What makes a really good angler?

[Dick Dastardly]

  Shanghai Lilly said:

Owning a beard prehaps?

 

Goes without saying mate! All great anglers through the years have been unshaven! A few extra pounds around the waist also seems to help!

[Vagabond]

  BUDGIE said:

Goes without saying mate! All great anglers through the years have been unshaven!

 

But growing a beard won't make a great angler.

 

Its the converse - being a great angler results in a beard - there is no time to shave!

[Alan Stubbs]

  Vagabond said:

But growing a beard won't make a great angler.

 

Its the converse - being a great angler results in a beard - there is no time to shave!

 

 

...but being in possession of luxuriant facial growth is an identifying feature of a great angler.

[Anderoo]

  Alan Stubbs said:

...but being in possession of luxuriant facial growth is an identifying feature of a great angler.

 

Ooh good, I was going to shave before the fish-in but I'll keep the beard now. At least I'll look more like a good angler.

[Alan Stubbs]

  Anderoo said:

Ooh good, I was going to shave before the fish-in but I'll keep the beard now. At least I'll look more like a good angler.

 

 

I'm clean shaven under threat of dire consequence from the domestic manager...

this makes me a wimp and a crap angler!

[ColinW]

The greatest ever angler was not only clean shaven, but usually fished wearing a collar and tie.

[Andy Macfarlane]

I tried for roach today, moved 3 times and didn't get a knock, so that's me out.....lol

[Sportsman]

I think Budgie has it right with effort.

As an example I was out fly fishing on a large loch and shared a boat with a well know and successful competition angler (Jim Doyle, he used to post on here)

So two anglers sitting within 10ft of each other using similar tackle, tactics and flies.

Jim outfished me about 5 to 1 and the reason was he just tried so much harder.

He changed lines more often than I changed flies. He didn't just go through the motions but he thought about it, worked it out and adapted to the situation. He never stopped trying.

As far as luck goes, who was it who said "the harder I work, the luckier I get"?

[Alan Stubbs]

  Sportsman said:

As far as luck goes, who was it who said "the harder I work, the luckier I get"?

 

 

It was the South African golfer, Gary Player.

 

BTW, am I allowed to use the word golfer without being moderated out on this site?

[Vagabond]

  ColinW said:

The greatest ever angler was not only clean shaven, but usually fished wearing a collar and tie.

 

J.H.R (Jim) Bazley (1872-1933)

Twice winner of the All England

Captor of many specimen fish (at a time when matchfishing was dominant)

Advocated floating crust for carp

President of Leeds AAA for 14 years

President of NFA for 12 years

Chairman of Yorkshire Fishery Board

Wrote several angling books, and wrote copiously for the angling press.

His book "Coarse Fishing" influenced me considerably whilst I was still at school

 

....or were you thinking of someone else?