Traditonal bite alarm .

[Aitch]

Back the early Noughties I qualified as an NFA Angling Coach and one of the things I tried to get over to anglers was that the best bits of fishing gear you own, are your ears eyes and brain..... why not use em....?

[Chevin]

Going by todays trend in Carp fishing they didn't listen

[Aitch]

Maybe not, but I hope I got the message over with regards to the watercraft aspect.... Something sadly lacking in modern anglers.... There are too many "Instant Experts" around relying on the latest baits, gear, rigs, and additives for a trophy pic in the papers for a sponsorship deal or consultancy..... folks need to learn how to enjoy fishing without an agenda

Works for me

[Chevin]

You are totally correct sir

You will find a good percentage of the anglers on this forum all share that same view, some of us have dabbled in the big fish scene and have now lost faith in its direction. Myself I now look forward to my days by a river or pool, not because of a need to beat any PB's or to lay claim to a capture of a certain fish, but to just be there and enjoy the surroundings and display of nature that just passes most by.

[Gord]

I AGREE TOTALY WITH YOUR VIEW ALSO NAMED FISH DONT GET ME STARTED ON THAT

[Woolly Bear]

Good evening gentlemen , its a shame that most big fish today have been given names , it puts the edge off your capture when an angler comes over to you and says o that's old Warty been out six times this month ,well done . As more anglers are on these waters that's what happens , even on the rivers carp and barbel now have names . It was nice when we all fished the rivers and did not really know what size fish lay in its murky depths . But that is all in the past what a shame , but its nice to know most of us all ,at one time did just that fished without any one knowing what to expect . That's the excitement of finding that hidden pool . Or am I dreaming . Regards . Woolly Bear .

[Gord]

TO MY MIND FISHING IS JUST THAT FISHING NO MATTER WHAT SIZE ITS THE EFFORT USED TO CATCH THAT FISH, IT SEEMS THAT JUST BECAUSE IT HASNT GOT A NAME ITS NOT WORTH CATCHING AND THATS NOT THE ART OF THE ANGLE. OH BY THE WAY I USE OPTONICS OR JUST APLASTIC CIRCLE BUT I REALY LOVE THE FLOAT

[Vole]

When the fishing is hard, and you're only likely to get one bite, and that's if you're lucky, you have to concentrate like a matchman on any purely visual indicator. Turn away to tie a hook, find your catapult, whatever, and you may have missed the bite and be sat baitless.
Reel in every time you need to look away, and you risk spooking the fish or not having a bait in the water when/if they eventually drift to/through your pitch.
You soon realise why matches are seldom more than five hours long, and it's very little fun. You can't scan the water, watch the birds, see who else is about and what or how they're doing; every fibre of your nervous system has to be focussed on that float/bobbin. All very well when it's "busy" fishing, and if you miss one, there's likely to be another offer soon, but when you know it's going to be a waiting game, it's just masochism. Allow yourself to use your ears as back-up to your eyes, and reclaim the right to enjoy "being there".

[Aitch]

Got to say I am guilty of "Naming" a fish... She was a previously uncaught 23lber from Tall Trees fishery.... a cracking fish that gave me a superb scrap, albeit on a C*rb*n rod..... She was named "Wanda" (yeah I know.... sigh) Her picture (and my ugly mug) now reside in the lodge



Here she is.... "Wanda" in her Winter colours... would love to have taken her on my MkIV

[Reedling]

When I was a child ( mid sixties) we used to go to Horton kirby lakes near Dartford and remember the old MkV1's being used for Carp. Some people used a coin on the spool lip with a tin lid under,
others used tin foil and some used a cork with a upside down hair clip buried inside. I later used tin foil tube with a piece of straight wire sticking out of the ground which the foil slid up when you had a bite towards the butt ring, but not often used as I loved, and still do, gazing at a float.. Later on a similair method became a Monkey climber I believe.