Part 1 went down a treat, so here is the second half! More words of wisdom we've gleaned from some wise heads during the curation of the first two SUBmags. Whether that is about catching carp, finding balance, keeping a home life steady, setting realistic expectations, or as in Samir's case, ditching the norms for a life less ordinary... One thing we've learnt is that everyone has a different world view, a different set of circumstances, and a different set of goals for life. We do our best to dig into it all
1. TRAVEL IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL
SAMIR AREBI #001
'No Sad Faces'
We had the pleasure of heading out to fish with Samir last year, and we speak to him on a weekly, if not almost daily basis. He's become one of our closest mates and someone who is always there to stoke the fire and fill us with positivity. No matter how shit, or difficult, or trying the situation, Samir always has a positive spin and a fix for it... He is also one of the most driven, and motivated people we know. Working shit out on the road, learning new skills, breaking stuff and fixing it, making do... it is all part of his day-to-day life. Samir relishes the difficulties travel brings with it, and spoke about it brilliantly in his interview. Being exposed to different cultures, different people, and different ways of life can only ever be a good thing and is definitely good for the soul. Travelling is often a great way to make you appreciate what you have at home as well. In the end Samir went a step further, trading in his old life and workshop for a life behind a camera and a set of rods. Freedom came at a price, but there's no doubt he thinks it was worth the trade off.
'Part of the beauty of travelling is being exposed to different people, different world views, different landscapes, sunsets, cultures … unlike the algorithm that just gives you more of the same every day, more of what you already know and consume. The real world is different. It is great when you put your phone away.'
2. FIND A WORK-LIFE BALANCE
LUKE VALLORY #001
'Working Man's Club'
There's no doubt that in the long term, to stay happy, and to stay consistent with your fishing that finding some kind of a work/life balance that suits you, and your own situation is key. We've always firmly believed it is one of the most important aspects of all. Big carp fishing, and especially trying to be consistent on the big carp circuit is a really demanding pursuit - add your own business, family and everything else into the mix and it's a hell of a juggle. Luke Vallory talked to us about exactly how he manages that, running his own business, doing bits for Korda, as well as being a new dad. Spinning plates and catching some of the biggest and best on the UK circuit..
'In a way, I can be my own boss, but saying that, I am very regimented, and really conscious about how quickly things can fall apart. If I’ve got no work, I’ve got no living, simple as that. I won’t pull an extra night unless I know for certain I can make up the work and time. Things would get on top very quickly if you started to let it slip'
3. BE REALISTIC
TIM ROWLAND #001
'Weekender'
One of our own biggest failings is definitely not being realistic, in fact it is something we are genuinely terrible at - it is the only reason Subsurface exists, and we have still run the brand alongside everything else over the years - in reality there is never enough hours in the day. Being unrealistic is also the reason we don't enjoy our fishing quite as much as we should sometimes - aiming too high about what we want to catch, and how we want to fish. As such, we've taken a lot from Timmy, both from his little interview, and from spending time with him down the lake. The 'flat out' big carp scene is great, but the reality for the majority of us is that keeping a handle on what is realistic, and achievable for your own situation is far more pressing than working out when the next big hit of bait or prep is going to happen. Making sure you don't judge yourself against others, and enjoying the time you have is so important - we took a lot from Timmy's attitude, and approach on fishing just one weekend a month. If he can catch 'em on that short time frame, then there is hope for us all!
'My mindset is that I am trying to create just one opportunity for a bite. When you’ve put the rods out, you’ve done everything possible to your angling ability to tip the odds in your favour, to create an opportunity for a bite – that’s all you can do. If someone is in the ‘going’ swim for the weekend, so be it. If the going swim is randomly available on a Friday night, it is just a bonus. I also know that if I do blank, I will enjoy myself whatever happens, through spending time with a good bunch of lads, and nice food.'
4. DO WHAT YOU LOVE
TOM MAKER #001
'LOVE/HATE'
We had a fair bit of it when we started fishing in Europe a lot... 'When are you going to start fishing for some proper UK ones again?' the conversations would often go... To be honest, it narked us, and although it didn't change how we felt about our own fishing, and we enjoyed it as much as anything we'd ever done, it was still frustrating and sometimes made it hard to ignore the idea that people didn't respect what you were doing. It really shouldn't matter what anyone thinks about how you spend your time, and what you fish for, that is one thing we've learnt over the years. But in the age of comparison, and everyone sharing everything they do, it becomes hard to ignore. Back in the day when it was all 35mm prints and no iPhones, no one knew what you were up to unless you showed them some physical prints - great days they were! Do what makes you happy, f*ck the rest. Tom is one of the most consistent, keen and confident anglers out there, no doubt about it. And there is also no doubt he has earned that over years of fishing some of the most pressured lakes in the land. We've always admired how absolutely steadfast he has remained about doing exactly what he loves, for the right reasons...
'The numbers I catch will always dominate my motivation, but I’ve focused more on targeting larger carp recently, hence why I’ve done a fair bit of time on B1. No doubt the KIR brigade would dismiss them as ‘wrong-uns’, but I couldn’t care less – they give me the same buzz as any other carp would. I do what I love, without a care for other’s opinions, and to me, that’s so important in my angling. Whatever you want to fish for, wherever that may be, just enjoy it and find your own buzz that no one can take away from you. That’s the key to enjoying your fishing'
5. TAKE A GAMBLE
JOHN CASH #002
'All Or Nothing'
We've seen it so many times over the years, especially on the pressured, difficult big carp circuit lakes... It is almost like everyones tactics get funnelled down and merge into one. Similar rigs, tactics, baits and approaches, Cashy hit the nail on the head in his interview when he talked about it. Just as Luke had opened things up on the zigs initially by taking a gamble, and going all in on something a bit different, there was potential for something else once that has started to slow down. Working out the cycle and staying ahead is perhaps one way to make a few more chances.
'A lot of lads are too scared to try things and potentially waste their time, so you end with everyone fishing the same way. The caster thing, for example; everyone had been fishing zigs all spring and it had done about 80 bites, but by the time I got there that year it had tailed off, the hits had already happened, and lads were just nicking odd ones. I thought there had to be something, so I thought, ‘Fuck it, I’m gonna come down and stick 10 pints of caster in and see what happens’