Welcome to My New Angling Blog, where plan to share most of my angling adventures, including occasionally touching on other areas of life. Do hope you will enjoy this little world of mine, pop in from time to time. Been an angler for many years, hard to believe at this time of writing been over 45 years and counting, since the wee age of six. Where all those years have flashed by is now getting more difficult to comprehend the older get.
Certainly not a fisherman in the spotlight, one who has craved for such attention, anything but in a new world of social media that has swept the internet with online platforms in recent years. There is a modern trend in angling to fish for compliments, unlike the days of old. Okay, that's not entirely true, anglers for decades have sought personal bests, there have always been specimen hunters in search of bigger and better sized fish, but nothing like this present day we find ourselves living in.
Now you can catch a fish from a water, within seconds, publish live for the whole world to see. Lost track the amount of social media platforms, popular one's include Facebook, Twitter to the the now extremely popular Instagram. Even more so, you can have your very own video channel in the form of YouTube, here you can show of your skills, and talents or lack of to everyone, to the point people have become Stars, major personalities. Please don't for a moment think feel negative towards such platforms, some are educational, enabling you to learn, find out anything, the internet is an incredible thing. Do hope to finally upload a few videos of my own in the future, something been asked and threatening to do in a long time. Maybe one day will upload a few, decent and not smashed together and thrown out there, as is so churned out these days, at a somewhat alarming rate. Have since removed all my past angling videos, although you can still find my regular Facebook Vlogs.
Back as a young boy it was a totally different affair, fishing was fun an adventure, a sense of magical mystery the world that lurked under the water. Now a child is encouraged by an adult, his/her Parent to catch a Big One first day out. Then we wonder why can't grab a Childs imagination losing interest months down the line.
prized sticklebacks and memories of a boy
Can still remember fishing as a young boy in a group with a stick, thin piece of string and looping a worm on without even a hook waiting for a stickleback, or a fat minnow to suck the worm, pull a matchstick under the water or watching crimpled line. Sitting there on many occasions seeing who could catch the most. Looking back that was possibly my earliest experience of match fishing, even though it was just purely innocence a few boys having a little fun to see who could catch the most fill their buckets up the quickest. Happy days.
Now angling is coming down to likes, comments, followers to the point became very tense to be the best or most popular judged on such social media stardom. A blank is just to much out of the question, don't even attempt to go down that path. Stress on some poor young girls face, barely out of nappies with more thirty pound plus carp to her name than most have not even caught a thirty in our life's. Must she says as a New Year's Resolution 'Catch Bigger and Better' Yikes ! No ! No ! No ! that's not the peace of mind, relaxation and enjoyment remember or know of angling to be, whilst she worries on her social media chat with frowns deeply etched on her forehead. The possibility of failing and losing one of her many sponsors just to much to bare. OMG ! No ! Just can't take it anymore. The Angling World we are now living in has become completely Toxic !
it was this big
Far from the days remember when didn't even own a camera or had the pocket money to afford such luxuries. Now children own the latest smart phone from the day of starting junior school, or even sooner. Angling has become more than ever a sport and pastime dictated by social standing, financial income, and pretty looks. More now than ever before seriously it's become a case of us and them, where some anglers will even look down their nose at you, with a portfolio of huge fish, exciting far away destinations that the majority of the average angling community can only ever dream of the rest of their life's. Catching has always been about location foremost, being in the right place at the right time.
Even to the point what few fish the average Tom, Dick, Harry, Shirley fishes for on their local water are stolen, netted moved to other venues which they are unable to fish unless have a great job earning a comfortable living to join a private syndicate aimed at the few. Seen it so many times The Regent's Canal in London was once full of carp, vanished literally most overnight, Taken away sold on the black market.
Cormorants - The Plague, The Black Death of Fishing
What few fish the average Joe can target are often few and far between poached for another water, or the plate for eating, pollution, predation such as the black death, those horrible bar steward birds called cormorants, and now reintroduced otters. There are those few places that remain where you can still enjoy great angling across the nation, but not as common when was a young man, now few and far between. It doesn't help especially when social media is full of anglers, (if you can call them that, we are not all Brothers of The Angle) who lurk behind a computer screen. No recces, no walking the bank instant places to fish information gained. Once upon a time could have your own honey pot maybe shared with your best Friend, kept secret for years on end. Now it's game, set and match. Yet more angling pressure, as mentioned dare I say it ? poaching on a level this country has never witnessed and able to sustain such fish stock, wiped out from waters across the land.
Unfortunately never been in such a privileged position to afford such lavish destinations, most of my fishing isn't pretty at all, scratching for a bite on my local cut far from the places such Social Media Stars locate, those who are sponsored privileged anglers, life's that most could only dream of. So in a nut shell this is my angling life nothing pretty, plenty of dreams, the occasional fantastic trip of a lifetime, which would have had to work damn hard, slogged my guts out, including extra work, and overtime to save up for. No beautiful Salmon runs, private beats, exclusive back gardens swims, private, or syndicate waters restricted to the very few wealthy, or those in the know Rich and Famous.
Some places are available of beauty to us lesser mortals The River Thames, Appleford
So next time your adding a like to someone's Facebook, Instagram, Youtube who regularly catches, big and beautiful, it certainly isn't all skill far from it ! A case of the few who get to fish such incredible fish filled waters that would cost you or I months wages, certainly a long way out of my league. Could sit here and cry, get out the worlds smallest violin, at the end of the day ultimately, what is has to be, the rough and jagged edges scratching for a bite on a natural unstocked water, your average fishing celebrity wouldn't get out of bed for, let alone leave the house, or even have a clue how to approach, even get a bite, let alone a fish. Call it Man's Fishing separating the girls, boys from the real Men.
Urban City Fishing in London, Grand Union Canal, Scrubs Lane, not the place you would ever find your known angling personalities, hard fishing to say the least.
Same can be said for commercial waters these days, carp puddles stuffed with hungry scabby carp, torn lips and ripped fins. Fisheries one can only refer to as Fishing Brothels, over priced, over stocked, medals for catching hungry fish packed solid wall to wall thick. Not my kind of fishing or remotely a challenge. Guess as much as dream of far off beautiful destinations, it is what it is, I am what I am, the angler grown to be and always been.
work in progress this whole blog is currently being updated, thanks for your patience
Fished waters, matches where anglers have given up after a few minutes, even those who have drawn at a match, not happy with a peg choice, not even got their gear out the car. The days gone by when you would line a stretch of river or canal 300+ more anglers, scratching a fish or two, to win a match in the dying moments with literally ounces on the scales. Those days have long gone unless anglers are hauling heavy weight nets of carp they are not interested.
work in progress updating
Watercraft was something you learnt regardless of the size of fish, nowadays it's a far cry from the innocent wonders of catch a few sticklebacks down my local stream. Can still remember clearly and vividly to this day the first time big fish started to grace the net, they where magical moments to savior, talk down the local fishing tackle shop, as grew older the local beer house would be the place of stories. Special times fishing has always been my love
Although not been an angler gracing the angling magazines or weekly fishing journals in the spotlight even remotely certainly not been a stranger to those who have known me in small circles, to the point can remember winning competitive matches from the age of 8 years old beating the adults. At the age of just fifteen won 16 out of 18 matches matches against the adults in a local club long since gone called Bramfield. Was then learnt that winning was ultimately the end of my following season. Rather than nurture a youngster and help, found was no longer able to get a lift to any matches. Despite sitting on the end of the phone calling every contact was greeted with no Shaun not today have a full car load. Turned out the adults where upset had picked up everything on the night of the closed season awards ceremony. Anglers just refused to pick me up, finding out later down the line they had no passengers and travelling empty.
Don't want this blog to be purely about me at that age where want tp give back especially to those youngsters. Know how I felt as a young lad and was robbed that passion, left sitting indoors a year after winning and the opportunity was swept from under my feet. My Foster Parents didn't drive and Dad was disabled so no chance of little me venturing further than my local fishing lake. Can still remember being in tears something loved dearly, no finer feeling than match fishing, the trip afterwards to the pub drinking a pint and feeling like a man amongst the elders.
Did continue to fish the odd matches however forget the club leagues just couldn't get to fish enough matches to scrape the league tables. Come eighteen years of age was given a local paper and told it was time to leave and find a place to live Foster Parents no longer receiving Foster Care Allowance. The worst in my life was yet to come although been many more sore memories on this rocky path. There was a newspaper a day after my eighteenth birthday scared ringing complete strangers asking for a place to live. With just four days of my eighteenth was in a bedsit sharing a house with complete strangers. Just the clothes on my back a few clothes and not really much other than my fishing tackle. Turned out sharing a house with serious drug addicts, any tackle did own soon was stolen sold more than likely for drugs.
this blog post is being updated
In my 40+ years of fishing I have many many wonderful fond memories. Fishing has been in my vains throughout most of my years from the first day sat on my Dad"s knee on The River Thames at Running Mead at the tender age of 6 years old was hooked line, and sinker.
In all honesty had some excellent days fishing visiting waters across the whole of The UK, including abroad in many countries. Frankly been spoilt looking back at some ofthe most Incredible memories witnessed.
Not all red letter days of incredible fishing have been experienced on beautiful venues. Some waters fished over the years have been anything but picture postcard memories. In all honesty the average angler wouldn't get out of bed let alone open their front door to venture to less idyllic settings. In a nutshell never been intimidated always just to happy to wet a line.
email: info@anglingwithshaun.com
AWS BLOG ENTRY UPDATE: 31 May 19 Memory Lane 1984
Morning All,
A goofy young 16 year old back in 1984, managed to win 16 trophies in one season. Possibly one of the most proudest moments in my life. Can still picture Dad to this day smiling. Without showing off was a match for the adults, really thanks to Dad. Only wish had followed dreams, eventually discovering women, partying till, along with work commitments, later joining the army 😂
This is the only picture can find of myself before starting this page. How times have changed. We went fishing purely for the love of fishing back then not for ego's sake, long before social media, mobile phones. Was never lucky enough to be able to afford a camera. We chatted for hours in the local tackle shop, or in the pub. Truth be known spent far to much time growing up with adult's, than people own age. Can't find one picture of myself with any fish before starting this blog in 46 year's of Angling. Nowadays you only have to catch a fish and within seconds, it's out there for the whole world to see.
Miss them days, long before social media stars looking for likes, and anglers fishing matches on commercial match venues, getting medals for catching starving fish 👍😎🎣
ANGLING WITH SHAUN ON FACEBOOK
email: info@anglingwithshaun.com
Been a few years since a fishing a competition. Much prefer to travel light these days away from the crowd. That being said tempted to fish one or two next season. Just worried about getting the bug again 👍
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