Ok, perhaps I came across as boastful saying that, I didn't intend being. I wouldn't say I'm a great river angler either as anglers are always learning, especially on a river as rivers change year on year. Under water features like sunken trees get washed through, and depths change, especially with heavy rain flush throughs.
I've been fishing 50 years from being 6 and have done many many hours fishing rock hard canals in winter scratching for bites. Now if you know canal fishing it often means fining down end tackle, and when I say that I'm talking using a size 26 fine wire red bloodworm hook hand tied to a 6oz bottom, with a single joker(small bloodworm) as bait! Thin bristle pole float carefully shotted to just have 1cm of tip showing. Pole in hand down boat channel, then changing to single caster trying to outwit a wily roach on far shelf. Fishing all day to be lucky to catch half a dozen bits. Sometimes I'd blank, not even a bite but dedication and angling obsession meant there's always another day.
Don't get me wrong here, some very good all rounders who fish commercials would spank my arse if they were on the fish on a river, it happens. But many of the new breed of anglers go straight into fishing commercial waters and only fish them. Many rivers are now devoid of anglers that once had anglers fishing regularly, weekends you couldn't get on known pegs. Sorry but out and out commercial anglers couldn't compete with a river angler who's spent many hours on a river bank. Horses for courses and all that and I consider myself an experienced all rounder, not a one trick pony many commercial anglers are.
A mate of mine is a top commercial angler(mainly pole fishing) and regularly wins club and open matches, if he doesn't win he's often picking up in the places or wins his section. We had a discussion a while back in the pub about fishing natural waters and when he has to use rod and line, especially on a river he admitted he is quite limited. And this is a guy who I think said has caught over 400lb in a 5 hour match.
Made me laugh when we went to the Ebro in Spain and he hooked into his first big catfish, it had him on his knees shaking like a leaf playing it. So much different than hauling a 20lb carp in on heavy elastic on a commercial fishery! :)
