Legitimate fishing methods ?

[BobH]

Anglers Net user might wonder what I'm on about, but it seems to me that some anglers seem to almost despise some Legitimate fishing methods ?

 

It might be the use of Live Bait in the in Predator fishing, preferring to use Lures and saying we who still use live baits are playing into the Anti Fishing brigade, I personally think it's the thin end of the edge, if we give up a well proven method which is not yet banned.

 

Or the use of Boilies, buzzers and bolt rigs for species other than Carp, as far as I'm concerned, all fish species are legitimate targets as long as no rules are broken and the fish you catch are unharmed.

 

Could it be that some anglers put self imposed limits on their fishing methods in the believe that there is more credit to a captor if you are trotting or touch legering ?

 

Tomorrow I will be fishing the Upper Lea using a Cane rod and Centrepin reel, with meat as bait and on the hook, touch legering, Sunday I'm fishing the River Itchin, I'll be float fishing all day, hoping for a decent Grayling.

 

Next week I'll be back on the Relief Channel using Boilies, Buzzers and Bolt rigs for Chub, is any one of these methods any more legitimate than another ?

 

Your thoughts ?

 

Bob

[Steve Walker]

Grizzleguts

 

When men looked very much like apes, five million years ago,

They only caught small animals, or old ones that were slow.

They hadn't learned to use a tool, nor yet invented huts,

But each tribe had a member whose name was Grizzleguts.

 

"It's really most unsporting," he would furiously roar,

Whenever he saw something he had never seen before.

About each new invention he would angrily complain,

Saying it should be made taboo and never used again.

 

One day, while hunting in a group some men disturbed a deer,

It brushed asidetheir grasping hands and very soon broke clear.

Inspired, one hunter threw a rock and hit it on the head.

Old Grizzleguts then raised his voice and this is what he said:

 

"It's really most unsporting, we shall have to see it's banned.

The only decent way to kill is with your own bare hand,

If everyone starts throwing things, if rocks & stones are tossed,

The fine old art of throttling will very soon be lost."

 

A few ice ages later a man picked up a pole

And found that if he sharpened it, the thing would make a hole.

And when he stuck it in a boar, his quarry quickly died,

But Grizzleguts was watching him, and this is what he cried.

 

"It's really most unsporting; we shall have to make a rule,

That says a sharpened hunting pole is a forbidden tool.

If not, we'll kill off all the game! We'll wipe out all the stocks!

And soon, society will lose the art of throwing rocks!"

 

Another ice age later a hunter made a bow,

And aiming at a bison, saw his arrow lay it low.

The hunter was delighted when he saw how well he'd aimed,

But Grizzleguts, who stood nearby, immediately declaimed:

 

"It's really most unsporting, and it shouldn't be allowed,

If this is not prevented it will spread to all the crowd.

There won't be any bison left, and that would be a shame;

And society will quickly lose the art of spearing game."

 

Today, if you invent a better fishing rod, reel or gun

To do what once we did for food and now we do for fun;

If you devise a more effective cartridge, bait or fly,

Old Grizzleguts is still around,and this is what he'll cry:

 

"It's really most unsporting, and a rule we must adopt,

That says the use of this new thing is permanently stopped.

I've never even seen it, no sight of it I've had,

But I am quite convinced that new things must all be bad!"

 

Do not let his cries concern you, for he seldom gets his way.

The inventions that improved man's lot have come, and come to stay.

And but forthese inventions we can very plainly see

That Grizzleguts would feed on nuts and live up in a tree!

The fly fishing community is particularly afflicted with this. "That's not fly fishing!" is the cry. "Why, that's just coarse fishing", they say, while fishing for stocked pellet fed North American rainbow trout and feeling sniffy and purist about someone else using an indicator

 

I often enjoy using methods that I know are not the most efficient way of going about it, just because I like using them. That's my business, someone else's perfectly legal method is not. Of course, there are probably people who only ever use methods that Dave Fishing-God has recommended in his latest magazine column, using only bits of tackle from Dave Fishing-God's sponsor, and who look on people using more traditional methods as know-nothing noddies, so it goes both ways.

[Rusty]

...and feeling sniffy and purist about someone else using an indicator

 

That is really most unsporting, and a rule we must adopt, that says the use of this new thing is permanently stopped.

 

GG

Edited February 17, 2015 by Rusty

[lutra]

Anglers Net user might wonder what I'm on about, but it seems to me that some anglers seem to almost despise some Legitimate fishing methods ?

 

It might be the use of Live Bait in the in Predator fishing, preferring to use Lures and saying we who still use live baits are playing into the Anti Fishing brigade, I personally think it's the thin end of the edge, if we give up a well proven method which is not yet banned.

 

Or the use of Boilies, buzzers and bolt rigs for species other than Carp, as far as I'm concerned, all fish species are legitimate targets as long as no rules are broken and the fish you catch are unharmed.

 

Could it be that some anglers put self imposed limits on their fishing methods in the believe that there is more credit to a captor if you are trotting or touch legering ?

 

Tomorrow I will be fishing the Upper Lea using a Cane rod and Centrepin reel, with meat as bait and on the hook, touch legering, Sunday I'm fishing the River Itchin, I'll be float fishing all day, hoping for a decent Grayling.

 

Next week I'll be back on the Relief Channel using Boilies, Buzzers and Bolt rigs for Chub, is any one of these methods any more legitimate than another ?

 

Your thoughts ?

 

Bob

All legal methods are legitimate IMO. I don't like rules especially new ones made by people who just want others to follow their way of thinking. Rules (new ones) will be the demise of angling IMO. Having said that I can quite understand why spears and nets have been banned in modern times and thats a rules I would back.

 

Is a 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, or 4lb chub, barbel, ........., or even a carp an achievement if it caught by setting a known trap, in a known spot and you know its just a matter of putting the time in?

 

Personally I'd find chucking a spear more fun (and probably more skill full) than spending hours waiting behind a fishing rod or rods knowing the trap was set and thinking its just a matter of putting the time in.

 

I like having my own personal rules on the best ways to fish, because I can change them when it suits me. So do what you want Bob, just don't complain when you get bored.

[Ken L]

I recently had a brief e-mail conversation with the secretary of the BAA about their new rule stating that all anglers must have a landing net.

I fish standing in the middle of the river and this is a ridiculous imposition. During the coarse of the discussion, I pointed out that they also have rules that ban spinning for chub and perch (as well as salmon fishing with flies fitted with double or treble hooks) and his response was "I don’t know where you got it that we have banned spinning for chub and perch but it is quite untrue. WE HAVE NOT BANNED SPINNING IN ANY FORM".

 

 

Well that was until I pointed out that their rules read:

 

"C.4 Prohibited Equipment and Bait
No member shall use on the Association's waters:
(a) any double or treble hooks, except when fishing for pike, zander or spinning for game fish"

 

I've had no reply to that one.

 

They banned livebaiting too - a rule that I've seen ignored several times by people outfishing me..

 

Like others, I've little time for silly rules or looking down on other methods. If it's legitimate and legal, have at it so long as you're not inconveniencing others or breaking the law.

 

Personally, I wouldn't use an umbrella rig in the UK, I wouldn't use a livebait bigger than about 5" and fishing styles that amount to trapping don't appeal to me but these are personal choices.

[chesters1]

The fixed spool reel was considered unsporting when they became seen on the bank .

My youngest often reported this or that fly angler told her off for catching "their" trout on float fished bread ,she was wise enough to tell them where to go as we had the permission to fish on the opposite bank of the river ,got sick of trout they are so easy to catch unsportingly LOL

 

I consider bolt rigs unsporting ,i may hinder myself not using it but i have no qualms others denying themselves the actual strike which to me is part of the thrill

Edited February 18, 2015 by chesters1

[Anderoo]

I've had this a lot over the years, as I'm sure have pretty much all anglers. Using more than one rod, sleeping while fishing, livebaiting, using bolt rigs, using sight indicators while fly fishing (in fact doing anything other than casting a dry fly upstream!), using flouro when lure fishing, using treble hooks, using a pole...the list goes on. There's always someone who will find fault with the method you choose, the species you target, or the waters you fish.

 

I remember being told on here that it was so unsporting to sleep while night fishing for a small number of nocturnal bream that the best way to fish for them was not to fish for them

 

I've also been told that using flouro while vertical jigging for deep water zander should be banned in case it kills all the pike, and that if it means a lot fewer zander caught that's a small price to pay.

 

In pretty much all cases like this, these outraged and vocal individuals have never done the type of fishing under pressure, or have any desire or inclination to.

 

As has been said on here before, usually by Vagabond, 'fish to please yourself, not to astonish others'.

Edited February 18, 2015 by Anderoo

[Phone]

All,

 

When I first joined AN - I was aghast that "chumming" was allowed or even considered. I stayed on that "high horse" for awhile before realizing if/when everyone in a fishing community does it (whatever) then it is considered sporting.

 

We, in the US do so much "stuff" I am eternally catching myself before commenting - say on 51 hook longlines.

 

Phone

In the US black cats are unlucky - in Japan they bring good luck

[Dales]

A certain type of fishing snobbery is riff in angling with many believing their method/style or species is more worthy/harder or more sporting then the fishing others do. Even the mention of a species or method can send some in to over drive, mention Carp fishing on here and it does not take long for the views on that to come flooding out. Long stay Carpers don't go fishing or angling they go camping, traping and snaring and genrally only catch by boring the fish in to submission.

 

As long as a method is legal and safe then I don't really care how others choose to fish. If you catch a Chub with Buzzers & Bolts, Lure Fishing,Live Baiting or on a fly, Trotting, Ledgering, Roving or sitting put or even camping all weekend, it makes no difference to me, you have still just caught a Chub.

 

I think once you start down the road of deciding what is the right way or wrong way to do something then it is inevitable that rules and laws will follow. It's fine to set your own restrictions on yourself as to how you wish to fish but most anglers are never happy with just that, they either want every one else to do it the "proper way" or not be allowed to fish.

[gozzer]

As many on here know, I don't use bolt rigs, bite alarms, hair rigs, and many of the trappings associated with so called modern angling. I don't sleep while fishing, I don't patronise over stocked 'commercial' waters, or waters purposely stocked with alien species. For this I have been called, elitist, a snob, old fashioned, and many names I couldn't write on an open forum. Yet those same people seem to be those who agree with the quote in Andrews post, ie, 'fish to please yourself, not to astonish others', well, that's just what I do. The only time I've called for a ban on anything, has not been on methods, but on practices that I have seem ruin waters, and the wildlife around, and dependent on them. The same people that call me those names are strangely usually the same people that criticise me for sometimes using a keepnet, and not always taking an unhooking mat with me, strange lot anglers.

Many years ago, I met a man fishing the River Swale in North Yorks, he was fishing with maggots and trotting the stick. I was float fishing cheese, and luncheon meat, and catching more chub and barbel that him. He complained that I was using "unnatural baits" and he thought they should be banned. When I asked how many maggots he'd brought with him that day, he said three pints. I then asked him how often in a natural environment,would a fish see that many grubs constantly passing through a swim? he got the message.

I have never called for a ban on any legal fishing method,(in fact I could think of a few instances where I would like to see netting and possibly bow fishing allowed), there are many I don't use, and if I controlled a water, then I would think seriously about not allowing them on there, but that would be my choice, on my water, 'to please myself', and maybe to astonish others!

 

 

John