Practice and Pleasure

The Hopeful Match Fisher

I always went fishing for pleasure and I still do, but I enjoy competing with myself when I go.  Every session has a plan, or a least an intention to try and improve on some method or other.  My strongest suit is stillwater waggler or long pole for bream.  I tend to connect with bream and I usually manage to get a decent swim going.

I think I'm trying to achieve one thing - control.  You know that feeling when you have sorted out the method, got the fish in front of you, and you have them predictable and reliable as you fill your net.  If I can't achieve that then I at least try to get a few methods working to keep the fishing coming from different swims in the peg. I can catch fish on any method you like, but I've not mastered each one to the extend of being able to get to that bagging-up stage.  For instance I can catch on pellet waggler, but I've not yet managed to get it motoring long as I've seem other better anglers manage.

So I get out to the lakes at least once each week, I try to get a practice session in as well as a match.  Each time there is a target method to practice, as long as conditions allow.  It's a system which works for me and I analyse everything and work out what I might do different next time.

I never go fishing without a purpose, and I always enjoy it.

Hopeful