The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Troydog wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 8:27 am Lovely story Catfish.017, you’ve clearly been at this game a very long time, just like me. I wonder what it is that somehow captivates us about brooks, streams, ponds. In fact any kind of water. I took my boy pike fishing twenty years ago and he caught a sixteen pounder from the Wye. But he never went fishing again….

Catfish.017 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 6:56 pm It most certainly is an age of instant gratification, no doubt about it; I'm not sure that is the problem though. I first took Ethan, our grandson fishing at the age of four having previously taken him after tadpoles a few times. I chose the venue carefully, a tiny pond that's not really considered to be worth fishing but I had seen 'small stuff' coming up to bread as we fed the resident ducks. I suspected these were Rudd but a short session with a little 'whip' and maggot saw us catch Roach to six ounces,Gudgeon and finally a half pound Brown Goldfish! Ethan was most excited, we kept half a dozen fish at a time in a bucket of water which was emptied and refilled several times and shown off to anyone who passed by. So fish were caught on our very first outing and subsequent outings to different waters were all successful though to a lesser degree. I thought that would be enough but it wasn't to be. Compared with the initiation my pal and I had, starting in the depths of Winter with no mentor to guide us, it was literally months before we caught anything and we really did go fishing? Almost every weekend from Christmas through to late April when the stunted Rudd on the little Boating Lake began to feed in earnest.

Dave Burr wrote: ↑Wed Nov 24, 2021 9:54 am

Catfish.017 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 6:56 pm It most certainly is an age of instant gratification, no doubt about it; I'm not sure that is the problem though. I first took Ethan, our grandson fishing at the age of four having previously taken him after tadpoles a few times. I chose the venue carefully, a tiny pond that's not really considered to be worth fishing but I had seen 'small stuff' coming up to bread as we fed the resident ducks. I suspected these were Rudd but a short session with a little 'whip' and maggot saw us catch Roach to six ounces,Gudgeon and finally a half pound Brown Goldfish! Ethan was most excited, we kept half a dozen fish at a time in a bucket of water which was emptied and refilled several times and shown off to anyone who passed by. So fish were caught on our very first outing and subsequent outings to different waters were all successful though to a lesser degree. I thought that would be enough but it wasn't to be. Compared with the initiation my pal and I had, starting in the depths of Winter with no mentor to guide us, it was literally months before we caught anything and we really did go fishing? Almost every weekend from Christmas through to late April when the stunted Rudd on the little Boating Lake began to feed in earnest.

We are a dying breed Catfish. As a child, I would sit in all weathers with blind optimism, little bait and no tutor just hoping for another bite. Nowadays our grandkids are gratified with a change of camera angle, flash, ping, or some other sensual excitement every two or three seconds. Computer games are like heroin heck, my two are happy just to watch some over stimulated imbecile talk you through his own gaming experience. These Youtube videos come at a high paced almost evangelical delivery that feeds suggestions and waffle to their followers.

There are exceptions but most kids have been programmed to avoid quiet contemplation and the appreciation of one's surroundings.