The relative cost of things

[Anderoo]

Having bored the pants off you all with my tales of bivvy woe, it brought home to me how I feel about the relative cost of various fishing items. I ended up spending a couple of hundred quid, which is quite a lot of money, and agonised over the various choices. I'm the same when it comes to other 'big' items like rods and reels. But I still resent paying it.

 

But then I go to my local tackle shop and spend £20 on groundbait, £10 on a kilo of decent boilies, £9 on worms, another £9 on some maggots, £10 on various pellets, a couple of quid on some brasem liquid, and a few more quid on sweetcorn. All of which, by the end of the weekend, I will have thrown in a lake. That's £60+ just on bait.

 

I also need some more hooks, some PVA stocking, and who knows what else I'll decide I need when I go back tonight to pick the maggots up.

 

Isn't it odd that I think nothing of spending that amount of money regularly on little bits and pieces which, in one way or another, disappear fairly quickly, yet resent spending a bit more on an important item of tackle that will last for many, many years, possibly (if I'm careful) forever?

[Steve Walker]

I'm exactly the same. Humans are irrational! Of the three club cards I bought this year, two of them I have only actually used once each! I'll get some value out of them yet, but even so...

[Dick Dastardly]

Best way to be though lads!

 

Too many think nothing of spending vast amounts on rods and ther likes but then buy crap line and hooks!

[wayne baker]

I'm the same i think nothing of spending money on bait and terminal bits. But when it comes to other bits of kit i very rarely buy anything new nowadays. I always keep a look out for second hand bargains. The last time i bought any new rods was about ten years ago.

Like Budgie said a lot of people put to much enthesis on their rods and reels they are mearly tools to put the important part of your fishing in the right place. You could go down the river with a bit of garden cain and catch fish if you wanted.

[Vagabond]

Too many think nothing of spending vast amounts on rods and ther likes but then buy crap line and hooks!

 

Start your thinking from the fishes end!

 

In order of priority

 

1. Spend money on fishing at the right venue - whether syndicate or good club water, salmon beat, top charter boat or a trip to the Belize coral flats.

2. Spend money on bait, groundbait, flies and lures. Have plenty

3. Buy good quality hooks and lines.

4 By now you will be amazed at how unimportant your choice of rod and reel is !

 

Remember it is not the rod that is important, but the angler behind it and the presentation in front of it.

[Anderoo]

Hmm, that does make sense. After all that agonising over the new bivvy I still didn't catch a bream!

[Guerilla]

Hmm, that does make sense. After all that agonising over the new bivvy I still didn't catch a bream!

Never mind the bivvy, did you spend £60 on bait and not catch a bream?

[Anderoo]

Never mind the bivvy, did you spend £60 on bait and not catch a bream?

 

I'm afraid so!

[tincatinca]

A very interesting subject and one which has no definative answers as much is down to individual perception.

Whilst good bait, end tackle, presentation, venue, location is high on the list of importance, I think that this is very much influenced by individual preferences which in turn can be a minefield due to the range of products and choices that are available. There are many styles of fishing and for me personally, it certainly helps to have the right kit to deliver the end tackle for what I am doing at any time, whether that be for long range, short range, float, pole or ledger etc. Another key factor is to be comfortable at all times and even more so when doing extended stays and when there is nowhere to go if things go wrong. Confidence plays a huge part in fishing whether it is about method, bait, venue, tackle etc. As previously stated it mainly comes down to individual perception as to whether something is worth it or not.

Having said that I have not had much time for fishing this year and bought a local license which gives me access to a few nearby venues which include farm type pools the likes of which I have not fished for many years. I popped out to one of these at the weekend for a few hours armed with a float rod, chair and a small tackle bag with a loaf of bread and a tin of meat. The result was one of the most pleasurable sessions I have had for a long time with Roach, Rudd, Crucians, Tench and Bream all falling to bread flake. Nothing big, with a 3lb Tench being the largest but nice and not to mention seeing some gorgeous looking Koi to around 6 or 7 lb which will be the target for next time. It was just like going back in time and reminded me of how simple and enjoyable that fishing can be.

[Anderoo]

A session like that really blows away the cobwebs doesn't it I really enjoyed my latest bream blank because in the daytime I did quite a bit of float fishing with light tackle (although heavy enough to combat the gales!). Fishing maggot brought an endless stream of little perch and roach, corn produced several really nice roach between 10-14oz, and worm was a perch a chuck, the vast majority small but I did have a couple of 2lbers, the biggest trembling just under 3lb. Great fun! I also lost another big perch in a snag. The 2.15 should have been a decent 3 really, but it had no belly at all.

 

I do agree about the big items of tackle though. I was loving the new bivvy, it feels like a 5-star hotel, and so easy to erect and put away. The rods I bought for this season have meant I have been fishing much more accurately, and so have fished much better.

 

The other costs that never seem to be factored in are petrol (£35 for this trip) and food (another £15). It's a pricey business, this bream blanking...