "you didn't catch anything, you must be gutted"... nope, never....

As long as i'm fishing i'm happy to be there, catching or not.... i took my lady fishing on saturday morning, blanked, had a fantastic few hours by a very quiet club lake!... THATS FISHING!

it depends what mood i'm in some days i'll really enjoy all the aspects of just being there, but others i'll get a bit twitchy if i can't manage to catch.

TOFS, springs to mind, but Its horses for courses, If people are happy with their lot then thats fine.

Most anglers only do it for a bit or fun, Its not serious at all, and they would not understand about "Bagging Up".

Bagging Up is a match fishing term!!!!!!!

whats TOFS?.

Traditionalist Old Farts.

Personally I would rather catch a couple of good fish than 'bag up'. But if others prefer to catch loads of smaller fish then so be it, whatever floats your boat.

Some of you lot could do with a season like I've just had. I could count the number of fish I've caught, on my toes.

When you've had a season as bad as that a bit of 'baggin' up' (much as I hate the term) is appreciated just to bring the confidence back. Even so I wouldn't want it too easy.

And don't one of you say I didn't try or I'm not good enough. My mate hasn't had a fish since last August either.

Ron are you saying that 'bagging up' is a new thing? I have lots of old books from the fifties and sixties with articles and photographs of huge Bream catches.
I do see where you are coming from.I tend to chase dreams , you know difficult fish or difficult waters.Once I have caught I drift off to pastures new, new challenges.
Nothing bores me more than catching the same old fish from the same old place.This is why I have no compunction to go Bream fishing in Ireland or Carp fishing on a commercial pool.But we are all different which makes this sport so diverse.Each to their own.

I agree with a lot of what you're saying Ron, although I must admit that occassionaly it's good to have a day when the fish come thick and fast!!

However, one of my most memorable incidents was when a Kingfisher landed on my rod tip and stayed there for a good few minutes before flying off - that happened about 25 years ago and I still go on about it to this day!!

That's why they call it fishin' rather than catchin' I guess

So its politicaly incorrect to catch or want to catch loads of fish now?
Must only use one rod for barbell but must use four for carp.Must not fish stillwaters as rivers are more skilfull.Must only lure fish for pike (with jerk baits of course)and only at certain times of the year.Must not bivvy up/must bivvy up for carp to really countetc etc etc etc........

Fishing can provide enough challenges why do some feel the need to put their own conditions on it? the need for all of this angling snobery really beats me.

well said BUDGIE!.... (where you been?)

Ron,

How nice to see you are alive and well.
Someone told me the other day that you have snuffed it!

The Tony Miles scenario of immediately packing up after catching his 30lb pike is very romantic ... and what's wrong with that in our wonderful sport of fishing?

I once caught probably the biggest catch (at that time) of 2lb plus roach in one day from a very private stretch of the River Kennet having luckily been invited to fish it and put on the 'beat' (that tells you something) where they had been spotted.

Next time I went back I fished a different part of the river and enjoyed some fantastic dace fishing ... you know, the one's with golden coloured backs that sparkle in the sunlight.

Never did fish for those roach again, as catching them once was enough for me, but I understand other anglers caught a few two-pounders, although that shoal had been 'plundered' and weren't going to play ball in the same way ever again.

Magic moments, and like you, I cannot understand the 'baggin' up' mentality ... and I'm a match angler 'by trade'!!!