As anglers we often get the same recurring question from people that don't go fishing: Why do you go fishing, isn't it boring? You just put them back, you don't eat them? Often we find it hard to explain what it is about angling that brings us so much joy and each angler will have their own experiences or little things that make fishing so enjoyable!
Whether it is the dawn chorus, to the drag of your reel screaming, fishing offers more than its fair share of magical experiences. But what are the very finest of them?
First and lasts
What would any fishing trip be without atmosphere and anticipation? That sense of what might happen is perhaps captured best at the start and end of each day.
Few things fire our sense of expectation like a misty dawn or fiery sunset on the water. Aside from the beautiful light and colours, both times are often right on “bite o’clock”.
NEW TO FISHING? HERE IS A GREAT BEGINNERS GUIDE TO HELP YOU CATCH YOUR FIRST FISH.
The social and solitude
Contrary to popular belief, anglers are quite a sociable bunch and there is nothing better than kicking back and relaxing with some of your good fishing mates, by a lake, talking about fishing! It is a great excuse to get outside, unwind and enjoy nature while having a good chat about anything that pops up.
Alternatively if you want to be alone and seek some privacy, fishing offers that too like no other sport can. As soon as you cast out it is you against the fish and everything else troubling you tends to melt away!
THE BEST FISHING CHAIRS WILL HELP YOU RELAX WHEN YOU'RE ON THE BANK!
Happy returns
Almost as enjoyable as catching a fish is returning it safely to the water and watching it swim off, unharmed. Whether it’s that feeling of “mission accomplished” or the pleasure of knowing that you’ve solved the puzzle without needing to take anything away, it’s deeply satisfying.
Back of the net
If the fight of a large fish is the peak of excitement for an angler, it can also be quite an anxious process, especially if the specimen hooked could make or break your whole day, match, or even season! Perhaps that’s why it’s such a sweet feeling to see the net finally bulge, accompanied by a feeling of sheer elation – and possibly relief!
THE BEST LANDING NETS WILL ENSURE YOU CAN ALWAYS SAFELY SCOOP YOUR PRIZE.
Going, going...gone
Is there any better sight than a float sliding away? If that tip plunges down after a series of tentative little nibbles, it’s even more satisfying. Not that all bites on the float are the same. Pike anglers will know the pleasure in seeing their bung “take a walk”, while the tench fisher’s lift bite is another thing of beauty.
The one-toner
Those who use bite alarms soon learn to recognise the different messages they transmit to the angler. The little blips and beeps can be frustrating, or even sleep preventing at night. However, once a fish really runs, there’s no mistaking that delicious, continuous, berserk stream of noise! If you’ve been waiting ages, or weren’t expecting a bite, it’s sure to transport you somewhere between panic and bliss!
IF YOU FANCY SPENDING A NIGHT ON THE BANK, HERE IS WHAT YOU'LL NEED!
Tipping point
A float isn’t always needed to experience the most thrilling of bites. Particularly subtle or savage takes can be especially delicious on the rod-tip, too. Among the best examples of this are the crazy quivertip abuse experienced when fishing the Method feeder, or the barbel angler’s “three foot twitch”. Wonderful to behold, not to mention a lesson in not leaving your rods unattended.
Smash and grab
Lure angling’s sky-high popularity can be partly attributed to those thrilling moments of contact you get from predatory fish. Sometimes, it’s a marvel just how gently a big pike or zander can bite. However, other hits can be heart-stoppingly brutal!
When these moments occur on the surface of the water or, at the very last second, right under your feet, they’re even more exciting.
Bait!
To the disgust of none-anglers, knocking up a bait mix to take fishing is one of the greatest pleasures in life, sometimes they are too good to put into the lake! The smell, which is horrendous to most people is incredibly addictive to us anglers, with fishy and savoury smells from boilies and pellets becoming more alluring the more we use them! Putting together a mix is nearly as enjoyable as going fishing itself!
PARTICLES ARE GREAT IN A SPOD MIX, BUT YOU MUST PREPARE THEM CORRECTLY.
