Angling is dying.

[Mat Hillman]

edit note: Sorry Mat. I intended to quote your post and did an edit by mistake. Didn't mean to remove the contents but no way to get it back now.

 

Mat posted that he plans to start taking his 3 y/o son in the near future. - Newt

 

[ 07. October 2003, 08:02 PM: Message edited by: Newt ]

[AndyM]

having just returned to the sport myself I personally haven't seen a decine, infact the number of junior anglers on my local stretch of canal is very healthy. when I was in my early teens there would be myself, brother and a couple of mates there, now I see perhaps 20 or more within a few hundred yards of each other. The numbers have now decreased during the week with the nights drawing in, but they are there at the weekends, plus I've also seen familys together on the bank.

I do however think this is the exception rather than the rule and really you need to look at how our lives have changed, even in just the last 10 to 20yrs or so. More single parent families or families where both parents are working, so the kids go to a child minder etc. after school rather than being taken or allowed to go fishing. Family holidays are more likly to be taken abroad rather than our own seaside resorts, how many people here started fishing with a cheap 6ft rod and reel setup bought on holiday and fished off the pier? or even crab lines? I know that's how I started and the reason why I've got the bug again after a recent holiday with my own family.

The closing of local tackle shops might have more to do with the media we are using here, as more and more people are buying over the internet as there are more savings to be made plus it easier and quicker to compare different retailers, you just have to look at the local high street, where butchers, hardware shops etc. etc. have closed down due to the customers shopping at large supermarkets and chain stores where there is a greater selection, it doesn't mean that there are any less customers.

Like I say, these are the impressions I've built up over the last 4 months or so since starting course fishing again, and I couldn't comment on club membership numbers, although I have to admit that junior membership of alsorts of hobbies, in fact I woundn't go so far as to say just juniors, but perphaps my own age group (20's and 30's) just don't seem to "have time" to join a club even if they partake in the hobby, as this is something I have noticed within other clubs/societies I've been a member of for a longer time.

[David Johnson]

Could it be that certain types of angling are declining (e.g. match) whilst others are booming (e.g barbel/carp). My local stretch of river was invaded by masses of new barbel anglers this year and the club has never had more members. My local lake has been taken over from a match orientated club, with an average age of 55-65, by a carp syndicate who are half the age.

[AndyM]

Vagabond:

Imagine a sixth-former whose dad has paid his angling club junior sub in the past.  The kid reaches 16 and now the sub is tripled or quadrupled to full adult rate, just at the time when fishing is going to have to take second place to 'A-level' studies, and university or college.  So the kid or his dad now has to pay MORE money for LESS fishing.  What do you think this kid will do?

Yes, that's right, they will stop fishing. Will they ever start again?

took me 14 years!

[David Johnson]

Took me 10 years! But to be fair this had more to do with available time, priorities etc. In fact I don't have the time to fish now to be honest. I'm also told, due to demographics I won't be able to retire and fish then either!

 

Ah, to be born a generation earlier.

 

Dave

[Dick Dastardly]

I agree that there are a lot of alternative things to entertain kids these days,take this dam addictive computer thing for a start! However I do tend to agree with some of the earlier posts that the root of the problem is that angling has now been made to easy.It was not being able to catch that made me determined to.This hooked me I am sure.Even now if I target a new species or try a new method it is the challenge that drives me.No matter how great the fight or how big or how many the end result brings my interest wains slightly once I am sucsessful.IMO catering for the "Instant"mentality is what has/is killing fishing.The uncertanty of angling is its mystery and attraction take this away and its all over.

 

BTW Hi there Lynn hope all is well with you and your boys.

 

[ 07. October 2003, 11:57 AM: Message edited by: BUDGIE ]

[awaaar]

it ain't dying in the North-West as far as I can see - tackle shop is rammed with kids on a Friday night/Saturday morning....and as for getting a peg on any of the local commercials....forget about it, it's even worse when the schools are off. It's to the point I enjoy fishin' in the winter more than in the summer now cos' you can get a bit of peace and quiet........tight lines

[big al]

we as a club thought this until we recently ran a open day.small piece in the paper bought 35 youngsters down with more on a waiting list.

mums dads grandads all wanting to help the kids but needing some help themselves.perhaps the best thing we as a club have done for a long time and will be repeated next year.

so no angling is not dying not if we don't let it .

 

yeah the kids wanted to catch my 3 year old has an attention span of about 30 seconds but with a small whip and a maggot the float dissapeared enough to keep them intrested.

so a choice then sit and say fishing is going downhill or get up ask around see who needs help and put something back ,oh by the way it was great fun too!!.cheers big al

 

[ 07. October 2003, 03:39 PM: Message edited by: big al ]

[manse]

I took it up after going along with my 14yr old son on the local canal to make sure he was safe now 18months later my wife and 7yr old twin girls all have there own whips and love to sit for hours at the canal while i watch and help the 3 of them in a row, unhooking fish ,baiting up etc( i dont fish when they do), The girls can now tell what type of fish they caught and i watched amazed has one caught a 1 1/2lb bream, Yes they will handle fish gently and carefully after ive unhooked them so they can let them go also maggots/caster are no probs (only trouble is when i go without them the moaning starts).

The looks we get from other folks are from amusment and friendly comments to looks of what the f*** is that idiot doing, but other anglers are great and will allways stop and chat.

Must mean something when they turn off the cartoon channel to watch John Wilson mind ya the wife prefers Matt Hayes

[tim d]

First of all its probably best i point out im 16 and have only been fishing 2 years and so cant really speak about how angling now relates to "the olden times". But what i could say is some of the reasons why (wheter its true or not) not as many young people take up or continue with the sport.

One of the first things id say is that as aphace stated, fishing isnt "cool" in my age group. This in its self might put people off, as they cant find anyone to fish with, they feel it might make them less popular and so its easier to tag along with others who follow football etc. And because of this many adults wont let therir kids stay onthe bank all day on their own for whatever reason. I know i wouldnt of been allowed to go fishing if my dad wasnt a angler as my mum was horrifed at the thought, and speaking to some of my mates dads they also find it a bit dodgy.

Another thought which relates to this is the fact that as people have said is most people are introduced to fishing though their dads, something which is also seen as sad, i know that as i play golf many kids are willing to play on their own but wouldnt be seen dead with their own dad! and this also puts people off.

However the main reason i think less kids might be going fishing is different attidues within the sport itself. the main emphasis is purely on size mainly of carp and so kids feel like they are failing if they cath anything which isnt in double figuries. Many childrens first fish is 10lb + and after theve caught that then what? theres really nowhere else to go and so they give up. When i get home from fishing or tell people about it the first thing they want to know is how big the fish were not how much fun i had which is much more important. Kids go round the water i am a junior baliff at and brag ( probably a load of crap) about 20lb + carp, 5lb perch and 9lb bream and tha was all of one 12 year old kid, to me thats not the attitude to have to enjoy the sport.

To me fishing had become too one diamensional you fish for carp, put loads of rods out and wait for a beep then get disappointed when its less than 20lb which the mentaility of modern angling seems to make us believe we should all be cathcing. Its no wonder kids dont keep at it. Im not someone who like my grandad ios happy to fish for gudgeon or 3 oz roach all day, but to me fishing all about new challenges i like to find out what works on one water for one species over maybe a season have 2 or 3 great sessions then move on to a new challenge water, species whatever, that keeps people intrested not some of the fishing newcomers are introduced to these days.

phheww that took a long time, hope that gives some of you a new perspective, peace

 

just ma thoughts.