The greatest feeling in angling.

[bluerinse]

I am an all round angler fishing many styles and targeting many types of fish.

 

I have to say that the best feeling of all is hanging some buzzers out on a fly line on a large reservoir, and feeling the trout take. It gets me every time, the power, the anticipation the rod nearly being pulled out of my hand, the fight, it has to be the best feeling in angling, you are so directly in contact with the fish right from the take, breath taking. I recommend to anyone that has not tried fly-fishing to give this ago, you will be converted. I came to fly-fishing 20 years after I started fishing and now spend from April till June hunting large trout from a boat on reservoirs.

 

Top Sport

[Andy_1984]

got to be fighting a double figure pike on my wychwood sharpshooter spin, 9ft lure rod, what an adrenaline rush. also seeing a pike take a shot at my lure 2ft from the bank

[Houseplant]

To answer the question, the moment between the livebait going apesh*t and the pike float sliding away into the depths.

 

A close second is fishing with 'match' tackle on a nice pond in summer, striking at what is thought to be yet another tiny roach and meeting solid resistance in the form of a good tench or carp.

 

As for the other matter, that could be discussed endlessly, but on the basis of personal experience and about two dozen pike safely landed, there's no problem with leaving the take a few seconds when using a single circle hook. Never had a fish hooked anywhere but the scissors.

[Tony U]

For me its the anticipation; thats what keeps you going even if you are blanking.

 

Tony

[peter mccue]

It's whatever's floating my boat at the moment. Earlier this year I was stalking Carp on a shallow water & the sight of bubbles around the float with whorls of water being kicked up by a Carp that I know was just about to take my Mussel baited hook, gave me heart palpitations!!

 

Later on I was fishing for Cats, & the sound of my Delkims going full blast at 1 oclock in the morning with me knowing full well it may be a big Cat had me seriously panicking to get to the rod (I'm always convinced it's going to stop before I get there)

 

Going to the other end of the scale, I've been known to get stupidly excited over big Gudgeon!

 

Christ, I'm 50 odd year old I should be growing out of this by now

[jak]

I'm going to cheat and say I have 4 !!!!! But it's my reply so I can say what I like

 

 

1) The mist rising, still water, Lilypads and the first few tench bubbles surfacing around a waiting float.

 

2) the adrenalin shot that surges through you when the float slips under

 

3) the precise moment of the strike where you feel the weight on the line and the first indication that a fish is on

 

4) the look on the face of someone proudly holding their first ever fish for the camera (young or old) .......

[basshead07]

God where can i begin? i love the sport all round its just fantastic! never get anything better than sitting next to a rod...fishing! but i have picked out a few things i like best.as i am an all round angler aswell (exept fly fishing) im going to pick 1 or 2 feelings from each type of fishing the first is shore fishing which i absoulutly love just the felling of getting there and waiting for the tide to rise and as it is seeing a few bass move around then suddenly WHAM a bass comes to shore with your bait in its mouth.

 

As for boat fishing i havent caught many decent fish but 1 fish i did hook was a 17lb (roughly) smoothhound it smashed my rod over and as i finally got it to the surface the hook snapped...typical. but none the less the sight of the fish was magical.

 

My favoutrite type of fishing...Surface fishing the feeling of walking around the lake and wondering what lurkes under the bush round the corner one particular good moment was not just because i caught my biggest fish it was the way it took the bait down..the way it stormed of. i was targeting a few fish bout 30 yards out and heard a sucking noise it was a mirror carp sucking a peice of paper thinking it was bread but i put my bread bait next to it and it very wearily moved under it and sucked it down it seemed like an eternity to take it but then the way i just ripped line from the reel...superb!

 

 

not many great moments with pole fishing either but because i just started i remember one really special time i had hooke in to a fish which had took my float down very slowly (not expecting much) but it started to take elastic so i put another section on (as you do) and suddenly the top section of my pole came of but i was walking round the lake for 30 minutes waiting for the fish to come close enough to the margins and when i finally could reach at was back feeding on the freebies i had put out there but the best part was it was only a 2lb common carp!

 

i like to think i specalise in ledger fishing for carp but one great moment was when my first proper day of ledger fishing i caught my first carp and beait it with a bigger carp! I was falling asleep and i woke up just as my nan came round the corner and then my buzzer went the best feeling i think ive ever had... my first run from a carp and it was double figures! i brang it closer and closer and my nan took pictures of me fighting it as it came to the net i SUPERB conditioneed common carp of 12lb!

 

and finally my first day fishing.. cant beat it .. couldent sleep finally ready to go buzzing with exitment and only using a float with single maggots after my first fish i felt like i was on top of the world but then the real rod bender came when a tench had picked up my bait i was shaking with exitment when it came to the net only 3lb but unforgettable expeirience!

 

 

i have caught 3 bass on lures also which were magical just watching them come clo0ser and closer until finally whoosh! but i have yet to catch a fish over 3lb on lures i will one day though... Great topic keep the posts coming in please!

 

 

Tight Lines!

Jay Harris

Edited December 14, 2006 by basshead07

[Steve Walker]

Watching a float go under is an everyday highlight, but I think for real excitement it's fishing by sight. Watching a carp approach a floater, circle it, sniff it, almost suck it in and then blow it away again is guaranteed to get the blood pressure through the ceiling. Likewise, stalking barbel or chub. Having a pike take a lure or sink and draw deadbait as you are about to lift it from the water is pretty special too.

[luckyjim]

getting up stupid oclock in the morning making my flask of coffee creaping round

 

 

What a thread. My adrenelin is actually pumping round my body having said some of these replies.

 

Mine:

 

Its difficult to say, isn't it? I would say "lets be honest" and talk about the moment that you know you've got that personal best or new species caught - not even just in the net but over the bank, truly captured. But when I think about it thats always a bit of an anti-climax. "The journey is the destination." The "thrill of the chase." Thats got to be different depending on what you're fishing for:

 

1) After a BIG specimen of a certain species (e.g. pike). The split second between striking and knowing theres something there, whether a log, bush, or a fish, and realising its what you've been after for so long. Then realizing you have to get it to the bank!

 

2) After a big specimen and fighting it for a while, before you see the first flash and realise that its something entirely different but equally, if not more so desirable. Maybe this personal: the image this calls to my mind was one of the rare occasions I was after pike rather than its perch; and fought what I thought was a double for ten minutes, before seeing the biggest bloody perch I've ever seen surface and dart off for another 5 minutes. Ended up in a PB.

 

3) Fishing from a boat (whether coarse or sea), getting something decent on, and the fish blasting around all over the place, under the boat, etc, before you eventually see that glorious flash of silver.

 

4) Fishing for anything, bringing it in and getting a massive surprise. E.g. One time me and my brother were fishing for livebaits for zander, my brother swung in the smallest fish imaginable, then seeing it was a 1cm zander.

 

5) The memory and imagination. For me the greatest thing about angling is remembering those fish you've encountered and dreaming of the ones you are yet to...

 

6) I have to agree, in any situation, seeing that float slide under. Because you never know what its going to be...

[Guest tigger]

Poaching a trout lake next to the watchmans caravan while he's snorin.