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Lucky anglers?

Pete Fox

Pete Fox

Active Member
Been thinking (yes it did hurt) but why do some people consistently catch significantly more than others that seem to be fishing in similar ways?
I really feel for my mate, so often he's had a biteless day when I've had a fish or two and a few knocks. He's no idiot and we are fishing identical baits and methods but he's rapidly losing all confidence and I can't see any thing he's doing wrong. Is it that he's repelling fish or that I'm attracting them???
Just wondering why that may be, I know there are theories involving pheromones etc. but what do we think?

Pete
 
I think experience means you get 'lucky'.

My friend who I carp fish with has been a fishing a lake since he was 8. He trounces me on there each and every single time we have ever fished it together. We use the same bait, same rigs and fish the same spots.

I hate him.

I am threatening to take him barbel fishing but I'm scared he'll catch them all and show everyone up.
 
I believe that confidence has a lot to do with catching consistently, how many times have we gone out not expecting to catch and just going through the motions? I know i have a few times and it usualy ends in a blank, having confidence in your methods/bait etc will vastly improve your results add to that a bit of luck and you wont go far wrong
 
Simon Haggis said:
I think experience means you get 'lucky'.

My friend who I carp fish with has been a fishing a lake since he was 8. He trounces me on there each and every single time we have ever fished it together. We use the same bait, same rigs and fish the same spots.

I hate him.

I am threatening to take him barbel fishing but I'm scared he'll catch them all and show everyone up.
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:D:D:D priceless!

I can level with this, I've a mate who does this more often than not, thankfully he doesn't go that often anymore! Though he would argue that while he consistently catches more fish, I tend to pull out the bigger one's from time to time.
I think its a big slice of luck, coupled with confidence. You do fish better when your confident.
 
Always been told by a local angler that its "Better to be lucky than good"
 
Clive Shipman said:
Always been told by a local angler that its "Better to be lucky than good"
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I have to go along with that...I certainly don't qualify as good.
I do seem to be a very lucky angler...Perhaps sheer bloody-minded persistence plays a part?
 
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Mark Walters said:
I believe that confidence has a lot to do with catching consistently, how many times have we gone out not expecting to catch and just going through the motions? I know i have a few times and it usualy ends in a blank, having confidence in your methods/bait etc will vastly improve your results add to that a bit of luck and you wont go far wrong
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Spot on.

Its all about confidence. I believe you make your own luck.

Its not something i think you can change by trying to think positively.

I had a shocking season 08/09. Fished many many hours in different areas using different tactics for very little reward. I was constantly banging my head off the proverbial brick wall because others were enjoying varying degrees of success using identical methods and soon enough i was going fishing in desperate hope rather than quietly confident expectation.

A couple of lads who fish the same rivers kept my chin up when i couldn't and this season has been much much better, not only for the fish, but for my confidence. I go out now and just enjoy being out. If a fish comes then great. If it doesn't theres always something to be learnt.
 
Not totally convinced it's just confidence, sometimes done ok when feeling very lacklustre, but I'm sure it does play a large part.
Perhaps the fact that I don't really care too much whether I catch or not, there's always another day.
Does the way we feel about our quarry effect our results...I'm by no means superstitious but are there forces at work here? After all I believe there was some convincing evidence that plants responded to 'good vibes' so why not fish?
Or maybe I'm thinking/drinking too much!

Pete
 
Peter, i too have a similar attitude, just being on the river bank is enough. Any fish are a bonus. But i do think you need to lay off the jungle juice, i don't think anyone has stuck their head under the water and talked to the fish. Or have they ? ;)
 
As I go through blank spells (Fairly regularly I'm afraid!!) I always tell myself that each blank session is getting me closer to the next red letter fish as opposed to further away from the last one....

....seems to make me feel a little better about the situation :)

One thing I will never do though....change proven methods/baits/spots as this is the road to ruin !!!!


Paul
 
Fish location is obviously crucial . you can't catch fish that arent there no matter hows 'good 'you are , I guess thats where watercraft comes in . Beyond that its down to confidence and persistence . Think like a fish .....
 
Never under estimate, quite simply, being in the right place at the right time, especially when it comes to big rivers where you can't see the fish. That's what I tell myself on the Thames where barbel can turn up any place at any time. As many bank hours as you can throw at it with the best baits and rigs can all count for nothing if the fish aren't in front of you :(.

I hope to improve my luck come the new season by only fishing prebaited swims in rotation rather than 'chuck it & chance it '!

Duncan.
 
Luck plays such a big part in angling success that it should be bottled as a bait additive & if you desire or hanker after something too much it very rarely materialises. In angling literature & history there are examples of luck playing a big part in fish captures.
For example you have Dean Rawlings record perch (5lb 9oz) & in the book Mega Pike the Return (which i am currently reading) a fellow caught a 35lb+ pike from notoriously tough Blithfield Reservoir, which picked up his static lure while he sorted out a massive "birds nest" caused by the fatal combination of braid + wind.

I used to believe that confidence was the key ingredient to angling success but after catching my pb barbel on an evening, when due to extenuating circumstances,i would rather have been in doors staring at the walls & downing copious amounts of brandy. The only reason that i was on the river was that i had arranged to meet my dad & i didn't want to let him down(well there is the inheritence ;)).So my mind wasn't really focused on the task in hand & i didn't really care,which possibly has a greater influence than confidence.
This flippant attitude was also the key to success when Lee Jackson caught Two Tone from conningbrook.From a wrriten account, i read in another book, he said that he didn't really fancy going the day he caught her but thought he would due to the fact he had other committments that may prevent him from visiting the venue for a while.Also unlike most of his previous sessions where thoughts of catching the "big girl" were all consuming on this particular session the thought never even entered his head.

So enjoy your surroundings,relax & hope that fate smiles on you.:)

Regards

Andy
 
Confidence definitely plays a part in it, just think of the times when you really get on a roll and everything is going right and wherever you go you seem to catch what you are after. Always nice to look back on these spells when you are back to blanking again!

I think instinct also plays a big part, and you end up doing something without even realising that you are doing it, that puts you onto a big fish. Think how often you turn up on a water, can't find any fish or see anything rolling but get a feelign that you should go in a certain spot, or even being in a swim and getting an urge to cast to a certain place within that swim - and I'm talking about when there is nothing obvious on the surface to make you fish there.

Can't remember who said it, but there is a saying that the more you practice the luckier you get, or something along those lines. Which i think is very true.
 
I hope to improve my luck next season by wearing my lucky hat, socks and pants, by putting my right shoe on first and only casting with my eyes shut.
 
Andy Hunter said:
So my mind wasn't really focused on the task in hand & i didn't really care,which possibly has a greater influence than confidence.

This flippant attitude was also the key to success when Lee Jackson caught Two Tone from conningbrook.From a wrriten account, i read in another book, he said that he didn't really fancy going the day he caught her but thought he would due to the fact he had other committments that may prevent him from visiting the venue for a while.Also unlike most of his previous sessions where thoughts of catching the "big girl" were all consuming on this particular session the thought never even entered his head.
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That's interesting. Chris Yates used to say that he used to pretend he wasn't interested in the carp and he had to look away to try and catch them.

I normally make tea, take my trousers off to put my thermals on underneath etc, anything to make the fish think I am totally unprepared for that magic bite. Which funnily enough I always am..:rolleyes:
 
Definetly agree with you Gary that instinct or that "gut feeling" that you should be fishing in a cartain location can & does result in a capture of a target specimen & the venues i fish you wouldn't get very far without time & effort.But when i have adopted a more casual approach to my angling & go out with a more carefree attitude,i seem to do better than when i crave it!
Confidence is a by-product of success but dosen't necessarily lead to it.On many occasions i've been in a good swim on a river that looks spot on,thinking it's just a matter of time till the tip wraps round & still go home with my blankty blank cheque book & pen.

Regards

Andy
 
Andy,
Totally agree about when you want it too much then you often don't catch. I have seen people 'burn-out' through trying too hard and setting their sights too high, and in the end forgetting why they are there in the first place - to enjoy themselves!
Once it becomes an effort and you have to force yourself to go then you should take a break or go and fish for something else to get everything back into perspective. You see plenty of anglers who have a great season or two and then you never hear anything more of them.

Personally i fish on average 5 nights a week (not always a full night) and love every minute of it, even though it can sometimes be an effort to go sometimes after a day in the office when it is tipping it down with rain or you sit in traffic for a couple of hours to get there, but once I'm actually there it all seems worthwhile, even when i blank!
 
I'm not convinced by the confidence argument. I've been full of confidence only to result in a run of blanks which have inevitably sapped that confidence. Without changing a thing the run has come to an end when confidence has been at its lowest ebb.
Sheer bloody minded persistence and time on the bank are far more important than confidence.;)
 
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