Are newcomers missing out on vital skills?

SCROLL back 30 years or so and trotting a stick float, casting accurately and knowing how to feed properly were just three of the core skills people had to master before they could truly call themselves an angler.

Along this challenging journey the foundations for a life in fishing were laid, but are these vital skills being lost on today’s newcomers who make commercials or day-ticket carp lakes their first port of call?

There is a real art to catching consistently on a river

Some old-school anglers, such as carper Nick Helleur, certainly believe so. As one of the most respected people in carp fishing Nick, who turns 50 next year, recently starred on the Thinking Tackle Podcast, where he waxed lyrical about how much angling has changed in recent years.

“I was brought up being told that you ‘cast it out and reel it in’” he said. 

“Nowadays, people have bait boats and poles. Learning the skill of casting in a wind or under a bush at range, for example, is falling by the wayside. 

“A lot of people are one-trick ponies. Anglers should be able to trot a stick float and set up any rig you care to mention. They should be able to fish for any species without a guide or help. They should be able to go and do it – that’s the joy of angling”

“A lot of people are one-trick ponies”

With a strong correlation between rising rod licence sales and busy day-ticket fisheries this year, it would seem that a lot of newcomers are skipping the challenges of learning to fish natural waters, as Nick suggests. But is that a bad thing? Match legend Tommy Pickering doesn’t think so.

“Does it really matter?” he said.

“I know it concerns some anglers, but a newcomer doesn’t know any different. Commercials are convenient, comfortable, and have all the facilities you need. When people my age grew up, we had no commercials, just rivers and stillwaters where the fishing could be very difficult.”

In Tommy’s mind, the most important thing is that there are new people coming into fishing, full stop.

“The most important advice I can give to a newcomer is to enjoy it,” he added.

“Make sure to ask for advice, too, be it from your local tackle shop or having a coaching day. If you’re catching fish, it’s much more enjoyable, and you’re more likely to stick with it.”

“The most important advice I can give to a newcomer is to enjoy it”

Bob Roberts, one of Britain’s best all-rounders, is of a similar mind to Tommy, although he believes there are certain things that those growing up solely fishing commercials will miss out on.

“The subtlety required in catching roach, dace and skimmers on a natural venue is something that anglers who have grown up on commercials will lack, as well as knowledge of a wide range of techniques, but this is too much to take in,” he told us.

“With the rise of the internet and social media, everything is instant and people expect fishing to be the same. Commercials give people the chance to catch in comfort, with relatively little effort and expenditure. I think they’re brilliant and regularly have catches on them that I would have given my right arm for when I was a newcomer.”

Bob believes the quality of fishing on offer at day-ticket waters will help encourage people to keep fishing, but also isn’t worried that other aspects of angling will die out.

“Take beans on toast. There’s nothing wrong with it, but if you have it every day, you’ll quickly get bored and start adding new flavours or trying different things. 

“Fishing is no different. People will eventually want to try something different and will no doubt develop curiosities for fishing a river or canal, even the sea. 

“Day-ticket fisheries are having a fantastic impact on fishing and I’m so pleased to see new anglers on the bank. The positive repercussions of the work these fisheries are doing are being felt throughout angling.” 

People will eventually want to try something different and will no doubt develop curiosities for fishing a river or canal, even the sea

Rod licence sales boom!

MORE than 335,000 rod licences have been sold since May 13, 2020 when lockdown restrictions on angling were finally lifted, according to data released by the Environment Agency this week.

The staggering figure, which represents a hike of 200,000 – or 230 per cent – over the same period last year, is thought to include a significant number of licences bought by newcomers to angling. 

“It’s been encouraging to see not only anglers returning to the sport, but also newcomers trying fishing for the first time amongst those buying licences”

said Dr Graeme Storey, EA Acting Deputy Director for Fisheries and the Natural Environment.

“Fishing is an excellent way to engage with nature and the outdoors, which provides much needed positive health and welfare benefits,” he added. 

“As a consequence of revenue generated through the sale of rod licences, we are able to protect and improve the things anglers care most about.”

Rod licence sales boomed in the UK after lockdown restrictions were lifted.

Don’t knock these angling newbies! - Rob Hughes

I’ve seen a bit of talk on social media lately from people complaining about ‘pop-ups’ as they call them. These are groups of people who aren’t lifelong anglers but who’ve just spent a few bob on a box and a £30 nettle-thrasher and are out there on the bank, treating it like it’s a party, being loud and spoiling everyone’s day.

The thing is, we were all there at one stage. Not necessarily antisocial anglers, but beginners coming into a new sport, not knowing what to do, or how or where to do it. Back in the day, it’s likely that we had someone to guide us through those early stages.

Now no-one wants a gang of blokes pitching up with tents and tinnies. But we all know that angling has been shrinking over recent years and we could do with a numbers boost. 

In the current situation, and fishing being one of the few things people can do, now’s the time to encourage more people to try it, especially those who once fished and may still have some kit in the garage. 

As I write this, many lakes are crowded with the initial rush of social distancing anglers, but once things have calmed down a little, and if Government suggestions are right, we will soon be allowed to mix with people from other households.

If it’s safe, and you feel comfortable doing it, wouldn’t it be great if we could take a non-angling pal and their offspring for an evening out and encourage more people to take up fishing responsibly and properly?

Now is the time to encourage more people to try fishing.

10 great things that angling gives you the perfect excuse for!

IF the Coronavirus pandemic has given us anything, it’s afforded us time to sit and reflect. And sometimes it takes a moment without fishing to realise just how special it is.

From the birdsong soundtracked dawn starts to the Zen-like moments of quiet reflection, it’s all too easy to let the magic be drowned out. 

Here are 10 reasons to fish you might have forgotten about...

Eating a huge fry-up

An army marches on its stomach and anglers sit down for hours on their gutbuster brekkies. Somehow, even normally calorie-conscious partners will encourage you to consume all your recommended daily fat and carbs intake before 9am if a day on the bank beckons. ‘You’ll need a good breakfast inside you, it’s a long day,’ they’ll helpfully say, blissfully unaware that you’ve also packed two rounds of sarnies and a fistful of snacks. 

Climbing trees

Ask a normal adult when they last climbed a tree and they are likely to have to dig deep into their memory banks to answer you. For anglers, particularly speci-hunters, scaling a trunk or two is a normal part of our quest to find fish. 

It’s a simple pleasure that affords a viewpoint rarely seen by others since childhood. Which might just be a metaphor for angling itself!

Taking money off good friends

An occasional flutter on the horses is all well and good, but you just can’t beat a bit of friendly fishing competition with a bounty at stake. 

Nothing beats a five-hour match with a group of pals and a healthy pools pot. Add in unique rules and the threat of forfeits for even more banter and belly laughs.

Wearing waders

Rubber trousers might be the most-mocked item of clothing anglers own, but those who take the mickey have clearly never experienced the pleasures of wading. 

Enclosed by the cold pressure of water and down almost at eye level with the surface, it’s a unique experience that helps you appreciate the power of nature in an intimate way.

Putting your mobile phone away

The good thing about the outside world’s limited understanding of angling is that saying: “Sorry I didn’t answer my phone, I was fishing” is a legitimate and totally watertight alibi. 

Non-anglers aren’t to know that you could have taken the call and let a loosened clutch or bite alarm temporarily act as sentry. They also aren’t to know that your remote bankside location receives a perfect mobile phone signal, even if you pretend otherwise.

Wearing camo

Do the fish care? Probably not. Do you look cool? Probably not.But is it the only acceptable way to keep alive your childhood dreams of being just like Action Man? Absolutely. 

It’s ridiculous when you consider the colours  of waterside predators herons and kingfishers, but you feel 10 per cent more likely of success when you don some camo!

Seeing the sun rise

If angling is an affliction that tests and torments you, witnessing dawn outdoors is the soothing balm that makes it all seem worthwhile. 

If you’ve fished all your life, recall those memories of dewy mornings and 4am birdsong and realise that the average person sleeps through them all. 

It is a privilege worth reflecting on every now and again.

Digging for worms

If there’s a theme running through this list it’s surely that angling allows you to regress to childhood without fear of (too much) ridicule. Digging for worms – and, more precisely, using weird and wacky methods to tempt them from the soil – is a delight non-anglers leave behind long before finishing school. Patting the ground? A sprinkling of washing-up liquid? Loud music? How do you charm yours?

Doing nothing

Sitting. Watching. Alert but unhurried. It’s a beautiful state of mind to be in, but incredibly rare among non-anglers.

Hours on end can pass, you can feel the sun inch across the sky, you can hear the birds singing and you can see wildlife that few others witness regularly. 

It’s easy to take it for granted…until a worldwide pandemic forces you to appreciate it just a little bit more.

Winter barbecues

A concept almost unheard of for those strange folk who don’t spend their lives beside water, but the winter barbecue is a staple of the carp and specimen fishing scenes. 

Let’s be honest, it’s often the only thing to look forward to when you’re scratching around for bites in the frozen depths of January and February!