A Beginners Guide To Fishing
Top 10 tips for starting out in coarse fishing
Helpful hints for the beginner
- Good quality tackle is a pleasure to use and will improve your chances of handling a good catch.
- Don’t wildly exceed your budget
- Check out your local pools and rivers for your first time entering the sport, here you will learn from others the whereabouts of other successful picturesque and interesting spots to look for next time.
- Look up all the different kinds of freshwater fish to gain knowledge on size potential, behaviour and feeding habits.
- Always take waterproof clothing.
- The all-round coarse angler will shelter from the elements; an umbrella can provide much comfort.
- For general float fishing, beginners are recommended to buy a 13 foot specimen float rod with a1Ib test.
- Always get the correct bait for the type of fish you are aiming for. Maggots and casters are among the most effective baits for all coarse fish, and for those that want to experiment; sweetcorn, bread and luncheon meat can be a tasty treat to certain fish such as carp, tench and perch.
- Always visit a pool or lake before fishing it, find out times, prices and what species of fish do they hold.
- Make sure a landing net in one of the first bits of kit bought before you attempt to fish any pool.
The basic coarse fishing kit
Fishing gear and equipment explained
For those that want to start this fantastic sport, and have little or no knowledge, your local tackle dealer is probably the best person to speak to, and there are three key questions that you will need to consider:
What kinds of water are you likely to be fishing in?
What species of fish do they hold?
What methods do you plan to use to catch them?
The rod
A good fishing rod is the most important tool this sport requires. It needs to be light, well balanced and almost an extreme of the anglers arm. The beginner should look to buy what’s called a ‘through action float rod’ which will give a very smooth curve when playing a fish.
Firstly, pick your budget and stick to it. However, it always pays to buy the best you can afford. The most important areas to look at when choosing a rod are the length, weight and, as silly as it sounds, the colour whipping and material of it, as these considerations are extremely important factors to the standard of the rod.
The reel
The most common sort of reel for use in coarse fishing is the fixed-spool reel, and brands such a Mitchell, Daiwa and Ryobi are very popular.
The landing net
This is a vital piece of equipment as you don’t want to be in a position of catching that dream fish and not being able to land it. The most important consideration when choosing one is that the net is constructed of the safety mesh material, which will prevent any damage to the fish.
Tackle boxes
The tackle box falls into two types:
Small tackle box for your selection of floats hooks and any other small accessories needed.
Large tackle box for all your other tackle including, reels and bait boxes.
Footwear
This is an essential part of your equipment that should be waterproof and have a secure grip on slippery surfaces.
Hooks
Hook sizes get smaller as the number gets bigger. For the beginners first time at the sport a size ten to14 should be adequate.
Accessories
In addition to the kit we have described previously, there are a number of other items that every angler should own:
Disgorger – these are excellent tools for removing hooks from the fish’s mouth.
Scissors – these will be used for cutting the line if need be and squeezing the shot onto the line.
Catapult – the catapult is used to launch your bait to where your float and bait is situated.
Floats – always take the trouble to ensure that your choice of float is suitable for the kind of fishing you are doing.
One of the most common mistakes beginners make is buying a float that is too light, especially when fishing in running water or windy conditions. Never fall into the trap that of fishing more advantageously with too light a float, often your presentation will suffer due to this. It is far better to use a float that is a little heavier and which is shot correctly for the best control needed.
There is a vast choice of floats from your local dealer. Choose a float that is clearly visible, and also look at the conditions of weather you will be experiencing.
There are many different kinds of floats for specific types of fishing. It is best to build up your collection slowly and finding out what each type is used for
Setting up your equipment:
Put your rod together, ensuring that the line guides (rings) are aligned. Attach the reel to your rod at the top of the handle, ensuring that the reel spool lines up with the rod's first line guide. Open the bale-arm of the reel and tread the line through all the line guides.
To attach the float, thread the line through the small eye at the base of the float.
Now, you have to add the shot to cock the float. The float you select will have a guide printed on it, telling you how much split shot is needed. An important rule when float fishing is that the bulk of the split shot, around 90%, is placed at the base of the float. The rest of the shot should be smaller in size and spread equally down the line.
Next take a size 18 ready-tied hook to nylon from the packet and tie it to the end of the line.
If fishing with a small pole you only need to connect the sections together up to the required length you wish to fish, then attach a length of line and a float as described above or attach a ready tied pole rig.
Next, you need to plumb the depth of the water you are fishing. Attach the plummet to the hook and let it hang below the float. Swing the plummet into the anticipated fishing area using a gentle under arm cast. The float will either sink or lay flat on the water depending on whether it is set too shallow or too deep. Bring the rig back in and adjust accordingly until the exact depth is found by sliding the float up or down the line until just the painted tip is showing above the water surface.
The float rig is now set up; remove the plummet and you’re ready to fish. Now set up the rest of your tackle so it is close at hand. You need to fish from a sitting position so get yourself comfortable on your chair or box and insert your rod rest in front of you so when you place the rod on it with butt of the rod on your knee the rod tip is just touching the water. Make sure your landing net is set up and your bait and catapult are at hand.
There are many different types of bait out on the market nowadays, but the most commonly known, and the bait which is eaten by nearly all fresh water species of fish is the maggot.
Starting your session:
When you begin your session it is recommended that you start off by feeding six to ten maggots at a time. Keep feeding six to ten maggots every couple of minutes, even if you are not getting any bites. The key to successful loose feeding is to keep the bait trickling in. Feed little and often.
Attach one or two maggots to your hook, cast into your chosen swim and get ready to strike when your float is pulled by a fish eating your bait.
Casting
How to cast
So you've set up the float and plumed the swim and decided where you are going to fish. Now it's time to think about fishing and that means smooth, accurate and tangle free casting is required. 'Smooth' being the operative word. Distance and accuracy don't come from tying to break the rod every time you cast, but by keeping everything under control.
If you need to cast like a beachcaster would to get the distance when you are waggler fishing, something else is wrong, such as the float is too light or the line too heavy. A good main line to choose for general floatfishing is something of around 2.51b breaking strain, and remember it should be loaded right to the edge of the spool of the reel, so that it peels off easily through the cast.
So, once you've set up, bait the hook you're ready to try casting. Accuracy comes from casting from directly overhead. If you insist on casting from the side, you will never be an accurate caster. Avoiding tangles comes from keeping it all smooth, and in particular avoiding the rig landing in a heap. You need the rig to land on the water's surface in a straight line. That's really easy. All you do is dab your finger on the spool to check the cast just before it hits the water. Ideally when waggler fishing you should aim to cast a mere of so beyond where you are loose feeding. That way you can sink the line out the way of surface drag by putting the rod tip under the water and winding in a couple of turns, onto your baited area.
Anyone over the age of 12 will also need to purchase an Environment Agency rod licence. Find out more from the Environment Agency website.
Know Your Knots
bravenet.com