Food = Fuel = Fish
Never underestimate the power of proper provisions. Pack enough snacks and meals to:
Maintain steady energy levels (for those heart-stopping runs to screaming rods)
Keep morale high (hunger makes every lost fish feel twice as bad)
Avoid becoming "that guy" who's eyeing up his mate's bacon sandwiches
Summer Session Rules
When the sun's blazing:
☀️ Hydration beats intoxication - that carefully balanced beer won't cut it alone
☀️ Snack smart - light but energizing foods that won't weigh you down
☀️ Sun protection isn't optional - lobster-red isn't a good look for the drive home
☀️ Embrace the siesta - you're not lazy, you're thermoregulating
Winter Warfare Tactics
For cold weather campaigns:
🧤 Hot drinks and hearty meals are your secret weapons
🧤 Little and often beats feast-or-famine eating
🧤 A well-fed angler sleeps warmer and fishes sharper
🧤 Midnight snacks count as "strategic calorie loading"
Remember: The difference between a grueling session and a great one often comes down to what's in your cooler bag and how well you've prepared for the conditions. Your stomach will thank you - and your catch rate might too!
My food strategy boils down to: minimum effort, maximum efficiency. Here’s what works for me:
The Noodle Evolution
🍜 Pot Noodles → Soba Noodles (Because life’s too short for bland carbs)
Upgrade: The perfect chili kick to fight off winter chills
Bonus: Still just needs boiling water – my kind of cooking
Breakfast of Champions
🥓 Bacon & sausages (because fishing mornings deserve proper fuel)
🍞 Bread + jam/marmalade (for when the bacon runs out but the fish don’t show)
Liquid Essentials
☕ Tea (the angler’s lifeblood) + milk
☕ Decaf coffee (tastes like compromise, but sleep is precious)
🥃 Whiskey (for tea-spiking emergencies or solitary contemplation)
🍻 Cheap beer crate (when the fish aren’t biting but my thirst is)
Occasional Luxuries
🍚 Rice + sauce + mystery meat (when I’m feeling fancy)
⚠ Conditions apply: Must be edible from the cooking pot – I’m not doing dishes on the bank
Golden Rules
If it can’t be made with just boiling water, think twice
Always pack more than you need – hunger makes bad fishing worse
Whiskey measures don’t count as “too much” if you’re not driving
This system keeps me fed, warm, and happy – with enough energy to actually fish rather than just recover from last night’s culinary experiments.
Let’s talk about the most underrated piece of fishing gear - your water supply. Here’s my hard-earned system:
The Golden Rule:
💧 Bring ALL your water upfront - because walking away from screaming rods to queue at a tap is angling heresy
My Battle-Tested Setup:
🚰 10L Water Container - The perfect balance between "enough for everything" and "won’t break your barrow"
🔝 Game-Changer Purchase: The New Direction Water Pump - turns clumsy 10L jug tipping into precision pouring (why didn’t I buy this sooner?)
Why This Works:
✅ No more wasted trips to venue taps
✅ No more awkward jug wrestling matches
✅ More time focused on fishing (and less on survival logistics)
Pro Tip:
Mark your container with tape at 1L intervals - suddenly you’ll become a water usage ninja, knowing exactly how much you’ve got left for tea, noodles, and that inevitable mid-session hand wash.
This simple system has saved me countless potential missed runs and frustration. The pump especially - it’s one of those "how did I ever fish without this?" bits of kit.
I'll admit it - I'm the odd one out on the bank when it comes to snacks. While everyone else seems to have a bivvy stocked like a convenience store, my snack game is... minimal at best. Chocolate? Crisps? Biscuits? I can take them or leave them (usually leave them).
But here's the important bit: Don't be like me if you're a snacker.
For Normal Anglers Who Enjoy Flavor:
✅ Load up on your favorite treats - this is fishing, not a diet plan
✅ Create your personal "bivvy buffet" - because nothing beats that 3am crisp crunch when the fish won't play
✅ Pro Tip: Always pack extra - they make great peace offerings for neighboring anglers when you need to borrow tools
Remember: A happy angler is a well-fed angler. My weird snack indifference shouldn't influence your perfectly normal desire to enjoy proper fishing treats!
It’s shocking how many otherwise decent anglers transform into litterbugs the moment they set up at a swim. Here’s the hard truth:
What’s Happening:
🗑️ Food wrappers dancing across the lake like synthetic mayflies
🎣 Boilie bags snagged in reeds like plastic seaweed
🚬 Cigarette butts ground into swim platforms (newsflash: they don’t biodegrade overnight)
Why It Matters:
• This isn’t just messy – it’s dangerous to wildlife
• It makes our sport look careless to the public
• Nobody wants to pitch their bivvy on someone else’s trash
The Solution is Simple:
Bring a dedicated rubbish bag (black bin liners take zero space)
- Use the fishery’s bins if provided
-Take it home if bins aren’t available (those shopping bags carried stuff in – they can carry it out)
Final Thought:
We all complain when fisheries increase prices or impose restrictions – but keeping lakes clean is the easiest way to maintain access and respect for our sport. The next generation of anglers deserves better than fishing in our litter.