The thrill of the bite is often better than the fish...

ANEW month is upon us, and with it comes the promise of better days on the bank. This is the time when many anglers are planning their season ahead, picking their fish targets, the places they want to visit, and the tactics they’ll be using.

With lockdown ending, it’s also the time when much-missed bankside friendships can be rekindled, and I can’t wait to get out with mates I’ve only seen via a computer screen in the past few months.

The recent times have allowed anglers to take stock of their fishing and what they want to get out of it, and a call I had with a pal the other day summed it up perfectly.

For him, the anticipation of a trip, and the thrill of waiting for a bite when he was on the bank, far outweighed the result.

Some anglers aren’t happy unless they’re catching a new personal best every time they go out, but after what we’ve all been through it will be the simple pleasures which are felt the most.

When I first started fishing, every catch was celebrated. Often it was because it was a new species I was catching for the first time, or on a method I’d not tried before.

As my fishing career moved on, I’ll admit to going through a phase where I wanted pounds and ounces... bigger was better, and I was even envious of other anglers’ catches. Then something happened, I’m not sure what, but my mentality changed. Fishing stopped being a checklist or league table and I was able to enjoy the beauty of every fish, from the smallest bleak to the most incredible-looking carp. It has really put me in a much better place with my angling.

I’m not knocking anyone who fishes for pounds and ounces, be they match or specimen anglers, because the most important thing is to be able to be out enjoying our sport. If it makes you happy, do it!