Re: The Most Complex Fishing Disciplines

 I do coarse, fly and sea angling and I would say the one thing that I found to be a big difference between the three is casting. Its relatively easy casting for coarse fish. They are often within reach of even those with poor technique. But casting a baited rig with a 5oz lead from a beach to reach the fish is not something I`m very good at and at the other end of the spectrum casting a fly is another difficult skill to master. Both of which I think a casting coach would be a big help in pointing you in the right direction. If I were then to try and split Fly and Sea angling I would then have to say sea angling was the harder discipline. Simply because, to be successful, you generally have to be on/by the sea when everybody else is huddled up nice and warm indoors. And, more seriously,  there are more sea anglers lives lost in pursuit of there sport than any other.

Re: The Most Complex Fishing Disciplines

I think that Tenchstar is right in what he says and what you experience in one discipline you can apply to another, inovation crosses all the disciplines. But I think if there is one that is the most difficult to master it is match fishing on the grounds of the complexety of different methods you need to learn. There is no doubt it is very skillfull. A salmon ghillie  once said to me give me six match anglers for a day and they will outfish most the socalled salmon angiers he new.

Re: The Most Complex Fishing Disciplines

I'm certainly no sea angler, having only been four times, and not a very accomplished fly angler, so I can't really speak for those subjects as I've only dabbled in them.

But from what I know I think all areas of our sport are incredibly complex, if you want to be good at it.

If you take simple pleasure fishing, you buy the basics, buy simple baits and maybe catch a few fish - and you're happy doing just that.

I think the complexity comes into the equation when you've chosen an area of the sport that you want to expand upon and become a master at. That's when you can wave goodbye to simplicity and begin to absorb the many different rigs, baits and techniques so you have the right mental approach to tackle any given conditions and species that you might come across.

Re: The Most Complex Fishing Disciplines

Of course matchfishing crosses all the boundaries. So perhaps they are the most skillful anglers at any discipline.

Re: The Most Complex Fishing Disciplines

I would have thought that fly fishing would be the most complicated, due to all of the different casts, the entomology and the extremely wide range of species and waters that fly fishing is used for.