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How to (fish with an angle)It is worth taking the point of view that you can learn something new from every fisherman you meet. We all of us have our own ways and methods and they're all there for a reason, often after the reason has long departed. My methods are threaded through this website. If you let me know I'll explain as best as I can. Having said that, there are few alternative ways to say "first, find the feeding fish, then present them a bait without spooking them, from as near to them as you can get". For those who are puzzled by modern fishing terminology I've thrown in a glossary. "If people don't occasionally walk away from you shaking their heads, |
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Fishing BooksContrary to popular belief it is possible to learn stuff from books. Those who say 'you can't learn from books' should be consigned to the special Hell and its Demons reserved for them, along with those who say "he didn't mean any harm" and "boys will be boys" after some careless and tragic event.
Anyone who thinks you can "make more than 100% effort" can fry alongside the former. I'd also personally consign anyone who says they don't need a degree as they've been to the "University of Life".
Yeah. I've been there as well, plus I have a Physics & Electronics degree*. Also down there, on a rolling boil, are those who really actually believe "the exception proves the rule", missing the point that in this case "proves" means "tests"...
(*I'd just like to point out I have no problem with anyone based on their academic qualifications, education or ability. None at all. Whatsoever. Or age, race and gender for that matter.) 'Still Water Angling' by Richard Walker. Publisher: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-7074 'When Still Water Angling was published in 1953 it was hailed as revolutionary and has been regarded as the standard work on this aspect of angling ever since.' it say on my copy's dust jacket. Mine's a 1978 re-print. Even with so many "puddles" with "pet" carp in them, there is much in this book that is relevant still, and will help you to understand and to catch fish. It certainly forms the basis of my "keep still, quiet, and dress down" method. I also keep my end tackle as simple as I can. 'Walker's Pitch' by Richard Walker. Stacks of blunt common sense by the man himself. 'Drop me a Line' by Richard Walker and Maurice Ingham. This is one of the best fishing books I have ever read. There is a wealth of good fishing tips in here and this along with the Carp Catchers Club, will show you that there is little in today's angling scene that wasn't considered and thought through in the '50's. A great profile of the two authors and the social mores of the times. Post war austerity was still a factor in everyone's lives (petrol was scarce) and colours the already fascinating dialogue. Anyone thinking about fly fishing for trout should read this, and there are also the tapers for both the original carp rod made by RW and the "Light Carp", which is not unlike the MKIV. The latter was designed for 6-10 lines and the former, at a rough estimate was around a 2lb t/c for 12lb line and up, and seems altogether a more useful carp rod than the MKIV. As Viking Sagas do, this book show's you that people haven't changed much - the bit about MI fishing quietly under cover being accosted by a loud, brightly dressed skylining fisherman for information on carp fishing rings as true today, I've had exactly the same happen to me, but with some 50 odd years interval, so we rediscover that some things haven't changed - there are always those who are prepared to experiment, make up their own mind and do the hard work required to affect changes, which is good to know. I was chuffed to find that MI had a copy of "I Walk by Night" which I got some 2 years before DMAL. It's a little dusty window overlooking a forgotten world. 'The Carp Catcher's Club' by Maurice Ingham et al. A classic, which will never be repeated, now we depend on email. So many of today's carp tactics were thought up within these pages, culminating with the record carp capture at Redmire. If you aspire to carp fishing you simply have to read this. Unlike 'Drop me a Line' though this has a formality and a structure and also gaps in the narrative where things happened in the background, which are fun to speculate about over a beer, but are strictly speculation. We now know the BV thought carp fishing was being led in an over commercial direction for example and disagreed with RW on this. Water under the bridge. It does feel as if the stuffing went out of the group a little when the record carp was captured and also interesting to know that but for a dodgy hook eye, Peter Stone would have beaten that record. Certainly RW dominated the group, but not least because he was unwilling to take anything at face value, until it was proved to his own satisfaction, but that is one of the normal (but all too occasional) dynamics of human nature. For all that, this is another interesting record of the start of carping (among many other equally interesting things), with all sorts of useful ideas, some of which are now de-facto methods, some of which never got fully explored at the time and still haven't and some which have since been shown as erroneous. Also fun to note that the match angling fraternity of the time derided them as "not serious" and labelled them as pleasure anglers. Plus ca change. Confessions of a CarpFisher By "BB". This book probably did more for the birth of carp fishing than all the others put together. It's variously interesting, realistic, poetic, matter-of-fact and romantic. Wood Pool by "BB". An odd little book, being an account of the stocking of a small lake and its emergence into a small carp and tench fishery, with its problems and delights almost equally well described. Worth reading if your dream is to have your own water. Worth reading on a cold winter evening as well. Be Quiet and Go A-Angling. Michael Traherne ("BB"). This little book has a spread of fishing experiences and in places is mystical and a bit strange, but I think this volume tells you more about "BB" than many of his books. One to sink into. 'The New Compleat Angler' by Stephen Downes and Martin Knowlden. ISBN 0-7481-0088-1 This is really worth reading through as this has the best description of how fish see the world around them (and more importantly above them) I have ever read. An understanding of this is essential for any fisherman. Leading on from that, I believe, that while drab clothing is sensible (full camouflage gear NOT essential in my opinion), stealth, and particularly lack of vibration is a huge factor in keeping fish close to you and unwary. And an unspooked fish is a lot easier to catch... This is why I am always happier if there is some cover between me and the fish (even screen of reeds is a help), and colour in the water, while it may indicate feeding fish (which is usually good), means they can't see you either. I would add that the deeper the water is by the edge, the happier I am also. 'The Path by the Water' by A.R.B Haldane. I heartily recommend this. It's what fishing is all about. If my prose was half as good I'd be pretty pleased as well. Although it's clear that compared with some Mr. Haldane had a privileged upbringing, his descriptions of fishing by worm and later fly in the tiny brooks near his family's home in the Ochill Hills is finely drawn and a childhood many would dream of having. Long days small stream trout-fishing, packed lunches and the slow-motion passage of time, both bewitch and transport. If the book enthrals a little less when the author move onto the Itchen later in life, that's not the fault of the writing, but is rather the reader's regret at leaving the Ochills behind. These days no longer exist but then neither do the writers and we are poorer for it. 'By Many Waters' by A.R.B Haldane. I heartily recommend this as well. Bygone times and attitudes, but the waters are gently evoked. It's enough to make you take up fly fishing... 'Fishing Difficult Waters: Winning Tactics' by Ken Whitehead. ISBN 0-7137-2335-1 All of Ken Whitehead's book are worth reading. He solves problems his own way, and all the better for. A really good angler. 'Ken Whitehead's Pike Fishing' ISBN 0-7137-2335-1 As already mentioned, all of Mr. Whitehead's books are worth reading. It is nice to read books that don't instantly recommend the author's range of tackle as well...much of the reviews and advice on the 'net seem to end with a recommendation for the author's product. Hard to take that advice at face value really. 'Falkus and Buller's Freshwater Fishing'. ISBN 0-09-174067-3 Although orginally published in 1975, this has much useful advice and information on all aspects of Freshwater Fishing - tackle may have changed but the fish are much the same...you'll find a lot of things in here that are being used to day and some that are "in fashion" as it were.
'Carp and the Carp Angler' by George Sharman. This is a great book for any thinking angler. This excellent and thoughtful book has never really had the plaudits it's deserved due to it unluckily being in the shadow of a more controversial book released around the same time. Yes, I mean Carp Fever. George takes us through his early carp fishing and then launches into a well thought out discussion on catching fish in heavy weed and bubblers, especially those feeding in deep silt. Few lakes now have this kind of silt, but as I fish on two such, I can vouch for his reasoning. There is a chapter on knots and their effectiveness, which raises interesting question and solves them with a new knot. The careful examination of hook sharpened with a cutting edge and outward facing barbs (both tested on self modified hooks) is a testament to one who didn't take face value too seriously as well as having you reach for the whetstone. He show that winter fishing for carp is not the dead duck is was then thought to be. There are many gems hidden in here, I recommend it to all those who occasionally think "I know everyone does this, but I wonder if...?" In the days of carp books, magazines and articles by the score, most of which are recycled sales pitches, this is a breath of fresh air and it's age has not rendered it obsolete. Although age alone renders nothing obsolete. 'The Carp Strikes Back' by Rod Hutchinson and friends. A terrific tale of carp obsession that dives into the despair and climbs to the elation and along the way teaches you a lot about carp and how to catch them. A great book for any carp angler, or for any angler of any sort really. 'Carp Fever' by Kevin Maddocks. (1989 10th Edition) This is a fascinating book. It's been said that it's not a good read but I don't agree. That's like saying 'Moby Dick' is good, but a really good textbook on 'Moby Dick' is not good. This is, for me, a textbook on how to catch big carp consistently but of course it doesn't follow that one reads it for the lyrical prose. I approached this book with some negative thoughts and that serves me right for not making up my own mind. Much of the carp catching mechanics are not surprising or even new for the time of the first edition. There are echoes of Richard Walker and others and it all it really comes down to the same principle as making Jugged Hare. First, catch your hare… Location of the fish occupies a misleadingly short part of the book and you can skim it and get the wrong impression. KM spent hours, nay days locating fish in various waters, making special trips and, I've no doubt, recording everything noteworthy with times, wind, temperature and so on. From this database he would make decisions of where and when to fish, in the reasonably secure knowledge that his emplacement and the fish would coincide at the right time. To this he added the detailed records of catches, bites baits and weather until he had as complete a picture as one can get. As Richard Walker and the CCC knew, finding the fish is much more than half of the process. It's easy to underestimate the importance of this both in contemporary terms and especially with todays waters where the fish expect to find your ground bait, consider it their natural food and even home in on the sound of it hitting the water. Added to this KM fished long unblinking sessions, several days at a time, but don't be fooled here. He didn't catch because he fished long sessions. He fished long sessions where and when he had determined his target fish would be feeding. There's a big difference. KM seldom loose fed in any volume, the fish were already there (he'd checked), so were his baits. He scorned bivvies as they impeded striking. Even on a campbed he was right next to his rods and although having the benefit of being a light sleeper, he plan was to hit every bite right on cue (I'd have liked a section on how and when to hit bites on various rigs). Although this all sounds simple (it is, in principle…), having made a massive investment in location, some considerable investments in baits and fishing hours, KM would ensure he hit every bite bar none and lost no fish if remotely possible. He certainly never lost a fish the same way twice. The rod was matched to the job and distance, the line checked, every hook tested and sharpened. How can you not admire that kind of thoroughness? Even if you, as I do, find this intensity too much for enjoyment; even knowing that it works I couldn't fish this way. But to carry it through like this requires extraordinary focus, strength of mind and purpose. If the book has faults - the bait section feels a bit like filler, the knot section is brief (I just can't believe he didn't test knots a little more scientifically) and there are rafts of info on locating fish that I'd love to have seen - even just one water as an example, with the hours put into divining the likely spots and the resulting catches, an example case. Having said that, having explained what you have to do, I imagine it's left to the reader to make his own location sorties and record his own data! Not a purist and less than romantic, KM was nevertheless the benchmark for dedicated, consistent and even ruthless carping. It's not KM's fault that so much of what has followed is pale imitation, bivvie encampment armchair fishers, far from their tip action rods and bolt rigs, more loose feed in a session that he probably used some seasons and stew-pond fish that exist only due to the good grace of that copious feed, locating fish and watercraft cast to the winds, camping site pitches near the toilets and café. The slavish following of the two-rod all-night-session approach but without the hard earned where, when and how, like small boys copying their Dad. But these adherents are no worse or better than the CCC groupies who slavishly buy their B. James MKIV (even today)…[the B. James MKIV was created for the mass market it wasn't the same rod that the CCC used and I think the most over rated rod, but I digress…]. I wonder what KM makes of it all? Read this then and decide if you're 'serious' or not. I'm not a "serious angler" by any standards, but frankly 99% of all carp fisherman I've ever seen or met aren't either. Today's rod-pod and a bucket of boilies, pitched in the first swim that looks comfy, isn't even a tenth of the way serious compared with KM. Not remotely. Stuff I've read but haven't got around to saying anything about...so I've given them a star rating in the meantime.
***** is outstanding. **** is very good, *** is good. ** usually means I've only read it once, * I never even finished it - in practise this means my three random pages read in the bookshop failed to pursuade me to buy it.
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Angling GlossaryWords have great power. What you call something can change the perception of it in a quite startling way. For example "wind farm"…you're no doubt thinking of lush grass waving gently in the wind while silent and elegant turbines rotate in the rural background while sheep graze. "Wind power station". Now what are you thinking? See? Well, fishing has similar examples and frankly some are worse. Some are confusing. Some words have changed their meaning altogether. Some mean different things depending on who you are. I offer up my own explanation for the old and the new and also those words for which the meaning changes according to the user. Anglers and fishermen often ascribe different meanings to the same word or phrase. Confusing? Not any more. (I freely admit to using clichés where the cap fits - clichés may sound trite, but that doesn't invalidate the point made by them, although they allow the self deceiving to sneer at the cliché as an alternative to reason.) |
"A""B""C""D""E""F""H""K""L""M""N""R""S""V""W" |
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Chasing Butterflies...(a work mostly finished but still in progress)I'm currently addicted to surface fishing and pursue it with the stupidity of a dog chasing a butterfly, flying in the face of all common sense. I'm no expert though, I can tell you, but at the very tail end of the 2008 year and for a lot of 2009, I surface fished and 2010 kicked off on Jan 1st with two carp and three chub off the top. I've read a book or two (Chris Ball's is excellent) and learned as I've gone along and despite my novice status, I'm sharing what I've discovered so far… The first attempt, late 2008, was with the plain biscuits out of the dog's kibble and more by luck that judgment, soaked them right and caught three carp at Arfleet, despite being hampered by the biscuit being destroyed by rudd in 5 minutes. Despite a good bag (for two hours on this lake) I didn't do it again until I stopped at Barton's Court and got a 10lb fish at the last gasp of dusk, on the same floaters. OK then. The first thing to note is that it's a thrilling way to fish. Really. The adrenalin rush is huge, it's often frustrating and hugely satisfying. You can catch a lot of fish. Despite what you read very few folk bother and nearly all of those that do use boilies and mixers, despite there being plenty of other baits fish are not used to being caught on. The other big plus is that you really learn to find fish - it's mandatory really, unless you fancy chucking in your bait at random… On the whole it's a very simple method, needing a only a rod, reel, line and a hook for most of your fishing. I stick with the Cardinal 66 most of the time and use mainline from 6-14lb. Main line is normally Stren Original Clear (not blue). This is low visibility, tough and just sinks when wet. If I need finer hook lengths or lower visibility I use Preston (a bit shiny, visible and it really won't sink much) and have used flouro but have abandoned it, it's just not reliable. Rods: a Harrisons Avon, a Hexagraph Avon (both 11ft & 1½lb t/c), an ESP Floater rod (12 ft & 2½lb t/c/ but stripped and rebuilt with a proper ringing pattern) and a Fox Floater Special (12ft & 2lb t/c but a very soft tip). If I'm planning to floater fish I tend to use the ESP, but the others are used often. I've had some fun sessions with a Chapman 550 as well. StrategyIt pays to have one - although this is the easy part. Here's mine. Find your fish, ideally feeding fish. Then get as close to them as is possible without spooking them. Get a bait to them without spooking them, on tackle strong enough to get them out. (The astute among you will have realised that this is my strategy for almost all of my angling.) "Always remember that the objective is to get them 'out of there' and 'onto here'" Eugene said one afternoon at the Rye Dyke when we wondered aloud at the sporting ethics of landing a 2lb roach on a Bruce and Walker CTM 11ft S/U. If your strategy is to find a lake with lots of big fish conditioned to live on HNV bait, pick a comfy swim, bung out three of the said HNV baits at random and wait for three days in a tent on the off-chance†, then you're on the wrong website. TacticsOK not so easy. In fact the next bit is by far and away the hardest bit. Finding the blightersIf you crack this you're over halfway there with any fishing. Really. What the great books and anglers often do is mention how important finding the fish is, then write a few pages on it, leave out swathes of useful info. and skip blithely onto the next ¾ of the book...'Carp Fever' and 'Still water Angling' both a bit guilty here, the former more than the latter, in fact location is all. Well almost. Consider this for a moment: the best tackle in the world is worth nothing if the fish are not present. You've got more chance with crap tackle where the fish are. 100% more chance with one rod in the right place than three in the wrong places(s). It's that simple. Bafflingly, nearly every fisherman you see gives this no thought whatsoever, but plonk themselves into their favourite swim or one which looks OK. Job done. Fair enough if you're not bothered and it really is. If you are happy just being there with fish strictly a bonus, then why not? I've done it. It's also hard to get right 100% of the time. I'd settle for 50%... Here's what I know about this. Firstly, if you can see carp feeding on the surface, then there are carp feeding on the surface. Bit obvious*? Well, can be, but sometimes carp are very fly and hardly make a noise or a ripple. They may be under weed or trees, and only the slightest disturbance will give them away. I've had baits disappear in front of me with hardly a sound or a ripple...so really here the first point is to observe. You're looking for the obvious things (clooping for example) but also the not so obvious. 'Water Devils' spin, carp don't...you need to watch the surface for any unusual movement of the water, this is hard when there's a ripple but time and experience will tell. For example, small and transient flat spots in the waves. Calm water makes thing easier, but often the only indication that you'll get then is the slightest shimmer of the surface. Carp often have regular patrol routes. If you mark one such on a day of good visibility, then it's worth laying a trap for the day when the fish are not so obvious. On a lake, the fish almost always move clockwise around the margins, for the same reason the shadow on a sundial does. Lastly, the windward end is usually the right end, summertime at least, as it's the end with the highest DO (dissolved oxygen) and when it's really hot, this is the cool end. And while flat calm conditions always look great for surface fishing, a bit of a ripple is better as it hides you and the line. In colder conditions it's often worth re-thinking this last point. In cold weather (10°C and under) carry a thermometer for this simple check: is the water warmer than the air or vice versa? This tells you whether the windward or leeward end is likely to be warmest. The warm end, usually, is the place to start fishing. If you only fish for fish you have observed (and havn't spooked), then you'll do well...
Spook them not...So, finding the fish is key. Then having done all that hard work, you scare them off. So you are in effect back to the "zippo" point above. See why that's a big deal yet? Good-oh. First off then, movement. Most fish are prey animals (a fancy way of saying they're lunch for something else). Nearly all prey animals react strongly to sudden movement (in the opposite direction), so move slowly and steadily.
Secondly, the skyline around a water is virtually constant on most waters. Sudden changes to it are suspicious. So keep off the skyline. Thirdly. Clothing. Blend in. There's nothing wrong with "real tree", it works. But dark greys and olive greens are fine, you don't need the full commando. Hats are fine, but no silly colours. No red's whites and blues. Don't be like the chap I saw recently who walked around every swim in the lake in a red shirt, blue shorts and a red hat, clutching a big orange bag of mixers, tossing a handful into every swim. An expert in this field to be sure. And don't forget the face. It's very very visible and if you want to get really close to a surface feeding fish, try a veil, old landing nets or bee keepers'. One may not look ever so cool, but on the upside folk will walk right by you. Always fun to cough suddenly then. Also, as mentioned above, carp patrol predominately clockwise, so if you have a choice and the cover is there, keep close to the right hand side of the swim's cover. Sound and vibration. Fish react strongly to vibration and noise, even voices (low frequencies especially, they travel further in water). Here is a list of things which cause enough vibration in the water to put fish down in a 100 yard radius. Dropping tackle boxes. Hammering in banksticks. Idly whacking some item of tackle on the ground because 'yer bored'. Clumping your feet. Running around to yer mate for a chat. Radios. Sitting down so hard on your box or chair I can feel it. Yakking loudly on your mobile. Bivvie pegs, insertion of. Now it might be that you are fishing at range or on a water where fish are used to the clump of fishermen, so why bother? Well, I'm here to tell you that even in waters where fishermen are commonly about the bank and the fish are used to the sight and sound of them, they'll still take a bait much more readily if they think no-one is there. Oh yes. Getting them the bait...quietlyOk then. You've spotted them, sneaked up on them, now what? Well of course you set the rod up before you started the spotting and sneaking. No? Should have mentioned that. It's worth assembling the rod and tying the end tackle, even if it's just a hook by the car...the first time you spot a fish and try, without spooking it, to set up a rod and get it a bait will show you this is worth the effort. What next?
BaitsThere are no magic baits of course, but there are some good staples and contrary to the overwhelmingly self serving opinion of the angling press, you can buy nearly everything you need at any supermarket. MixersI use a plain supermarket mixer biscuits. Stick them in a tub, cover with boiling water, shake for 1 minute, drain the water and stick in the fridge with the lid on. In the morning they'll be fine for floater fishing. At the boiling water stage you can add flavouring, colours etc. Green is good for bait where there is a lot of birds (they can't spot it at distance). I use all sort of flavours, the water from sweetcorn, water from the hemp flask, fish sauce, anchovy sauce, tuna water, strawberry, pineapple juice, All good. Pineapple and hemp seem to work the best. You can freeze and re freeze these baits. The other method is to add about 150ml of liquid to 1lb of biscuits and shake them (a bag is best) until all the liquid is absorbed. Leave over night in the fridge. I find this works better if the liquid is very hot, boiling. I think the air in the mixers is expanded out and as it cools the liquid is sucked in. You don't need expensive flavours, you can use cooking Strawberry flavour and colours and pineapple juice reduced by half in a pan is very strong. Vanilla's not bad, and anchovy sauce is good but you seem to need a lot of it to really flavour the mixers, so for llb of mixers two table spoons of the sauce and top up with water to 150ml. Shake well, microwave to boiling, then add to mixers etc... BreadA good white unsliced sandwich loaf my staple bait. White is more visible, wholemeal tougher. If you can get bread baked the old fashioned way with yeast, the smell is better and the bread is tougher. Most supermarket bread is not baked this way...you can do a lot with bread. Big bits of crust work, two smaller bits back to back hide the hook and cast further and flake, pinched around the line hide the hook completely and will often get a take when crust is treated with suspicion. Often, when mixers are being treated with suspicion, a big bit of bread will get a quick take as it's less familiar and greed also pays a part. It can be worth dunking crust quickly before casting, as if the bread is hard when it lands you will not hook an instant take (it does happen). A thin slice of a mixer biscuit cut with a sharp wet knife and place between the hook bend and the crust can help it on when casting. Other baitsSupermarket shelves are stacked with interesting ideas, the three most useful I've found are naan bread, crumpets and pizza bases. Naan bread (at least the ones I buy) need taking out the packet and drying overnight to get firm enough for putting on a hook. On a plain naan, the slight spice smell seems to attract the fish, even suspicious ones and I've had fish take naan and swim past bread to do it. It's quite tough and casts well and resists small fish. Crumpets are tough but soft and cast well. The downsides are, that they are very holey and can present a challenge to hook, they also don't deform when slurped. So if you use a big bit, it resists being taken. Again get the good ones, the yeastier the better. Having made crumpets from scratch at home (OK the Marmiteangler did), I recommend those as a floater bait... Pizza base is custom built crust and foiled packed with a yeasty smell. Ideal for keeping handy, just in case. Good for casting. Strawberries float...on most water strawberry flavour is used...marshmallows can work well. Worms using a cork ball or injected with air are good, but everything likes them. If it floats and it's edible it's worth a try. All baits can be tweaked with flavour, bank-side I use strawberry, hemp oil and anchovy sauce (Lea & Perrins). A touch from the top of the bottle is all you need to differentiate your hook bait. Odd bait stuff...
ControllersI don't use them much. I prefer to fish near rather than far and find that most off-the-shelf ones are designed for 50+ yard casting (I assume). I can get crust 30-40 yards and 2 mixers on a size 4 some 30 yards, 3 on a size 2 go miles...having said that small baits and longer ranges are often worth a go, so I made some flat controllers. Cut ¼ balsa sheet into ¾ strips, and then cut a groove for a cleaned biro refill tube and put solder wire (lead free…) around the stem. When it's about right, glue the halves together with wood glue to get a square section and set to with a sharp knife. When approx. bomb shaped (tube central), smooth with sandpaper. Then I seal and paint matt green/grey, the colour of stuff that's been bobbing in the water for a bit. These cast OK, I've made about 8, for less than the cost of one off-the-shelf. I plan to make a few out of sticks off the apple tree, just cut, sealed with either wire through the middle or just s swivel glued in. One of the most effective controllers I've used is a large porcy quill, self colour, just put on the line with silicon tubing at each end. It's got weight and being streamlined, casts like a missile. Line and Hook lengthsI'm not convinced that flouro is any better than clear nylon per se and although it occasionally seems to work, I've found all flouro unreliable for knots and gave it up. I think a thinner hook length can occasionally help with really suspicious fish, I don't think it matters so much what it's made of. My major problem is that of attaching the hook length to the main line, often dissimilar materials and thicknesses. If you use a swivel, even a little one then you need some kind of controller. I work very often on the basis that no controller will cancel a thicker leader. I've tried a cocktail stick stuffed up a silicone tubing over a swivel and it doesn't always float. Pop-up foam, with a hole run through it, pulled over a swivel does. Use a cork ball and rig ring to use a fine leader if you're not casting far.
Odd dodges
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Float fishing for carpFloat fishing for carp is much neglected, but it's still possible to catch carp this way and while you can fish any old way with a float and occasionally latch into one, if you want to catch them on purpose, there are methods which work better than average. Good old fishing on the bottomAs shown…anything from 4-12" over depth, often bites will take 10 minutes to develop and it pays to use a float with some buoyancy and/or a long antennae so line bites are horizontal dithering, rather than the float sinking. A pheasant quill is good, a good big crow quill as well. Put the bulk shot by the float and a BB on the bottom. (My favourite float for this is a pheasant quill, made self-cocking with copper foil which sinks with a 1BB 'tell'tale'.) The float should sink with the 'tell-tale' but otherwise don't over shot the float. I use braid hook-lengths, tied directly to the mono, and favour baits that small fish can't take on. Carp like flake, paste, worms, meat, all good. I probably spend too much time using cockles and mussels on large hooks over a bed of hemp. The idea is that the carp fiddles around with the bait until it feels happy that it's OK, then it wanders of with it. That's when you strike. The subtle methodA pole float, self cocking, fish about 4-6" over depth, no shot on the line. This works well for small baits and one water I fish this is the most effective method of catching carp on the float, with a size 14 (barbel) hook and a single grain of corn (on 7lb 14oz Preston Reflow or 6lb stren right through with a 6lb braid hook length about 4" long). The carp here are old timers and wary of multiple baits and boilies but are used to mopping up low risk single particles. Avoid snags with hooks this size, you've no chance, it's an open water technique. You could scale it up to 10/12lb line, but the line would exceed the hook's strength and the success of this set up is the relatively fine line and small hook. So a small particle behaving 'naturally'. 6lb Silkworm and 8lb mono is as thick as I've gone and had fish this way. The fish taking the bait will pull the float under right away and the resistance is so low that often the fish goes off with it. This works especially well when the bottom is steeply sloped towards the bank, as the bait can be laid onto the slope, reducing the chances of the fish hitting the upright line, which is almost right against the sloping bed. |
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This sketch is not to scale in any respect. The floats are secured with float stops & naturally I'm using cane rods & sweetcorn as bait ;-) |
Two variations...(1) use a small pole float 0.4g (1BB / 0.4g) or less, use a tell-tale shot that will sink the float, then ensure the bait, shot and float are in line by over casting and drawing back. Then the float will bury when the bait is sucked in or 'inspected'. Strike right away the float goes and this I find works best with large baits, 2 mussels, meat in 2cm cubes. |
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(2) lengthen the tail to 2 feet, and add another shot and pop up a crust or a floating bait. Tricky to cast, but works well, bites are often odd, with the float popping under 4 inches and staying there for an "elephant". I tend to say "one ele-" and then strike hard…bread crust is good, but prone to dismantling by the small fish, so either check it often, use crumpet, which is tough or floating dog-biccies are good as well. |
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The lift methodThis is nothing more or less that the original (Patent Pending the Taylor Brothers) lift method slightly adapted. You can stick with peacock quill if you like, it's white, can be cut to length and is cheap. The idea is to place the bait between 2-6" from the hook. Shot the float to sink (just) and then set the depth so it's only just showing, 1mm or so is fine (you can sink it entirely, but it's good to know where it is). When yer carp sucks up the bait for a preliminary inspection, the float will pop up. Strike pretty much right away, the idea is to catch the fish on this inspection of the bait. Works best I find with large baits, so big lumps of paste, a size 6 with three cockles or mussels or a big bit of meat. While it can take some adjustment to get the "tail" right, it's good for those waters where fish are wary of all baits and will inspect everything. I've got a couple of floats made with a cork ball and a bamboo skewer for this, with a long tip, orange and the top of the ball white, so I can keep the smallest bit of tip in view and when it pops up it's very positive. The idea here is fish right in the margins and even stalk the fish, if feeding signs are seen. If fishing in a static way it pays to keep the rod tip back from the water - the plan is to strike when a fish inspects a bait in a normal and relaxed way, which it won't do if it thinks you are there. As soon as the bait is given its first speculative suck the float will pop up. Strike right away. Clearly you need to check the depth carefully. Also with 'bottom end only' fishing in this way, with care, small adjustments in the line can set the float tip down almost to the millimeter. Yes, this is what some folks call "sunken float" but really, it's not new. |
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This sketch is not to scale in any respect. The left hand float is fished top and bottom and the right hand float is secured with float stops & bottom end only. Naturally I'm using cane rods & as I'm after bigger fish this time, maize as hook-bait ;-) |
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It's worth thinking about the length of the 'tail' in relation to what you are trying to catch here. Assuming the 'tail' is laying straight on the bottom, then the chance of a fishing brushing the vertical main line as it approaches the bait are directly proportional to the size of the fish and the length of the 'tail'...so I suspect (but haven't tested) that anything over 6" overdepth will not work well with this method shorter is better, although I also suspect less than 2" is too short. I'd suggest, 6" if you expect or are trying for really large fish and 2" for less than 10lb or so. But I'm guessing, I've not done any experiments or anything. |
Snag fishing or "skullduggery for beginners" (very much a work in progress - so don't take anything as read until this notice is gone)This started life in "Chasing Butterflies" then I realised it was a topic in it's own right and worth expanding. I'm going to add a few diagrams here as well, as the whole business of 'position relative to the snag' is not as straightforward without them. Don't be frightened of snags and weed. Carp are very bold when they think they are safe. Some folk think snaggy waters and snags=bad, some clubs even denude lakes to the point of dullness on this basis. No, they're just snags. Weed-beds for example are potentially tricky to fish, but they also provide food and shelter for the fish. If you fish in such a way as a fish can cover 10-20 feet (and a fast carp can cover 40 feet per second) before you've even moved towards your rods, then you will get into trouble - that's not the water's fault it's yours. With snag fishing you hold the rod all the time. Or you should. It's far easier to prevent a carp running, than to stop it once it's got up to cruising speed. It goes without saying this is a single rod job. You CANNOT safely fish snags of any type with more than one rod. It's a mistake to think you can. To those who do - it is not responsible and you ought to be banned. This applies equally to bottom fishing as surface fishing. It you have a rig against a snag, wherever the other rod is, if you're not hovering over the "snag rod" ready to hit a run before it's gone a foot, then you'll lose fish to incompetence or laziness or both. Then you are at fault, 100%. The key is to use a strong through action rod in the 1½lb - 2¼lb range coupled with 12lb/14lb/17lb line and don't give an inch, screw the clutch down. It is vital the rod has give, you're going to be absorbing hard lunges at short range and without a quite bendy rod you'll get snapped off and if you don't you'll do a lot of damage. I've heard that a 9wt fly rod is a good tool for this, but I've not tried it myself, but I have a 12 wt salmon rod on the shelf... The heavy line is as much for it's resistance to abrasion as for the strength itself and it should go without saying that once a fish has been banked, re-tie the hook and check the last 6 feet or so of line very carefully indeed... The hook size is important. Firstly you'll need wire thickness to take the strain and secondly, a small hook with thinner wire will never hold as well as a thicker wire, hook holds being equal. A thin wire will either straighten enough to twist out or will, being thinner will simply cut its way partly or completely out under the pressure. I suspect, but I don't know for sure, that small hooks on large fish with stiff tip action rods cause more damage that with larger hooks, especially with repeated captures. I think there is a case for tip-and-middle action and lower t/c's than 2½lb on some waters, but that's another discussion. I don't recommend tip action rods for this fishing, all through is better. Tip and middle OK, but this depends on the rod length. A 12 foot rod with 8 feet of tip and middle action has as much flex in the 8 feet as a 10 foot rod all through... You need the control but you also need some shock absorption. All through actions which are so good at shock absorption, can make it difficult to exert control at short ranges and also when the fish is close to a snag. Tip action rods are generally too stiff to cushion the lunges even on the strongest tackle and if the line can stand it the hook-hold may not. I use, mostly, the ESP Floater rod, tip/middle 2½lb t/c with 12/14lb line, but that's what I have, my ideal rod for this would be a 9ft or 10ft 2lb t/c with an all through action. If I'm stalking on snaggy fish, I'll use the 8ft solid carbon rod which is around 2¼lb t/c with 14lb/17lb line. This would probably pull a donkey out a field of carrots, even so, get in charge and stay there. It's worth a quick note on rod length. While a long rod can be handy for some things, the length is essentially limiting the force you can put on a fish. Your 'O' Level mechanics will remind you that the rod is part of a parallelogram of forces and as a through action rod bends it's length in effect shortens and give you greater leverage, while maintaining the shock absorption function. So for a given length of rod, a through action rod will allow you to apply more force on the fish than a tip action rod, and if the rod is shorter to begin with, you're better off in this respect. Of course you need enough rod to be a shock absorber as well, so I suspect, without any empirical evidence, that about 8ft is probably the shortest through action rod which will give you the best of both worlds. If you are fishing with a longer rod and find you need a bit more leverage, with the non-reel hand hold the rod on the far side of the butt ring, although you need to ensure you have the reel under control. I learnt some of this the hard way, fishing against lilies with 14lb line and a tip action rod, I got broken by the hook on the first lunge, but a softer rod, the ESP Floater, gives enough in the top 8-9 feet to prevent that. Both rods are nominally a 2½ t/c. The tip action rod got sold on, I really don't have a use for it. The other general point here is control. You must be in control of the fish from the first moment you've struck. You must strike and take over at that point. If you even leave the strike too long, the fish may bolt, once it's moving stopping it can be an issue, even if it's not snagged yet. Hit hard, hit it quickly and hold it right there. When you get that right, even the biggest fish can be dealt with in small areas. LiliesWith lilies you have to hold them! If you fish on the edge of lilies or a running fish gets a little way in, if you the lilies and the fish are in line, pressure back out the way it went in will usually win. The fish will tend to pull away from the pull on the line, so don't angle the line, the fish will go the other way and if the line get angled around stalks, you're in more trouble than you can probably fix. The same applies to fishing alongside lilies. If you do this and the fish bolts into the lilies and you are now at an angle to the line of the fish into the pads, then you are stuffed. Once the line is around a few stems at a varying angles, the friction build up will make it impossible to pressure the fish without line damage. This is when you will end up pulling for a break and hoping the fish can't feel it. The way to avoid getting into this position is not to fish so it can happen. This applies especially to bottom fishing when you can take a second to hit a running fish and in that second it can be 20 feet into the bed. You've lost, but worse you've done it by fishing so that was the only likely outcome (I see this several times a season and often having lost one the fisherman will repeat it and loose another the same way, moronic really. If the rules permit it, you can use a 3-4 feet length of 16lb super braid as a weed cutter, but ensure the main line can take it and the hook length (at least 2 feet long) is considerably weaker that the braid. That includes the knots to join it all up. However this is "as well as" fishing in the right place relative ot the lilies and tackle strong enough to control the fish, not "instead of". Pondweed (Canadian or otherwise)This stuff comes in large clumps and tends to accumulate on the line as the fish progresses. It's not strand by strand as tough as lily stems, but nevertheless can be a problem. The rules don't really change though; it's still about being in control of the fish. If you and the fish and the weed are more or less in a straight line, then you can often pull the fish out the way it came with steady and firm pressure. IF the fish gets stuck so that rod pressure does not shift it, get some slack line and handline the fish. By this I mean pull the line directly with your hand. This will allow you to put a little more pressure on the fish and often steady handlining will get the fish moving and it will free itself. You're not trying to drag the fish out by hand here, just get enough direct pressure on it to encourage it to move out by itself. The important thing is that you need to be ready to let go and pick the rod up in an instant. TreesIn general fishing near or among tree branches is not as bad as it looks. The branches seldom (but not always) go far under the water for a start and if you fish so that the branches are pointing towards you then you can pull the fish out the way it went in with little trouble. However, branches, especially those with a silt coat from changing water levels can be as rough as glass-paper, so thick line! I know flouro can be good for abrasion resistance, but the knot strength is always a mystery so I avoid it. It can help to get the rod tip down under the water, then you are pulling the fish down under the branches as well, this can help. It's worth taking the time to check out the lie of the wood. There will be spots where the fish, if hooked is surrounded by branches. This means that you will be stuffed if you hook it; you can't pull a fish over the top of branches, only out from among. If the exits are barred, don't fish there. |
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The JAA rules
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*This is in the same category as 'If someone's hiding something, then they have something to hide'. Yep. That obvious. † I gather this is known as bait'n'wait which seems to describe it pretty well. In some weird way this is easier than working out where fish are and getting a bait to them quietly. All righty then. |
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"Scepticism is the highest of duties; blind faith the unpardonable sin." Huxley |
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All information, text and pictures, for this web site is copyright © by the author, (who chooses to identify himself here as "Anotherangler"), unless otherwise specified. It's just possible this site contains information unsuitable for overly sensitive folk with low self-esteem, no sense of humour and/or an irrational belief system. If you like it let me know. If you don't, I'll try not to lie awake at night worrying about it ;-) |
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Wednesday, 08-Feb-2012 21:27:11 GMT
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