A question has come to mind after reading some other posts. How many fish do you expect to catch when you go to a stillwater fishery? If you catch one or two does it annoy you/do you feel ripped off? or do you accept you are only paying for the chance to catch fish and are happy at that? I have talked to guys i know who go to fisheries saying the sport wasn't that good as they only had four fish of 2/3lb! do some people need to re adjust their attitudes towards the sport? No mud flinging but honest opinions appreciated.JB

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none if you go expecting to catch you can only be disapointed if you dont,

like arthur cove used to say 'the ticked only gives you the right to fish, it doesnt guarentee you a fish'

all the best james

I will be happy if I catch 1, and when I do get that 1st fish the pressure is off and I relax a bit more, which usually results in me fishing better and catching more.

I have been reading a few post's of late, one that sticks to mind when he said he only caught 8 and the sport was rubbish

Genius.

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Too much Saturn, not enough Moon.

Buzzers 2012


Fly Clips & Stands

That is the one that spurred me on to ask this question. I fish rivers and have C and R'd a dozen in an evening and other times days go by without a nudge but I'm still happy. I want to hear from people who set their sights/targets so high and why? Is the enjoyment not derived from the act of fishing, or is it just about the numbers?What constitutes an acceptable amount of fish to catch for these people?It seems like people want a standard fishing experience that they can purchase and it comes wrapped up in plastic box with a guarantee. "Mc Fishing" the franchise.

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http://www.edenangling.co.uk/

Years ago I may have worried about how many fish I will catch. These days I fish a "go any time" syndicate on a 60 acre reservoir for a very nominal amout a year. One day last week I had 11 fish, yesterday I only had two.

But both days were magic.

The joy of getting out without the wife is enough reward Catching anything after that is a bonus

When fishing small privately owned stillwater fisheries I think it reasonable to expect take a few fish as failure leaves that small doubt as to whether the stocking density has been skewed in the owners favour. Conversely large reservoirs throw up a completely different set of challenges and success can so often be weather related.

I have witnessed, but just don't get, the attitude of "I must catch lots of big fish". I like catching fish as much as the next man, but all I ask is enough to keep me interested - that can be a nibble, or seeing a couple of fish move. Then I know there are fish there to be caught, if only I figure out how. I can get a bit bored being out for hours without so much as seeing a fish move.

To be blunt it depends on 3 things as far as I can tell.
1) What the stocking policy/density of the fishery is
2) How well you know the water
3) Conditions on the day

If I go to Hazel Copse on an overcast week day I'd expect to c & r 10+ fish, like most of the regulars do. This is using traditional methods.
If I went to somewhere like Duncton Mill, I'd be happy getting a couple of takes, regardless of the weather.

Of course I like catching fish - I think we all do if truth be told - or else why not simply clip the hook off at the bend or go for a nice picnic instead?