Aren’t we all pleasure anglers at heart?

THERE are a lot of boxes we can put ourselves in when it comes to defining the type of angler we are. Dedicated carper, match angler, piker, big-fish specialist, sea angler, game fisherman, lure fanatic and, for a lucky few, even the title of ‘professional’ can be used.

Working at Angling Times for nearly a quarter of a century now (that makes me feel old!) I’ve ticked a few of those boxes along the way, seasonally dipping in and out of the different aspects which make our sport so varied and open to all.

But at the heart of it I’d class myself as a pleasure angler, not because I feel I’m not as good as others who stick to one area all the time, but simply because I fish for pleasure no matter which style I adopt.

There is nothing wrong with being an all-round enjoyer of angling. The day that catching fish becomes a chore, stressful, or – heaven forfend – an unpleasant experience is the day my tackle will be looking out for a new owner.

This fishing for fun mindset makes it difficult for me and like-minded others to understand the reasons behind some of the comments we see ‘anglers’ make in the media, especially regarding other people’s favourite styles of fishing or, even worse, their achievements. Come on chaps, why take it so seriously – don’t you like fishing? The world is a tough enough place right now so let’s make sure we support each other, celebrate each other’s wins, catches, and achievements, and ensure fishing remains that friendly place everyone can come to escape and get their pleasure.

Legendary barbel angler and author, Peter Wheat, perhaps summed up the best ethos for every angler to live by when he said: “All fishing should be fun and good fellowship its chief ingredient.”