No passion for angling?

[Graham Elliott]

Not having read the other contributing posts. I fully understand what your saying.

Once upon a time as a youngster, I recall the sleepless nights before the following days early start & getting up with my brother at 4am brings back wonderful memories. Even cycling to the nearest angling shop to buy 5 or 6 pints of maggots was very exciting for us both at the time.
Fast forward a few years and around 18 yes old fishing the Windrush, I caught an opening day 6lb plus chub, and my first ever barbel, unfortunately it was a humped back specimen, and full of ulcers, so not the most thrilling of captures, but a barbel nonetheless.
Heading to my 20's 30's I had a few barbel days with the likes of Trefor West, and our very own Graham Elliott (affectionately known as the silver fox on here a few yrs back) catching a few barbel with Trefor down at Lacock on the Bristol Avon, and with Graham on the Kennet, where we caught one barbel from memory, but I ended up with fish well into 14lb thereafter. So it was the likes of Graham and Trefor that gave me the specimen hunters addiction I had in me & was thankful for having it!

Now, I've not fished seriously for barbel in a few years, mainly due to declined numbers of that species where I am, but there's still a few knocking around....some may recall I lost my brother 3 yrs ago now, all of a sudden whilst he was on holiday with his wife and kids, and having him repatriated took over 6 weeks, so understandably my fishing sibling is no longer around and I lost all enthusiasm for the sport...
I'm only starting to seriously think about making a return now, but with my brother passing away impacted me so badly, to the point of just thinking what I needed for a days fishing was too much for me to think about... I just couldn't do it!

So as life's changed I'm not as passionate about angling as I once was, this current pace of life is ridiculous, where you don't feel you have the time or energy after work to get out to fish. But I do know that once I do sort myself out, it'll be the best thing I've done in the past few years!

I'm going to fish without expectations as well, and come away from the specimen fishing mentality , as I think that too started to impact on my enjoyment for the sport. And I was setting too higher expectations on my self and started to not enjoy being out bankside.

No. I'm going to go out, fish in the shade of an old tree, hold the rod tightly and have a snooze if I so wish, whilst listening out for a kingfisher, Swifts or Swallows above, or get awoken by a 16lb plus barbel. I'm just going to get out in the countryside and find some peace & quiet!

Lovely Julian.

Different types of fishing is the key.
Fly fishing for Zander, Trout, Carp and Pike.
Float fishing for all types. Including the challenge of Mullet.
Spring chasing tench, feeder or float.

And as you say, relax.

 

[Jon Young]

One thing I would add on the nature side is I love seeing all the different animals barring rats and otters. The mice I can handle although I don’t like being sat shoulder to shoulder in undergrowth when it gets dark and they’re russling about right next to you. Otters I don’t like for obvious reasons but I hate when they creep up on you in the dark, see you then dive under the water making you jump out your skin

 

[Neil Smart]

With you on that Jon, just to think many civvies would give their right arm just to glimpse an Otter in the wild.
But they are incredible and for me although can ruin a session they are now embedded into our rivers and we can hope there is now a sustainable balance.
It's not what you can see it's as you say all that rustling that normally ends temporarily with a conversation with a bank stick.
As a body of eccentric society misfits Anglers are well placed in seeing things others don't from swimming grass snakes to big cats, and I I wouldn't change a bit of it, thank God for fishing.

 

[Stephen Crowhurst]

I don’t think a day will ever come where nearly standing on a Pheasant and the resulting chaos does t make me jump.

 

[Joe Winstanley]

I don’t think a day will ever come where nearly standing on a Pheasant and the resulting chaos does t make me jump.

I'm sure they must account for the deaths of a lot old people each year.

 

[Carl Massey]

You can have both. I’ve just spent nearly 48hrs on the tidal Trent with my 9 year old daughter. She loved it - the camping out, the food, taking photos of nature and the sunsets and enthusiastically showing me the pictures. She’s been Carp fishing with me a couple of times and always comments how good food tastes when we’re outdoors, our morning bacon sandwiches especially…

We watched the lambs playing around us and saw a Fox swim right across the river early one morning. Virtually no sound other than the animals and the occasional train horn from the East Coast Mainline a few miles away. Just us and one other angler on the 1.5 mile stretch. Has to be like a military operation in the packing and preparation though, but there’s plenty of time to wind down. I wouldn’t do this for a single night.

She’d already decided she wanted to come again before we’d even caught anything! We did catch a few though.

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Great picture Rob (and daughter)! I think that certainly sums up fishing as there’s achievement but more just the pure joy of it all.

I started this thread after contemplating live (my live really) while sat in the conservatory watching that spider weave it’s web. How something so small and innocent can make something so wonderful. Why, in this mad world humanity can’t come to terms with living with one another. It’s really quite sad. This post is / was my way of reaching out and seeking a little justification for my going fishing. Why I’ve spent a “few pounds” getting some really nice fishing gear again after having a break for some time. I was more questioning my own passion for angling now than really asking your good selves. I like Julian have lost people very dear to me, and most recently one of my parents. Grief is a strange thing so upon reading his lovely words about his brother and his struggles to go fishing I really do get it.

Fishing instils all those good things in life as I have many great memories of catching, and losing some big fish (we never forgot those do we). It is certainly my way to escape the senseless world out there and for a few hours just sit on the riverbank and reset.

The next best thing to fishing is talking about it and I feel like this forum feels like stepping into the nice homely country pub, let’s call it the Barbel Arms. I haven’t met any of you but I sort of know a little bit about you. Thank you for all the knowledge so it’s time to go fishing again. I tip my cap and raise a glass to all.

Tight lines.

 

[Chris Belcher]

Agree with Graham . . . mixing it up is key, as is fishing to conditions / seasons etc

As a carp angler primarily I love all the tech / bling / home comforts at my disposal and will happily blank for 48hrs+ without a care in the world . . .as long as I'm presented correctly I'm quite happy waiting it out for a biggie whilst cooking / reading / listening to LBC / drinking endless cups of t / the odd half bottle of red and vaping too much whilst I watch the world go by. . .spring & autumn are key periods; winter is too wet/muddy & cold to sit it out irrespective of how good my Fortis bag is and I've wasted far too much time historically for little return . . .

Summer / Winter I'd generally much rather be doing days on the river or maybe evenings on an intimate estate lake - love an early start (and finish) in near darkness and the simplicity of travelling light / watching a pair of tips without always knowing whats on the other end (hopefully a PB barbel or chub) or freelining mixers on the top using a braided mainline and a soft rod (for carp) always keeps me interested . . .

Trotting for all species is def still a passion as this was how I started as a boy . . .there's nothing more hypnotising than wading out as far as you dare and watching a float meander down a glide / run in search of a monster - for me its arguably still one of the purest forms of angling

More recently I've really started to enjoy my holiday fishing abroad - I'm not talking about a week chasing fat mud pigs at Etang du Whatever (although I have had lots of awesome French Carping adventures tbf) . . . this is about sneaking a 5x piece travel rod and a small bag of lures / terminal tackle in the suitcase and sloping off when shes nodded off on the sunbeds . . . chasing mullet in the harbour with a float / lure fishing for bass / chatting up the hotel restaurant for a small bag of squid and then lobbing out a simple heli-rig off the marina wall and touch ledgering for a whole host of creatures, some of which (as a sea fishing noddy) I've no idea what they actually are . . . . .awesome!

 

[Christian Tyroll]

This morning I couldn’t sleep and was up having my first coffee at 04:15 watching the sun come up and see the world go by in the conservatory. While watching a small house spider carefully weave its web across the corner of the room I was think why do we go fishing. The modern trend seems to be for a strategic, almost militarized approach. Certainly for those carp guys (and I do fish for carp) the point of going fishing seems more of a camping trip, but are we moving that way with some our fishing for barbel.
I like to think that my fishing trips are my means to unwind and get outside away from the hustle and bustle of our busy lives. Yes, I want to catch a fish or two but I also enjoy where I am and feel very fortunate to be there. I’ll take as much pleasure seeing the occasional kingfisher fly by, or maybe land on the rod if you’re very lucky. There’s always the robin who finds a liking to whatever bait I’ve got close by, and who’s not smiled when they take a few maggots or other delicious offerings. The point I’m trying to make here is we go fishing to catch fish, but are we losing our love of being on the riverbank and not embracing the fact of what nature has to offer.
There’s certainly more to fishing than catching fish so are we losing our passion for angling?

The last few years I’ve had too much going on, or been in places where getting to the bank is not something I can do every week.

So for this reason I’ve put a lot in to prep, or planning and choosing my time when the conditions are good and I can get a run of sessions together.

It would be nice to be more relaxed and less fussed about catching but I still enjoy all the little stuff as much as ever. The birds I see or hear mean as much to me as the fish and I love being out there in the same way as I always have. Less time means I generally try harder to catch when I go though.

With regards to barbel fishing turning in to carping, personally I don’t think that will ever happen to me. Part of the appeal of barbel fishing is moving around, not carrying much and having a chance of catching something in a couple of hours fishing.

If I put as much effort in to barbel fishing and caught as little as I do when carping then I probably wouldn't bother. Unless it was the Thames, then I’d forget everything I just said

 

[David Tainton]

This morning I couldn’t sleep and was up having my first coffee at 04:15 watching the sun come up and see the world go by in the conservatory. While watching a small house spider carefully weave its web across the corner of the room I was think why do we go fishing. The modern trend seems to be for a strategic, almost militarized approach. Certainly for those carp guys (and I do fish for carp) the point of going fishing seems more of a camping trip, but are we moving that way with some our fishing for barbel.
I like to think that my fishing trips are my means to unwind and get outside away from the hustle and bustle of our busy lives. Yes, I want to catch a fish or two but I also enjoy where I am and feel very fortunate to be there. I’ll take as much pleasure seeing the occasional kingfisher fly by, or maybe land on the rod if you’re very lucky. There’s always the robin who finds a liking to whatever bait I’ve got close by, and who’s not smiled when they take a few maggots or other delicious offerings. The point I’m trying to make here is we go fishing to catch fish, but are we losing our love of being on the riverbank and not embracing the fact of what nature has to offer.
There’s certainly more to fishing than catching fish so are we losing our passion for angling?

100% agree with your views-fishing is there to help with our wellbeing and mental health (it was about survival and a source of protein). Fishing and catching fish for me is just part of a good day connecting with nature and people. Have caught lots of fish of all species and lots of big fish-for the last 10 years have hardly fished, and when I do its about enjoyment and what I will see. Starting to fish again (Barbel) and wish (???) I had the fire I did 20 years ago-realise it won't be the same, Dick Walkers comment resonates-"First you want to catch a fish, then lot's of fish, then a big fish, then THAT fish" (my take on the quote-not verbatim)! THink at the moment that fish is a 4 oz Barbel rather than a 16 pounder. My birding and mountains are more important at mo-but that will change and will obsess about fishing again. I also love a chinwag on the bank, tho can be a bit boring!

 

[Alex Gowney]

Some interesting points of view, and many varied ones too. I am not an angler who considers catching a fish to be a "bonus". That's the reason I go fishing, not to look at wildlife., wildlife is the bonus. I wouldn't take my chair and flask and sit on the bank for hours soaking up the peace and tranquillity, even though I don't dispute there's pleasure to be had in this. But by the same token I wouldn't fish somewhere in unpleasant surroundings just to catch a fish, so I suppose it's a bit of a compromise. Blanking has never been a problem, but this is more due to the fact that I tend to fish stretches that contain bigger fish, and these are invariably harder, certainly where rivers are concerned.

But my favourite surroundings, where I do enjoy just being there as much as catching, is on a warm summers night, on a riverbank, nobody else around, all traffic noise has stopped and the stars look as big as Christmas tree lights. That is one scenario I do love just "being there".

 

[Lawrence Breakspear]

This morning I couldn’t sleep and was up having my first coffee at 04:15 watching the sun come up and see the world go by in the conservatory. While watching a small house spider carefully weave its web across the corner of the room I was think why do we go fishing. The modern trend seems to be for a strategic, almost militarized approach. Certainly for those carp guys (and I do fish for carp) the point of going fishing seems more of a camping trip, but are we moving that way with some our fishing for barbel.
I like to think that my fishing trips are my means to unwind and get outside away from the hustle and bustle of our busy lives. Yes, I want to catch a fish or two but I also enjoy where I am and feel very fortunate to be there. I’ll take as much pleasure seeing the occasional kingfisher fly by, or maybe land on the rod if you’re very lucky. There’s always the robin who finds a liking to whatever bait I’ve got close by, and who’s not smiled when they take a few maggots or other delicious offerings. The point I’m trying to make here is we go fishing to catch fish, but are we losing our love of being on the riverbank and not embracing the fact of what nature has to offer.
There’s certainly more to fishing than catching fish so are we losing our passion for angling?

Eloquently put Carl, the passion, the philosophy and the individuality of barbel fishing has been eroded and is being lost in favour of mechanisation, with barbel being reduced to a commodity within a business model of commercialisation. We have an approach by some, where barbel anglers cast out and go to bed and fish over multi day and milti night sessions with multi rod set ups, the days of short early morning and evening sessions are gone for some, my old mate Fred Crouch is not only turning in his grave, he will be also shedding tears.

The desire to 'Understand Barbel', which was very much a part of being a successful barbel angler have gone, the poetry of barbel fishing has also gone, metaphorically speaking it has been replaced by a loud, soulless, thoughtless noise...

Lovely Julian.

Different types of fishing is the key.
Fly fishing for Zander, Trout, Carp and Pike.
Float fishing for all types. Including the challenge of Mullet.
Spring chasing tench, feeder or float.

And as you say, relax.

 

[Carl Massey]

Another week goes by and we’re nearly in July already. I’m sure ‘him above’ makes that clock go faster as we get older!

Having read a few updates on the forum and certainly regarding this post there is a lot of passion around. That’s great and this really is more my observations having been away from fishing for the best part of 15 years. What I would say and what Julian/Graham and others have said already is people can certainly do whatever they like fishing. It’s good we have the variety so if you have the time and energy to go for long sessions then I’m a little jealous. Personally, I’m more one for those short sharp sessions to bag a few fish if possible and be gone. I’m an all rounder and enjoy that flexibility and challenge of trying to catch different fish, and I’m not unhappy if I bagged some chub / roach if I was really after a barbel.

I’m hoping the weather gets a bit more unsettled as we do need some rain as the sunny / dry south where I am is certainly in need of it. It should hopefully liven up the rivers and lakes/ponds. I’ll then be more inclined to venture to the Avon/Stour area as I’ve only managed some sessions on the Itchen. Whatever we do fishing wise is our choice whether it’s with float, ledger, feeder, or fly. It’s all good fun and is much better than a days work.