Watercraft who cares

[Jim Gibbinson]

Nothing new in recognising the importance of anglers being quiet. If you look up "Treatyse of Fysshinge With an Angle" (usually attributed to Dame Juliana Berners or Barnes) on Google, you will come across the advice to stay out of sight (well back from the bank, behind a bush etc.), to avoid letting one's shadow fall on the water, to be quiet etc. All good, sound stuff. And that was published circa 1490!

[Jim Gibbinson]

PS. And most anglers STILL haven't got the message!

[awaaar]

posted by vagabond

 

"As Jim implies, a lifetime is too short a period to learn "all there is to know" about the factors he mentions.

 

The main weapon the angler has in locating fish is OBSERVATION, and its amazing how many don't use it. It can often act as a short cut by putting you onto fish you KNOW are there, because you've just seen either the fish themselves or signs of them.

 

For example, if you see the marginal rush stems quivering, its because fish are grubbing around their bases. Thats a big step forward from considering temperature, wind direction etc, although such considerations might well have brought you to that particular margin in the first place.

 

One peculiar law of observation seems to be "the further a novice angler can cast, the less observant he becomes"

 

Put a ledger lead and a fixed spool reel in the hand of a novice and he will hurl it as far as he can - beyond where he can usefully observe what is going on.

 

Put a centrepin in his hands and get him to fish the margins by his feet, and he learns three things

 

1. To keep quiet and still - his bait and any fish that might take it are not very far away.

 

2. He is now watching water close to him, and is more likely to spot signs of fish.

 

3. To control exactly where his bait and loose feed are going. Easy close in - much more difficult to achieve at long range.

 

Some of the things he might see in addition to the trembling reeds are:

 

Bubbles - needle bubbles (tench); soapy persistent bubbles that don't burst quickly (bream); strings of bubbles (carp) small groups of two or three bubbles repeated at intervals in the same place (rotting vegetation).

 

Eddying clouds of muddy water - big fish on the bottom.

 

A "boil" as a fish turns in mid water - if you put in a continuous loose feed of maggots - soon a shoal of roach will come "up in the water" - even a half pounder makes a sizeable boil.

 

Not just roach - crucians and tench will also come up in the water - carp too

 

A "rocking" of the surface - carp VERY close in to the bank - many carp soon learn the safest place to feed is right in under a bank, especially if the prevailing wind has taken floating food there

 

When its windy a sudden "flat" area in the ripple pattern - a fish has turned just beneath the surface.

 

and not forgetting obvious swirls and even a sight of a fish!

 

That's SOME of the things to look for - much easier to spot close in than fifty yards away where you have just bunged a ledger lead.

 

AS experience grows, so does your mental "database" of watercraft and conditions - but you do need to get some positive results behind you - its easier to build on success than a string of blanks."

 

there was a post a while back titled - 'what makes a true angler' or something like that..

 

vagabond - enough said - great post

 

Andy

[Paul Boote]

Paul Boote:

Original Q': "Watercraft who cares"

 

Well, I do (sort of...).

 

Except that I don't call it that (W'c'ft).

 

It's, well, for me, just fishing ... REAL fishing -- you know: trying to lure and land wild fishy creatures living in (relatively) wild places.

 

If you want something different - something easier, maybe - well, of course, that's entirely up to you, but, then, just how long were you hoping to be fishing before running out of the very thing (hope) that keeps you at it...?

 

See you at the waterside sometime - but don't make it TOO LONG, huh?

Me, last night:

 

"before running out of the very thing (hope) that keeps you at it...?"

 

 

Let's make it:

 

"before running out of the very things (hope, the constant challenge, the sense of mystery) that keep you at it...?"

 

Something like the above, anyway.

[dibbly88]

i cant remember who said " anglers dream at the gem off a bubble" but i think it runs true if we diddn't we would never go fishing. as a type of person that makes an angler is someone who can raise hope and expectancy from a soiltary bubble rising from the murky water. the smallest sign of fish make our senses quicken and our concentration deepen but without watercraft this would never happen on many venues as quite often the obvious is ignored and the common used ...

[A Worm OOE]

Sometimes I dont

Although I agree with most that has been said about watercraft in the above posts we should not loose sight of the fact that fishing is many things to many people. Most , though by no means all of the posters here take the catching of their chosen quarry very seriously. This cannot be said of a large proportion the 3 million (?) anglers out there.

 

Most anglers will balance comfort, convenience style of fishing, companionship, scenery, “boys toys”, not taxing their brain too much etc alongside catches when deciding if they are enjoying what they are doing.

 

We should not criticise them for lack of watercraft if they are obtaining the enjoyment that they are looking for. This goes out of the window of course if they are setting themselves up as some sort of expert or are complaining of poor catches. If they enjoy not having to tiptoe around and like to use a particular style of fishing that means they are fishing the wrong place let them get on enjoying themselves as long as they cause you no problems.

 

When I am fishing a match or after Sea trout in Scotland I will apply every bit of watercraft gathered over the last 25 years to catching my target . There are however times when I go fishing to be somewhere nice maybe with the family, my chosen spot is dictated by my need for a good view and a bit of space safety for the kids, comfort if the wife has come along. Once those criteria are fulfilled I may then apply some watercraft to the spot I have chosen. If that means I catch less I will in this situation accept it.

 

[ 16. February 2005, 12:22 PM: Message edited by: A Worm On One End........ ]

[Newt]

But even the "comfort, convenience" fans enjoy catching. I do, on occasion, set up with an eye to comfort for my wife and a good view but given the choice of two swims that offer the above, I'll tend to prefer the one that is most 'fishy' and once set up, will try to present my rig with an eye to features.

 

The swim might not be the best for catching fish but I think most anglers will try to maximize their chances of catching using what they know. Problem is, lots of them just don't seem to know much.

 

[ 16. February 2005, 06:36 PM: Message edited by: Newt ]

[dibbly88]

quote:

---

Most anglers will balance comfort, convenience style of fishing, companionship, scenery, “boys toys”, not taxing their brain too much etc alongside catches when deciding if they are enjoying what they are doing.

---

I agree that theese are also a vital part of the fishing comunity but why oh why do they not apply some watercraft in selecting thier swims. Even if they are on adjacent pegs to obtain the best results for thier efforts. I have gone fishing with mates when all we are realy doing is avoiding cutting the grass or some simular chore but have still managed to place ourselves so that we can have a good chat and a laugh but still catch a sack load of fish.

[chesters1]

i'm not sure about crawling all over the place ,i collect permit numbers using a flourescent yellow jacket (hint: try to be as visible as possible on 2 wheels) anyway anglers have caught whilst i'm standing next to them and i can get within 2 feet of the resident carp ,noise is the scarer or rather vibration ,i expect fish flee before they realise what the noise is in self defence ,they do know the difference between horses and clumsey humans as ive stood and watched the carp by my feet and horses have passed within feet of me but a clumsey footfall by me and there off.

there is an amusing side effect of always wearing my coat ,if i'm in the car (fairly rare) all the resident ducks take to flight and normaly tame squirrels take to the trees ,when i'm in the car i wear a different coat