One of my past times, after a break from childhood / teenage years, is fishing. I remember as a young lad going fishing and even competed in a fishing match and used to love going fishing. But it was my friend Mel who got me back into it and i am enjoying it ever since.
After several years break i was, to be said, a tad rusty, but with guidance from Mel my fishing skills soon came back. Whilst i havent fished a river since taking it back up and have stuck to my local lakes i enjoy fishing. The official term is Angling. Lakes are definately easier to catch in and how you fish has changed too. In my younger years i used to mainly float fish, but, getting back into it, i have tried different methods of fishing from ledgering to method fishing and i have noticed that i tend to catch more fish when method feeding. You might ask what is method feeding, well, you have a little device fitted to your'e line that you mold ground bait or pellets around a hook bait and its designed so that when you cast out the ground bait falls apart in the water surrounding your hook bait and is a bottom feeding method.
As i had, had, a several year break and not longer had my tackle i had to reinvest. The thing with fishing is it doesn't have to cost the earth to get back into it, sure you may spent £100-£200 to get set back up, but this is a one off cost, some Anglers spend alot more, i could argue that you don't need to spend money that will break the bank. Most of my current gear is either second hand or thanks to my local Angling Shops in Spalding and Peterborough. Grants Angling, Angling Direct and Go Outdoors are good places to start.
But have i caught the big one since getting back into it?
The answer is yes. Not as big as my mate has caught but i've caught Carp, Mirror Carp, F1, Rudd and Gruden.
What would be my advice to anyone thinking of starting?
Borrow a friends gear to give it a try before investing in your own gear. Take snacks, drinks and toilet roll with you as some lakes don't have toilets and you may need to use a bush. Do your research and watch how to Videos online as there is so much to learn, but the more you practice the better you will get. Buy a fishing licence, which costs around £30 for a year and buy any Angling books for different rivers you want to fish on. Different districts and rivers have books and some places are even free. Remember when you are allowed to fish in rivers as their is a period when you can't. But don't worry if you still feel like Angling then a lake is youre best bet. Take a variety of baits with you, sure you don't have to buy all the fancy ones. Remember that different lakes have different rules and you may be asked to leave if you break their rules. But don't worry most lakes have these clearly sign posted. Don't be affraid to try different methods of fishing and places you fish.
