What Is Angling?

[snotty]

Angling for me transcends a mere sport hobby or pastime, it is what I do when I have a choice of how to spend my time, as opposed to having to work, shop or fix things.

Like Haighy, I regret deeply not having spent more time doing it when I was younger, and thereby experiencing the 'old' days which I could then compare to now for equipment & thrill.

 

Angling sometimes involves going fishing, sometimes even catching them ! but not always... I can quite happily sit in front of a good TV prog, DVD or angling book, and I am swept into my alternative dimension.

 

Angling is pottering around in my garage with some bit of tackle or other, scouring ebay and the shelves of my local tackle shop for a bargain, for which I have no use or intent until the moment I see it.

 

Angling drifts in and out of my waking hours like an early morning dew-laden mist meandering through the bankside vegetation. It is never far away from my thoughts and can awake me instantly from those mundane realities, with nothing more than a glimpse of shimmering water.

[nursejudy]

Fishing has changed for me now,I go fishing to ensure my hubby can fish,he taught me very patiently and well.I frequently have caught more and better fish than him,but things change, now he is registered partially sighted,so I have become his eyes,I sit further down the bank so he can swing his rod over to me to take a fish off or put a maggot on, and land the fish if the net is required. Fishing now means different pleasures,describing the wildlife and the surroundings is even more improtant,fishing certainly takes you to some beautiful places.

Fishing gives pleasure .you are in your own space alone with your thoughts ,the anticipation ,the lovely sound of the float plopping in the water,me shouting strike!!!!!!!!If I say do you fancy going fishing ,his face lights up,I even enjoy getting all the tackle ready,going into the tackle shop and having a brew(like janet) and looking to see what new bait there is.... Fishing is like therapy...

 

Judith

[cidermonkey]

Whether you call our pursuit of fish a sport, a pastime, a hobby or a way of life - and disregarding any differences of opinion that we may have - we all have one thing in common: We all enjoy doing it. We are all members of a brotherhood (not gender specific) that enjoy trying to catch fish. It is like a secret that not everybody knows. Those of us that know the secret could never adequately explain in words what it is to someone that doesn't know. Even amongst ourselves that secret has different meaning. If Forrest Gump were to comment he might say, "Fishing is as Fishing does"

 

There is a small element within our brotherhood that haven't got the secret but still call themselves fishermen. They leave litter, they cause nuisance, cause harm to the fish that we pursue and other wildlife that share their environment - both in and out of the water and derive no pleasure from the nature that surrounds them whilst they do it. I disassociate myself from them totally but hope that they may one day get the secret or f*ck off and find something else to do.

 

To those of us that have found our own personal secret in the pursuit of fish - whatever it may be - may we continue to participate, learn, get frustrated, get elated, enjoy and share our experiences with each other for as long as we choose to do so and be proud of one thing - we KNOW!

[fisherman]

Fishing for me is a hobby I have enjoyed for more years than I care to remember.

 

Sat on the bank of the river Wye on a summers morning watching the Kingfisher perched on the end of my rod praying I don`t get a bite, just so that it would stay there longer.

 

Sat on some rocks chucking it down with rain praying for a bite so I could stay longer.

 

Standing on the bank of some Tout fishery getting really annoyed with the monster that keeps swimming by and ignoring my fly.

 

Catching a fish in most instances is a bonus, I get great peace of mind just being there.

 

My wife says I have no patience and my only answer is, how can I sit watching nothing for 8 hours if I have no patience!!

 

I defy any Angler/Fisherperson to cross a bridge without looking through the water to see what`s there.

 

Angling/Fishing for me is a way of life.

 

Dave

Edited August 18, 2007 by fisherman

[fishy_con]

To me, fishing is about time. Time to relax, time to enjoy, time to anticipate, time to concentrate, time to learn, time to succeed, time to ail and learn some more! time spent out of life away from work hassle and the world thats racing around us 24 hours a day, just to slow down and enjoy probably the most pure environment you could find pitting your wits against nature in the only competition i know where there are no losers... (i know some might say the maggots probably dont think that way) Angling, or fishing? whatever you want to call it, it amounts to the same thing for me. now im off down the river!

[FishyFraser]

The pleasure on my 11 year old sons face when he hooks into a rod bending chub on the river lark yesterday. Cannot be beaten.

[haighy]

"To me, fishing is about time".

 

 

What else would I and my 12-yr old sons set our alarms for 5.30am for, yet still awake before the alarm goes off........?

 

 

And as the last glimmer of light goes and we begin to pack up, where did all the hours go? I could have sworn we've only been here an hour or two.....

 

One last cast before I go..........

[Leon Roskilly]

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/Miscellaneous-..._riverbank.html

 

[John S]

Very good Leon, I'll use that one verbatim if you don't mind

[Leon Roskilly]

Very good Leon, I'll use that one verbatim if you don't mind

 

 

Go Ahead Si