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most people will think nothing to spend 3 or 4£ on a cup of coffee a day and then moan about ticket prices as they are driving to the lake. my club is 135 a year for me and the mrs. I don’t like to fish day tickets as they ARE too expensive imo. plenty of town centre stretches are still free to fish ok most are devoid of carp but hey ho plenty of other fish to go for all top end equipment in any sport or hobby is expensive I can buy a screwdriver for less than a quid but I wouldn’t use one.

I saw this in NCB, and decided it is a topic for main discussion as not everyone (meaning me) regularly go into Non Carp Banter, so I moved it, leaving a link to its new position. I've made the point that as anglers and as people, society as a whole, we are targeted with advertising and marketing of things we don't need, and fishing tackle of most disciplines is the same; products to 'make life easier', that frequently take away personal innovation or make it that everyone is doing the same. Fishing can be cheap and simple, a hook attached to the line with enough weight to get it where we need to cast to, simple barbel, chub and roach fishing, and either a float or rod tip to indicate a take. That is as simple as it gets, BUT, you can't watch a float or rod tip constantly for hours or days at a time. This brings us to our need for bite indication, a buzzer or audible alarm. Tackle has developed, rods that could only cast 50yards back in the 1960's have been superceded by rods that will cast hundreds of metres, and obviously the cost has increased. Reels that could only hold 200metres of line, more modern gears and the baitrunner, or Bite and Run. In alternative disciplines from carp fishing, sea fishing may work out 'cheaper', possibly because some fish may be saving us food money, as well as being leisure, although I admit lug and rag is expensive unless you dig it yourself. In terms of waters, many are overpriced; clubs, day ticket even syndicate waters. I can't justify £25 per night to fish a day ticket lake, nor can I justify £235 for the local club (including night ticket) when my syndicate is £500. There's more to say, but I'll save a few thoughts for further discussion...