Fishing fitness is catching on

Fishing is not usually regarded as an activity that keeps you fit.

Sure, the arms get a nice workout on the occasion of connecting to a hard-fighting fish and spinning lures endlessly can tone up the upper regions, but during most sessions the heart rate rarely gets to a level that would be ideal for a cardiovascular workout.

If you are anything like me and find most cardio activities monotonous and would rather have spent that time fishing, there is a way of combining the two and enjoying the benefits of both.

Those within reach of a nice stretch of beach or river usually partake in some form of fitness by the water's edge in the early morning or after work, just as the sun starts to dip to the horizon.

Being by the water at these ideal ‘fish feeding' times seems to me to be a waste without a rod in the hand, especially when it doesn't take much to have a cast here and there as you walk your usual stretch.

The most convenient way of combining walking and fishing is with a backpack filled with a handful of metal lures,

monofilament or wire trace, a couple of poppers, a set of pliers and small knife. A plastic bag is ideal if you want to take home any captures for the table and a camera is always handy to take a few shots.

A pair of polarised sunglasses can also help find the gutters along the beach or holes in the river and make it easier to spot schools of baitfish and even predatory ones.

Selecting a rod and reel depends on what you intend to target.

I usually walk up and down the beach in the early morning, so I find a 10ft lightweight rod with a medium action and a reel loaded with 8kg line suitable.

If you plan to walk the banks of a river then a 6.5ft rod suited for spinning minnow lures and soft plastics would be a good option.

All it takes is walking your usual route and casting out a lure every so often when you come across a promising patch of water.

You'll be amazed by what you catch and how well you can know a stretch of water after visiting it a few times a week.

Also amazing is how much farther you tend to walk and the longer you spend exercising knowing there could be a chance of catching something exceptional.

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