Each branch of fishing has its own merits and quirks. But which one rules the roost in terms of skill, smells and camaraderie? Just for fun, here's our take on angling's many different schools...
Match anglers
Competing with other anglers demands as much skill and versatility as any type of fishing you care to name. In spite of its intensity, however, the match scene is surprisingly friendly and good- humoured, with information quite widely shared – at least after the final whistle! State-of-the-art poles and bright get-ups give match anglers decent style points, but also some eye-watering overheads in terms of running costs. Modern groundbaits and additives make circuit sharks smell relatively pleasant, at least compared to the fag smoke and ammonia of past eras.
Rating:
Style: 8
Skill: 10
Friendliness: 8
Affordability: 5
Smell: 7
TOTAL: 38/50
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Specimen anglers
Modern trophy anglers are the bane of Britain’s largest fish and polite society at dinner parties. Not fazed by endless hours in pursuit of the biggest, they’re a determined bunch, to put it mildly. Targeting a broad range of net-fillers can demand hefty fuel bills and ticket costs. It can also require quite a broad angling skill set, from feeder fishing to trotting, with a technical eye for detail that would scare a NASA engineer. They’re a secretive lot, too, although they do lose a bit of their bark when they form and join strange societies of like-minded nuts.
Rating:
Style: 6
Skill: 7
Friendliness: 5
Affordability: 5
Smell: 6
TOTAL: 29/50
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Pleasure Anglers
Could the fair weather, happy-to-catch-anything angler be our most common species, overall? There’s no shame in fishing for the pure joy of it. Our dyed-in-the-wool pleasure angler is a happy soul. They have messy cars and poor time-keeping. Happy with simple, trusted gear and a faded hoodie in place of sponsored clobber, they often like a bit of variety – even if skills tend to be at less than ninja level. They’re as friendly as you like, too, and if there’s one thing they love even more than fishing, it’s gassing about fishing. Make no mistake, these folks are the heart and soul of British fishing.
Rating:
Style: 6
Skill: 5
Friendliness: 10
Affordability: 10
Smell: 6
TOTAL: 37/50
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Fly fishermen
The game fishing world takes in some of angling’s most glorious fish species and locations. In the right hands, fly fishing is poetryin motion, elegantly blending skill and watercraft. While the scene is decidedly less elitist than it once was, space-age carbon rods and exclusive memberships can require deep pockets. The anglers themselves tend to be quite friendly, provided you’re not caught drowning a worm on Rupert Smythe-Carrington’s bit of the River Test. Carrying elegant little boxes of flies rather than stinky buckets of bait, participants smell almost like regular human beings.
Rating:
Style: 9
Skill: 8
Friendliness: 7
Affordability: 6
Smell: 8
TOTAL: 38/50
Carp anglers
The most popular modern fishing tribe of all, carp anglers boast slick gear and a single-mindedness bordering on mania. Experience and sheer determination are more important than naked skill, while the costs of top-range tackle and a syndicate membership could give your mortgage lender nightmares. While most carpers are civilised, swim politics and secrecy can cause aggro. Aromas of sweaty clothing and exotic tobacco are somewhat offset by the delectable scent of Cell boilies.
Rating:
Style: 8
Skill: 6
Friendliness: 5
Affordability: 5
Smell: 6
TOTAL: 30/50
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Predator anglers
Marked by dogged determination, tooth-marked fingers and the unmistakable stench of deadbaits, pred-heads are what you’d politely call a “unique” breed. While basic bait or lure gear can be highly affordable, optional extras like chic lures and fish finders can cost a bomb. With the fragility of pike and chest-beating rights at stake, secrecy is rife on the predator scene, which seems to attract those who could start a fight in an empty room. While lure fishing can require impressive dexterity, deadbaiting is one of the simplest ways to catch large fish.
Rating:
Style: 6
Skill: 6
Friendliness: 3
Affordability: 9
Smell: 3
TOTAL: 27/50
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