[pat connolly]

im just wondering am i on my own here?the thing is i have been breeding small birds like canaries and finches all my life im into nature in a big way thats all i watch on the tv nat geo.discovery etc.now when im out for bass i take it all in the cliffs the water the waves etc.i just love being out in the fresh air of course a fish is a bonus.what about you do you just go for fish and thats it or do you take it all in?im just curious what different people think about when fishing?

 

[Retired]

Great question.

I think about all sorts. In fact sometimes if I need some peace and quiet to think through a problem (or should that be therapy) I just head out fishing. Sometimes an hour off the shore, sometimes a day off the boat (not often enough though).

Not sure that its that good a thing for the fishing, sometimes I am going through the motions not feeling like I'm anywhere near "the zone". Other times I have been bumbling along (excuse the Wardism) and have surprised myself (or rather the fish have generously surprised me).

I also enjoy simple things like learning more about tides and weather patterns, seasonal movements of marine life, in fact the whole flora and fauna thing, although the enjoyment and relaxation of angling is far surpassed by freediving. That is the absolute best for relaxation and watching Nature go by (and learning about fish habits).

 

[Keith White]

For me its understanding natures patterns.

Something I'm sure we all used to understand but evolution and laziness
has removed much of that need to pursue it. I think it's a crying shame.

I'm big into North American Indian philosophy and similar when it comes to
our part in nature. So, I try to take it all in.

 

[Mark Sleep]

I get distracted from the fishing by birds (feathered) and general natural goings on etc. I also cannot resist searching through rockpools when wandering around with waders and a plugging rod. Its only when baitfishing though that my mind wanders to other things. Plugging tends to keep me pretty focused on what I am doing, but I do enjoy a singsong with myself every now and then!

In fact I remember when I was wading in the surf one night at a bay called St Brelades, singing 'Comfortably Numb' at the top of my voice, then realising there was a middle aged couple stood behind me, obviously thinking I was a mentalist, standing in the sea at night singing.

 

[pat connolly]

i just need to be the sea as much as possible even for a quick look or a short walk.i grab the kids to bring them with me as much as possible to get them away from the tv for a while
at first they winge but when they get out they love it.i was sick over the christmas and i could not get out for a week i nearly cracked up and last monday i got out for a scout around and i came home totally refreshed.i had my 10 year old son with me and we were along the cliffs and he said to me this is brilliant when can we go again.

 

[Alex Jordan]

Being close to the sea and working on it in my junior years I swear salt runs through my veins - working in the big smoke has its downside - no sea

I usually just take a moment when I get down to a mark and just remind myself that I am lucky to be able to go fishing, breath the air and the calm and stillness - especially in the dawn hours which are my favorite - the sun coming up is breathtaking (if the cloud cover doesn't ruin my view!)

I am desperate to move nearer the coast but work and commitments tie me to London ...

 

[Mick Ward]

Bird life gets me going when I am out, I hate it when I see a bird and I cant identify it straight away. Dolphins, seals and birds, thats who Bob and me fish with on our SE marks, its an amazing place and we are so lucky that we have it.

As it goes for what I think about when fishing....well I recon I have thought about everything at some point, solved the world problems etc. I call it "popped out" Bob or someone will say something and I am so deep in thoughts of total crap that I dont really hear what he said and I just say "sorry mate, I popped out for a while there". Some of my favourite crap things I think about whilst on the boat is the Dunkirk evacuation, Normandy beach landings, escaping an island occupied by nazis....you probably are seeing a pattern here...... I love ww2 history, in fact any military history, in fact history and geography.

 

[Mike Kennard]

I seem to go fishing in one or other states of mind.
One is 'the bumble' where I am there just to enjoy the moment, the atmosphere, the surroundings, mates, and the wildlife.
The other is 'focussed' where every sense in my body is trying to work out what the fish are doing and what I need to do to catch them, all very intense. I will not be beaten! (it doesn't always go to plan though.....)

 

[Andrew Wilson]

I dont look for anything specific, I just have a thing for the coast. I love the first sight of the sea as you drive to the coast, and the smell and sounds when you get out. Wether its because I lived on the seafront growing up before moving to Wales I'm not sure, but I remember being around 7 years old stood in the spray on the promenade during a storm and telling my parents I wanted to be a fisherman, probably a good job I moved as I'd most likely be fishfood by now

Oneday I will move back to the coast, but when?

 

[The Squid]

For me its understanding natures patterns.

Something I'm sure we all used to understand but evolution and laziness
has removed much of that need to pursue it. I think it's a crying shame.

I'm big into North American Indian philosophy and similar when it comes to
our part in nature. So, I try to take it all in.

North American Indians have a very close genetic link to Australian Aboriginies. A good book to read on this subject is Genes, Peoples and Languages by Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza --- published in 2001 by Penguin.