Most successive blanks?

[Anderoo]

This coming weekend will be an interesting one - very difficult to call. I'll be out after perch and chub again, but from what I can tell from the state of the Thames (my guide to the rest of the rivers) and the upcoming unsettled weather it could be a blank or a bonanza! (Blank is looking likely, the Thames is trashed again, but if it recovers in time... )

[Angly]

Have you tried tying a hook on?

 

Isn't that cruel?

[Tangled]

The most morale boosting thread ever been about 15 times since Oct differrent waters blanked every time

So perhaps I aren't so c"£ p

[Angly]

I think blanking in angling can be a bit of a taboo subject, no one likes to boast about their poor sessions, which after all might well be down to their poor technique (even it that's only swim selection). Of course it might just be the fish had moved on/weren't feeding/etc. and the angler was doing everything right.

 

That was actually one of the reasons for my post, I think it's good that everyone, especially those new to the pastime, understands that blanking is part and parcel of fishing. I fished last weekend with some anglers that I hold in fairly high regard (and Budgie and Anderoo were there too! ), and they struggled too, which of course reassured me no end.

 

Edit: Obviously if you're blanking and you're not changing anything than it's time to, also if you're blanking whilst those around you continually catch it's time to have a look at your technique. I was lucky (?) in that all the occasions I fished, everyone else struggled too.

Edited March 5, 2009 by Angly

[Anderoo]

I agree, blanking is an important thing to get your head around. The harder you make fishing for yourself, the more you can expect to blank. As Steve Burke has said many times, the hardest fish to catch are often (but not always) the biggest, so the more selective you are, the harder it gets. That's why being guaranteed to catch at an overstocked, artificial venue doesn't appeal to me - I'd rather blank at a harder venue or fish an easy natural one, like my favourite little stream. It can be very easy if fished properly, but it's never been stocked so I see that as fair game However, try to catch a 4lb chub and avoid everything else, and you've got a mighty challenge (best of 3lb 10oz after 4 years...)

 

There are some types of fishing where catching something is the exception. But when you do, the sense of satisfaction is huge. It's not worth the pay-off for everyone and I can well understand that, as it can be as boring as hell sometimes, and I can only manage a few days at a time with a good break inbetween... It not always that yopu're pitting your wits against a wily adversary either - often it's just because the numbers of fish are so low.

 

If I absolutely knew that I would catch fish every time I went out, I would quickly lose interest. But even if the fishing is hard, there's often (OK, sometimes!) something you can do to save the day. Other days the fish win and I have to doff my cap and say, well played sir!

 

Last weekend was an interesting one. The number of dropped runs means that zander were there. With the lack of bait fish, they should have been fighting each other for our baits. So, why did we all blank? It's questions like that that keep me interested!

 

If all somebody has ever known is overstocked ponds, they've missed the point of it all entirely, in my opinion. They don't know they have, but they have.

 

Obviously, the more you fish and more confident you become, the longer you can sit there without reeling in and recasting every 10 minutes. I don't think you can learn very much from blanking, so you do need to catch something now and again!

[Anderoo]

Edit: Obviously if you're blanking and you're not changing anything than it's time to, also if you're blanking whilst those around you continually catch it's time to have a look at your technique. I was lucky (?) in that all the occasions I fished, everyone else struggled too.

 

Don't go fishing with Richard Capper then The only technique I improve when fishing with him is my photography

 

Only joking Rich!

[SPSwallow]

I haven't caught a single fish since last summer. I've been out about 6 times and blanked. I blame not being able to fish for the winter species due to lack of a car though.

[Andy Macfarlane]

I don't know actually. Maybe 6 or 7 (guess) times in a row and that was trying to establish whether or not roach actually existed in my local ressie. Once we found them, catching them was fairly straightforward.

 

...Andy...

[Vagabond]

Cheer up you bankers....err blankers !

 

Look on the bright side.

 

It was a great success !

 

You said you were going fishing, and that's exactly what you did.

[Dick Dastardly]

My veiw is that every time we blank we are doing something wrong! Be it from an angling point of veiw or that we have chosen the wrong target species or venue.

 

Its learning why thats important I think then we can act on that if we chose to.Many times we read that it doesnt matter if we dont catch just being out is good enough? Whilst I can "enjoy" my self whilst blanking I dont enjoy blanking! No matter how much I enjoy the country side and nature etc the whole reason to go fishing is to catch fish simple as that! If it wasnt then why bother taking the tackle and buying bait? Lets not kid ourselves.

 

No I resent anyone thinking/saying that Im a "catch at any cost" angler but I certainly believe in maximising my chances of being sucsessfull. Well to the level that I can be bothered to any way!

 

My "extreme" blanking during my carp days on one particular water taught me some good things about angling (or maybe more acurately "my angling") I realised that blanking took many forms.