Someone, recently said to me ,'we've had the best of it'...
This was in conversation with a lifetime angler,whose around 70 yrs old ,the conversation we had seemed to cover ,the environment, the rivers ,tackle ,lakes ,predation and technology..social media and the countryside..access and transportation.
What do you think,have we had the golden years...and what's in store for the younger angler of today..
This was in conversation with a lifetime angler,whose around 70 yrs old ,the conversation we had seemed to cover ,the environment, the rivers ,tackle ,lakes ,predation and technology..social media and the countryside..access and transportation.
What do you think,have we had the golden years...and what's in store for the younger angler of today..
Yep I think he is correct we have had the best of it .
Now it's a circus , exorbitant cost for waters to fish .
Crowded venues.
All species considered trash except carp with todays ilk.
All the gear no idea .
No etiquette.
Fish at all costs .
I'm not adding more as I don't fish anymore for the last 5 years .
To me I have better use for my time and money .
Now it's a circus , exorbitant cost for waters to fish .
Crowded venues.
All species considered trash except carp with todays ilk.
All the gear no idea .
No etiquette.
Fish at all costs .
I'm not adding more as I don't fish anymore for the last 5 years .
To me I have better use for my time and money .
In reply to Post #1
Seems to me, nowadays you need to have pots of money to have what we had years ago. Unless you are very lucky to know the right people. In which case you probably are in the same economic bracket anyway. Not many people have access to the kind of fishing we had 45 years ago.
Seems to me, nowadays you need to have pots of money to have what we had years ago. Unless you are very lucky to know the right people. In which case you probably are in the same economic bracket anyway. Not many people have access to the kind of fishing we had 45 years ago.
Local to me is a complex of lakes..
There is only one youngster I see fishing them,the rest are much older and retired..
I taught my son and about 3 or 5 youngsters who are now in their mid twenties,the only one who still fishes ,is my son...
What I'm saying is,....no youngens coming through that I can see..
There is only one youngster I see fishing them,the rest are much older and retired..
I taught my son and about 3 or 5 youngsters who are now in their mid twenties,the only one who still fishes ,is my son...
What I'm saying is,....no youngens coming through that I can see..
In reply to Post #2
Fred ,I've been out fishing today,I was after roach..but caught 15 carp on a swingtip,some decent fish ,on a quiet lake, I didn't want any carp at all,just a few nice roach...
Most would have been happy with what I caught,but I wasn't I wanted roach,proper silvers..
Fred ,I've been out fishing today,I was after roach..but caught 15 carp on a swingtip,some decent fish ,on a quiet lake, I didn't want any carp at all,just a few nice roach...
Most would have been happy with what I caught,but I wasn't I wanted roach,proper silvers..
In reply to Post #4
Probably been priced out and have discovered women 🫢
Probably been priced out and have discovered women 🫢
In reply to Post #5
Yep Wandle but who would actually appreciate other species these days the way the sport is portrayed endlessly regarding carp
Yep Wandle but who would actually appreciate other species these days the way the sport is portrayed endlessly regarding carp
In reply to Post #6
Yep...
I've always thought and maintained every species is relevant,so today I fished the mixed species lake,above me is the main carp lake,mixed species lake,nice grass swims ,carp lake...looks like the wremacht have been encampt.on it..
That the difference...I like carp but ,they not the only viable species..
Yep...
I've always thought and maintained every species is relevant,so today I fished the mixed species lake,above me is the main carp lake,mixed species lake,nice grass swims ,carp lake...looks like the wremacht have been encampt.on it..
That the difference...I like carp but ,they not the only viable species..
In reply to Post #4
My dad took me fishing when I was 7 I got the bug and within 5 years I had learned a lot and joined a junior fishing club I was teaching my dad when I was 12 didn't fish for carp until I was 15. Caught my first 20 in 1975. I'd still prefer to catch a big roach by design than a big carp. These days it's a harder challenge.
My dad took me fishing when I was 7 I got the bug and within 5 years I had learned a lot and joined a junior fishing club I was teaching my dad when I was 12 didn't fish for carp until I was 15. Caught my first 20 in 1975. I'd still prefer to catch a big roach by design than a big carp. These days it's a harder challenge.
In reply to Post #4
They are about mate. I visited a new water for me this weekend (Badshot Lea, Farnham Angling). Not my normal sort of water, but I'm trying to force myself to get used to busy lakes and stop being so miserable 😂
However what I really enjoyed seeing was 2 or 3 youngsters dotted around the lake with parents / grandparents. Maybe 12 / 13 years old, enjoying fishing and enjoying the outdoors.
Whilst I think the fishing people enjoyed 40 years ago has gone, and truthfully even the fishing I truly enjoy is hard to come by at only 30 years old, the youngsters coming through now have a wealth of waters to fish from, plenty of big fish and several ways of getting the information to get them on there way.
Whilst some may see this as a bad thing, there are so many other things for kids to be interested in these days, any way of drawing them to the sport is great.
They are about mate. I visited a new water for me this weekend (Badshot Lea, Farnham Angling). Not my normal sort of water, but I'm trying to force myself to get used to busy lakes and stop being so miserable 😂
However what I really enjoyed seeing was 2 or 3 youngsters dotted around the lake with parents / grandparents. Maybe 12 / 13 years old, enjoying fishing and enjoying the outdoors.
Whilst I think the fishing people enjoyed 40 years ago has gone, and truthfully even the fishing I truly enjoy is hard to come by at only 30 years old, the youngsters coming through now have a wealth of waters to fish from, plenty of big fish and several ways of getting the information to get them on there way.
Whilst some may see this as a bad thing, there are so many other things for kids to be interested in these days, any way of drawing them to the sport is great.
In reply to Post #9
Similar to you ,cept I was lucky in that all.my uncles ,and one grandparent was an angler..so I was surrounded by it from birth literally ..
So I kind of got immersed into.it,either that or hunting ,one or the other..
Similar to you ,cept I was lucky in that all.my uncles ,and one grandparent was an angler..so I was surrounded by it from birth literally ..
So I kind of got immersed into.it,either that or hunting ,one or the other..
In reply to Post #10
Your right it has gone...
But it's good to hear of some young people trying it out..my question is ,now though ,is access,not just in monetary terms,...I've seen a lot of places closing various reasons...just hope these young people can get to carry on,..I think politics will.play out here...I don't know..
Your right it has gone...
But it's good to hear of some young people trying it out..my question is ,now though ,is access,not just in monetary terms,...I've seen a lot of places closing various reasons...just hope these young people can get to carry on,..I think politics will.play out here...I don't know..
In reply to Post #1
100% we had the best of it and just can't ever see the clock turning back.
I'm 55 (ironic really) and my dad was an occasional fisherman, who took me and there were free stretches of river a cheap day tickets (Horton Kirby) we never caught much, but one week a local gave us some 18s to nylon and suggested a smaller float and suddenly it was one a chuck - we then branched out a bit and just fished for fun through until I was about 14 when I started carp fishing.
Most family's in my day had a ‘rod in the loft' or a mate with some fishing gear, nowadays you need hundreds to even try the sport, plus access to decent places - yes there's dads and lads lake but again it's so commercial- I remember climbing trees, wandering off and coming back to a deep hooked gudgeon that had spent 20 mins on the hook.
Looking back now we regularly caught perch, roach, Rudd, Chubb, eels, bream all in a day, now I don't know how you could get this and any parent taking a kid to a carp puddle is a bit like going to Alton towers, fun for a day - hooked for life, probably not. Great shame but the sport will die a natural wokey death in the next 50 years.
100% we had the best of it and just can't ever see the clock turning back.
I'm 55 (ironic really) and my dad was an occasional fisherman, who took me and there were free stretches of river a cheap day tickets (Horton Kirby) we never caught much, but one week a local gave us some 18s to nylon and suggested a smaller float and suddenly it was one a chuck - we then branched out a bit and just fished for fun through until I was about 14 when I started carp fishing.
Most family's in my day had a ‘rod in the loft' or a mate with some fishing gear, nowadays you need hundreds to even try the sport, plus access to decent places - yes there's dads and lads lake but again it's so commercial- I remember climbing trees, wandering off and coming back to a deep hooked gudgeon that had spent 20 mins on the hook.
Looking back now we regularly caught perch, roach, Rudd, Chubb, eels, bream all in a day, now I don't know how you could get this and any parent taking a kid to a carp puddle is a bit like going to Alton towers, fun for a day - hooked for life, probably not. Great shame but the sport will die a natural wokey death in the next 50 years.
In reply to Post #13
Nice Post,and I think you hit that nail on the head ...
Woke....yep,...you are right..!
Nice Post,and I think you hit that nail on the head ...
Woke....yep,...you are right..!
Like a lot these emotive issues they are steeped in nostalgia.
I bet we could.find angling articles from 90s 80s 70s and 60s with similar sentiments.
I would say the commercial carp puddles are the opposite of 'woke.'
The guys trying to keep the rivers clean are 'woke'. Feargal Starkey is 'woke'
I bet we could.find angling articles from 90s 80s 70s and 60s with similar sentiments.
I would say the commercial carp puddles are the opposite of 'woke.'
The guys trying to keep the rivers clean are 'woke'. Feargal Starkey is 'woke'