Short sessions

[Guest Steve Burke]

'Cos I'm busy transcribing the carp interviews I've only just read the article that Elton's uploaded by Chris Woodrow on short session carping. In case you haven't read it Chris's idea of a short session is 14 *days*!

 

Blimey, I can't remember the last time I fished 14 *hours* on the trot! What does Chris call a *long* session? I know he was talking about holidaying in France but is this the norm now with you carp campers, sorry anglers?

 

Good advice in the piece though, especially about reducing the amount of freebies towards the end of a session. Apart from when fishing for predators and you're feeding the prey fish this seems sensible however long the session.

 

Question. If you're a full-time angler does one season = a session?

 

Methinks I feel an article coming on......about short session carping!

[Guest DonRamos]

Tell me about it. I don't care how comfortable those bivvies are, two weeks is a hell of a lot of time to spend kipping in one.

 

Maybe a night session for bream or tench two or three times a year, but you aren't gonna catch me fishing for French carp for two weeks.

 

Anybody who does, tight lines to ya.

 

DonRamos

[Guest Elton]

I would just love to have the time to do two day sessions now and then, let alone two week ones.

 

Sometimes I get this urge to give everything up and concentrate on this site and fishing only. Then I think about silly little things, such as money

 

Good luck to anyone who does fish that much, though. Lucky wossnames!

 

Tight Lines,

 

Elton

 

------------------

Elton Murphy

Anglers' Net

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk

[Guest atomtubbie]

Agreed, nowadays if I get 2 hours plus I consider myself fortunate, two weeks?, in France? in heaven more likely

Geoff

[Guest RobStubbs]

Steve,

I find my optimum carp session to be about 3 days although I most frequently do a couple of nights. Going over to France I normally fish 1 week but on some places I would like to do longer. Not sure I could cope mentally with 2 week + sessions I would go mad(der)

 

Rob.

[Guest Wordbender]

I'm in the happy position of having a 10-day session coming up, starting at one nano-second past midnight on the 16th - with Gay Dave and eventually Chicken Jimmers, at the glorious Millpond - the Redmire of Addlestone, no less. If I get my laptop sorted by then, I'll be fishing, writing and (if I catch up with my freelance work) earning a few bob while I'm at it.

 

Trust me, Steve,apart from Melinda Messenger's gynaecologist - there will be no-one happier in his work than I.

 

Wait for me, oh Siren of the Millpond, for I am about to heed your call.

 

Sorted.

 

Tel

[Guest BUDGIE]

Many years ago before I had the Carp sack removed from my head and the brain returned I regularly(for four years) used to go down to my syndicate water several days before the season started and from the "off" untill the Piking started at Ardingly (October)would fish solidly.One year I only went home for three nights.I did run the syndicate at the time so therefore had to do a certain amount of work during the day but 75% of this would be around the lake.Very extreme I know.Two friends of mine also used to do similar hours at this water.We inevitabley caught the most fish.(this water was that hard due to it having so much natural food that 15 to 20 Carp a year was regarded as good)Even then I was objective eneough to realise that persistance rather than skill had caught these fish.The longest sessions that I now do are 3-4 weeks when I go abroad (for my own trips as opposed to the ones I guide on)this is due purely to the expense of the travel, having to do two trips worth of fishing for one trips worth of travelling expense if you get what I mean.Back in the UK

travel also dictates the length of my session.The further I have to travel nrmally the longer the stay.Localy I am increasingly doing very short sessions i.e 4hours at dawn or dusk.3-4 hours on a tide Mullet fishing.The only dawn to dusk trips I regularly do now are my winter piking trips to local waters.From one extreme to the other eh?

Pros and Cons.What have I learnt?

Long stay - you can build up a knowledge of a water very quickly.The down side is that you can become very set in your approach even lazy.Because you are inevitably at the water during bad conditions you are wasting time.Either better spent at other waters,in persuit of alternative species or even mowing your lawn!

Short sessions- take you longer (years) to learn the same amount about a water.You can however be more flexible and more inovative.You can also have a family life!

People slag of both aproach's I think both are warrented in the appropriate situation.Both are very enjoyable it depends on your own personnal preferences.

One final thing.The one thing that gets right up my hooter is when people say about long stay/full time anglers"it's all right for some,I couldn't do that" B.....S any one can it is just a case of personnal priorities. The man who can't because he has to work 12 hours+ a day to pay for his 4 bedroomed detached and Shogun 4wd fishing wagon too carry his 4 £300 big pit reels just has different priorities to me a poorly paid fishing guide who rents a crappy council house drives a 14 year old heap of diesel rust and has had to learn KungFu to fight off the debt collectors!BUT,BUT can go fishing most days he wants to.It is a simple matter of choice.

[Guest Wordbender]

Bravo, Budgie. You're post is as spot-on as a spotty thing that's very on.

 

It is indeed all about choices. We can't be wage slaves and full-time anglers, too (unless you're mega-sponsored and even then there's not a lot of dosh in it) so we go with the 'right' thing to do.

 

I'd love to fish six days a week, but I couldn't look my wife and kids in the eye when they asked, 'Why is the nasty man taking the telly, dad?'

 

Choices, Budgie. Just as you said.

 

Take It Easy,

 

Terry