Image source: shutterstock
Better than a birthday party?
Nearly half of all anglers admit to dodging an important event to go fishing! According to our Big Fishing Survey, just over 1400 of the 3100 anglers who took part admitted to ducking their responsibilities to get an extra few hours by the water.
In fact you’d be amazed what some audacious anglers get up to when they should be elsewhere! Read on to find out how anglers skip work, weddings, anniversaries and more – and all so they can wet a line!
Birthday or Bass?
Image source: bigstock
Birthday bunk-off
Ever missed a family member’s birthday to go fishing? 60% of you have, including Sigurður from Iceland, who missed his wife’s birthday and drily remarks: “This will never happen again.” We’re sure it won’t!
It’s not just birthdays that anglers miss. Rod-crazy Rhys admits to being by the water when he should be eating birthday cake. He also tells us he nearly missed the birth of his own child! He doesn’t say how close it was, only that he “just made it”.
Anniversary or angling?
Image source: shutterstock
Away on your anniversary?
More than a third of you said you’d gone fishing on your wedding anniversary. What an unromantic lot! One angler admits that he simply forgot it was his anniversary and had accidentally booked a weekend fishing trip. Well, it would have been rude not to go…
Image source: flyfishingwithfraser.co.uk
There may be trouble ahead…
Not everyone has such an understanding partner. Blogger Iain Fraser was Captain of the England police team competing in the Home International. All but one of his teammates blanked, but there was worse to come when Iain got home to his wife, Anne. Ian says:
“I missed our 41st wedding anniversary so wasn’t too popular with Anne, who contacted the organiser and told him if he didn’t put the event back a week, I wouldn’t be going in 2015 (he did.)”
Wedding or waders?
Image source: shutterstock
To love, honour and… fish?
What could be more important than a family wedding? Fishing, according to 14% of you who took part in our survey! Angling mad John missed his sister’s nuptials to go fishing. And not even a stag night can entice every angler. Several said they missed a stag do, and one resolute rod-carrier even missed his own stag celebration.
Your honeymoon escapades are even more shocking. Unromantic Ian says he sent his new wife to Spain while he went angling with friends. They do say absence makes the heart grow fonder!
We couldn’t believe fishing fanatic John’s honeymoon story. He left his beloved at home and trotted off to Scotland to pursue his passion for angling.
Then there’s the groom who went fishing with his best man while the bride went on holiday with her bridesmaids. Whatever floats your boat!
Career or Carp?
Image source: shutterstock
Focused on fishing?
Our survey reveals that 10% of participants have missed a job interview to fulfil their need to fish. But it doesn’t stop at the interview. Those of you lucky enough to land a job end up dodging important work commitments to go angling!
One angler bunked off work for a whole week to go fishing:
“I called in sick, packed my rod and off I went to Cornwall.”
Another keen angler was meant to hold a presentation with important customers but went fishing instead. Funnily enough, the customers got tired of waiting and left!
“I managed to get them back the next week, but my boss was not happy.”
Fishing-mad Fin was so keen to maximise his time on the riverbank he actually resigned from his job.
Escape from exams
Image source: shutterstock
Playing hookey? Surely not; it must be the weekend!
According to our survey, your casual attitude to work seems to have started in the school classroom. Many of you posted your memories of skipping school to fish. One enthusiastic angler even missed his university finals to take part in an international match at Lough Owel.
Barry McConnell remembers how his parents confiscated his rods as O-levels loomed. But even this didn’t stop him finding ways to fish:
“I’ve still got the old diary from 1973 that records a catch of three mirror carp taken on floating crust without a rod. I used a handheld spool from a Mitchell 300, which was hidden in the schoolbag. I was supposed to be sitting my French O-level exam that day and didn’t dare tell my parents. See what I mean – obsession.”
Family or Fishing?
Image source: shutterstock
Family friction!
Wait until you read some of the family fables you shared with us! Angling-absorbed Kenny recalls that his wife gave birth to his daughter on a Friday night:
“I had to ask my dad to pick her up from hospital to take them home, because I had a sea fishing competition to get to. It didn’t go down well!”
We’re not surprised!
Then there are the stories of missed parents evenings and missed operations. Avid angler Nigel admits that he missed his son’s graduation because his partner had booked him a fishing session for his birthday. Would you have gone?
It’s not just your children who’ve suffered. Many of you admit you’ve missed Christmas dinners or New year parties; several even skipped funerals to go fishing. One angler competed at a commonwealth fly fishing competition while the rest of the family attended his aunt’s funeral.
Finally, you have to feel sorry for the poor pooch whose owner forgot to pick him up from the vets because he was out fishing. The dog endured a night at the vets and the angler was hit with a £100 bill.
At the end of the day…
Many of you really would rather be fishing than doing almost anything else. But seasoned angler Mark Barrett strikes a cautionary note about his commitment to the sport:
“I have missed countless nights out, family occasions etc. You don’t get those back.”
But perhaps you can have it all… Take a leaf out of Andy and Marie Dickinson’s book. The angling couple tied the knot draped in fishing nets, and presumably promised to “love, honour and fish every day.”
Have you dodged important occasions to go fishing? We’d love to hear your stories, so pop over to our Facebook page and share away!