kudos

[John Charlton]

to combine the lone angler thread and nearly record barbel thread.

who think's that we should rate a angler's ability to the size of his catch?

my p.b is 3 meat and prater and 2 peppered steak and a sausage roll in 1 session

what i catch is for me and my friends does this make me any less of a angler?

what really get's me is these superstar's who catch the same fish from the same pegs and then make out how they tricked them with these wonderbaits(freebies from the sponsors)

shove all these wonder baits location is definately the key!
i fish the ribble and the stretches i fish don't contain the biggest barbel but i'd know where to go if i wanted to catch them.
on the goyt the big barbel(record barbel) live in a very short stretch and cant pass the weirs.
i've done a bit on the dove but i also know that the stretches im fishing don't do the big fish 13s a big fish, yet if i buy a certain ticket i can join the circus and queue up for a peg where im told they all line up with alarms at the ready

these are just 3 example's and im sure there's more!

so even if i purchase these wonder bait's i ain't going to catch these monsters!

my fishing isn't about kudos it's about enjoying my fishing away from the crowd's


am i ever going to catch a record shaking barbel?
no im not because geographically it's not possible with the logistics and working fulltime.

 

[Daniel Potter]

John,

Wise words. I agree with all of what you say.

I have tried all the fancy baits and pastes and have caught far more using spam, bread and homemade cheese paste.

I don't carry scales currently as I don't really care what the fish weighs. I just like being out there and enjoying the sport and chatting with other anglers.

Cheers

Dan

 

[Stuart Prescott]

to combine the lone angler thread and nearly record barbel thread.

who think's that we should rate a angler's ability to the size of his catch?

my p.b is 3 meat and prater and 2 peppered steak and a sausage roll in 1 session

what i catch is for me and my friends does this make me any less of a angler?

what really get's me is these superstar's who catch the same fish from the same pegs and then make out how they tricked them with these wonderbaits(freebies from the sponsors)

shove all these wonder baits location is definately the key!
i fish the ribble and the stretches i fish don't contain the biggest barbel but i'd know where to go if i wanted to catch them.
on the goyt the big barbel(record barbel) live in a very short stretch and cant pass the weirs.
i've done a bit on the dove but i also know that the stretches im fishing don't do the big fish 13s a big fish, yet if i buy a certain ticket i can join the circus and queue up for a peg where im told they all line up with alarms at the ready

these are just 3 example's and im sure there's more!

so even if i purchase these wonder bait's i ain't going to catch these monsters!

my fishing isn't about kudos it's about enjoying my fishing away from the crowd's


am i ever going to catch a record shaking barbel?
no im not because geographically it's not possible with the logistics and working fulltime.

jeysus man , who took the jam out youtr doughnut ?

i think he is due on folks

 

[Clive Kirkman]

give over what makes ya think that stu, that was last new years eve......

 

[Mike Hodgkiss]

to combine the lone angler thread and nearly record barbel thread.

who think's that we should rate a angler's ability to the size of his catch?

my p.b is 3 meat and prater and 2 peppered steak and a sausage roll in 1 session

what i catch is for me and my friends does this make me any less of a angler?

what really get's me is these superstar's who catch the same fish from the same pegs and then make out how they tricked them with these wonderbaits(freebies from the sponsors)

shove all these wonder baits location is definately the key!
i fish the ribble and the stretches i fish don't contain the biggest barbel but i'd know where to go if i wanted to catch them.
on the goyt the big barbel(record barbel) live in a very short stretch and cant pass the weirs.
i've done a bit on the dove but i also know that the stretches im fishing don't do the big fish 13s a big fish, yet if i buy a certain ticket i can join the circus and queue up for a peg where im told they all line up with alarms at the ready

these are just 3 example's and im sure there's more!

so even if i purchase these wonder bait's i ain't going to catch these monsters!

my fishing isn't about kudos it's about enjoying my fishing away from the crowd's


am i ever going to catch a record shaking barbel?
no im not because geographically it's not possible with the logistics and working fulltime.

.

John , by and large I share your sentiments on this subject . The thing I find disappointing is not just the bigger the fish , the greater the skill of the angler attitude held by some; but also the anglers who almost define their own identity/ existence by the size of the fish they catch , now that is sad .Re your consumption of scran PB , I would be more likely to be impressed if you told us how long the session was when you broke your PB . What were conditions like , temperature etc ? I can see a BFW '' Man v Food '' thread developing here

 

[Lee Poultney]

There's a lot of BS spouted, of that there's no doubt. Fish for yourself, meet your own targets and anything else is a bonus.

 

[David Gauntlett]

.

John , by and large I share your sentiments on this subject . The thing I find disappointing is not just the bigger the fish , the greater the skill of the angler attitude held by some; but also the anglers who almost define their own identity/ existence by the size of the fish they catch , now that is sad .Re your consumption of scran PB , I would be more likely to be impressed if you told us how long the session was when you broke your PB . What were conditions like , temperature etc ? I can see a BFW '' Man v Food '' thread developing here

Absolutely Mike....also, was he able to drive home with the widows wound fully up? These are vital bit's of key information in judging a man's status.

Cheers, Dave

 

[Mark Gaskell]

blowing there own trumpet!

too much is the ar se kissing that goes on ,every angler gets out of it what he himself wants ,the anglers that can put it down on paper and make it interesting to read does not make them the better angler ,while some of them think they are, agree totally what mr charlton says except the pb ive seen you eat more!

 

[Wayne Glossop]

Iv spent the last two years fishing a stretch on the tidal trent that throws up the odd big fish, but the stretch is rock hard to even get anything out of it, but its a very comfy place to bivvy up for a couple of days. I know of places that hold bigger fish than my p.b but i have never even attempted to fish for them.

 

[Howard Cooke]

There's a lot of BS spouted, of that there's no doubt. Fish for yourself, meet your own targets and anything else is a bonus.

Well put Lee. You need your own definition of what being successful looks like and this means there is no right or wrong answer to this. For me, if I haven't blanked then that's a very successful day. If I have managed to get out to the river on a warm summers evening and not thought about work for a few hours then that's pretty successful too. For me, the whole point about fishing is to get away from institutionalised notions of status and hierarchy. That doesn't mean I don't want to make a bit of progress, learn, expand my knowledge and broaden my fishing horizons- but on my terms. Combine that with some hearty banter with like minded folk and you have a bit of an antidote to what can feel like crushing work and domestic pressure.

 

[Neil Smart]

I know I should feel like Howard and Lee and the rest that have a certain inner contentment that they do it for them selves etc, and believe me that's a fine sentiment to have...

But I am driven by the Green Eyed Monster and if one day in the last season that demonstrates that was January last, when Joe Fletcher, (he sometimes puts up with me) sneaked out a session on the Lower Severn and fluked a handful of good winter barbel, it was bad enough me not fishing that day, it was mild and the Severn was brim full,so I decided I had to get up early the next day and put the record straight if I could.

And in some way I did, I managed two good fish, but that night before I could hardly sleep the adrenalin was pumping, I admit it I am a bad bad person

 

[Richard Parsons]

John - agree with much of what you say but also feel you're talking about 2% of anglers. The overwhelming majority just want to get on the bank from time to time, often living pressured lives, with (young) families...... It also my only chance to eat a nice meat pie (my wife's vegetarian).

As for the rest; whatever floats their boat. We're all motivated in different ways, after all.

 

[Howard Cooke]

I know I should feel like Howard and Lee and the rest that have a certain inner contentment that they do it for them selves etc, and believe me that's a fine sentiment to have...

But I am driven by the Green Eyed Monster and if one day in the last season that demonstrates that was January last, when Joe Fletcher, (he sometimes puts up with me) sneaked out a session on the Lower Severn and fluked a handful of good winter barbel, it was bad enough me not fishing that day, it was mild and the Severn was brim full,so I decided I had to get up early the next day and put the record straight if I could.

And in some way I did, I managed two good fish, but that night before I could hardly sleep the adrenalin was pumping, I admit it I am a bad bad person

But you have confessed now Neil and that means its all OK. And maybe this could be the start of a new thread "dirty tricks" in which folk share stories of the time or times they displayed unsportsmanlike behaviour. It could be quite cathartic and cleansing-all part of a close season clear out.

I admit that when I was 16 and fishing with my brother, sharing a rod, even though it was his turn, I demanded he hand me the rod when a good barbel was hooked, citing that by rights I should play the fish because it was in fact my rod and I had made the cast. A tug of war took place for what seemed like several minutes before we both realised that the fish had long since departed. We haven't spoken for 18 years.

 

[David Gauntlett]

For me, the sad part of just being yourself is the ridicule and sarcasm you can come up against if you admit to fishing JUST for fun. Or admit to loving fishing for it's own sake, REALLY loving it.....but not taking it too seriously. Or simply owning up to not being too competitive...and to enjoying just being there sometimes. I am not saying I don't gain huge pleasure from occasional exceptional days, just like everyone else, because I do, of course I do. I also have very fond memories of big catches or huge fish caught, I even admit to a bit of daft pride at times. They are all part of the bigger picture and part of, but certainly not the only reason...why we love the hobby. I do also feel saddened and disappointed when long looked forward to outing don't go as hoped, but....I am WAY to lazy I guess to strive to up my game. And that is NOT the manly way of doing things, is it I therefore do not often admit to being what I am....it is much more comfortable to just be me without the hassle of defending that stance

However ............having got all that off of my chest, I am not TOO sure I would recommend my way of doing things to others, because it does have it's down side....in my case, it almost makes all or most of the above a 'past tense' sort of thing. I used to absolutely love the long, lazy, hazy summer weekends by a carp lake. The pure peace and tranquillity, with the stress of the working week put firmly out of mind....utter contentment. In fact I loved all four seasons, for the range of possibilities and enjoyment the contrasting weather brought with it. The adrenalin rush of the alarms going off out of the blue, the joy of capturing stunning old English carp in all of those seasons...was often almost painful in it's intensity. For me, it doesn't get any better than that...the laid back anglers heaven

The downside is...you get older. The back pain gets to the 'awake all night' stage, because poorly designed bed chairs have taken their toll on an already knackered spine...the need for a proper toilet close at hand becomes more than an occasional nuisance...the old 'farmer Giles' make sitting sideways on a bedchair less than fun...and sadly, like all good things, it eventually comes to a sorry end. And you feel completely lost....sad and scrambling about for reasons to feel it will be OK, that you will find something just as suitable to replace it.

I have enjoyed my barbel fishing since then, I can't deny that. I always had a love for the little river I fish, so I had a sense of belonging when I returned, an awakening of memories I thought were lost. I have caught some stunning fish, and in fact my reacquaintance with rivers and and the different pace of fishing that brings has been quite exciting at times. However, an odd thing has happened, something that I guess revolves around my being a non driver, combined with the threat of that river being lost to me as well, due to the threat (however real that is) of the return of otters. I now feel oddly and increasingly restricted, a strange need to move on...a need I can't explain, and don't have the means to solve anyway. Why I feel that need now, I don't fully understand, but not being able to satisfy those urges has meant a complete slowing down in my fishing...a lack of what drive I did have, and a dreadful loss of enthusiasm. sad, but true.

Oh dear...I have been rambling again haven't I? Sorry

Cheers, Dave.

 

[Dave Powell]

Great post Dave.

Not suffering from the old Farmer Giles yet but bursitis and tennis elbow have seriously affected my fishing enjoyment this year. I'm wondering how long I'll be able to make those long walks away from the car park swims.

Dave

 

[Alex Gowney]

Let's not forget that people who deliberately set out to catch the largest fish they can fish for and beat their PB may also thoroughly enjoy their fishing. It seems to be fashionable to state that you no longer carry scales or care what a fish weighs. As long as a kingfisher flashes past and maybe a peregrine put's in an appearance a good day has been had. I like to fish where I know I have at least a chance of beating my PB and would rather catch one barbel beating it than four barbel equalling it. Each to their own, people fish for different reasons and as long as others aren't interfered with who cares about the reason we go?

 

[Neil Smart]

But you have confessed now Neil and that means its all OK. And maybe this could be the start of a new thread "dirty tricks" in which folk share stories of the time or times they displayed unsportsmanlike behaviour. It could be quite cathartic and cleansing-all part of a close season clear out.

I admit that when I was 16 and fishing with my brother, sharing a rod, even though it was his turn, I demanded he hand me the rod when a good barbel was hooked, citing that by rights I should play the fish because it was in fact my rod and I had made the cast. A tug of war took place for what seemed like several minutes before we both realised that the fish had long since departed. We haven't spoken for 18 years.

Yes to confess does ease the burden of guilt even for a non catholic, but I guess the reason we as anglers go fishing is that old hunting part of us that even ready made foods and a supermarket or three in every town cannot erase from man's need to be the Hunter Gatherer.

So, I was talking to a chap the other week who caught a 20lb Zander from the Lower Severn (OK the weight is disputed by other Hunter Gatherer's) but it was a very good fish none the less. He told me the next day none other that perhaps two of the best known of all celebrity anglers were in the area, in a boat thrashing the water.

Perhaps these two were demonstrating the worst (or best) in us? If you think that is nonsense then why do we go to extraordinary lengths to 'cover our tracks' and not divulge the smallest clue as to where our last 'kill' was made?

Perhaps in reality we are more competitive then we admit?

So I agree with you Howard, let's have some some real confessions, so much more fun

Steve could provide absolution, it's OK.

 

[Neil Smart]

For me, the sad part of just being yourself is the ridicule and sarcasm you can come up against if you admit to fishing JUST for fun. Or admit to loving fishing for it's own sake, REALLY loving it.....but not taking it too seriously. Or simply owning up to not being too competitive...and to enjoying just being there sometimes. I am not saying I don't gain huge pleasure from occasional exceptional days, just like everyone else, because I do, of course I do. I also have very fond memories of big catches or huge fish caught, I even admit to a bit of daft pride at times. They are all part of the bigger picture and part of, but certainly not the only reason...why we love the hobby. I do also feel saddened and disappointed when long looked forward to outing don't go as hoped, but....I am WAY to lazy I guess to strive to up my game. And that is NOT the manly way of doing things, is it I therefore do not often admit to being what I am....it is much more comfortable to just be me without the hassle of defending that stance

However ............having got all that off of my chest, I am not TOO sure I would recommend my way of doing things to others, because it does have it's down side....in my case, it almost makes all or most of the above a 'past tense' sort of thing. I used to absolutely love the long, lazy, hazy summer weekends by a carp lake. The pure peace and tranquillity, with the stress of the working week put firmly out of mind....utter contentment. In fact I loved all four seasons, for the range of possibilities and enjoyment the contrasting weather brought with it. The adrenalin rush of the alarms going off out of the blue, the joy of capturing stunning old English carp in all of those seasons...was often almost painful in it's intensity. For me, it doesn't get any better than that...the laid back anglers heaven

The downside is...you get older. The back pain gets to the 'awake all night' stage, because poorly designed bed chairs have taken their toll on an already knackered spine...the need for a proper toilet close at hand becomes more than an occasional nuisance...the old 'farmer Giles' make sitting sideways on a bedchair less than fun...and sadly, like all good things, it eventually comes to a sorry end. And you feel completely lost....sad and scrambling about for reasons to feel it will be OK, that you will find something just as suitable to replace it.

I have enjoyed my barbel fishing since then, I can't deny that. I always had a love for the little river I fish, so I had a sense of belonging when I returned, an awakening of memories I thought were lost. I have caught some stunning fish, and in fact my reacquaintance with rivers and and the different pace of fishing that brings has been quite exciting at times. However, an odd thing has happened, something that I guess revolves around my being a non driver, combined with the threat of that river being lost to me as well, due to the threat (however real that is) of the return of otters. I now feel oddly and increasingly restricted, a strange need to move on...a need I can't explain, and don't have the means to solve anyway. Why I feel that need now, I don't fully understand, but not being able to satisfy those urges has meant a complete slowing down in my fishing...a lack of what drive I did have, and a dreadful loss of enthusiasm. sad, but true.

Oh dear...I have been rambling again haven't I? Sorry

Cheers, Dave.

Top post Dave...keep on rambling

 

[Stuart Prescott]

Perhaps these two were demonstrating the worst (or best) in us? If you think that is nonsense then why do we go to extraordinary lengths to 'cover our tracks' and not divulge the smallest clue as to wear our last 'kill' was made?

Perhaps in reality we are more competitive then we admit?
.

i cover my tracks , like others , to try and protect what i have .plain and simple

there are far too many lurkers on here . people who have contributed zero in the time they parted with the sky diver to join this forum . why should they piggy back any work i put in ? glory hunters , lurkers ...call them what you want , i dont care

ok , i wont put specifics up of anything i get . if im brutally honest i rarely post catch report on here anyway , one of the reasons being above , the other is i dont actually get out half as much as what i used to , i spend more time out of the country than in it !

i have been lucky enough to take some good fish from the rivers i fish , some of them have been very good . is it broadcasted ? NO

i fish for myself , always have done always will . im not into the fame game , never have , never will be . i dont chase the fish like some . i could but choose not to .

way i see it is , if a record graces my net then fantastic . but i wont lose any sleep if it doesnt and i certainly wont be chasing the fish

fishing and what each person gets out of it is different for each individual . if putting the extra pressure on , trying to shine in the reflected fame and glory of others whilst trying to make a name for yourself is what flicks your switch , then you are very welcome to it , me .... i will just plod on in the shadows enjoying the days out and laughs with friends

 

[Anthony Pearson]

Dave Powell wrote:

I'm wondering how long I'll be able to make those long walks away from the car park swims.

A similar thought crossed my mind the other week when trying to get out of six-feet-deep water on the Nidd! Having tumbled headlong into the river, with all my gear either around my kneck or in my hands, it occurred to me that in eight years time I would be a sexagenarian and the precipitous banks of this wonderful river may become an obstacle too far! As I see it, I'll keep doing it until it becomes impractical. As far as the distant swims go, Dave, I'm already on them for similar reasons.