Carp Anglers

[Carp Angler]

Ok I've held my tongue long enough.

Ron says
"What do you see today. Arrogance, noise, loud T shirts advertising boilies, beer guts, skin headed prats, and bank side booze ups."

I have a shaved head, wear earings, have tatoos and partake in the occasional drink.

Am I the scum that shouldn't be allowed to fish ever again?

I've never read such sanctimonious rubbish before in my life.
Get out of that time warp Ron and don't tar everyone with the same brush.

 

[Gary Magee]

Having sat behind buzzers for 17 years, I now try a different approach, ie, the pole, method feeder, floating method but still regard myself as primarily a carp angler. A prime example of this was last year when I was fishing my local club water when I caught 11 carp between 6 pound and 17 1/2 pounds on the pole; on the lake at the same time where a number of orthodox carp anglers. After I had finished I struck up a conversation with these anglers who dismissed my catch as pasty bashing. Having spent six hours listening to the silence of their bite alarms I found this a bit rich especially as the biggest carp in the lake are only scraping 20’s. If these anglers had any nouse about what they were doing they would have pumped me for information as to what I was doing and using, but unfortunately they were far more concerned with making sure that their buzz bars were horizontal and vertical and their set ups look nice. These are the type of angler that basically do everybody’s head in that whatever anybody else does is inconsequential, whereas when these anglers by the law of averages actually catch anything, its the main event. These carp anglers are not the only people on the bank that get on my nerves. The worst culprits are the anglers who sit their roach bashing who catch nothing and blame everything and everyone else for their poor success. Then they tell you that they have been fishing for the last 40 years and you feel like saying to them “in that case, why haven't you actually learnt anything and stop hogging swims that anglers who actually put thought into the fishing would make better use of”.
getting to the point! what I’m trying to say is that on any lake approximatley 50% of the anglers fishing there will either do your head in or potentially do your head in. My approach is to concerntrate on my fishing and if people think think winkling out a 17 1/2 lb carp on a pole is pasty bashing and is not to be regarded as carp fishing they should take up camping instead of carping.

 

[Paul Williams]

All,
Rik (carp angler) does indeed have a shaved head, wear earrings, and have tattoes, he is also training to match a blackcountryman at drinking )...... he also detests carp anglers who walk away from their rods and anyone who generaly gives carpers a bad name.....i also have a buddy in the police force...skin headed and tattoed...and bloody good at his job....we are all capable of looking beyond the first immpression aren't we?

 

[Dave Johnson]

I used to have an ear-ring Paul, I still have tatoo, I also drink beer and whisky.
I also fish with Mr Carp angler (fartarse)
I also have a senior managers job in a responsible position. I also have a degree and a PG Diploma. I have also learned that it is a poor man who classifies individuals by sight.
You only have to look at the likes of Sir Bob Geldof, to realise that scruffy long haired tatood so called arrogant yobs are also amongst the finest breed of men on the planet.
time to close this thread I think Graham.

 

[Leon Foreman]

I Dont think what is actually meant was appearances but rather actions. It doesnt matter what or who you are or how you look it is actually what you do next to the water that counts. I dont have anything against drinking next to the water and by heavens nothing like sipping a cold one while you watch the sunset over the waters. The problem is actually the people that use angling as an excuse for a drinkers party. They are just as bad at the so called profesionals that have no time for amateurs and wont even give them the time of day what less some advice. The only thing that are good at is making these people feel bad about the poor quality of their kit and cant wait to point out that theirs are bigger and better. To make the point is that usually these guys are the ones that are neatly dressed in the latest fishing fashion and can usally be linked to one or other hight profile job. So it soesnt matter what you look like it relly is your actions that speaks the loudest.

 

[Rob Brownfield]

certainly from my point of view, being a skin headed senior manager, I could not careless what someone looks like on the bank. I do care about there attitude to other anglers/dog walkers/duck feeders etc however! Getting pissed on the bank, near water is stupid. They put there own lives at risk. I have seen anglers so pissed that they cannot stand. This is out of order. As most of you rightly state, a tin of beer in the evening is perfectly acceptable, and it is the minority that spoil it for others.

Its not just carp anglers though. I read with interest about the conflict between bike riders and match anglers down south. I am sorry, but if a pole angler blocks a path with the butt of his pole, he is being arrogant and is actually obstructing a public right of way. In extreme cases, this can be taken to court. I know bike users are ment to have a permit to use tow paths...but I have seen a matchman make a young mum lift a puchchair over his pole. This is not on.

 

[Ron Clay]

First of all apologies to Rik. I am extremely sorry that I may have upset some obviously decent guys. You are quite correct, You can't judge a book by its cover.

I think the reasons for some of my comments are caused by the following:

In addition to the negative experiences in angling that I have detailed, I have been burgled on four occasions in the past 2 years. On one of those occasions I was attacked in my rented house by one of these thugs. He was of course attired in the same way I have described.

In addition to the burglaries, I have been mugged twice in the streets of Rotherham. On both these occasions the assailants were of the shaven headed tatooed type.

I am 59 years of age and my teens into my twenties were spent at a time when the world was a different place. Young people grew their hair. Flower power was in fashion. People went about saying "peace man". Many of us were very concerned about the possibility of nuclear war.

The image of the long haired hippy was that of peace and love. The image of the skinhead, was that of hate, crime and aggression.

Please forgive me, I may be liveing in the past it's true, but I really beleave there is a place in the world for the meek, even though today's modern craze for aggression and money might not let the meek amongst us survive.

 

[sam oddy]

Surely commonsense is the point at issue.

People's appearance is surely irrelevent, I am a 47 year old - going on 18 :0)- accountant and generally look like one. But it must be the person inside that matters. I have no problem with anyone whether fishing related or in any other walk of life providing they behave reasonably.

I do have problems with litter louts, following other anglers into swims that have had reeds etc trampled, cheats, elitism and the seemingly endemic disease of discourtesy.

 

[Stewart Bloor]

Nice mail Ron, full of grace...
...regarding the point about how you look etc, on the local lake I have just started to fish a guy has joined the same time as I have. He's a Punk..I mean a proper Punk..mohican hair cut...get beyond that, he's a really nice guy. In fact, look out for a photo of him in a future PP as we're doing a bit of fishing together...now there's a turn up for the books...a Minister and a punk rocker..sounds like a joke...did you hear the one about the Vicar and the punk Rocker...

 

[Ron Clay]

No, but go ahead Sedge

 

[Leon Foreman]

Hmm poor fish Caught by a punk and the priest is ready to administer the last right. Now if that wont give Peta ammunision nothing will

 

[GrahamM]

Appearances do matter. I mean, look at me, tall, dark and handsome. And young, tee-total, debonair and sophisticated to go with it. I wouldn't fish with the riff-raff being described by some on this thread. They sit there all day cracking jokes and trying to get you to have another drink, farting and laughing uproarously at it just as though it's something good. Goodness gracious me, the louder and fouler the fart the more they laugh!

I don't know what the world's coming to, I really don't.

Why can't we all be miserable and get depressed when we don't catch anything instead of trying to make light of it and pretending it doesn't matter?

How the hell are that lot going to become good anglers if they can't take things more seriously like me.

 

[Leon Foreman]

Hmm Guess there wont be any more fishing with the editors for reverand Bloor seeing that he keeps such rifraf friends now a day's ;o)

 

[Ron Clay]

I used to fish a lot in the 70s with a guy called Brian Petersen. You never had to take food as about midday, Brian would call you over. Out of the boot of his Mercedes Benz he would take a large cool box together with a small table and folding chairs. The table was covered with an exquisit tablecloth, silver cutlery, napkins, silver serving dishes and cut glass wine glasses.

Out of the cool box came two large cooked rock lobsters together with avocado salad. The wine was the best Cape vintage Chardonnay you could find.

After the main meal, a chocolate mousse followed. The meal was invariably finished with a good Brie cheese, vintage port and Havana cigars.

Then we went back to our fishing.

At about 4 in the afternoon Brian called and presented dainty teas with dear little cakes, exquisite china tea service and siver spoons.

If Jim Gibbinson reads this he will confirm that I tell no lie.

On top of this we often caught lots big bass.

 

[Leon Foreman]

Wouldnt even have minded blanking if lunch is half as good.

 

[Rob Brownfield]

makes a mockery of my half a pork pie and a bottle of pop!

 

[Paul Williams]

Rock lobster and avacado salad Ron!!!if i'm chef again it's Balti out the back of an escort van!! mind you i do have a fine bright red picnic table complete with red chairs!!
Errr whats Rock lobster? i've heard of rock salmon but not lobster!!

 

[Ron Clay]

One of the greatest seafoods you can eat. The South African Rock lobster is on of the worlds greatest delicacies. Most of those caught are exported to the up market restuarants of New York.

Most South African, Sea food is absolutely wonderful. The reason for this is that they keep other countries fishing fleets a distance of 400 miles away from the coast. The SA Navy have no compunction in sinking a foriegn trawler. They shot a Chinese boat out of the sea on the Southern Cape coast some time ago.

 

[Paul Williams]

Ron,
I have to ask mate!! why did you leave SA if it is half as good as it sounds? )

 

[Leon Foreman]

Yep Ron is right, I must have to take my hat off for the Minister of Fisheries on his standpoint about Keeping our resources for Local anglers. It might be the only good thing they have come up with in the last couple of years but at least it is a start. Most other Southern African country's have bowd to the lure of truckloads of money offered by the european trade commision and has since been plundered dry by Spannish and other trawlers. One of the Trade agrrements offered to us was based on their trawlers fishing our waters and was flatly refused by our ministers. Now if only they can sort out their in house problems especially with the angling license scandal we might get our own fisheries up to world class standards.