Has angling got to serious?

[Steve Baker]

Do you take your fishing to serious? As i often fish alone and when i do its not as good as when fishing with a friend. Even though we may not catch as much but we still have a laugh. But i have seen people that are rude and tell you where to go when you enquire how they are doing (especially when i was a junior) and this to a young angler can be of putting and intimidating. I remember when i used to fish in senior matches when i was in DCAC. When i used to throw groundbait in the senior anglers near me used to wind in and cast elsewhere and i could here their tuts. Are adult anglers a bit intimidating to juniors? would you help them if they came to you for help? or would you offer your help? or just tell them to "shut up i am trying to fish here?"

 

[Stewart Bloor]

Steve, I agree with your sentiments.
It's sad to say, but sometimes we don't the anti's to do their work, we do it for them, as far as creating a negative image of the sport is concerned.
I can understand, how, when we've been asked for the 50th time in a day by passewrs by 'have you caught anything?', 'do you eat what you catch?' etc etc, anglers can get impatient.
But we need to bear in mind, we are all ambassadors for the sport. Creating a positive image of fishing in the eyes of the public is crucial to the long term security of angling.
As for being light hearted, they're doing a 'You've been framed' angling special on me. It shows me falling in (several times), kicking tackle in the water, forgetting to peg my bivvie in and watching it blow across the lake. You know the sort of things that happen to all of us....

 

[Paul Williams]

Sedge,
No not all of us!! at least not all in the same day!!!
But back to the point...i personally would try to help anyone, not just a youngster if they asked, there were many a time when i was a kid that older anglers helped me even giving me hooks bait etc, personally i think it's something we owe to the sport.

 

[Goose Ganderton]

I think that in all my years of fishing I have only come across a couple of miserable old sods. As with you they were both during matches. It must be the element of competition, which makes them so grumpy. In general anglers are a very sociably bunch as indeed is the human race.

I will always go out of my way to stop and talk to other anglers, at the same time offering help should it be required. I will always invite anyone (including the miserable sods) round to my swim for a cuppa.

I have said here before that I have no friends that fish so tend to be Norman no mates and fish alone, but always look forward to people stopping to talk with me, whether they are other anglers or passing public, inviting them to sit awhile, offer them a cuppa. If they then leave me having had a laugh and a joke and enjoyed half an hour?s good company they feel better and so do I and we part thinking what a nice person.

Being friendly and sociable towards your fellow man make you a better person.

 

[Phil Husselbury]

Steve, couldn't agree more. Goose has helped me enormously since my Southern exile. Already I know that my next angling mission is to break into Graham Marsden's wallet. I'm trying to interest Tom Cruise in a film script, after all they're both short, got no looks and don't catch fish.....don't bother trying to sue, I cleared it with my lawyers! Laughing's like fishing, therapeutic and we don't do enought of it.

 

[Rob Brownfield]

As a kiddie fishing the Lee (Lea) and the Lea valley pits, I used to chat to older anglers on the bank. What I did though was sit quitely to one side a watch. If the angler noticed me, i would politely enquire how he was getting on. If i got a favourable response, I would shuffle closer and chat. This was the early 80's when the carp guys were still quite secrative about rigs etc. By taking a quiet, stealthy, polit approach, I gleaned much valuable information and made some good friends.
What I hate is when u are stalking a fish and a fellow angler come up behind you, bold as brass and points to the fish and says *F### me...thats a big fish*...just as it bow waves into the middle of the lake!
I am always concious that people maybe fishing the margins so I make sure I do not disturbe anyone.

Over all, I think most guys are approachable, as long as u respect there wishes.

 

[Phil Husselbury]

Rob,

I used to do exactly the same thing, sidle up to an older angler. Often one would be given a perch bung or a hook to nylon (unless of course, the older angler was Graham Marsden...)

I do think most anglers are still happy to help but I guess a lot of guys take their work and life pressures fishing with them. Sad really. Best Regards to Scotland.

 

[Rob Brownfield]

Phil...cheers mate!!
I remember being given an old Intrepid Black Prince and a 10 foot hollow glass leger rod by an old boy on the Lea. Nice chap. I was also given my first boilie on The Warren in Essex (1979). I thought it was a sweet and shoved it in my gob, much to the amusement of the carp angler who gave it me. It was a Squid and Anchove creation, and I still have the recipe to this day. Its a brillient bait using liquidised Squid and anchoves mixed with several simple powders. Tasts shite though...lol
I often try to help younger anglers, although they seem to turn up with all the carp gear and no clue at all. Try and help them and they get all narky...coz they *read it in a mag so it must be true*.

 

[Phil Husselbury]

Rob...Hi Buddy,All Well?

The Intrepid Black Prince? I remember it well.

I was pole fishing for carp a season or two back and a kid of about 12 came along. I invited him to have a go and he wielded my trusty XRS to latch into a 4lb carp. He was beaming as it was his first carp. Unbeknown to me, his dad videod the whole thing. The lad and dad were beaming from ear to ear. Dad's beam suddenly vanished however when he agreed to the lad's demand for a pole and learned of the price....lol.However, he phoned his wife and they agreed he could have a pole if he looked after it.
That kid left me with a spring in his step he didn't have when he arrived.

What price memories,eh?

 

[Rob Brownfield]

Phil....hi again!
Yep...the good old days when maggots were 50p a pint and roach were all over 10 pounds....lol!

 

[Steve Baker]

Did anyone buy one of the t shirts at the NEC saying

" yes i am fishing, I havent caught anything all day so P*%s Off."

Thought the were quite good. So we all enjoy fishing sometimes have a laugh (luncheon meat cube fly quite well when fired from a catapult at a friend) so why do we all look so miserable when were fishing?

 

[Carp Angler]

I always enjoy myself when fishing.
If I didn't enjoy it, I wouldn't do it.

It's made even more enjoyable by the company that you're in, but the solitary side has its moments aswell.

 

[Ron Clay]

You echo my own sentiments Rik.

 

[Daniel Whitelock]

as a youngster myself i can say that i have never been put off by older anglers looking moody or having a sign over their head saying 'leave me alone'. one or two blokes i have spoke to looked right moody before i went and had a chat and they often turn out to be very friendly blokes 9 times out of ten. i have also found that there are quite a few blokes willing to help aswell, particularly on my local club strecth of the great ouse, was there sticking it out in the terrible conditions of january/february still trying to catch my first barbel. i saw 2 blokes who obviousley knew what they were doing and went and had a chat, at the end they had told me some of the best swims which i have had some cracking bites from since, and they gave me a great big lump of paste and told me the mix for it and a load of mini liver boilies and where i can buy them. they also gave me recipes for their flavoured meat so i went away happy as larry and looking forward to the 16th of june ( foot and mouth permitting ) to get out and get that barbel in.