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Travelling Light


Del_R

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I've been lure fishing a lot these last few years and enjoyed the freedom of just taking a small bag, one rod and reel, a net, and just a few items of tackle. Compared to my river fishing trips of the same period - a great big rucksack (that itself is meant to be part of the roving angler's arsenal, and I guess it is when compared to the wheel-barrows of many anglers), and two rods, and every pocket of that rucksack filled with something...

 

I swapped that great big rucksack for a much smaller bag.But I found I was still carrying way too much.

 

So the last couple of trips I've kind of reverted to long lost days of yore - one rod, a small trout bag, in which I have a small box of bits and pieces, a few floats, a flask of coffee, and a pint of maggots. I have a light roving chair, unhooking mat, and a landing net.

 

It's been brilliant. Bag over the shoulder, chair and net in one hand, rod and landing net handle in the other. Just the job.

 

I've jotted down what kit I actually used in anger these last few trips:

 

Rod, reel, chair, flask, scissors, packet of hooks, disgorger, split-shot, maggots, float, float adaptor, rodrest, towel, loop tyer, unhooking mat

 

That's it. When I look at all the stuff I'm still taking n addition to the above, I reckon I can get down lighter still, although one needs to keep a few options open for the river bank.

 

Derek

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There's a lot to be said for travelling and fishing light.

Lure and fly are probably as light as you can go and that's what I've done for years now.

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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A couple of floats ,a few splitshot and hooks and a disgorger on a string in one pocket and bread in the other ,a set up rod and pan landing net and i am good to go.

In the summer in the other hand is a metal detector and digger and i go down the fields at a couple of hours before dusk ,do a bit of detecting and as it darkens have an hour fishing.

The only real necessity is jungle formulae those mozzies love me

No room for seats usually the grass on the bank is 4ft high so just poking out the rod is the usual

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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  • 2 weeks later...

I nearly always travel light these days; wandering from swim to swim with just a rod, reel and small rodrest in one hand, my landing net with an unhooking mat inside it and a small bag with various bits in it over my shoulder.

My bait and camera is usually in my waistcoat pockets.

 

If Im going to be fishing fairly static then I will take a small reclining seat with me but a lot of the time I will leave it in the car.

 

The days of me carrying everything but the kitchen sink have long gone.

 

Keith

Edited by BoldBear
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Happiness is Fish shaped (it used to be woman shaped but the wife is getting on a bit now)

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Welcome back Del.

 

I've always been a 'belt and braces' person, and try to cover most eventualities. It's probably a throwback to my old river match fishing days, when you could be fishing for small stuff, or barbel and chub. I'm just getting back into angling after a fairly long lay off, and mainly just fishing for what comes along. I've started to sort my stuff into venue specific lots, but even that is a bit too much. I'm hoping that has I get a few more trips to the water, I will feel more relaxed about my fishing, and be able to cut it down a bit more.

One trouble I have is the seat. I have always used a fishing box, (I use a Shakespeare one with adjustable legs at the moment), If I don't get the height of the box just right, I get bad pains in my thighs and back, the same with sitting on the ground. I've tried a few different chairs, but not found anything as comfortable as my box, so I still take it, but just put less in it.

 

John.

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

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Apart from basic fishing tackle the only thing I have to take is my chair. I can't stand for more than a few minutes and can't walk more than a couple of hundred metres, so it also means I can't carry loads of kit very far. The only swims I can fish have to have decent access for a car, or I need to take a good friend.

John, I have used a Korum accessory chair for years now. I have side table, feeder arm and under/over rests for the pole.

Not the lightest but does everything.

Let's agree to respect each others views, no matter how wrong yours may be.

 

 

Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity

 

 

 

http://www.safetypublishing.co.uk/
http://www.safetypublishing.ie/

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