Most Poles would declare that undoubtedly football is the most popular sport in Poland. However, when it comes to hobbies, fishing is on the podium. In Poland, we have from 1.5 to 2 million anglers.
Such a huge popularity of fishing did not come out of nowhere. Everyone will find something for themselves here. Time spent by the water, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, crowded streets and shopping malls allows you to get away from everyday matters and calm down wonderfully. By spending moments by the water in silence and solitude, we can finally find time to think about important things. The malicious say that it is also the best way to escape from your wife.
There is also another face of fishing. Poles love fishing for the opportunity to spend time with family, friends or simply with a group of people sharing common passions. Fishing is also sporting emotions that release the true spirit of competition. Contrary to stereotypes, fishing is also an adrenaline rush. You don’t even have to be at the water to imagine the emotions that accompany pulling a large fish out of the water. Regularly organized fishing competitions attract tens of thousands of people each year who compete with each other. An important aspect of fishing is also its cost. Contrary to appearances, it is an inexpensive hobby that everyone can afford.
When and how to start the adventure with fishing?
This question can only be answered in one word – always. Most of those active anglers started fishing in adulthood but they are also those who remember their first attempts of doing it in childhood. They gained their first experience together with their grandfathers, fathers or uncles. They were the ones who taught them how to bait and how to cast a fishing rod. Some discover the charms of fishing only in adulthood, and others even later.
Before you stand on the bank of a river or lake with a fishing rod in your hand, it is worth getting acquainted with the basic rules of fishing, obtaining the appropriate documents and, of course, getting the right equipment.
The already mentioned advantage of this hobby is that it is relatively cheap, which makes it available to literally everyone. The basic set, thanks to which you will be able to catch a fish, can be purchased for just over PLN 100. Of course, “sky is the limit” and as a new hobby develops – if you want to go fishing in the Bay of Bengal shelf waters or underwater hunting in Florida, for example – the cost of the trip itself will make your head spin. However, before making plans for exotic expeditions, it is worth learning how to fish in Polish waters that have a good reputation in Europe.
Many countries have introduced fishing cards, i.e. an official document entitling to recreational fishing. To get it, you need to have basic knowledge of fish protection and fishing and pass an exam before the committee. However, recently the Polish Angling Association has been talking about the abolition of fishing cards. It is planned to replace them only with a fee for the possibility of fishing.