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Angling advances and changes


Ken L

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30 years ago, I was fishing with a glass rod, mono line and a Mitchell 300. The carp record was fourty something pounds and it was almost impossible to get a peg on the Middle Severn on a weekend if you turned up after 8am.

There have been lots of changes and advancements in baits, rigs, tackle etc since then

 

So, what do you reckon have been the 5 most significant changes to have affected your fishing over the years ?

 

I'm time limiting it to 30 years because there are a couple of old uns on here that'd vote for changing catgut for mono and replacing split cane with fiberglass...... :D

Species caught in 2020: Barbel. European Eel. Bleak. Perch. Pike.

Species caught in 2019: Pike. Bream. Tench. Chub. Common Carp. European Eel. Barbel. Bleak. Dace.

Species caught in 2018: Perch. Bream. Rainbow Trout. Brown Trout. Chub. Roach. Carp. European Eel.

Species caught in 2017: Siamese carp. Striped catfish. Rohu. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Black Minnow Shark. Perch. Chub. Brown Trout. Pike. Bream. Roach. Rudd. Bleak. Common Carp.

Species caught in 2016: Siamese carp. Jullien's golden carp. Striped catfish. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Alligator gar. Rohu. Black Minnow Shark. Roach, Bream, Perch, Ballan Wrasse. Rudd. Common Carp. Pike. Zander. Chub. Bleak.

Species caught in 2015: Brown Trout. Roach. Bream. Terrapin. Eel. Barbel. Pike. Chub.

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1. Fishery management. Far and away the most influential aspect of our sport.

 

2. Fish farmers. They supply a massive amount of the fish we try to catch. (never mind the wild stock, they were declining rapidly)

 

3. Price. Gear has dropped in price dramatically over the past 30 years.

 

4. Technology. So many improved lines, rigs, reels, rods, just so much change.

 

5. Clubs, friends, access to the internet. We can now ask 'google' or 'ask' where to fish and the answers are there. Not sure this is a good thing, but for a lot of folk it's improved their fishing.

When you stop enjoying it, stop doing it.

 

Rodge.

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Whilst not especially affecting my personal fishing I think the following have changed fishing significantly over the last 30 years:

 

Introduction of boilies.

 

The huge increase in single species specilisation, especially Carp fishing.

 

Bite alarms

 

Single rod licence

 

Abolition of Close season on still waters and canals.

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there are a couple of old uns on here that'd vote for changing catgut for mono and replacing split cane with fiberglass....

It seems only yesterday that I replaced greenheart with split cane ! ...and started using catgut instead of plaited horse hair....

 

However, looking at changes since 1977 (your 30 year limit) I think the changes that have affected my fishing are largely from outside the tackle trade.

 

1. The "affluent society" with its TV , Internet, Video games etc has diminished recruitment from youngsters. Result, for much of my river fishing I never see another soul all day. Splendid! - for the moment - but it has long term consequences, like angling clubs not willing to pay rentage for waters few of their members fish.

 

2. On the other hand, the "compensation and blame" society has resulted in certain waters that used to be freely available but are now closed to angling (because the owners don't want to be held responsible for accidents). From a personal point of view, it is mainly some of my sea fishing venues that have been lost (Newhaven Breakwater, Littlehampton Gantry, various piers etc closed to anglers) but Corporations are only too keen to stop angling in public parks etc.

 

3. I used to enjoy friendly relations (and free fishing) with many local farmers. Most have retired or died, and the farms are now run by a remote body through "farm managers" - who I find are a somewhat negative breed - their motivation being similar to the bodies mentioned in 2 above.

 

4. The rise of "pay lakes" I approve of them for two reasons Firstly they keep anglers away from the rivers (but with the same consequences as I gave in 1 above) and secondly, sometimes I like an "easy" days fishing, with some good fish to show without a lot of effort (and I mean perch and roach, not carp)

 

5. The rise of "fishery management" and fish farms. They have a lot to answer for. In far too many cases pay lakes and club waters are overstocked with carp. For "silver" fish, the effect can be dire (although I have had good roach and perch from some carp waters that are not overstocked).... and when the fishfarmers offer other species, what do you get - F1 at best, and mongrel goldfish/crucians and mongrel roach/rudd/bream at worst. Hybrids used to be rare - now they are commonplace - and unfortunately few seem able to distinguish them from the pure species, or care ("Its still a fish ennit?")

 

But I live in a timewarp - I can still enjoy Mr Crabtree-style fishing when I chose, or make brief visits to the present and catch roach at a-fish-a-chuck in the local paylake whilst being entertained by the antics of the bivvy brigade.

Edited by Vagabond

 

 

RNLI Governor

 

World species 471 : UK species 105 : English species 95 .

Certhia's world species - 215

Eclectic "husband and wife combined" world species 501

 

"Nothing matters very much, few things matter at all" - Plato

...only things like fresh bait and cold beer...

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Nice question Ken :)

 

The 5 most significant things to change my fishing since 1977 (when I was 1! But I started fishing at 4) would be:

 

1. The creation and spread of purpose built, heavily stocked commercial fisheries, which led to

 

2. Overstocking existing lakes to try to stay competitive, which helped contribute to

 

3. An exodus from the rivers, including matches.

 

4. Discovering John Wilson on TV and learning to target different species

 

5. Finally getting a good, relatively inexpensive centrepin last year and discovering REAL trotting

 

 

Like Vagabond, I also worry about clubs giving up their leases on rivers because of lack of demand, even though at the moment river fishing is as good as I've ever known it, helped in no small measure by the lack of pressure.

 

The advances in tackle and technology and the huge industry of fishing baits has changed the angling landscape significantly, but for me not as much as the 5 things above.

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music

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Wow this is a 'toughie' Ken, but a good one. :thumbs:

 

Being slightly younger than Vagabond, (in body, if not in mind), I have always used mono', but do remember greenheart tips, Spanish reed, keep/ landing nets that had to be soaked in linseed oil. (I got most of my early tackle from my father).

 

Vagabond, has covered most of my thoughts on the subject, but one change that stands out, is a consequence of those changes.

 

Anglers expectations, have changed, largely due to the commercial side of fisheries.

 

In the 70s, I was mainly involved in matchfishing. An open then was at least 150 pegs, (more often 200+), and even an ordinary club match could have 40-50 pegs, (the size of some 'opens' today).

The winning weights could be anything from a couple of pounds into the 20-30lb bracket. Now if you don't get 20-40lb of fish, you've had a poor to average day! It has very little to do with improved tackle or tactics either.

Perpetuated by the angling press, this thinking has 'rubbed off' on the 'pleasure' angler, and instead of just enjoying angling, many feel they have to catch more, or bigger, to have a 'successful' day.

 

John.

Angling is more than just catching fish, if it wasn't it would just be called 'catching'......... John

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So, what do you reckon have been the 5 most significant changes to have affected your fishing over the years ?

 

 

Well I dunno about 5, but the one thing that for me at least has changed my fishing most, is the Internet!

I wasn't fishing 30 years ago, but 20 years ago all the fishing info I had access too came from the local tackleshop and the anglers times / mail, and a few really tatty old books from the local library

Finding new venues, chosing new tackle, even finding someone to fish with is so much simpler today than it ever was before!

 

Mat

Mat

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very little in tackle bar weight ,everything you own now has been around in the past tackle wise.

Believe NOTHING anyones says or writes unless you witness it yourself and even then your eyes can deceive you

None of this "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" crap it just means i have at least two enemies!

 

There is only one opinion i listen to ,its mine and its ALWAYS right even when its wrong

 

Its far easier to curse the darkness than light one candle

 

Mathew 4:19

Grangers law : anything i say will  turn out the opposite or not happen at all!

Life insurance? you wont enjoy a penny!

"To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical." Thomas Jefferson

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For me, it'd probably be:

 

Carbon rods.

 

Braided lines.

 

Soft lures.

 

The rise and rise of carp fishing - Giving me the space to practice the dark art of lure fishing on the rivers.

 

The internet - If you have a question, there's an answer, a place to buy the stuff you need to implement the answer, a video to show you how to do it and a forum to brag about how cool it was afterwards.

Species caught in 2020: Barbel. European Eel. Bleak. Perch. Pike.

Species caught in 2019: Pike. Bream. Tench. Chub. Common Carp. European Eel. Barbel. Bleak. Dace.

Species caught in 2018: Perch. Bream. Rainbow Trout. Brown Trout. Chub. Roach. Carp. European Eel.

Species caught in 2017: Siamese carp. Striped catfish. Rohu. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Black Minnow Shark. Perch. Chub. Brown Trout. Pike. Bream. Roach. Rudd. Bleak. Common Carp.

Species caught in 2016: Siamese carp. Jullien's golden carp. Striped catfish. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Alligator gar. Rohu. Black Minnow Shark. Roach, Bream, Perch, Ballan Wrasse. Rudd. Common Carp. Pike. Zander. Chub. Bleak.

Species caught in 2015: Brown Trout. Roach. Bream. Terrapin. Eel. Barbel. Pike. Chub.

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