Are newcomers missing out on vital skills?

[Zerkalo]

An article from the AT again I thought would make good discussion.

Are newcomers missing out on vital skills? — Angling Times

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

www.anglingtimes.co.uk

I have my own thoughts on it and what is most likely to get anglers hooked for life but I was lucky I had a good Junior Club that took us to all manner of venues.

Think Tommy Pickering has it spot on in this article though when he says...

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

 

[ukzero1]

An article from the AT again I thought would make good discussion.

Are newcomers missing out on vital skills? — Angling Times

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

www.anglingtimes.co.uk

I have my own thoughts on it and what is most likely to get anglers hooked for life but I was lucky I had a good Junior Club that took us to all manner of venues.

Think Tommy Pickering has it spot on in this article though when he says...

Interesting question, but don't you think that it's a question of getting those youngsters interested in the first place? Clubs with junior sections these days are getting a bit thin on the ground now and can't (or don't) offer the young anglers of today the opportunity to gain those skills. These days it's left up to dad or other relative to take them out, but if the dad or relative doesn't have enough experience, then the youngster is on to a loser to start with.
My own opinion is for clubs to have 'open sessions' where youngsters (or even older) can take part and learn some basics that will see them in good stead. At least they will then know if angling IS for them or not.

 

[Silverfisher]

Probably rub a few up the wrong way this thread

I think it’s undeniable that some will miss out on some skills/aspects of the sport but they are not vital skills as unless you are fishing competitively nothing in fishing is vital. Some will however definitely be missing out on aspects of fishing/fishing experiences which from the outside looking in is a shame but as Tommy says that doesn’t really matter provided they are enjoying themselves. Provided there are enough anglers in each aspect/discipline of the sport to keep those aspects/disciplines going that’s all that really matters. It’s peoples own free will to be as open minded or closed minded about their fishing as they want really.

 

[icaughtafishonce]

I'd agree with Tommy tbh, as long as you're enjoying it, then that's fine really.

I see in a lot of sports, people like to look down on the 'commercial' end of things, but they help bring people into what ever sport it may be and eventually people move on from that sort of thing by and large.

 

[ukzero1]

@Silverfisher

Although I agree with some of what you say, I have to disagree with "unless you are fishing competitively, nothing is vital". Casting is one thing, but casting accurately is better, a skill that can be learned at even local lake level. After all, crossing another anglers line might get that angler a tad upset.

 

[Zerkalo]

I'd say there's vital skills you need to fish as above, but the word vital could be contentious, as fishing itself is not vital depending on which way you look at it.

It's definitely a shame that Junior Clubs are on the decline though, but I wouldn't know what to do about it myself. When Ken and Janice Aske passed away it was a massive loss to fishing in that sense for my local area as generations of anglers started in that club.

 

[Marker50]

Funny as some just dont take to it.
Took son a few times caught a few .sunny days but not bothered.
I went about a dozen times as a kid on bus before I got a tiny perch.

 

[Chris Calder]

I didn't even click on the link to read the whole article, just reading what I could see was enough to say what a load of rubbish the article is, so you need them three things to call yourself an angler ? I reckon it's them sort of statements which put people of fishing.
Does not matter if you are proficient in them things mentioned or fishing with a bamboo stick with a bit of line and hook and bread.
Enjoyment is the key word nothing else.

 

[smiffy]

AT trolling

 

[Zerkalo]

The article is more balanced thanks to Tommy Pickering who also disagrees, like me, with the opening statement.

Am trying to get my brother into fishing at the moment and told him he'll have to come fish a river with me. Told him on the small river 10 fish would be a good day, told him on the Severn I went with my dad 7 times before he caught a Barbel, and he just laughed and said we should go back to the first place I took him to which he seemed to enjoy... see below.

 

[tipitinmick]

Fishing has changed a lot over the 45 years or so I’ve been fishing. To say that new comers have missed out ??? I don’t know about that. Why would they want to walk half a mile down a river in the snow only to blank ? I think a lot of us from yesteryear only remember the good days we had. Looking at the past through rose tinted glasses. I’m not big on commercial fisheries myself but, I do think these fisheries have definitely saved angling from dropping off a cliff. Maybe in 40 years time anglers will be saying the same about method feeders or jigga rigs ? Who knows ? Time moves on.

 

[Silverfisher]

@Silverfisher

Although I agree with some of what you say, I have to disagree with "unless you are fishing competitively, nothing is vital". Casting is one thing, but casting accurately is better, a skill that can be learned at even local lake level. After all, crossing another anglers line might get that angler a tad upset.

I meant it more as in how @Zerkalo puts it below

I'd say there's vital skills you need to fish as above, but the word vital could be contentious, as fishing itself is not vital depending on which way you look at it.

 

[tipitinmick]

The article is more balanced thanks to Tommy Pickering who also disagrees, like me, with the opening statement.

Am trying to get my brother into fishing at the moment and told him he'll have to come fish a river with me. Told him on the small river 10 fish would be a good day, told him on the Severn I went with my dad 7 times before he caught a Barbel, and he just laughed and said we should go back to the first place I took him to which he seemed to enjoy... see below.

View attachment 92189

I caught a carp similar to that in a Steve Toone ( rip off ) long Higgin match some 30+ years ago and half the field ( 40 anglers ) came to see it weighed in. How times change.

 

[tipitinmick]

The article is more balanced thanks to Tommy Pickering who also disagrees, like me, with the opening statement.

Am trying to get my brother into fishing at the moment and told him he'll have to come fish a river with me. Told him on the small river 10 fish would be a good day, told him on the Severn I went with my dad 7 times before he caught a Barbel, and he just laughed and said we should go back to the first place I took him to which he seemed to enjoy... see below.

View attachment 92189

Is he wearing your beanie Zerkalo ?

 

[Silverfisher]

I kind of went with the try almost all the forms of fishing I had available to me approach before settling into just doing what I like now but if someone from the start just wants to do or try a limited number of types of fishing then so be it as long as they're happy.

 

[tipitinmick]

I kind of went with the try almost all the forms of fishing I had available to me approach before settling into just doing what I like now but if someone from the start just wants to do or try a limited number of types of fishing then so be it as long as they're happy.

Exactly pal. .

 

[Yosemite Sam]

You have to enjoy it, otherwise , why do it. I don’t think many youngsters would go 6-10 times before they caught their first fish. There are many more things to do these days for enjoyment with less effort and cost. They must catch their first fish the first time they go, otherwise they won’t enjoy and won’t go again. They then can improve their skills the second and third time, to hopefully catch more or bigger fish. Improved skills in anything brings bigger rewards, and more enjoyment. Being better at something makes it easier and more enjoyable.

 

[mickthechippy]

The article is more balanced thanks to Tommy Pickering who also disagrees, like me, with the opening statement.

Am trying to get my brother into fishing at the moment and told him he'll have to come fish a river with me. Told him on the small river 10 fish would be a good day, told him on the Severn I went with my dad 7 times before he caught a Barbel, and he just laughed and said we should go back to the first place I took him to which he seemed to enjoy... see below.

View attachment 92189

both the Hat and fish are "guru" branded !

 

[Silverfisher]

You have to enjoy it, otherwise , why do it. I don’t think many youngsters would go 6-10 times before they caught their first fish. There are many more things to do these days for enjoyment with less effort and cost. They must catch their first fish the first time they go, otherwise they won’t enjoy and won’t go again. They then can improve their skills the second and third time, to hopefully catch more or bigger fish. Improved skills in anything brings bigger rewards, and more enjoyment. Being better at something makes it easier and more enjoyable.

I think if someone has been 6-10 times before catching a fish then assuming that isn't the depths of winter or specimen fishing then I'm not sure they're cut out to be angler

 

[Yosemite Sam]

I think if someone has been 6-10 times before catching a fish then assuming that isn't the depths of winter or specimen fishing then I'm not sure they're cut out to be angler

Perhaps, but if you were young and just went with your mate and a basic rod and line , you wouldn’t know any different. Just think to when you first drove a car. What would you have done if somebody just gave you the keys and said. “Off you go then”. You may get off the drive after numerous attempts, but you have no idea when off how to change gear, or any of the other stuff that makes you a better driver. No different to fishing, or anything else for that matter.