Don’t make your fishing stressful... just enjoy it!
PATIENTLY waiting outside my local tackle shop the other day, I latched on to a conversation two lads were having about the weekend session they were planning.
From their chat, and the almost trolleyload of stuff they were collecting, it was clear they were leaving nothing to chance. Whichever lake they were planning to hit, they were determined to ensure every base was covered. I’m sure their shopping list amounted to at least two sides of a notepad!
Then my order was ready – two pints of red maggots and two packs of ready-tied hooklengths – and I just chuckled to myself.
Don’t get me wrong, I do like to plan a trip properly, but I can only imagine that the amount of kit those lads were going to take (and feed!) would have amounted to a very busy, and stressful session.
In the last few seasons I’ve tried to reduce the amount of kit I take to the bank, rather than increase it. I still enjoy my fishing just as much, but I reckon this scaled-down approach has helped me bank more fish.
There was a time when my holdall would have contained several float and feeder rods, a pole, and even some whips. Now it’s one rod, one reel, a landing net, a bag of accessories, and a smile on my face.
If you go with the intention of fishing just one tactic then you tend to focus on it properly, rather than switching between methods and not doing any of them justice.
Autumn fishing is very much a case of travelling light and adapting to the environment – fish are on the move right now and often you need to be prepared to go with them.
My challenge to you is to stop trying to do everything and instead become a one-tactic wonder over the next few weeks. I’m sure it will make a difference to the stress levels in what are already quite maddening times.