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A Lack of Interest

Targeting specific fish is a very good way of keeping your enthusiasm. After a week in France a few years ago, in which I caught more 20s and 30s than I had previously caught in my life, I realised the only way to keep enthusiastic catching smaller fish is to target a specific individual - or a bench-mark size of a species. Thus, for the past several years I have been after a 15lb plus barbel from my local Great Ouse. It's an uphill paper-round, that's for sure, and increasingly unlikely, but it's what gets me out and onto the bank.

Another target is a specific carp that I have seen in a local, rarely fished gravel pit. It's a great looking, pale golden almost linear fish of about 20lb. No great size really, but I want it. In the close season I watched it, and fed it (and several other big doubles and low 20s) pellets in 12" of water from just a couple of feet away and for some reason it has left a lasting impact upon me.

One thing I always try to have in mind is that there is always more to fishing than catching fish. Very important that.
 
Well known saying " you can have too much of a good thing " unless i win the lottery this will never happen. If i'm lucky, i get to fish the rivers a dozen times a year. And on each occasion, i'm like a kid at christmas. Whether it be fishing a stick for roach/dace, or on the tip for chub/barbel. ANY FISH IS A BONUS. I like nothing better than just being on the river. The escape from the outside world, driving a cab for upto 16 hrs a day, just to make ends meet. I.ve sat in the snow on the Severn, in the middle of winter, and couldn't have give a s***e whether i caught or not, just being there was enough. and occasionally, dreams do come true, in the shape of a 5.5 chub. It could just as well have been a 1/4 oz minnow, and i,d have been just as grateful. If you feel the need to take a break, then do so. But NEVER EVER sell your gear, you.ll live to regret it. After reading another thread, i,ve taken the plunge and ordered a centerpin, ( my first ), not an expensive one by any means, but hopefully, one that will put me even closer to nature. What more could anyone want. Regards Derek.
 
Derek Funcks said:
Well known saying " you can have too much of a good thing " unless i win the lottery this will never happen. If i'm lucky, i get to fish the rivers a dozen times a year. And on each occasion, i'm like a kid at christmas. Whether it be fishing a stick for roach/dace, or on the tip for chub/barbel. ANY FISH IS A BONUS. I like nothing better than just being on the river. The escape from the outside world, driving a cab for upto 16 hrs a day, just to make ends meet. I.ve sat in the snow on the Severn, in the middle of winter, and couldn't have give a s***e whether i caught or not, just being there was enough. and occasionally, dreams do come true, in the shape of a 5.5 chub. It could just as well have been a 1/4 oz minnow, and i,d have been just as grateful. If you feel the need to take a break, then do so. But NEVER EVER sell your gear, you.ll live to regret it. After reading another thread, i,ve taken the plunge and ordered a centerpin, ( my first ), not an expensive one by any means, but hopefully, one that will put me even closer to nature. What more could anyone want. Regards Derek.
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But NEVER EVER sell your gear, you.ll live to regret it.

tell me about it, oh well, i was young...:(
 
Whatever the reason for the lack of interest, and however long it lasts, never get rid of your fishing tackle. Ive known anglers who have given up for good, sold everything and then within 12 -18 months they are replacing everything. One has given up 'for good' three times to my knowledge.

Over the years I've had a few member's of the group I belong to say they have lost interest and were intent on leaving, fortunately they all changed their minds and their results were better than before.
Me? Ive never lost interest and I'm just as enthusiastic now, especially about my chub fishing, as I was 30 - 35 years ago, sadly it's my body that lets me down :(
 
Lack of enthusiasm

Nothing like a visit of the mother in law to get you out of the house no matter how dire the conditions. Indirectly I have her to thank for some of my best catches Xmas before last. Never sell your tackle, be prepared for the next visit! And, try some other species to perk things up - trout are normally obliging.
 
Looking out the window at the COLD rain that is pouring down at the moment I feel a distinct lack of interest coming on!:eek:
 
Up until this season i was on the Great Ouse at least once a week and upto 3 years ago i was doing fairly well,but as the catch rate dwindled as did the fish numbers in the river ive found it increasingly hard to get my rear into gear.I now find myself concentrating on other hobbies...........having said that i just might go down there next thursday or friday.
Atb......Paul...(glutton for punishment)
 
Up until about three or four years ago, while I was carp fishing, I was going right through the winter most years. I have lost count of the times I have fished through gales, with trees crashing down nearby, snow storms leaving the top of the bivvy bowed under the weight...sometimes snug in my bivvy for a week at a time in deep snow or breaking the ice from round my lines each morning to wind in...there are many on here who will know exactly what I mean, 'cos they have been there, done that as well :D

Thing is, I relate this only to demonstrate how keen I was...was being the operative word, because suddeny I lost it....well, not quite suddenly, because there were a few dodgy periods towards the end, on hindsight. However, after nearly 60 years of being keen as a knife...I lost all my drive and enthusiasm. I am aware that physical probs and health issues played a part (a BIG part I guess)...but I am still bemused by the totality of it.

I did get it back a bit during last close season, when I decided to go back to my roots and get back on a river...got excited and spent a lot of money on new barbel gear. Sadly, things have not gone as planned...I have had a few, including several doubles, so that's not the problem...but again, health issues have had an effect, and now I am struggling to muster any enthusiasm once more. Not to be beaten, I have now bought a trotting rod to bolster my spirits...I will get to use it soon...I have promised myself :eek:

Keep on keeping on lads :)

Cheers, Dave.
 
I had a period when I was becoming a little to keen on slogging it out for barbel no matter what , gradually it dawned on me that all I was doing was endurance angling , patience and persistence was one thing , but it was getting a bit out of hand and the negative vibes were setting in , I ended up just getting fed up and almost resentful , not good for the soul . Angling has been great therapy for me , it has kept me sane through some difficult times . If things are getting a bit too much now I will simply get my float rod, a tub of maggots and go fishing like I did when I was a kid just to catch whatever came along . My current favourite , gudgeon . try it ...
 
Been thinking all night about baits, mainly because i'm damned if i can be bothered to go out at the moment :) got the ultimate HNV in my head, got all winter to sort it properly and next spring/summer i'm off !! can't wait !

Gudgeon eh? that reminds me, those Perch need a re-visit, never had a 5 :D
 
Disenchantment

Mike Hodgkiss said:
Lush , you leave those poor gudgeon alone you horrible live baiting type !Use ruddy great lobworms instead widens your options :D
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As you get older, the drive goes, but not for everything. So on those wet windy cold days, I tend to get out the Werthers. After all, how many old fools do you see bivvied up? No a comfortable bed is much more appealing, although an exception could be made if Mylene happened to be bivvied up in the next peg along in which case I'd gladly spent time discussing rigs and tackle.
 
David Gauntlett said:
Not to be beaten, I have now bought a trotting rod to bolster my spirits...I will get to use it soon...I have promised myself :o

Keep on keeping on lads :)

Cheers, Dave.
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Well thats what I did, and it certainly helped me, took me back to my roots. Confidence plays a huge part in Barbel fishing I reckon, and catching plenty of silvers got me back with the right attitude, and the result was a best barbel to date.
Best of luck with your therapy Dave. hope you come back a new man and keen as mustard:)
 
What's the answer when you break out the worms and maggots on a water that's stuffed full of perch and still catch bugger all?:eek:;):D
 
We can easily get in a rut, barbel fishing even at start of season where rivers in need of water as this season. For first time in years I fished for bream on both feeder & float in closed season, so I carried on into river season as waste of time driving 110 miles to Severn for not much. When rivers in better condition I even stuck to float fishing for Dace,roach etc instead of barbelling until now. As I just go in afternoon on local river Dane for a few hours with not much gear...enjoyed it more.
 
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