As a kid out fishing with my dad it didn’t bother me if I wasn’t spoken to. But now as a 26 year old woman who is dedicated to fishing I now have a few more views on the subject !

As a kids out fishing with my dad it didn’t bother me if I wasn’t spoken to. But now as a 26 year old woman who is dedicated to fishing I now have a few more views on the subject!

I get out most Friday and Saturday nights fishing depending on the tides. I go with my husband Gary and a friend of ours Michael “H”. We go all over the place in Southampton/Portsmouth areas. Sometimes venturing to Dorset. 

I am the one who books boat trips.

On our journeys we have met many fishermen. I have met only one fisherwoman, who I tried speaking to but she glared at me for attempting to talk to her hubby as he was the one fishing and she was sat in a deck chair. 

The men we meet will approach us while fishing to have a chat about the nights catches. Most of the time I get approached first and when they see I'm female they quickly veer away to the men in the group and chat for ages. If I try talking I get ignored as though I hadn’t spoken in the first place. I do believe that men (not all but most) believe women could never know anything about fishing. It has always been portrayed as a men’s sport. pictures in magazines show only men and mostly men sizes in clothing and fishing gear.

 I'd would like to point out there are women out there who enjoy fishing just as much as any man and that we can be spoken to while out. 

I came across a man at Hill head the other night who by passed me by, but mentioned to my husband he liked whiting and just our luck that’s all we caught all night. I had caught a nice size whiting so I took it over to him when we left as I have a freezer full of fish. Hhe just looked at me as I handed it over said "Thanks" and that was it. 

Having some spare bait left over, my hubby passed it on  to him… they stood speaking for over 20 mins.

What had changed since I had taken the fish to him? Nothing!!

I’m happy to get up at all hours and go fishing. I'm even the one to drag the hubby out. But it does annoy me as it does other women that men will not even attempt to speak or even smile. I have come across some stupid men in my time while out. Drinking while out fishing. A group of lads caught a spider crab and processed to stamp on it until it was smashed to pieces right in front of me. And yes I was intimidated by it. The feeling was strange he knew I was female and I was disgusted at what he had done to that creature. But I didn’t say anything. it was like “Oh look at me I'm a man who knows everything about fishing and what do you think you are doing here” well I knew he was one of the few men who have nothing better to do than kill crabs for no reason even the fish he caught got a beating. 

I packed up and left. 

Anyway point being women enjoy fishing to. We know what were talking about. We catch just as many fish as the next person and we can be spoken to!!

 

Lorraine

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