The
importance of stealth
When I was in my 20s half a century ago a sort of revolution took place
in angling knowledge.
A few innovative anglers, and notably the late Richard Walker, realised
that while the average angler believes that angling, especially angling
for large fish, was not just a matter of luck, but that big fish could
be targeted deliberately if you observed a few basic facts.
A simple plan that could transform your fishing was outlined in the guidelines
in a formula.
This tells us that success depends upon fishing; in the right places;
at the right times; with the right tackle; with the right bait; and without
frightening the fish.
The last point about the need to avoid letting the fish know about the
presence of yourself and your tackle is by far the most important.
You can often catch several small, innocent fish no matter what you do
at the water’s edge, but for regular success with decent sized fish
the formula is unbeatable.
On our modern commercial fisheries, however, it is hard to follow the
rules outlined above because there are usually many, many other anglers
present and a lot of them behave in fish-scaring ways.
So very many anglers, and not just the novices, wear bright clothing,
including fish-scaring white shirts and other bright clothing.
Some arrive at the waterside and slam the car doors or hammer bank sticks
in, both of which actions create vibrations that ruin your chances.
And instead of sitting quietly, taking advantage of cover, they cut down
the bankside reeds and rushes.
This is where the top match anglers score.
The very best of them are so skilled that they manage to catch a good
weight of fish despite the fact that they are fishing at the worst time
of day, and in swims that they did not choose, and amid crowds of less
able anglers.
It brings it home to you how important stealth is when you realise that
getting close enough to a big, wily old fish to have it take your bait
confidently is like trying to get near to a rabbit in an open field without
scaring it away.