Time to quit

[RUDD]

Some may have noticed I have not posted much for several months.

The truth is I have hardly even looked at any angling sites where I am a member.

 

The reason - I have been on a bit of a downward spiral losing more interest in angling by the day.

 

At first I put it down to winter blues but after much thought have come to the conclusion that the cause is match angling.

 

Dont get me wrong, for near on twenty years I have enjoyed the competition and the crack of club match angling but last year took its toll.

 

There are only 52 weeks in the year and I fished about 30 matches in total all at weekends. Being a family man my rule is I get a quarter of the weekend for angling IE if I go early on a Saturday morning I will be home for lunch or I may go late afternoon for an all night carp session and be home for 9am the next day.

I then have a quarter of the weekend for household chores, car washing, grass cutting, gardening etc and the other half to spend with my family.

 

The trouble with match angling is you meet at 0800, draw at 0830, start at 1000, finish at 1500, weigh in / pack up and presentation takes until 1600-1630, basically it takes up most of the day, especialy in the winter where I leave home and come home in the dark.

This has caused many an argument with the wife as it breaks my self made rule. A knock on of this is that I would fish one week but not the next to make up for it.

 

Near the end of last year I gave up my match sec position, committe position and baliff card due to various factors including the fact that most of my angling revolved around these positions and the politics involved causing me to not enjoy my angling.

Since giving them up and fishing for myself I have found I am not enjoying match angling.

 

Add to this the following facts:

 

The new match sec has been badly pegging the matches since taking over and now only pays out top three and no sections making the matches more about money than the crack.

 

Due to bad pegging I drew three very bad pegs in a row - OK I drew them but they should not have been in the bag in the first place for winter league fishing. One was nearly unfishable due to ice and is only four foot deep in its deepest part - I did not even get a bite in between breaking the ice. I did manage to rip a neck muscle during the match which has ruined my 2011/2012 winter sea fishing as I have been unable to cast a 4oz lead more than fifty yards let alone let rip with an OTG cast with 6-8oz off a beach!!!

 

During the four times I managed to do all nighters last year (in between match angling) I was snubbed by supposed match angling mates as I had carp gear! I have also been snubbed by them and the carp brigade when fishing for Tench, Bream, Perch etc using specialist tactics!

 

Fuel, bait and match fees are costing me between approx £500 a year (300 on match fees alone) - my club tickets only total 95.00 for two clubs.

 

There is talk of no more charity matches as the match anglers want full payouts instead of half the fees going to charity - again money driven.

 

I am fed up with having to pay to fish a random peg for the hardest 5 hours of the day.

 

I only managed a hadfull of lure sessions last year - again to much time spent match angling.

 

So thats it - I am quitting match anging - I have doubles final to fish and will go to presentation day but feel I must then call it a day.

 

After some thought I have decided that on club match days I am going to go and fish the many day ticket waters dotted around my part of the woods in a peg, after the species and using the methods / baits of my choosing that I feel right on the day.

 

Its time to get back to angling for my own self indulgent enjoyment with no strings or pressure attached.

Edited January 10, 2012 by RUDD

[kirisute]

And all pleasure to you for making the choice!

You state the exact reasons I never will match fish...I want to sit on a bank and just enjoy the day! Enjoy the nature, enjoy catching a fish or maybe not catching a fish.

Welcome back to fishing! Hope you enjoy your stay! Lol!

[Tigger]

Its time to get back to angling for my own self indulgent enjoyment with no strings or pressure attached.

 

 

That's all i've ever done

[Dales]

Good luck with the new direction your fishing is taking. I have never match fished, so can't comment on that. But it's hard to beat fishing on you own terms.

[Dick Dastardly]

A familiar story Rudd.Its easy to lose sight of why we go and do any type of angling! PLEASURE.Ive learned that once something becomes more of a chore than a pleasure (Winter session carping for example) its time to stop and do something else.Just stopping doesn't mean you cant go back to it though.As they say a change is good as a rest.

 

Angling politics does drag you down though doesn't it? Be it the moaning of the ungrateful club members or the whining of fellow anglers on the bank.In fact I some times even find AN a drag as I despair at the attitude and out look of other anglers (often not ones on here but the links to other stuff they put up!)

 

Then to top it all of once you've "done your bit" and had enough they get on your case when its your turn to moan! Cant win!

[poledark]

Good thinking Rudd.Many years ago,I made a pact with my wife regarding weekends and nights away. Basically came down to keeping our weekends together. "Do what you like in the week (I was self employed) but make sure the money comes in, and NO WEEKENDS." Apart from the AN fishin and the Wingham ones, I haven't done a night away for years. Plenty of time to keep the house in order, and a clear conscience for weekday fishing

 

Even the Wingham ones were within 15 mins drive, so I could abandon them and get home easily if i wanted to..............almost did just that the last time I don't enjoy night fishing unless I stay awake.

 

Plenty of time in the summer for an evening session after work, and don't give a fig for what others may think about what you are fishing for. I often get the feeder or match rod out for the Rudd and Roach in the carp lakes I fish...............to be honest, I think a lot of those "carpers" are secretly jealous when they see me enjoying a good Rudd session

 

I don't know how old you are, but your turn will come on retirement..........mine lets me out 5 days a week , she does nag a bit in the summer when I stay late, but I limit that to only once or twice a week, getting home to share the evening meal time with her for the rest of the days.

 

By the way, it is 48 years and still going strong

 

I wish you well mate,

 

Den

Edited January 11, 2012 by poledark

[RUDD]

A familiar story Rudd.Its easy to lose sight of why we go and do any type of angling! PLEASURE.Ive learned that once something becomes more of a chore than a pleasure (Winter session carping for example) its time to stop and do something else.Just stopping doesn't mean you cant go back to it though.As they say a change is good as a rest.

 

Angling politics does drag you down though doesn't it? Be it the moaning of the ungrateful club members or the whining of fellow anglers on the bank.In fact I some times even find AN a drag as I despair at the attitude and out look of other anglers (often not ones on here but the links to other stuff they put up!)

 

Then to top it all of once you've "done your bit" and had enough they get on your case when its your turn to moan! Cant win!

 

The politcs are awful and are still lingering like a bad smell - I received a few snide comments last time I was in a certain tackle shop with regards to last years events.

This post will no doubt be talked about within my local clubs and local angling community as I know for a fact that various factions trawl through my posts/threads on various angling forums as my user name happens to also be my nickname in the local angling community. I have even received phone calls whilst at work from a tackle shop owner, various club officials and even an EA enforcement officer either accusing or wanting to know how I know!!!

Mind you I have been known to use the net as a political tool on occasion!!!!

I will openly admit that at times I have been my own worse enemy.

[RUDD]

Good thinking Rudd.Many years ago,I made a pact with my wife regarding weekends and nights away. Basically came down to keeping our weekends together. "Do what you like in the week (I was self employed) but make sure the money comes in, and NO WEEKENDS." Apart from the AN fishin and the Wingham ones, I haven't done a night away for years. Plenty of time to keep the house in order, and a clear conscience for weekday fishing

 

Even the Wingham ones were within 15 mins drive, so I could abandon them and get home easily if i wanted to..............almost did just that the last time I don't enjoy night fishing unless I stay awake.

 

Plenty of time in the summer for an evening session after work, and don't give a fig for what others may think about what you are fishing for. I often get the feeder or match rod out for the Rudd and Roach in the carp lakes I fish...............to be honest, I think a lot of those "carpers" are secretly jealous when they see me enjoying a good Rudd session

 

I don't know how old you are, but your turn will come on retirement..........mine lets me out 5 days a week , she does nag a bit in the summer when I stay late, but I limit that to only once or twice a week, getting home to share the evening meal time with her for the rest of the days.

 

By the way, it is 48 years and still going strong

 

I wish you well mate,

 

Den

 

Cheers Den

Lets just say this year is the last of my thirties. Retirement will be a thing of the past if I reach 70!!!

Married for twelve years with two daughters 10 and 7 who both enjoy the occasional dangle themselves.

The Wife has fished but its not for her, been with her for 18 years and from the off she accepted the angling widow thing.

Once the kids were born I cut down my daylight angling hours but found the bivvy or the beach good places to be when they were tucked up in bed!

[John Weddup]

Hi Rudd

 

I know we have posted in the past at cross swords over matches and match angles but most of my prejudices and problems have occured through exactly what you have found.

 

I have many friends that still match fish but their persistent killing of any pike and even deliberate fishing for and killing pike has always annoyed me none more so than now.

 

I fish carp style for the bream and roach bivvying up and staying all weekend mostly but have had a very healthy relationship with all the carp anglers I meet. They are all very helpfull as regarding fish location as I am too them aswell. When I turn up on a friday afternoon and set up my bivvie if I am near pole anglers fishing together you will inevitably here a comment about another bl**dy carp angler turning up.

 

I usually have great pleasure in indulging in conversation with these guys asking what they have caught and then boasting about what I catch at the same venue at night.

Since I have started a little more predator fishing this year I find myself also indulging in conversation with other predator anglers. Something I would have not done in the past as my companions would have always said there's a bl**dy piker over there.

 

I well remember those days leaving house at dawn and getting home at dusk in winter being out for 10 hours and fishing 5 in a crap swim. Too much wasted time for me.

 

Many young members with families fish at night for the reason you state. You can get a nights fishing in without your kids missing you. Yes you have to use bite alarms and fish for bigger fish so you can get some sleep but cat napping on the bank with no alchohol and no pressure from anywere I find I need less sleep for the same rest if that makes sense.

 

Many match anglers say to me they could not see the point in pleasure angling as there's no competition. I think thats very sad and drives the more money attitude you speak of.

 

CAPS had a charity match last year and big arguments entailed because only half the money went to charity. When CAPS carp anglers had a charity match the year before all the money went to charity. When my local clubs pike anglers have a charity match all the money goes to the charity.

 

Good luck with your new challenge because pleasure fishing can have real challenges depending on how large you want to make them

 

Regards

 

John

[Vagabond]

..losing more interest in angling by the day.

 

....have come to the conclusion that the cause is match angling.

 

Near the end of last year I gave up my match sec position, committe position and baliff card

 

.....I am quitting match angling

 

Its time to get back to angling for my own self indulgent enjoyment with no strings or pressure attached.

 

Absolutely, and welcome aboard !

 

I did 20 years as a committee member, (two clubs, responsible for fishery management for one), with very little support from the members.

 

Perhaps the most frustrating thing was spending hours doing a careful survey of a water, making recommendations as to stocking policy as a result of that survey, then, at the next AGM, to be outvoted by the match-dominated membership, who wanted absolutely no bankside vegetation, and swarms of easy-to-catch skimmers in every water (it was in the days before mass stockings with carp)

 

Without wishing to sound patronising, I won a few "pots" as a teenager, but had outgrown matchfishing by my early twenties, so was not too amused by the stance taken by the club "champion" - that because he won matches with netfuls of skimmers he knew more about restocking than anyone else.

 

He was a portly individual - and I still remember his face when I suggested that catching skimmers was unrelated to knowledge of fishery management. "After all," I said, "if you won a pork-pie-eating contest it would not make you an authority on nutrition"

 

Resigned all club posts in the late 60s, and found I had much more time for actually fishing. Still, I must have got some things right, as I was awarded a Life Vice-Presidency (including free membership) by one club, and Life Membership by another.

 

Take it easy, and enjoy your fishing

 

Happy is the man that fishes to please himself, and not to astonish others.

Edited January 11, 2012 by Vagabond