rod and line fishermen - philosophical questions

[dylanwinter]

I have spent a fair amount of time up river over the past month visiting York, Newark and Lincoln

mainly the Ouse and the Trent

I have been observing the fishermen

the usual range of blokes from happy men who wave to grumpy barstewards who are clearly mumbling sweet nothings at every passing boat

however I wonder why they sit on one bank and do their best to get their hook onto the opposite one

some have rods that almost reach to the other side

why not sit on the other side? - or join the club that owns the rights over there

sometimes you get two blokes on opposite sides of the river trying to fish each others bank

up here they are used to mobos so they can hear you coming - but I have been sailing

while some express happiness at seeing a sailing boat others seem a bit upset at me for being too quiet

some blokes clearly love the peace and quiet of sitting on a river bank for ten hours at a stretch but others choose the noisiest places - under motorway bridges

Dylan - not a fisherman - although I get excited when I see a fish

 

[prv]

My parents live near the Basingstoke Canal, where you see lots of these people.

We used to refer to them as gnomes.

Pete

 

[uxb]

I always think they are scared to go home, sitting there in the rain all day catching wee fish they then put back...can their home life be that bad?

 

[prv]

I always think they are scared to go home, sitting there in the rain all day catching wee fish they then put back...can their home life be that bad?

That's what we used to think as well - "they're all just there to get away from the wife".

Pete

 

[neale]

As an ex gnome here is my take on it. Fish don't tend to sit in the middle of the river, preferring the cover and shelter provided by bank side vegetation either in the water or overhanging. The fish on your side will have heard you turn up and get your kit ready so will probably have scarpered. This is why you fish the other side. Why two blokes sitting opposite each other would fish each others bank I have no idea.

 

[CreakyDecks]

It is quite likely that they are practicing for match angling. In a match the fish on the near bank will not be feeding because of all the blokes tromping up and down so they then have to fish the far bank (there isn't much in the middle). There is no point practicing fishing close in if you can't fish like that in the match.
Of course there is also a big aspect of "I've paid two grand for this sixteen metre pole so I'm going to use it all!"
Incidentally, most anglers would prefer boats to pass through the middle of the river or canal.

 

[Searush]

I have a theory that the passage of a boat tends to frighten fish into cover. If they happen to see/smell your bait I believe they will take it in their panic without perhaps the careful investigation normal for some freshwater species. Hence a passing boat may actually increase an angler's catch. But I have never tested this or asked a Fisherman if it might be true.

 

[Highndry]

Far fewer anglers on the rivers than there were 10 years ago, most of them now fish farm puddles. Those you've seen on the Trent would ave been practising for the Angling Trust Team Championship final which is this weekend.

 

[blueglass]

up here they are used to mobos so they can hear you coming - but I have been sailing

Take it from me they don't like mobos either. When I boated on the Severn some years ago we would suffer inappropriate gestures, no matter how slow we went.
Even had a couple of occasions when we had maggots shot at us from catapults.
I always thought fishing was meant to be relaxing and meditative. Some how it doesn't seem to be working for these guys.

 

[viago]

I have spent a fair amount of time up river over the past month visiting York, Newark and Lincoln

mainly the Ouse and the Trent

I have been observing the fishermen

the usual range of blokes from happy men who wave to grumpy barstewards who are clearly mumbling sweet nothings at every passing boat

however I wonder why they sit on one bank and do their best to get their hook onto the opposite one

some have rods that almost reach to the other side

why not sit on the other side? - or join the club that owns the rights over there

sometimes you get two blokes on opposite sides of the river trying to fish each others bank

up here they are used to mobos so they can hear you coming - but I have been sailing

while some express happiness at seeing a sailing boat others seem a bit upset at me for being too quiet

some blokes clearly love the peace and quiet of sitting on a river bank for ten hours at a stretch but others choose the noisiest places - under motorway bridges

Dylan - not a fisherman - although I get excited when I see a fish

it is a strange thing that the perfect place for hansom fish to congregate is always in front of the other bank. it happens to me all the time. clever fishermen feed the water in front of their pitch in order to attract the fish over but most of us just cast to the other bank.

the rods you mention which reach the other side will likely be poles, possibly owned by uncivilised carp eating poles. not rods at all.

most fishermen are fairly solitary people who are comfortable in their own skin and see no need to engage in the nuances of modern civilisation whilst fishing. hence the unimpressed response.

i have been watching a tv programme following a chap navigate the river trent and the trent and mersey canal in a sailing punt on tv, most interesting. reminded my of some of your past exploits.