Ever since i was a nipper i have had an attraction to water not being able to pass by without having a look. When i was about 4 my parents noticed i was missing from where i was playing only to find that i had made my way through the hedge and was watching the fish in the neighbours pond. This happened a few times and resulted in our neighbours having to cover their pond with metal grilling with fear of me drowning lol.
My dad was never into anything like fishing so taking me was well out of the question and after many a years hassling them they finally bought me a rod and reel at the age of 10.
With nobody to teach me how to go on catching my first fish was going to be hard work and after almost a year of constant blanking every weekend i finally got my first fish, a pike of about half a pound which luckily fell to my lobworm which i was simply reeling in. What a result lol.
Not knowing how i had caught my pike or why it had taken my bait it was back to the usual blanking sessions until my aunties new boyfriend gave me some fishing tackle, which as much by chance had an old intrepid black prince which was loaded with some fine line. Off came the old shakespeare omni with its thick wire-like line and on with the new reel. After 2-3 years of constantly blanking all bar my lucky pike i could now catch fish, and from there i have progressed and am still avidly learning.
I wouldn`t like to even imagine where i would be now if i hadn`t been given a nudge in the right direction with the line diameter business but i`m damn glad i was patient.
sorry if it`s of a novel lol.
John

we were all at school together and i went night fishing for the first time at about 12/13 using a sea rod and 50lb kite line(absolutely true..my brother flew kites as a hobby..)and a shakespeare norris my friends tied a 4 SPADE END! one lobby and within ten minutes i had a 6lb mirror..couldnt fish after thas the reel fell to bits!..i then fished on and off for years got back into it about 5 yrs ago and AGAIN! first fish was a mirror!(28lber) from a pond just outside newark fished alot of the time alone did aweek in france with mates...one fish 25lb mirror...all week...so i sold up again went into mountain biking big time,then borrowed a rod again..then got a credit card..now ive bought all the gear(and no idea! ! :lol: )AGAIN! ! but its in the blood thats a fact..but im sure i always caught more fish when i had cheaper gear :unsure:

When i was a young lad my dad and older brothers all ranted on about fishing.i thought i missing something good.So as soon as i was strong enough to pick up a rod i was in the garden casting small stick's.Then one weekend my dad took me fishing and i bagged my first fish a perch (i was not even holding the rod at the time)i loved it so much most weekend i would ask to go fishing.I wasnt allowed to go alone with mates untill i could do my 25 meters swimming badge.Soon mastered swimming like a duck to water.And now i still dont hold my rods.i'm hooked on catching carp that other people havent caught and big barbel.I want a big fish record under my belt barbel record would be nice.Ill keep looking