Nigel Whittingham
Senior Member & Supporter
Fish are not intelligent! We as anglers like to believe they are as it makes our captures seem more of an achievement.
Catching the biggest (or a named) fish is harder because you are narrowing down the odds greatly, not because that particular fish is cleverer than the average. Good watercraft helps & time on the bank usually improves the odds. Finding a water with the fish in it is imperative (obviously) then finding an area where that fish is while you’re there is most of the battle. Time is then a big part, if you can do the first two regularly you are going to catch that fish in the end.
The simpler the rig, the better. Rigs are these days invented to bulk out articles and make the author seem as though they are more clever than the reader. There is only so much can be said about a fishing trip in an article and not much that hasn’t been said before so a ‘new’ rig is a must.
Carp fishing relies on these myths with angling ‘gods’ created and products sold out within days to poor people trying to emulate those fishing gods & save themselves putting any effort in. I have in the past fished with some of the angling ‘gods’ (my heroes at the time) and was surprised that they were doing nothing different to me and weren’t actually using a lot of the crap they were pushing!
Time after time an inexperienced angler drops into the right spot and catches something special because they have done all the right things without knowing!
Expensive boilies are best, maggots are best, pellets are best. Everyone can’t be right so in truth, they ALL work if everything comes together on the day.
Confidence is a key part of catching along with a lot of luck. Sitting (or lying) in a bivvy with a few of the latest rigs/baits for days on end will eventually pay off and so will dropping in the right spot for an hour after work.
As long as you’re enjoying yourself and you have realistic targets & you are catching fish it’s all good and you are winning.
The people you need to look up to are the guys that go out every week and catch specimens regularly without bragging or feeling the need to gain any sort of fame. They always seem to look rather ‘plain’ and go about it without being noticed with run of the mill gear & simple baits.
I was quite successful back in the day as i was part of the circus, chasing the fish, always searching for the next water, paying thousands to get in syndicates to be able to catch what i wanted whether it be Bream, Tench, roach etc until i burned myself out. I now prefer to ‘pleasure fish’ for specimens and appreciate what is classed as a ‘specimen’ for the water i fancy fishing regardless of the actual weight.
Of course there are good rigs & not so good rigs (the hair rig was the only REAL jump forward) but i really don’t believe there are any baits or wonder rigs that actually make a difference as its all down to being in the right place at the right time. Everyone has their own favourite they believe in and they must work or they wouldn’t be doing it.
Sorry if that was a long read but hope it makes sense?
Catching the biggest (or a named) fish is harder because you are narrowing down the odds greatly, not because that particular fish is cleverer than the average. Good watercraft helps & time on the bank usually improves the odds. Finding a water with the fish in it is imperative (obviously) then finding an area where that fish is while you’re there is most of the battle. Time is then a big part, if you can do the first two regularly you are going to catch that fish in the end.
The simpler the rig, the better. Rigs are these days invented to bulk out articles and make the author seem as though they are more clever than the reader. There is only so much can be said about a fishing trip in an article and not much that hasn’t been said before so a ‘new’ rig is a must.
Carp fishing relies on these myths with angling ‘gods’ created and products sold out within days to poor people trying to emulate those fishing gods & save themselves putting any effort in. I have in the past fished with some of the angling ‘gods’ (my heroes at the time) and was surprised that they were doing nothing different to me and weren’t actually using a lot of the crap they were pushing!
Time after time an inexperienced angler drops into the right spot and catches something special because they have done all the right things without knowing!
Expensive boilies are best, maggots are best, pellets are best. Everyone can’t be right so in truth, they ALL work if everything comes together on the day.
Confidence is a key part of catching along with a lot of luck. Sitting (or lying) in a bivvy with a few of the latest rigs/baits for days on end will eventually pay off and so will dropping in the right spot for an hour after work.
As long as you’re enjoying yourself and you have realistic targets & you are catching fish it’s all good and you are winning.
The people you need to look up to are the guys that go out every week and catch specimens regularly without bragging or feeling the need to gain any sort of fame. They always seem to look rather ‘plain’ and go about it without being noticed with run of the mill gear & simple baits.
I was quite successful back in the day as i was part of the circus, chasing the fish, always searching for the next water, paying thousands to get in syndicates to be able to catch what i wanted whether it be Bream, Tench, roach etc until i burned myself out. I now prefer to ‘pleasure fish’ for specimens and appreciate what is classed as a ‘specimen’ for the water i fancy fishing regardless of the actual weight.
Of course there are good rigs & not so good rigs (the hair rig was the only REAL jump forward) but i really don’t believe there are any baits or wonder rigs that actually make a difference as its all down to being in the right place at the right time. Everyone has their own favourite they believe in and they must work or they wouldn’t be doing it.
Sorry if that was a long read but hope it makes sense?