In my younger years I enjoyed the thrill of catching loads of fish, but nowadays, unless I’ve got my England shirt on in competition or it’s a challenge for telly, angling for me is more about the venue and company than about racking up big numbers.
Occasionally a target fish (either species or size) will distract me but, no doubt like most of you reading this, I don’t have a lot of time to ‘campaign’ fish.
Sure, a good old carp fishing ‘smash up’ every now and again is fun, but as soon as I catch more than a handful the novelty begins to wear off. The first bite is great, as is the second or third, but by the time I get to four or five I’m done, and I either take my foot off the gas or try somewhere or something thing else a little less hectic.
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Of course, angling is a very broad church, and the experience can be whatever you want it to be – solitary, social, competitive or relaxing. However, with some seriously big match weights being reported lately, and in the big-carp world some Billingsgate-esque hauls being applauded, I do have to ask the question: “How much is too much”?
Maybe I’m not as hungry as I once was, or maybe I simply don’t see as much personal merit in the “one after another” culture, be that carp fishing or match. That’s not knocking venues, anglers, the matches they fish in, or especially their skill level. What they do certainly takes talent that’s for sure, but it’s just not for me.
Over-abundance just makes us want more but that isn’t always the answer, especially in angling. There’s a very empowering thought process entitled “The power of enough in a world constantly craving more”. Across all walks of life, I believe that too much of anything can be a bad thing.
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