It’s one of the UK’s biggest participation sports, it’s an ancient past time and it knows no boundaries of age or gender. Generating £1.4 billion and 27,000 jobs it also contributes heavily to the country’s economy and employment. No wonder fishing is as popular as ever.
Is it fishing though? Or is it angling? To clarify things before we go any further it’s like this. ‘Fishing’ is the ‘act of catching fish’ while ‘angling’ is ‘a form of fishing, with a rod, line and hook for recreation or sport’. So there. As a ‘form of fishing, with a rod, line and hook for recreation or sport’ angling is a great holiday activity when you spend time at your UK holiday home.
Research has shown that simply being in the environment for fishing is beneficial. You’re closer to nature, and usually away from urban and built up spaces. You’re also near the water; a recognised benefit for health and well being It’s a fun and healthy thing to do.
Check out these four great reasons to go fishing when you spend time at your holiday home
From North Yorkshire to Essex. Wherever you fish it’s good for your health.
There are places you can go fishing - or angling - all over the country. So if your holiday home is Teesside or Essex seaside you’ll find somewhere to cast your line. The point though is this. Wherever you go fishing it’s good for you. For a start it’s an outdoor activity so you’re benefitting from fresh air and Vitamin D. Even if the sun is hiding behind a cloud there's enough Vitamin D coming at you to do you good. It’s boosting your immune system and, because it helps absorb calcium from your diet, it’s good for the health of your teeth and bones.
What’s more, when you’re fishing you’re exercising. Yes, there are calm moments but overall you’ll be shifting about, getting your body moving and stretching your muscles. It’s making your blood pump and that’s good for your heart. All of this adds up to long term health benefits, and that includes reducing the risk of some diseases.
The exercise you get from fishing is known as ‘green exercise’. It’s now acknowledged that the combination of physical exercise in a green outdoor space is of tremendous value to wellbeing.
Put simply, fishing helps get you fit.
From Suffolk cottages by the sea to Lincolnshire chalets and caravans. Fishing is calming
This might sound like a stark contrast, but as well as increasing your physical fitness, fishing is very good for calming you down. Even when a spell at your own UK holiday home has started to help you unwind you can change down another gear by spending some time fishing. It’s a chance to step away from everything and embrace the nature around you. There is scientific evidence to prove that fishing is an activity that increases your levels of patience. (Let’s be honest here - you may have to wait a while for a bite so patience can, as they say, be a, necessary, virtue).
As an activity fishing is known to reduce stress. That calming effect, combined with the physical, outdoor, activity is a powerful force for improving your overall mental health.
From Oulton Broad Marina to Redcar Beach. Fishing helps you focus. It doesn’t all have to be about rivers of course. If you have a Suffolk holiday home or your get away place is a Redcar caravan site you’re within reach of fishing from the beach. Think Kessingland Beach in Suffolk or Whitby Beach in North Yorkshire for example.
But wherever you’re taking time out, taking time to go fishing will help develop your ability to focus. It actively stimulates your mind. It gives the brain a bit of a workout. It doesn’t have to be the mental equivalent of an SAS boot camp, but you do actually have to think about what you’re doing. What species of fish live here? Do I need any special tackle? Or bait?
And there are skills to learn and apply. Knots need to be tied correctly. Lines have to be cast properly. These are tasks that improve what scientists call your ‘motor skills’. You’re improving your competency, but you’re doing it as part of something you’ve chosen to do. It’s your time, and you’re thinking about things you want to. This kind of thinking, which is focussed, but disconnected from the day to day decisions you have to make in work, and life, serves to improve your mood. It lifts you.
Be honest, it’s nice to concentrate on something other than all that stuff you have to concentrate on and that helps your powers of focus which means you’ll be better at those things you have to do, when you return to them.
WiTH Suffolk seaside holiday home, Fishing lets you have a digital detox
Wherever you choose to have a seaside holiday home, and whenever you spend time there, you’re going to spend a little time on your ‘devices’. Admit it. Chances are you’ll spend a little less time emailing and juggling spread sheets because - you’re on holiday. But, the podcast, the movie, the games…they all count as screen time.
Going fishing is a really great way to get yourself a digital detox. Granted, it would be sensible to take your ‘phone with you, because, well, you never know. (Actually it would be very useful to take a picture of your catch!). But leave it on silent. Don’t take the tablet. You don’t need the headphones.
When you’re fishing you’re plugged into something else entirely. The sounds of running water, the smells of flowers and foliage, and the sight of the countryside or beach, all stimulate the senses in the most positive way. Focus on the fishing and leave the tech behind. Even if it’s for a couple of hours the effects of decoupling yourself from the digital world will be hugely beneficial.
Take some time out and get in to fishing. Or angling. Get the family involved. The social interaction can make it even more enjoyable. Just go easy on those ‘one that got away’ stories. Nobody believes them.
