Fishing ... what is the attraction?

[stevo as b4]

I haven't got much time for fishing these days, last time I was coarse fishing was 2014 at a local gravel pit. Sea fishing is cool for a laugh with mates, but haven't been beach fishing or out on a boat since 2016. I've got rid of some of my gear, but have a couple of rods and some light tackle left I could in theory take down the canal on my mountain bike on a summer evening.

I used to be seriously into match fishing in the early 90's before I really got into riding road bikes and passed my DAS. I still remember evenings at our then local club fishing pool. It was sited near the top of a 2.5mile hill next to the bypass. I spent Friday nights listening to howling Fireblades and GSXR750's mixed in with the occasional (then current) booming Ducati 916's giving it the big'un up that mad road.

That was the best thing about evening fishing, other than drinking cold cider. But five years before that I was more into putting on my Wulfsport gear and getting my YZ125 dirty or scaring myself in do or die muddy woods sections on my Fantic 243.

Now I'm an old bugger I'd rarther spend a weekend sniffing blue clouds of smoke riding Evo era MX bikes than fishing, but my bones and back would definitely prefer to go fishing. I'm in the phase of I can get back into fishing when I retire, but Id like to think I could still tear up an MX track like a fearless kid, even if my body and head say "you're past it you daft old twat"

[MCN]

Im sorry to say it.
There are only two things smell like fish and one is a fish.

Fishmonger is taking a tray of fresh fish up to the office restaurant one morning when the lift stops at another floor.
A blind man enters the lift and says, "Good morning ladies."
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[hellkat]

Thankfully, fishing appears to be off the menu.
For now, at least.

I feel certain its a solitary pursuit for a reason.
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[pepperami]

Why do I go fishing and what’s the attraction?

Well, it gets me out of the house.
I’m usually not in a concrete jungle.
I never really know what I might catch.
I’m quiet and get to see nature all around me.
If I’m sea fishing, I might catch dinner.
It’s a challenge.
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[Pigeon]

Fresh water fishing is just meditation.

I used to go with my old man as a kid. 20 blokes positioned round the edge of the pond focused on the task of fishing (mainly staring at a float) for hours without saying a word.

Purely to de-stress.

Contrary to any ideas my mum had at home, none of the guys were slagging off their wives etc
They barely said 3 words to each other except when maybe getting a brew on.

Sea fishing can be similar, but it's often not calm enough to really be overly relaxing. Depends on the location of course.

[RhynoCZ]

I used to do fresh water fishing a lot (land locked country), mainly with my father, sometimes my uncle came along and I must say, it is a very calming/therapeutic hobby. Just being outside, in the nature, not being bothered with the city noise, smells, every day issues and all that. Also when anyone ever caught something (something worth bragging about), we all shared the joy of catching a nice fish. We always used to do it for the joy of fishing (sport), so we let go pretty much every fish.

I found out cycling in the woods and riding motorcycles also has such calming/therapeutic effect.
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[Fisty]

I have recently got back into fishing after a break of 20+ years.

I find it relaxing just sitting by the river watching the world go by. A chance to get lost in my own thoughts, almost like meditation.

Sitting in the sunshine with a cold cider with wildlife all around me is quite relaxing.

Plus you get to see beautiful fish like this bad boy I caught a few weeks ago.

https://i.imgur.com/o9TBbLi.jpg?1
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Quietly and consistently taking the piss.
TL1000R | Hayabusa | ZXR400 | TL1000S | Bandit 400 V
Fatter and faster than Fret

[colink98]

[The Shaggy D.A.]

Used to fish a lot as kids, dad would get us up at stupid o'clock, get the sandwiches and flasks ready, bundle us into the car and head to Runymede. Only ever caught Bleak, Dace, Roach and if you were lucky, Perch. When we moved to Northampton, we were within a 5 minute drive/20 minute walk of a lake with Roach, Perch, Carp, Tench, Pike and Eels. Most of the time we'd be lucky to catch something once an hour

My dad left home when I was 13, we still fished but when I left home and started gigging I'd only go a couple of times a year. My brother kept it up and accumulated a ton of gear, and occasionally I'll join him, and it's usually at a private lake somewhere. That's usually the complete opposite of my earlier experiences, and you can end up reeling something in as soon as you cast. That can get tedious when all you want to do it relax in peace.

I've gotten to the stage where I'll happily sit by a lake or river, with a brew on, few beers, and whether or not I've a line in the water doesn't make much difference. Add a good book, some choonz and a couple of joints, I can leave the fishing gear at home
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Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[Suntan Sid]

I'm a keen angler, I started when I was a nipper.
No one in my family fished, but what got me into it was a book my grandad had on fishing, he wanted to take it up in his retirement, but he didn't manage it.
When I was about 8, I found a tenner, on the road, that was loadsamoney at the time, enough to kit me out with all the tackle I needed.
My venue was the Leeds Liverpool canal, it was hard fishing, but it was one of the top waters in the UK at the time, lots of national matches took place there. It was actually full of fish, roach, perch, pike and lots of lovely big tench.
By the time I was in my teens I'd joined a local angling club, which gave access to loads of other venues. You could also now fish in the national matches on the canal. I managed to win my section in a national match, all the match men turned up with roach poles and tiny hooks, not realising that a chunk of bread on a size 8, freelined two foot from the edge was where the tench were.
Once I'd passed my bike and car test, myself and my mate travelled all over, fishing.
We both decided we'd like a proper crack at fly fishing, so joined a club in North Wales. We did this for a few years, learned how to tie flies and caught sea trout, while the coarse fishing took a back seat.
Eventually I moved to Scotland, so it was mainly Salmon and sea trout fishing, although there were a few excellent coarse venues.
!5 years later I moved to Cyprus, the coarse fishing is excellent there, lots of wild carp, huge roach, bream, perch, channel catfish, and bass.
Over the years I've dabbled a bit with sea fishing but never taken it that seriously, it all seemed a bit agricultural compared to coarse and fly fishing.
For the last three years I've got into LRF, (light rock fishing), and lure fishing in the sea, this is great fun, I mainly use soft plastic lures but I'm experimenting more with metal lures. The best place I've found for this type of fishing is, without doubt, the IOM!

I'm not so keen on coarse fishing in the UK now, there are too many commercial venues, overstocked with stupid fish, that require very little thought to catch them and it's difficult to find anywhere where you'd not see another soul all day!

After a lifetime of fishing, why do I do it?
It's a great escape from everything really, you get to go to some stunning places, it's usually quite tranquil and I enjoy the challenge.
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"Everybody needs money, that's why they call it money!"

[pepperami]

[Fisty]

[Loui5D]

Peace & quiet from nagging feckers & Wives/GF's.

[hellkat]

[Suntan Sid]

[Riejufixing]

Fishing?

[[[[[[ INTERLUDE ]]]]]]

(Source: The Brand New Monty Python Papperbok.)

Useless Tips For Anglers

1. Be sure the carburettor and spark-plugs are cleaned before reassembly.
2. Make sure that the shelf is at right-angles to the fixing-joint (use Rawlplug 'cavity fixing screws')
3. Always check the bill for service charge.
4. Rods should be about 3 feet long and 6 inches thick, and covered with industrial plasti-laminate (Brit. Standard BS 635429) 1/3-1/2 inch thick including sound-proofing.
5. Pike can pass on whooping-cough if you let them breathe over you.
6. Carp, bream and guppies usually know a lot of useful phone-numbers, so make sure you extract the maximum information from them before you bang their heads on the stone.
7. Never believe trout.
8. For landing salmon, a little lipstick and a new hairdo will increase the average angler's chances no end.
9. Angling does not make you blind.
10. Taking your boots off when you fish does not encourage the growth of testicles.*


*The only sure-fire way of increasing the size of your testicles is to fill in the form below:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Initial Offer

I wish to buy £_____ worth (min. investment £500) of Slater-Nazi Testicular Growth Bonds.

I am over 21 and understand I may never see my money again.

Signed: Mr/Mrs__________ Address_______________

[colink98]

[hellkat]

Nice piece of assumption there, Colin.
Totally incorrect, on ALL fronts.

I know the reason why I nagged, but the likelihood of you guys ever knowing what it was ... is less than incredibly remote

Stick to fishing ... second guessing women's reasons for nagging is a waste of men's valuable time
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[colink98]