New Enthusiasm (incl. my history)

There's a big difference between what I used to do - in angling terms - and what I do now.

To introduce myself properly, I have lived in Cornwall for all but the earliest two years of my thirty-three. I have sea fished on and off for the whole of my walking life but since I was about twelve I found my own interests in coarse fishing. The following fifteen years saw me match fish various leagues around the county (winning quite a few over the years), a few Nationals, a few forum gatherings and the qualified for the odd event like the Garbolino Southern Angler final which ran in 2005 and 2006. The venue suited me for that one and I was lucky enough to win it in 2005, and finished second in 2006, losing on weight after another two section wins. I also contributed to a few magazine features across the likes of Advanced Pole Fishing, Anglers Mail and Southern Angler. All the while however, I could only really admit to being a "club" angler. The truth is that I neither had the money to afford all the tackle I really wanted, or more importantly the time or dedication it took to prepare to be a really top class competitor.

Today, although I don't currently fish much competitively, my enthusiasm to be more prepared and fish as effectively and efficiently as I can has returned - far more so than ever before. I'm lucky in that I now own my own tackle shop. Obviously this too makes life easier when it comes to affording the tackle that I require to achieve a level of efficiency that I feel like I require.

I have spent the past seven or eight years mainly lure fishing at sea. While it may seem like this side of things is completely unrelated to coarse and match fishing in general, in reality lure fishing is moving so fast and has come so far that I strongly believe that I have developed certain skills and understandings about tackle presentation in particular that I wouldn't have developed had I remained solely a match angler. The arrival of "LRF" (Light Rock Fishing) in particular - which see's us fishing as low as 2 or 3lb breaking strain lines (in the sea!!!) has created some interesting scenarios and various learning curves about tackle in particular but has also absolutely filled me with new ideas for my coarse fishing return. Through years of experimentation and very precise tackle choices to achieve varying levels of perfection and presentation, my outlook on some things is now completely different.

Despite quite a bit of success, I was a lazy match angler. Incredibly lazy. Today, even as a pleasure angler I am motivated and far more prepared than ever to get the most out of any session. Quite simply, if I am not prepared for a fishing trip I would rather not go at all than go and be wishing I had this or that beside be. In the past, my box would quite often have sat in the garage between matches without even being touched. Making rigs on the bank, whatever.... I was never fully prepared and this probably contributed to my eventual lack of love for the sport. I eventually threw in the towel. I spent a lot of time fishing matches when I really didn't actually want to be there. When you get to that point it's absolutely no fun whatsoever!

Lure fishing made preparation easy and was a far easier habit to build on. A bag of bits and a single rod and reel would do it in most cases. Despite coarse fishing requiring more in the way of tackle, rods and bait just for a single session, lure fishing has been an excellent warm up, mentally. Over a period of time I started to sort my kit more readily. There just wasn't so much of it so it seemed a bit more bearable, until eventually it became second nature to be prepared. I mentioned 'cost' earlier, but regardless of this it's the mental side that makes the biggest difference and how I've changed the most. Certainly, not being prepared (ye olde "fail to prepare, prepare to fail") was always my biggest downfall.

I am not the greatest angler in the World and never will be, but my fishing has changed a lot over the years in lots of ways and I'm more motivated with it right now I've ever been. Well..... maybe it's different?!.... I've been through various times when I'd be hugely excited about things, but these days I'm a lot more sensible and balanced. I know my strengths and weaknesses as an angler and even psychologically. I won't be burning myself out charging all over the county/country competing on venues I've never seen before. If that was the plan then I'd insist on a couple of practise sessions. I basically just won't be doing any fishing anywhere unless I'm ready to make the most of it, whether it's a social event or a competitive one. A certain level of seriousness doesn't mean I will be losing any of the fun though. If anything I will be and am enjoying it more, having the tackle I require and like using, and just being prepared to fish "properly" - rather than just filling a peg between more prepared competitors like I always did in the past.

I've always been obsessed with fishing tackle. It's now my job and I love that side of it. The bonus for me now becoming more active on the coarse side again is that I have to start filling my garage with more kit again! Such a shame! ;-) Seems to be some great new stuff coming out in 2015 and I'm really looking forward to buying some of it!

Fingers crossed I'll be out to fish somewhere this coming Thursday. Will report back I it ends up worthy!

Over n out.