Of all the different types of coarse angling just who is the most skilful?

[Guest Mark Cunnington]

Newt, is it true that they shoot carp anglers with a bow and arrow in the US?

 

Leon, I was going to fish for mullet but I was worried that the salt water would ruin my buzzers.

 

Yours one-dimensionally

 

Mark

[Guest Leon Roskilly]

Originally posted by Pete B:

Go down to Christchurch mate, the mullet are dead simple to catch..

 

Thin lips - pah! They aren't real mullet!!

 

Now trying to catch the really big thick lips in amongst the shoals of smaller fish....

 

You're right. The guys here in the Medway reckon that the Christchurch mulleteers have it far too easy.

 

I've been fishing for 50 years this coming season, all different kinds, and I reckon that the medway mullet are the hardest to catch, and the hardest fighting (for size) of anything that I've ever come up against.

 

Tight lines - leon

[Guest davidP]

Each branch of the sport has its experts but often they are so blinkered by their own speciality that they lose out. I would reckon that if you took a matchman and a specimen hunter to a virgin water the matchman would catch more, simply because they are geared up to catching fish from an 'unknown' swim. If you left them a few days however then I have little doubt that the specimen hunter would catch up and quite probably overtake the matchman because their skill kicks in by learning the water and its inhabitants over time. To me, the best angler will be the one who can combine best all branches of the sport. Jan Porter & Bob Roberts seem to have made a pretty good go of it as specimen anglers, but I doubt there are many specimen anglers would go the other way because it really is a different world.

 

One little tale about blinkered anglers.

I used to match fish for a Shropshire team and we had a team match on the Shropshire Union at Soudley. The key length at the time was the Oak Tree stretch because it had a good head of big carp (my pb was 16.5lb). I and a couple of carp anglers had discovered that the best way to get them out was to fish with 2 mini strawberry boilies on a hair & bolt rig fished as tight as possible to the far bank brambles (I used to use my pole to position the bait). You also had to back-lead to avoid the boats. When you hooked one you stuck the rod tip straight under and played the fish underwater until it was away from the snags.

Anyway, in this particular match it was decided that I'd bring my carp gear and if any of the team draw one of the carp pegs then they'd use my rod. In the event one of our better anglers drew the plum peg. This was a guy with 30+ years fishing experience and a regular winner on the open circuit. I gave him the rod & reel, bait etc plus a monkey climber because it was windy and because you can't use an alarm in a match.

At the end of the match he'd caught 2 carp and a few bits for about 18lb and finished 3rd in the section & match. When we talked about it afterwards it turned out he'd used the rod like a quivertip rod at 90 degrees rather than pointing the rod at the bait and using the monkey climber, and he hadn't used the back leads or the hair rig. As a result he had missed at least 8 runs. When I asked him why he said that he had no idea how to fish for carp using the gear I'd given him. I was stunned because here was a guy who regularly won money and caught big fish and who I respected as a brilliant angler, yet it had never even occurred to me that he wouldn't know how to fish for carp!

He soon learnt mind you - he and his son won some good money that year catching carp in matches from that stretch using my method (up to 26lb as I recall).

[Guest danzante]

I deem it to be grossly unfair of some of you posters to throw scorn on the lesser knowledgeable

carp anglers, these photogenic pisstake...piscatorial fishermen, enjoy what they do, every man to his own.

 

Dedication, that's what it's all about, makes them great anglers...Alan Yates, sea angling.

yer Bob Nudd coarse, Jack Charlto.....errr. forget that last one. Danny.

 

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

[Guest Paul Selman]

As primarily a carp angler I offer one or two of you a challenge.

Come for a days coarse fishing with me in moving or stillwater fishing for anything that swims, with float, lead, feeder, pole, centre-pin or fixed spool.

Then afterwards, we shall retire to the bar for another contest! With you paying, my friend!

You see. I have served my apprenticeship in both

respects.

After leaving the pub, I invite you to fish a night on one of my carp waters - but you must be able to cast at least 130 yards with a carp rod!

In short, stop stereotyping carp anglers!

[Guest Graham E]

Hmm, may take you up on that Paul, just for the crack. As long as one of your carp waters has more than 2feet margins?

Remind me nearer the new season.

[Guest poledark]

Back to Scotts list, I have done all except my casting only reached 184yds (measured)

Also caught to order for cameras.

 

Does that make me the most skilful angler on AN?

[Guest danzante]

Scott's list, done all them mate bar the last one, sadly i failed on the 200yds cast, i was'nt far out tho, just overdone it by 14yds! .....Danny.

 

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

[Guest Newt]

Originally posted by Mark Cunnington:

Newt, is it true that they shoot carp anglers with a bow and arrow in the US?

 

Some do. Also some still drag large trebble hooks rapidly thru the water to snag whatever they happen on.

 

In most places this is allowed with "Rough Fish" which is an altogether different thing than any of your classifications. Gar fall into the same group. They both have an unfortunate habit of spending time on or very near the surface and are large enough to be a good target.

 

What makes it even worse in my mind is that they don't even usually wish to eat the fish as "rough fish" are not generally considered good to eat.

 

However, the practice is quite legal in many places even though I personally find it distasteful. There is a further regulation that puzzles me even more. Disabled persons are allowed to use a crossbow and bolts for this while normally abled persons must use a regular bow and arrow.

[Guest Oatmealjack]

Newt, its shoot Carp Anglers not carp. And Mark, no they dont, carp anglers dont play with bows on the bank, takes up too much room you need for boilie or beer, most prefer something a bit more compact Oat