Getting around without a vehicle?

[KarltheUKFisherman]

So sadly I have no car and so have been looking at things like heavy duty carts etc to get to places to fish but I was wondering how others do it since my brain goes as far as "Yes heavy duty cart good idea and only idea!"

I keep my baitcaster setup strictly "backpack worthy" so excluding the rod if I can't fit it in my backpack then it doesn't come with me. The problem is can't exactly do that with carp/bottom gear lol.

 

[rayner]

Public transport was my only option when I was a kid, or walking to poach the local reservoir where fishing wasn't allowed.
I used to just take a rod and reel with my limited tackle in a bag.

 

[Roger Johnson 2]

Hi Carl,
I spent about a number of recent years fishing by bicycle, finishing with an electric mountain bike,I was lucky in that I had a a lot of fishing close to, but was happy to travel up to 10-12 miles ( being a keen, 80-100mile in a day,cyclist helped) but using an electric bike meant I was less likely to work up a sweat, whilst wearing my fishing kit. And strapping rods to crossbars took me back to being a kid again!
It’s amazing how much you can carry on a bike, I go with a rod or two and landing net strapped to the crossbar, a combined chair rucksack on my back, and a pair of cycle panniers on a rack for a bucket of bait and food. Easily enough space for a days fishing in mobile style. I find it a great set up for mobile fishing whether it’s river chubbing or carp stalking, and when taking into account loading up the car, unloading it and walking round the lake it’s often quicker door to swim, and very useful in that you can do a tour of a lake and bait up 3-4 swims in a quarter of the time of doing it on foot.
Other options could be an electric cargo bike which has a big box on the front ( modern take on the old delivery cycles), and/ or a bicycle trailer, which might even give enough space for a chair and bivy.
But after all that best way is travel light stay mobile and catch more fish (IMHO)
PS. I also used to travel to fish by motorbike, rucksack and chair on a rack and holdall over my shoulder, in retrospect maybe not the safest way to carry kit on a m’bike, but I was young and stupid then..... as opposed to old and stupid and still crazy about bikes and m’bikes.
PPS. Don’t expect anybody to take you seriously at the carp lakes cos you’re not following the bivvy up and fish with matching rods on buzzers rules, but when you turn up early and catch a couple before most of ‘em have unzipped the bivy, you can really start to wind people up, you’ll learn to develop a thick skin!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[KarltheUKFisherman]

Thank for the suggestions, I do have some decent public transport available to me now where I live and of course I have a bike (Work is an hours walk for me) but need to wait till payday so I can buy some bits to strap my rod, landing net to the bike and need a smaller tackle box (bought a box from work but it's a tad bulky...) I intend to hopefully get some more fishing in tomorrow before I going to see family but next week I hope to get the majority done on bike

 

[Roger Johnson 2]

Old inner tubes make great luggage straps( so would new ones!)
And pipe lagging can protect rods against crossbars.
Good Luck, let us know how you get on.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[mikench]

Karl a member on here, S63, I think, carried out some very clever mods to his bike so he could carry his gear. He may be along soon with details.

 

[103841]

There you go, brings a whole new meaning to plumbing the depth.

 

[bullet]

Honda C90 is your man, cheap to buy, 100 miles + per gallon, and you can fit a lot of gear on them with a bit of imagination!

https://images.app.goo.gl/tnyUxNr4AeeT6WhZ8

 

[Molehill]

Other than public transport or walking it has to be bike, all depending on distances and of course finances. As has been covered above there is a lot that can be done with a bike - and a lot of money that can be spent on the bike, or not, bit like fishing tackle.
When feeling glum about you circumstances remind yourself that many millions of anglers in past generations, spent many millions of happy days fishing and probably never owned a car in their lives.
Forget about what others are doing, suit your fishing to your circumstances. Gear everything down to essentials, fish simply and most likely you will come out a far better angler than when you started.

 

[Molehill]

Honda C90 is your man, cheap to buy, 100 miles + per gallon, and you can fit a lot of gear on them with a bit of imagination!

https://images.app.goo.gl/tnyUxNr4AeeT6WhZ8

Hadn't thought of them, but wouldn't a ride on lawnmower be faster and safer ?

 

[chrissh]

Didiosports 20300 Bicycle Trailer Transport Trolley £69.99

Didiosports 20300 bicycle trailer, transport trolley : Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors

Shop Didiosports 20300 bicycle trailer, transport trolley. Free delivery and returns on all eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

 

[mikench]

Now I like the look of that .

 

[no-one in particular]

I use public transport all the time, in fact where I fished yesterday the bus dropped me off just past the bridge where I fished. The only problem with this particular spot is the buses run every two hours so it limits my time a bit, about 3+ hours. To limit my space I don't take a spare of anything, one reel, one rod minimal tackle, 6 floats and the least of bits and bobs. Some bread and sweetcorn and I am ready to go. I know what I am fishing and how I am going to fish because I only have one way really. It all fits into a naff shopping trolley including my chair which goes on the bus or train easy enough and no strain on me. The ready set up rod sticks out enough for people to ask me if I am going fishing, I am always tempted to say no, I am going to play tennis you dumb cluck but I resist the urge. Mind you a free bus pass helps my thinking a lot.
I found going prepared for more than one situation or every situation or every possible mishap just meant lugging loads of stuff around that I never used so stopped doing it a long time ago. I only ever had to pack up fishing once because of a broken reel and that was sea fishing and I have been doing this for a bout 10 years. So, one fishing session cut short in ten years against lugging the combined weight of all that gear around over ten years that I would never had used anyway is no contest for me.

 

[peytr]

A bicycle trailer is fantastic. I have one and use it every now and then, as a luxury option.

Although your range is a bit limited, you can practically reach any venue by bicycle, only some by car. If you still need to walk the last meters, a bicycle trailer makes for a very good trolley and you don't have to re-organise between travelling and walking. The ground clearance is way better than on most regular trolleys and that's what counts in an off road situation . I sometimes even use panniers in addition and simply walk the combination to my fishing spot.

travelling like that is not too tiring but accelleration suffers and climbing is to be avoided, if possible. Its tyring and descending can be can be a bit too much.

 

[Roger Johnson 2]

A bicycle trailer is fantastic. I have one and use it every now and then, as a luxury option.

Although your range is a bit limited, you can practically reach any venue by bicycle, only some by car. If you still need to walk the last meters, a bicycle trailer makes for a very good trolley and you don't have to re-organise between travelling and walking. The ground clearance is way better than on most regular trolleys and that's what counts in an off road situation . I sometimes even use panniers in addition and simply walk the combination to my fishing spot.

travelling like that is not too tiring but accelleration suffers and climbing is to be avoided, if possible. Its tyring and descending can be can be a bit too much.

Bang on about the advantages of bikes and trolleys. Add an e bike and it makes the uphills a bit easier! Agree to trolleys in principle but didn’t get on with it when I tried one..... but it was cheap and nasty so perhaps not a surprise.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[The Runner]

Got myself an EBike, backpack on back, bait bag on rack with rods held to it with bungee straps and away I go....
Wish HIghland Council would do something about the potholes though.
Still use bus here for anything over 15-20 miles each way- services aren't exactly frequent but first and last times are generally spot on for a good day's fishing. About the only well known mark reasonably close by that I cant get to is Neist Point on the far North West of the island which gets busy anyway as it's where most of the visiting anglers head for, along with hordes of other visitors taking pictures of the lighthouse

 

[Philip]

Hi Carl,
I spent about a number of recent years fishing by bicycle, finishing with an electric mountain bike,I was lucky in that I had a a lot of fishing close to, but was happy to travel up to 10-12 miles ( being a keen, 80-100mile in a day,cyclist helped) but using an electric bike meant I was less likely to work up a sweat, whilst wearing my fishing kit. And strapping rods to crossbars took me back to being a kid again!
It’s amazing how much you can carry on a bike, I go with a rod or two and landing net strapped to the crossbar, a combined chair rucksack on my back, and a pair of cycle panniers on a rack for a bucket of bait and food. Easily enough space for a days fishing in mobile style. I find it a great set up for mobile fishing whether it’s river chubbing or carp stalking, and when taking into account loading up the car, unloading it and walking round the lake it’s often quicker door to swim, and very useful in that you can do a tour of a lake and bait up 3-4 swims in a quarter of the time of doing it on foot.
Other options could be an electric cargo bike which has a big box on the front ( modern take on the old delivery cycles), and/ or a bicycle trailer, which might even give enough space for a chair and bivy.
But after all that best way is travel light stay mobile and catch more fish (IMHO)

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Spot on....and aside from just addressing a lack of car as Rodger mentions it can open up a whole host of other possibilities as well. Long walks laden with tackle suddenly become allot easier and all those lanes with a barrier across them to stop cars become accessible. You can ride it in a fraction of the time and the bike takes the load. Properly setup I see a bike as doing the job of a barrow plus you can get on and ride it too.

Some of the specialist anglers are even using them on the really big lakes to get round more easily. Nigel Sharpe for example considered a bike a essential item in his quest to catch the the Burghfield common.

 

[Roger Johnson 2]

Spot on....and aside from just addressing a lack of car as Rodger mentions it can open up a whole host of other possibilities as well. Long walks laden with tackle suddenly become allot easier and all those lanes with a barrier across them to stop cars become accessible. You can ride it in a fraction of the time and the bike takes the load. Properly setup I see a bike as doing the job of a barrow plus you can get on and ride it too.

Some of the specialist anglers are even using them on the really big lakes to get round more easily. Nigel Sharpe for example considered a bike a essential item in his quest to catch the the Burghfield common.

Thank you for the nice endorsement. Another benefit of fishing by bicycle, which was actually the main reason that I transferred 99% of fishing activity to bike, is that it stopped messing up the car with messy kit, smelly nets, dirty boots, and spilt maggots to hatch in the summer! With the added benefit of less earache from she who should ( but rarely is) obeyed!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[christhoel]

This is how i roll down to the local canal for a few hours since i was diagnosed with a brain tumour i had my licence revoked !
i had it operated on last October and im currently going through chemo !
when i fancy a few hours down the canal i either take the little guy with me for a few hours or just load the tackle into his pushchair and away we go!
only thing we get a lot of attention from the old people walking along the canal they want to stop and talk to him lol

 

[Philip]

Thats brilliant...it even has its own built in bivvy for the little guy ?

Keep rolling & hope you have a speedy recovery.