john wilson? some one to look up to?

[ShaunW]

The lite line comment and the huffing and puffing "my rods bent double" scenario is probably just to make exciting TV viewing. A lot of his fishing seems to be 'roaming' along a river, with minimal tackle so a large net and mat is not feasible, he does comment on finding soft ground to lay the fish whilst unhooking.

[DavyR]

A lot of his fishing seems to be 'roaming' along a river, with minimal tackle so a large net and mat is not feasible, he does comment on finding soft ground to lay the fish whilst unhooking.

 

A lot of my fishing is done this way, and I couldn't do without my unhooking mat - when it's not being used for the purpose for which it was intended, I'm either sitting on it or using it to help in negotiating barbed wire fences. My landing net handle also comes in handy as a stave to support myself with on steep banks, and in some cases, a mud/water depth finding tool.

[ShaunW]

unhooking mat - using it to help in negotiating barbed wire fences.

 

Superb tip mate.

[peter mccue]

There is a tendency to be quite critical of angling celebrities which I suppose shouldn't come as a surprise as we British do have a need to knock those who in all aspects of life have reached celebrity status. Don't get me wrong there's a lot out there who need pulling down a peg or two, but we can be seriously picky at times.

 

J.W. seems to me to be a very reasonable ambassador for our sport on screen & in print, admittedly he could use an unhooking mat more often but I've seen no handling damage done to any fish I've seen him land. The programmes I've watched have shown J.W. laying fish on grass or other soft medium, not really a problem. He's always shown a healthy conservation & wildlife interest which puts us in a good light with non anglers. I think the critiscism is unjustified.

 

My sympathies go to the family of the young angler who died, but as a poster previously said he must have panicked to cause the waders to be instrumental in his death. Hugh Falkus clearly demonstrated in one of his programmes years ago how waders become floatants & by laying on your back you can quite safely drift to a safe place to get out of the water. It's difficult to understand how the waders could upend you like a cork & perhaps there was other factors involved in this awful accident.

[Brian Carragher]

-and worst of all is every time he goes out in a boat he is wearing waders and no life jacket!!!!! if he comes out of the boat the waders will fill with air forcing his legs up and his head under

not the sort of thing kids should seeing and potentionally copying..... any views?????

 

 

well i've had a very good friend drown wen this happened he was returning a fish slipped waders filled up with air and he couldn't get back up.....do you want to ask his family if its a myth???? i was on the far side of the lake but couldn't get round in time......now ask me if its a myth!!!!!! obviously its now something i feel quite strongly about!!!!!!

 

 

Best way to keep a myth going is to keep repeating it till someone believes it and subsequently tells someone else the tale and refers to it as a fact

 

The simple truth is that you don't go under as described, the reason being both Hugh Falkus and myself have shown it not to be true. Hugh Falkus jumped in the river whilst being filmed to disprove it and I was in a boat about 8 miles out when it went under and sunk and it was just a bit too deep to touch bottom so I reckon seeing as I'm still here that I must have floated rather than sinking to the bottom

[scoop]

just filmed one of my mates in bellie waders falling over....result....feet in air head under water he didn't panic....he could get his head up but it kept getting forced back down....we retreived him after he went under for the 3rd time...if i can work out how to put it on here i will.......i think alot of ppl haven't noticed about him not wearing a life jacket as well you just can't not wear one these days espically on TV wher you should be setting an example!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anderoo]

... him not wearing a life jacket as well you just can't not wear one these days ...

 

Most of Wilson's stuff was filmed a fair time ago, and his programs have to be viewed in this context.

 

DavyR - surely you can only use your mat as a seat until you catch something!

[scoop]

Most of Wilson's stuff was filmed a fair time ago, and his programs have to be viewed in this context.

 

DavyR - surely you can only use your mat as a seat until you catch something!

 

dream fishing was filmed last year and the series that has catchh22 in it was only about 5 years ago.....

[DavyR]

DavyR - surely you can only use your mat as a seat until you catch something!

 

Not at all - I sit on it doubled over twice (that's the mat, not me), open it out for use when needed, then fold it up again for sitting on (with the wet, fishy side *in*, obviously).

[Anderoo]

Not at all - I sit on it doubled over twice (that's the mat, not me), open it out for use when needed, then fold it up again for sitting on (with the wet, fishy side *in*, obviously).

 

Ah, OK. Mine tends to 'dribble' so I can't do that. I'm opening myself up for criticism here but I only ever take my mat with me on rivers for sitting on (much lighter than a chair!). There's always a patch of soft grass, which in my mind is better than a mat anyway (assuming the fish is still in the wet landing net). If there isn't any suitable surface the mat's there if necessary. I don't buy into the current ridiculously over the top 'fish care' scene which has spilled over from carp fishing. I do use mats on lakes though as the lakes I usually fish are gravel based, and the mat is better than anything else.

 

Whenever possible I'll unhook fish in the water.

 

I don't mind Wilson or anyone else not using mats in certain circumstances. They're not always the best option. However, I don't like the amount of time he keeps fish out of the water. I always end up cringing as he holds it up waffling away - and then says 'let's put it back straight away'!