Total Fishing | Course,Sea,Carp | Angling Tips

Biggest catfish ever caught by a Brit

2011-11-20T10:41:00.004Z

Jonathan's 245lb Catfish

The biggest Wels catfish ever caught by a British angler has been taken by a Somerset angler whilst on holiday in Spain.

The huge catfish weighing 245lb (111kg) and 8ft 3in in length was landed by 31 year old Jonathan Avery, from Winscombe while on a fishing trip on the river Segre.

Jonathan got his big bite after waiting 15 hours at Mequineza. And was the only bite of his week session with CatMaster Tours fishing a stretch of the waterway at Mequinenza.

The current World Record for a wels catfish is 250lb 3oz (113.5kg). Jonathan Avery's previous largest catch was a 20lb catfish and 35lb 12oz carp in the UK.

Jonathan said: “It didn’t scream off like you’d expect a fish of its size to do, and the only indication I had was a couple of bleeps on the alarm. As soon as I lifted into it, though, it felt like nothing I’d experienced before. The only way I can describe it is as if someone had tied my line to a car and driven off. It made several runs to try to reach a set of snags towards the far bank but thankfully I just about managed to stop it before it got to them. When it was around 50yds from the bank it rolled on the surface and we could all see it was a huge fish. I’ve caught catfish to 19lb in the UK but when we got this on the bank I had no idea how big it was."

It took five men to haul it to the bank of the River Segre. They knew straight away it was a big one, but realised it was a record when the fish wouldn't fit in the 8ft sling, the sling was dwarfed by the fish, the cats tail hanging out the end and the sling barely stretching around the colossal belly of the beast.

CatMaster's tour guide Jason Ingley said: "I've seen big fish before but nothing like that — it was like something out of a cartoon."

Jon is now being treated to a free return trip to angling guides CatMaster Tours.

He said: "Even if I don't catch another fish all year, I've still done OK."

Jon managed to beat the huge predator with a 100kg braid hooklink and a size 8/0 hook attached to a 75kg mainline. Not only is this the biggest cat to be caught with the guiding company but the fish has been confirmed as the biggest wels catfish caught by a British angler!

www.catmastertours.com

Fishing For Tench

2011-10-07T12:23:00.000+01:00

Tench have a thick set, deep, powerful body with rounded fins and a large broad tail fin like, with colour varying from a pale olive green to very dark brown green, they have a light golden to almost orange belly. The eyes are quite small and are very distinctive as they are red in colour and are located on the side of their rounded heads, a single pair of small barbules are set either side of its fairly narrow mouth set with thick lips. The fins are grey and appear almost black in colour at their margins.

Tench are excellent fighters, powerful and making good runs on well balanced tackle, often changing direction to seek the refuge of weed beds and lilies if present in your swim or the margins.

Tench fishing is very popular and whilst there are rods designed specifically for them, any rod with a 1.5lb test curve and a medium action will allow you to enjoy the powerful fight of the fish, whilst retaining some power to ease it away from potential snags.

For standard Tench fishing, use a mainline between 4lb and 6lb with hooklinks between 3-6lb, however if weed is present it would be wise to increase both so fish are not lost. Balance your tackle to the conditions and size of fish that you are likely to hook. Use strong hooks between 8 – 18 depending upon the bait used, size of fish and the nature of the swim being fished.

Location

Targeting and finding Tench in lakes is reasonable straightforward during certain times of the year as the fish are never too far from weed beds and marginal shelves, which provide both cover and feeding areas. They also give there location away at dawn and dusk, throughout the year by rolling. Obviously this is exaggerated during the summer and you may well need to train your eye to spot them.

Tench can produce streams of tiny bubbles when they are feeding and the movement of reeds and lilies and coloured water are always useful pointers. Binoculars can assist greatly when searching for these signs on large waters, especially if you can find a good point to use them from.

The tell tale Tench bubbles themselves are created when the tench forages in the weed and silt, sifting debris out before crushing its food, and the bubbles escape through the gills. So, if you see the tiny white bubbles on the surface, often produced in distinct meandering lines, you will know that browsing Tench are not far away. Sometimes despite these encouraging signs, the fish will be preoccupied on tiny natural baits, so either keep ringing the changes with small baits or move to a different swim where you may encourage the Tench to feed on the baits that you have with you.

Baits

Since their natural foodstuff are bloodworms, small crustaceans and microscopic foods such as daphnia, Tench are naturally attracted to worms, red maggots and casters, however they can be quite easily be tempted by bread flake, pellets, sweetcorn, luncheon meat, prawns, cockles as well as Boilies. The use of cereal groundbait, plain breadcrumb or with flavourings, will often encourage Tench to investigate. Tench also love hemp, which works extremely well during the spring when maggot is your hookbait. Try to use a fine groundbait with just a few freebies within as particle loaded groundbait will see the tench becoming pre-occupied and difficult to catch.

Fishing Methods

Since Tench are bottom feeders, the bait has to be presented on the bottom, fairly close to lilies and reed beds is always a good starting point: but fish a few feet away to give yourself of stopping the first run of a hooked fish as it makes straight for the sanctuary of the weed beds.

Float fishing

Using a waggler float and fishing an inch or two over depth or fishing the lift method are the best methods. Tench can sometimes ‘play’ with the bait, resulting in lifts and dinks of the float, but be patient and the float will eventually disappear when they take the bait confidentially.

Legering

Maggot feeders is great over a bed of hemp and open ended feeders plugged with groundbait that contains a free offerings of hookbait can work well as can ‘The Method’ or a semi fixed bolt rig with a PVA bag of pellets attached to it. Tench can be fussy feeders so keep alternating baits until you find what they prefer. Again, bites can sometimes initially be twitchy, but will usually end up in a confident take that will result in your indicator, be it a float, swing tip, quiver tip, or bobbin set on slackened of bait runners showing or sounding a positive take.

Tench are docile fish and are out competed for food on waters holding Carp. Waters that are rich in natural food such as weedy gravel pits, will produce an ideal environment and usually produce specimen Tench. Fisheries where Carp outnumber the Tench, and due to the aggressive rooting around in search of food by them may lead to the water becoming highly coloured and weed free, an environment which often results in Tench not having their staple diet freely available, leading to fish of a much smaller average size than would be found if the Carp were not present.

The Best Kind of Catfishing Bait

2011-09-23T11:04:00.000+01:00

To land a very large catfish, the finest catfishing bait you can use happens to be exactly what the catfish instinctively feeds on. Virtually all varieties of catfish are omnivorous, meaning they eat both plants and animals; and as such they are also foragers, eating just about anything along the way. Given the indiscriminate appetite of the big "cats", fishermen have a number of different types of bait they can utilize to lure this kind of fish.

To land a very large catfish, the finest catfishing bait you can use happens to be exactly what the catfish instinctively feeds on. Virtually all varieties of catfish are omnivorous, meaning they eat both plants and animals; and as such they are also foragers, eating just about anything along the way.

Given the indiscriminate appetite of the big "cats", fishermen have a number of different types of bait they can utilize to lure this kind of fish. A partial listing of some of the more common types of catfishing bait are as follows: marshmallows, small frogs, live perch, minnows, stink baits, shad, crawfish, earthworms, minnows, grasshoppers, night crawlers, and chicken livers.

Live bait is generally more effective. It also makes sense to capitalize on the cat's powerful sense of smell by making use of stinky baits as well.

You will find that night crawlers and garden worms can be very effective as catfishing bait too. As one might expect, anglers are somewhat inclined to make use of garden worms to hook catfish simply because they're readily accessible and can be found almost everywhere. These baits can work so well that at times it seems like the catfish are simply lining up anticipating the worms. You'll be able to find mini crawlers at bait suppliers; on the other hand you'll really need to go digging for garden worms on your own.

While somewhat of a delicacy for us humans, shrimp and/or smaller prawns also work very well as catfish bait. Depending on their size, prawns can be used whole or, as a cost saving measure, they can be halved so long as each half is of the proper size for bait.

Despite the fact that prawns and shrimp can be used with their shells intact, they really should be removed. Frozen or fresh shrimp and/or prawns can be bought at your nearest seafood store when you're planning your fishing excursion, but keep your ears open because sometimes these stores have sales and you can get those items for a pretty good price. Soaking the shrimp and/or prawns in fish oil for a few moments will serve to give them a more powerful smell.

Another option for catfishing bait is to make it on your own at home. Homemade bait can be a very effective lure and it's hard to argue with the cost. An easy home recipe uses corn flakes and peanut butter. Blending together crushed flakes with a couple dollops of peanut butter creates and interesting mixture that makes fine bait. This excellent homemade concoction includes natural oils within it that discharge to help draw in the fish. Moreover, the peanut butter and corn flake mixture is practically impossible for smaller sized fish to take off of your hook thus avoiding the loss of bait on fish you have no interest in any way.

Bits of sweet corn can be good bait too. Just put a few pieces of corn on each individual point of the treble hook, and then wrap a little ball of bread around it so as to cover the hook. It will emit a sweet scent thereby tempting the catfish. Again, the smaller fish won't be capable of eating the bait. The bread enables you to land all the timid fish that have gotten that way from excessive catch and release.

An alternative for bait which cats without question love is cheese. Considering their somewhat limited vision, catfish can rely on their powerful sense of smell to help them track down and seize their food. That said any time you are making homemade catfish bait, ensure that your own mixtures include a powerful odor to attract the fish. Catfish usually are not picky eaters, so it is easy to make your own do-it-yourself catfish bait that should help the fish find your line.

Wade McBride - About the Author:

Wade McBride is a catfishing expert. For more great tips on catfishing bait, visit http://www.catfishingpointers.com.

Start Fly Fishing - Equipment

2011-09-23T10:42:00.000+01:00

When taking up a new hobby, how you start can be the difference between finding enjoyment that lasts a lifetime and an unpleasant experience you don't wish to repeat. Fly fishing is no different and here you will find how we introduce and advise novice fly fishers through those first steps in the learning process.

Firstly, choose a fishery conveniently located for you. Resist the temptation to start on a river or reservoir. Instead select one of the many good quality small stillwaters. Such venues have plenty of space for casting, plus trout are never too far away, giving you a favorable chance of catching those all important early fish.

Having established where we intend to fish, we can select a small set of fly fishing equipment so you can go fly fishing. Our suggested list for beginners includes the following.

Starter Kit

Fly Rod - Rated AFTM 6-7 weight
Reel - Basic fly reel designed to hold 6-7 weight line plus 75+ meters of backing
Fly Line - Weight forward 7 floating fly line
Backing - Spool of polypropylene backing line, connecting fly line to reel
Leader - Spools of 6lb and 8lb breaking strain fluorocarbon line
Fly Box/flies - A small selection of flies to get started
Priest - Implement for dispatching trout you intend to eat
Forceps/snips - Combination for trimming line and unhooking fish.
Landing Net - Means of landing your catch quickly and safely
Floatant/Sinkant - Treatments to make line/flies float or sink as desired

This basic selection is all you need to get started. As with most things in life, you can pay as little or as much as you wish. Starter kits can be purchased from £50 or you could by top brand equipment costing over £1000, the choice is yours. However you can obtain the above equipment for £110 - £200 and have tackle that works well, is pleasant to use and flexible for the occasional foray to a river or reservoir once you have built up your experience.

To ensure you start fly fishing the right way, book a day's tuition with an instructor. We can't vouch for everyone, but our Cast & Catch days cover what you need to start and instructors provide guidance on suitable products. In addition to this, these courses coach novice fly fishers in basic casting and fishing techniques, where to look for trout and what flies to use. This ensures you know how to: -

Select and set up equipment correctly
present flies and fish them effectively
land and handle fish correctly

To discover how to start the right way with Midlands Flyfishing go to fly fishing lessons. For details of fisheries we use and recommend in the Midlands see trout fisheries. Details of other waters located around the UK can easily be found using a local internet search.

The Joys of Night Fishing

2011-09-23T09:47:00.001+01:00

I love night fishing. Most of the times it's because I don't get to go out and fish during the day because of my work, but now there's more to it than just the convenience. I've observed that night fishing offers you the same conditions as daytime, but with generally better results. Sometimes I can swear the fishing conditions are even better during the night, since there are fewer anglers to compete with for a good fishing spot, and less noise as well.

I've also come to realize that when you find a good fishing spot during the day, coming back to it at night will net you even more fish. Although I can't explain why, but the fish just seem to bite more at night. One little drawback though is that it's harder to see your line, but since you're getting a lot of fish, it's worth the effort. For this reason, perhaps, I've seen a lot of daytime fishermen turn to night fishing. When I asked one why, he just said it makes him look good because he catches more fish that way!

If you want to try night fishing, I say full speed ahead! But make sure that the weather forecast for that night is good. It's going to be difficult enough moving about and finding things in the dark; when you go out night fishing during bad weather, it just makes it worse and more dangerous. I know this sounds elementary, but you'd be surprised at the number of anglers who forget this very simple rule.

CURRENT MOON lunar phases

Here's one tip to make your night fishing even better: Watch the moon! You might be thinking it sounds a bit crazy, but try it and see for yourself. You'll be surprised at the things you might learn. One thing you're most likely to notice is that most fish hide in the shadows during a full moon. I can't tell you why because I don't know myself, but that's what I and my night fishing friends have observed, anyway. So now when you find some shadows on the water, you'll know where to cast your line.

If there are no shadows and the moon isn't shining down on the water, it will make your task of finding the fish a bit harder, but that doesn't mean you're out of luck and have to return another evening. The fish seems more likely to bite anytime it's not a full moon or if it's partially hidden by clouds. So now you'll know how to determine which fishing spot will be more likely to get you better results. If the moon is shining full and bright, go for the shadows in the water. If it's hidden or even nowhere to be seen, just go to your favorite fishing spot and expect lots of hits on the line.

I've heard a lot of anglers say that they only fish during a full moon, while others say that no moon is the best time for night fishing. What I'd recommend to you is to go out into the night and try both. You will get good results, whether it's a full moon or night. All you have to remember is to adjust your fishing technique and change your fishing spots, depending on how much the moon is shining during the night.

About the Author: Jasmine Stone

Want to find out about ferret training and ferret colors? Get tips from the Ferrets As Pets website.

Barbel Maggot Feeder Rig

2011-09-23T08:56:00.001+01:00

Despite the increasing use of pellets in barbel fishing there are still occasions when only the maggot feeder will do the business.

Make no mistake, a steady trickle of grubs through a swim will get the barbel nosing out of their cover and digging up the gravel better than anything else.

Maggots exert an almost hypnotic effect on barbell, and when allowed to feed in an unpressured situation they soon overcome much of their natural caution.

To create that feeding situation spend an hour or so casting just the feeder full of maggots without attaching my hooklength.

Only after you’ve created the feeding situation do you clip on the hooklength and get stuck in!
The maggot feeder works best in daylight where there is some degree of clarity in the water and this rig incorporates features designed to make it unobtrusive to a browsing fish. It is also tangle-free and casts like a missile!

The base of the rig is a 2oz Drennan oval blockend; this holds station in all but the fiercest currents and creates a perfect bolt effect when fished below a semi-fixed hooklength.

Use a marker pen to break up the profile of the feeder and combine it with a Korda Safe Zone leader. This is heavy and is fished directly above the feeder to pin down the rig and prevent line bites. If barbel rub the line they invariably spook and move back into cover; it could take another hour to get them out again, so in most situations I would advise pinning the line to the bottom above the rig when targeting barbel.

A size 12 Korum S3 hook gives the perfect combination of strength with subtlety at the business end, and I combine it with 45cm of Preston’s 0.192mm Grand Match fluorocarbon, which sinks like a stone and is almost totally invisible underwater – the perfect daytime trap.

I use real maggots in the feeder to create the feeding frenzy, but Enterprise rubber grubs as hook baits, which help neutralise the weight of the hook and prevent repeated destruction by minnows and small silvers.

Bread! As Good Today As It's Always Been

2011-08-25T11:15:00.004+01:00

Bread is a bait that is as old as fishing itself and it is still just as effective today as it was when your grate granddad was baiting his hooks with it. It is readily available in many different shapes sizes and colours but for the fisherman plain white bread, either sliced or un-sliced, is king and the fresher the better.

Bread can be used to target virtually any species of fish of all sizes, from small roach on punched pellets of bread to monster carp on golf ball sized lumps of crust. It can be used in a variety of ways but perhaps the three most commonly used are as flake, crust and punch.

Flake

Bread flake is the soft fluffy white interior of the loaf of bread that when hooked correctly sinks in a slow and enticing manner that attracts a number of species of fish. Choose your hook size to match the size of bait you are intending to use. To hook your flake simply tear a piece out of the middle of a slice of fresh bread, lay the hook shank on it and fold the bread over the shank ensuring the point is clear before lightly squeezing it onto the shank leaving a soft fluffy looking hook bait. Because of the fear of the bait coming off the hook a common mistake is to squeeze the bread on too firmly resulting in a doughy blob of bread on the hook that doesn’t look appealing and is too hard to strike the hook through. Flake is meant to be soft and fluffy and should come off the hook every time you strike or wind in. If it doesn’t you are squeezing it on too firmly.

Crust

The crust of a loaf is a very buoyant bait that is devastating for surface feeding fish like carp, chub and rudd. For all but very small pieces of crust an un-sliced loaf is definitely best. Again choose your hook size to match the size of crust you are using but in most cases opt for large wide gape hooks from a size 6 up to a size 2. To hook the crust simply tear off a piece of crust push the point of the hook into and thread it through the crust, being careful not to split it. Bread crust softens very quickly in water so it doesn’t matter if the point is hidden because it will easily strike through the bait.

As well as being fished on the surface bread crust can be suspended at any distance from the bottom simply by legering it with the required length hook length. This is a particularly effective technique for big river chub or carp on stillwaters.

Punch

Bread punch is simply a small compressed pellet of bread that is punched out of a slice of bread with a purpose built bread punch and is a deadly bait for winter roach. The key to producing a good punch hook bait is the tool you use. It should have a sharp brass cutting head with a slot in it to enable you to get the hook into the bait, many tackle companies make good bread punches with a range of different sized heads to produce different sized pellets of bread. To use simply place a slice of bread on a hard flat surface and push the punch into it with a twisting movement to ensure a clean cut. You will then have a pellet of bread lodged in the head of the bread punch. To transfer it onto the hook simply push the point of the hook through the slot and into the bread. Again choose your hook size to match the size of the pellet of bread you are using with sizes 22 to 18 being the most commonly used and remember the pellet will swell to at least twice its size when in the water.

Bread as Feed

The two most common ways of feeding bread into the swim are as mashed bread or liquidized bread. To make mashed bread simply put some stale bread into a bucket, add water and mash it up with your hands after it has soaked for a few minutes. It gives a milky white mush with some lumps in it that is particularly effective when chub fishing on rivers. To make liquidized bread simply add slices of bread to a liquidizer and switch it on. The longer you liquidize it the finer the crumb that is produced so for big fish leave the crusts on and just give it a quick blitz but for a super fine crumb for punch fishing for roach on a canal tear the crusts off first and give it at least a minute in the blender. Liquidized bread is particularly effective in an open end feeder when river fishing for big roach and chub as well as being an ideal partner for punch fishing for roach. You can also add little extra's to your liquidized bread such as hemp, tare, corn even small bits of meat.

The world's first bite alarm app for iPhone and iPod Touch!

2011-08-07T11:02:00.001+01:00

Last week saw the arrival of a new iPhone & iPod Touch app for fishermen called ‘Bite Alarm!’. Described as “The Ultimate Fisherman’s Wind-up App” – you’ll either love this app, or hate it.

Bite Alarm! mimics the sounds of some of the most popular bite alarms on the market and enables you to trigger them at will. It features high quality retina graphics, alarm sounds and latching LED’s that actually light up – just like the real thing.

Users can swipe left or right to select alarms from Delkim, Nash and Fox.

Bite Alarm! App's creator Nick Carpenter, came up with the idea after a particularly troublesome weekend at his local syndicate lake.

“All weekend the guys I was fishing with were winding me up. Every time I dropped off to sleep one of them would sneak up and tweak one of my lines so my Delkims went off! I don’t know how many times I scrambled off my bedchair only to find my mate stood there laughing at me.”, said Nick. “I wanted a way to get them back that they just wouldn’t be expecting!”, he continued.

Bite Alarm! is a more hi-tech way to carry out this common lake-side prank! It also has a built in timer so you can set a delay before the alarm goes off and a ‘screen off’ button for sneaky night-time wind ups.

Within 2 days of release, Bite Alarm! was selected by Apple as ‘New & Noteworthy’ on iTunes and even made it into the Top 10 apps in the Sports section.

Already in production in the next version which will expand the choice of alarms to include a Steve Neville alarm and an ATTs.

“We’re already getting requests from guys that want more alarms included in the app, including some remotes. A lot of guys are going to be having fun with this…!” Nick concluded.

PLEASE NOTE: This app will not remotely trigger actual bite alarms, it simply emulates the sound of bite alarms on your iPhone / iPod Touch to fool your friend into thinking that their alarm is going off.

Nick has Kindly given me some FREE promo code for this app if you would like to get your hand on one let me know. These are limited so first come first served.

What’s a blockend feeder?

2011-07-24T09:29:00.000+01:00

It’s a swimfeeder that closes at both ends but one of the ends can be opened to allow you to put bait in. They are also known as maggot feeders as that’s the main feed used with them, although a ‘caster and hemp’ approach is very effective on rivers. The bait stays in the feeder on the cast, but when it sinks to the bottom it escapes through the holes (or in the case of hemp and casters on rivers is washed out by the flow) creating an area of feed close to your hook bait to draw fish to it.

For the feeder to be effective in running water, it needs to hold bottom, but only just. You fish with the rod pointing at a 45-degree angle upwards with the flow putting a bend into the tip. The idea is to balance things so that the feeder holds bottom, but if you get a bite, it’s dislodged. This registers with the tip dropping back (a ‘drop-back bite’) and usually the fish is already hooked. To help you achieve this you can add staple leads that fold into the holes in the feeder. Putting a bow into the line between you and the feeder also helps the feeder hold bottom. On stillwaters you need to balance things between the distance you need to cast, how much you need to feed, and the time of year. For long-range work look for the bullet-nosed feeders, which are very aerodynamic. Generally speaking, in winter a small feeder that doesn’t create too much disturbance when it hits the water will be best.

Some feeders have mechanisms that can close up some of the holes and that will result in the bait coming out more slowly. You might want to do this when bites are hard to come by, or when fishing in deep water to stop bait coming out as the feeder sinks. Another way to slow things down is to wrap electrical tape around the side of the feeder, meaning that the bait can only escape through the holes in the top. On rivers when fishing caster and hemp, it’s a good idea to enlarge the holes with scissors to ensure all the contents are quickly released from the feeder.

Educated specimen fish that have been caught before can shy away from the sight of a light-coloured swimfeeder and so many specialist anglers try to choose a coloured feeder that will blend in with the bottom. A good tip is to camouflage your feeder using a permanent black marker pen.

Fishing For Chub - The Basics

2011-07-21T08:42:00.000+01:00

Naturally, the chub is a river fish, although the development of commercial fisheries has seen the species stocked in all kinds of waters nowadays, offering great sport to anglers throughout the country. It has even been caught in brackish waters in river mouths believe it or not!

The chub is one of the most widespread fish in Europe, occurring in every location with the unusual exception of Ireland, Denmark and the north of Scandinavia. The body of a chub is generally long and cylindrical, with a gray/brown tinged with green network of scales across the back working down to a lighter golden flank and a light belly. Its dorsal fin is a grey/green colour, with all the other fins being orange/red. The chub is renowned for its huge mouth.

Chub are found in nearly all rivers. Their habitats range from sluggish deep water to fast flowing shallows. In shady spots beneath overhanging branches chub wait for insects to plop onto the surface of the water. Chub will shoal in weed feel pools often with dace and roach. When hooked, the fish will dash to underwater obstacles, such as submerged tree roots and cause the line to become snagged.

A Great Chub Swim

Chub prefer to feed in clear water and not when the river is in flood or muddy. Still waters, especially gravel pits, are gaining reputations for having large specimens of chub.

The chubs’ natural staple diet consists of invertebrates as youngsters, although small fish and vertebrates such as small vowels are always on the main menu for the big boys. The chub spawns April to June among aquatic plants and stones in high oxygenated turbulent parts of rivers. There is some debate as to chub spawning in still water and whether it is right to stock them.

The chub is basically an eating machine. If it fits in its mouth, it will have a go at it! Natural baits have always been a favourite, especially on rivers. The stick float fished in conjunction with regular loosefeed of maggots casters and hemp. However, a big old black slug or lobworm free lined under an overhanging willow might just be the killer for that fish of a lifetime.

Ledgering is another great technique, with a block end feeder or even a crumb feeder. A big smelly piece of cheese, meat or steak. The main thing to remember when fishing for chub is that they can really eat some bait. so make sure that you give them plenty.

The specimen world has also had an effect on chub fishing, as many of the real big dogs are now taking boilie baits or large halibut pellets. Basically, a chub will eat anything. Wasp Grub, plugs and spinners. Chub can also be successfully targeted on the fly.

Commercial fishery chub also offer great sport, and are growing very big. They can be caught well with the usual carp methods, pellets, paste, but chopped worm and caster has seen several big match weights of the species.

Tackle up away from your chosen fishing spot. Movement and vibrations next to the water will frighten the chub away. Approach the water quietly and slowly. Don't become a large profile against the skyline but instead merge into the environment. Chub will swim close to the bank if there is no threat.

Watch for tell tale signs of feeding fish like dimples on the surface and swirls in the water. Cast your line gently and enjoy.

Fishing For Bream

2011-07-19T13:13:00.000+01:00

The bream is a really deep bodied fish, with compressed sides, which give the fish a very thin appearance. Larger, mature fish have a dark brownish bronze back, a lighter bronze side, and an almost white belly. Many really big bream go very black. The smaller of the species are a much lighter colour, very silvery across the body with a white belly. These fish are known as Skimmer Bream, or ‘Skimmers’, and tend to start to go a darker colour at around 5 years of age. Bream have a protruding mouth, with their top lip coming over the bottom to give the fish a hoover like mouth suited to sucking food up of the bottom.

The classical way to fish for bream is on the ground bait feeder. This method is often used to target bream on natural waters, rivers and lakes. A simple paternoster setup is a well known bream rig, although a simple running rig is just as effective. Slide your feeder up the line or a quick change snap link swivel, then a bead, and then tie on a swivel. Your hooklink is then attached to the other end of your swivel. This running rig offers as little resistance as possible to the fish, and therefore they will take the bait much more confidently. A soft, light tip in your feeder rod, 1oz say, will also be a big advantage for the same reason, and will also aid you when fishing for finicky fish that only give you a small indication on the tip.

When fishing for bream on the feeder, the length of your tail is very important! It's always better to go for longer rather than shorter. A good starting point is around 3 foot. If the fish are hard to come by, don’t be afraid to try hookliengths of 5 foot or more, as these will give your hook bait a slow natural fall, and your hook bait will be well away from the feeder, where those wary shy fish may be sitting. A Hooklengths of 2lb to 4lb are best for bream, although heavier can be used.

Ground bait Mixes

Bream naturally have a really sweet tooth. All companies now make this classic sweet mix for bream, and all will do a similar job. One of the most important things to carry when bream fishing is BROWN CRUMB. It’s about a quid for a kilo of the stuff, and all bream love it! A 50/50 mix of brown crumb with another ground bait will produce a fluffy mix, sweet smelling which should catch you some bream! Mixes for the feeder should be a little on the dry side, which will enable you to add juicy baits like chopped worms, casters and pinkies to the mix without it getting too wet

A fishmeal mix with some brown crumb has accounted for some recent big bream catches, especially on heavily fished carp waters and commercials. Small pellets added to the mix are also a good fish holding bait, and some big bream have been caught using small boilies and pellets on the hook! Other good additions to the mix are additives such as Brasem or Sweet Molasses, both gorgeous smelling, available in liquid of powder form.

The feeder is by no means the only way of catching bream. Waggler fishing has accounted for some fantastic bream catches, as has slider float fishing. On canals and lakes, balling in ground bait to make a fish attracting noise can be effective for skimmers and bream. Bream on commercials can be caught very quickly if you get them feeding. Pellets and casters regularly loose fed, can bring the fish up in the water, which goes against the breams stereotypical ‘Bottom Feeding’ habits. Also don’t be afraid to whack plenty of line on the deck, and even some shot, this will ofter give you some cracking lift bites from bream!

The spring and autumn are classic months to fish for bream. Also, some of the biggest record bream have been caught at night, when they will feed more confident closer in. Hot calm conditions are not really favourable for Bream fishing, more of a wild windy day, where waves are on the water, and churning up the bottom tend to be when the best bream catches are recorded. Also fishing with a strong wind (preferably warm) in your face may also increase your chances of catching bream, as they are known to follow the wind.

Float Fishing For Tench using the Lift Method

2011-07-19T11:32:00.000+01:00

Late Spring, into Summer is the perfect time of year to target Tench, Carp, Crucians and Bream in stillwaters. This gives me an excuse to use one of my favourite techniques - the humble "Lift Method". Forget fancy anti-eject combi-rigs and the like; the lift method is simplicity itself. All the terminal tackle you need is a float, a hook, a swivel and some swan shot.

The principle of the lift method is to over-shot your float and fish with all of the weight laid on the bottom. The float is set slightly over depth, so that when the rod is set up on rests, the float can be made to sit upright by simply tightening the line, so you can finely adjust how much float tip is visible. When a fish takes your bait, the shot is often lifted from the lake bed, which causes your float to lift out of the water, sometimes even laying horizontal on the surface! It is this action from where the method derives its name. Very often, however, you'll notice knocks on the float tip before it disappears, just as you would with a waggler. Either of these bite indications are positive enough to justify a strike.

The float is attached bottom-end only with float rubbers. This allows quick depth adjustment and enables your float to pull free if a hooked fish takes you into a snag.

You can easily adjust the distance between weight and bait. This can be useful if the fish aren't feeding confidently, because a longer hooklength gives the fish more time to inhale the bait before it feels any resistance from your weight. As shown in the diagram, I attach one or two SSG shot to the rig by pinching them on the tag end of the swivel knot. This prevents damaging the mainline with the shot and it also allows the shot to pull free if they become snagged.

I find it best to set up my rod on two rests, with the rod pointing straight at the float and the tip set just beneath the water surface. This will keep the line sunken, meaning you'll get less false bites from gusts of wind and passing waterfowl! If I'm fishing a water which contains large fish, I prefer to use a small free-spool style reel. This is useful if a specimen fish makes off with the bait when I'm not concentrating on the float. The fish is able to take line with little resistance, whilst I'm alerted by the noise from the reel and my rod is in no danger of being pulled in! Believe me, the first run of a tench or carp is one of tremendous power and it's better to be safe than sorry.

ARMA-MESH™ - Create an ARMA-MESH Hookbait

2011-07-18T13:10:00.000+01:00

Arma-Mesh is a tough nylon mesh similar in appearance to PVA, but does not dissolve in water. Supplied on a loading tube similar to those used for PVA mesh, baits are pushed through the tube using the supplied plunger and then tied off exactly like PVA mesh to produce armoured hook baits – hence the
name.

For those of you who have used funnel web PVA the concept is exactly the same however, instead of using PVA it is a fine plastic mesh which was originally designed to stop unwanted fish from making a meal of your boilies and other bait. However, a far better use is to use it to hold soft baits together so that they can be hair rigged. To use it you form a stick exactly the same as if you were making a PVA stick ( but smaller), once the mini stick is made you can just hair rig it as normal

Once meshed boilies and pellets are immersed in water and begin to swell the mesh almost ‘disappears’ from view, making meshed hook baits appear identical to free offerings.

Arma Mesh comes in 14mm narrow and 22mm wide, with five metres on a tube. The wide mesh suits larger boilies, the narrow is ideal for smaller boilies and alternative hook baits.

The narrow mesh is brilliant for making durable pellet hook baits which can’t be taken off the hair by small fish and don’t dissolve.

The mesh creates an almost invisible cage around your bait which stops small fish eating it, while still allowing the flavours to leak out into the water. It also means you can use baits on the hook that have previously been impossible including Spod mix, Mashed meat, Pellet ball, Paste, Liquidised bread, Sweetcorn ball, Chopped worms/maggots. The list is endless.

Arma-Mesh allows you to present baits on the hair that simply aren’t possible to fish any other way, giving it a huge role to play outwitting carp that have been fished for and caught on the usual boilies and pop-ups for season after season. What will you put in yours?

Berkley Hotwire Line Cutter

2011-07-14T12:08:00.000+01:00

At first glance the Berkley TEC Hotwire line cutter, looked like a police taser with its wire tip and activation button on the grip. A clear plastic shield is fitted over the tip in order to protect it while not in use and you should heed the warning label that is clearly placed here – as this is one “Hot Tip.” Overall, the tool is small enough to stow in any anglers tackle box or holdall when not in use as it’s overall length is about 7 inches . The line cutter features an LED light, a replacement Tungsten tip, and has the TEC tool colors along with the ergonomic comfort grip Berkley calls SofTorx.

How It Works

The tool just heats a tungsten filament for you to cut line with, It beats using a lighter hands down because it cannot actually set fire to nylon and plastics but still has the effect of melting the braid filaments together and avoiding fraying. The same can't be said for braid scissors.

The Hotwire line cutter is very simple to use. Push the sliding button forward with your thumb and the Tungsten tip protrudes from the shielding, bringing the tip to a scorching 1200-degrees Fahrenheit, while you hold the button in place. The wire heats within a second or so and does its job perfectly. Because the tip is tiny, you can cut really tight to knots. The resulting 'blob' end is far less likely to slip through the knot in use.

Release the button and the hot tip is retracted into the protective clear shielding and automatically turns off. Because the tip is sheathed in its plastic shroud when not in use, it's protected from damage, although a spare tip is supplied and neatly stored in the battery compartment.

This Berkley TEC tool uses two AA batteries(not included) to power the Tungsten tip. In addition, the Hotwire comes with an LED light, powered by a separate CR-1216 battery, to assist while cutting line in the dark.

The HotWire Line Cutter is the ultimate cutting tool for monofilament, fluorocarbon, braided or fused line. The superhot tungsten tip instantly severs and fuses line close to the knot for clean, unfrayed ends and tight, secure knots.

New carp fishing accessory - Duck Sentinel

2011-07-14T12:04:00.000+01:00

The DUCK SENTINEL Designed and developed by LINJAZRO which is a new Uk based company. Who's mission and passion is to design, develop and manufacture innovative quality fishing accessories.

The company founder has been a fresh water angler for over forty years and has gained considerable expertise and knowledge from fishing in many different demanding environments including United Kingdom, Europe, Middle East and United States of America.

DUCK SENTINEL was subjected to intensive development and testing spanning many months, involving several concept design changes. The feed back from several independent expert fishermen was incorporated into pre production models. All of the development evaluation processes were conducted at different fishing venues within the UK. Various techniques were applied to the pre production models, including distance casting. During the prototype and development stages of DUCK SENTINEL, every trial successfully protected the various different types of floating bait offerings from numerous wild fowl, both large and small, whilst enabling the Angler to keep the floating bait on station in the water and catch fish.

The body is transparent and not seen by fish. It is about the size of the palm of a man’s hand. The edges of the flotation discs represent a familiar pellet shape to surface feeding fish and act as an attraction. The DUCK SENTINEL has a UK Patent Number GB 2470988A and been designed to be reusable and offers minimal resistance to breeze and light winds.

Duck Sentinel is supplied with two (2) spare Floatation Discs. Dumbbell line stops are supplied, but any small suitable line stop can be used.
Sufficient PVA string for a number of casts is supplied but any PVA string can be used to lock DUCK SENTINEL.

To use

pass main line into dome through outer lower eyelet, back out through next eyelet then back into dome via centre eyelet. Attach hook or hair rig inside the dome. A stop is required to set the distance inside the dome between the centre eyelet and the top of the offering (this keeps the line and hook out of the water) before attaching the chosen floating offering.

To cast, close the dome in half with the offering inside and the eyelets on the underside. When the floatation discs are touching each other wind a few turns of PVA string around the two centre tabs to secure in the closed position. The tab area must be kept dry and water free when applying the PVA string. DUCK SENTINEL is now aerodynamic and ready for use.

Cast to your desired location. Within seconds of landing on water, the DUCK SENTINEL will - self right. If the self-righting does not occur on contact with the water, a twitch on the line will do it. Deployment will normally occur within 30 – 40 seconds, depending on thickness of PVA string used and the number of PVA turns around the centre tabs.

Casting longer distances can be achieved by adding extra weight. Use a clear ball controller float attached by at least 1/4mtr of nylon line to the ventilation hole opposite to the eyelets. Retrieve main line to ensure the baited hook is inside the DUCK SENTINEL. When bait is taken, strike and play fish in normal way. The DUCK SENTINEL will be retained on the main line and not impede the fish retrieval.

Grab yours today visit: linjazro.co.uk

Carp Fishing Tackle Review: The Daiwa Infinity X BR Big Pit Reel - Model IFX5500BR

2011-07-14T11:56:00.000+01:00

The carp is a fish species shrouded in myth, legend and lore. Highly regarded in many Asian cultures, the carp, in Western culture, often is kept in decorative ponds, as a sort of landscaping adjunct. To me, the carp is neither mythic nor decorative -- it is a worthy piscine opponent. The carp generally is regarded as a lesser sport fishing species, especially when compared to the more "noble" species like salmon and trout. Well, such for a lowly fish, it certainly is capable of putting up quite a thrilling fight! To be equal to the task, I need my carp fishing tackle to be in top shape. Here's some information about one of my favourite carp reels: the Daiwa Infinity X BR big pit reel, model IFX5500BR.

Key Features of the Daiwa Infinity X BR Big Pit Reel - Model IFX5500BR

BR stands for "baitrunner," a type of fishing reel that's similar to a fixed spool reel, with one important difference. When using a baitrunner reel, it's possible to bait fish with the reel's bail closed, while still having it completely in free spool mode. When using a baitrunner reel, the angler must adjust the free spool tension according to the type of bait used. As soon as the angler turns the handle, the baitrunner feature disengages and the tension then is adjusted by way of the main drag system, leaving the angler in full control of the fight.

More About the Daiwa Infinity X BR Big Pit Reel - Model IFX5500BR

When I'm facing an especially tough carp challenge, I generally find myself reaching for this well-made and durable reel. I've found the combination of the double-axis BR feature with a big pit spool configuration to be a particularly helpful and effective design. This Daiwa reel also has the popular Twist Buster II feature, a mechanism that dramatically reduces line twist by using a special collar which ensures the line always travels at a 90-degree angle to the roller pivot.

Final Thoughts on the Daiwa Infinity Reel

This reel is just loaded with positive features, including 5 ball bearings and a micro-pitch front drag system. It also has infinite anti-reverse and a large diameter ABS spool. ABS, by the way, is a type of highly strong and durable composite plastic that's widely used to make automobile bodies and outer cases for appliances and computers. The rotor is gyrospin balanced for the smoothest possible operation, and the 4.2:1 gear ratio delivers increased winding power when the angler needs it most. The reel comes with a spare, full-specification aluminium spool. Expect to pay about £375.00 for this superb reel, but do look for it on special offer at about £249.00

I've found the Daiwa Infinity X BR model IFX5500BR big pit reel to be beautifully engineered and a supreme pleasure to use. I'm pleased to rate it at 4.5 out of a possible 5 stars.

I've been fishing since I was 9 years old and nothing calms me more. To get the best deals on carp fishing tackle in the UK I happily suggest KeensTackleandguns. Their friendly staff are extremely well informed and are always extremely helpful. Check out their online fishing tackle store for more details or call 01656 722448.

Carp Fishing Rigs - The Combi Rig

2011-07-14T11:53:00.000+01:00

The Combi Rig is a style of rig that has been around for many years. Originally starting from joining a softer braided material to a much stiffer material, such as Amnesia or monofilament in years past.

Then ever since the release of the first coated braided hook link material all them years back now, this type of set-up/material is now no doubt one of the most used by Carp anglers.

Combi-rigs are an effective way of presenting a hook bait in order to catch wary carp. There are numerous variations of combination fishing rigs that can be made up easily on the bank of a lake. The most common types are made up of a stiff length of fluorocarbon fishing line, with a smaller section made of a type of braid material. The braid end section is attached to the hook.

Combi carp rigs can be used on many different lake beds, from silt to gravel. and can be used for bottom baits as well as poups.

This rig has many advantages, the first being that it combines both the subtlety and hooking potential of a braid and the invisibility of fluorocarbon. This is a rig which will help you catch many species of fish but carp and tench will fall to this rig the most often.

Monster Squid black - SPECIAL EDITION - OUT NOW

2011-07-14T11:50:00.001+01:00

The Awesome Monster Squid in a new Black Special edition colour

Nash Bait have been producing black boilies to special order for many years and for those anglers looking for something a little different, black baits have long provided a real edge. If diving birds are driving you mad then the chances are they won’t immediately recognize black baits as food and pressured carp that may be spooking off bright colours will be straight on them and will consume the bait with real enthusiasm.

The awesome Monster Squid is now available in black,some of the counties top Carp Anglers highly rate ‘Squid Black’ as its been code named by those in the know. The forward thinking anglers amongst us who are already on ‘The Black’ are catching well and its already produced one or two elusive monsters - awesome!

Squid black Frozen Boilies - 15mm - 1kg bag

Code B9451 - Price £9.99

Squid black Frozen Boilies - 20mm - 1kg bag

Code B9452 - Price £9.99

Black Squid Pop ups - 10mm - 30grm tub

Code B2580 - Price £3.99

Black Squid Pop ups - 15mm - 30 grm tub

Code B2585 - Price £5.99

For more details and to find your nearest stockist visit: Nash Tackle

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Carp Fishing Rigs - The Blowback Rig

2011-07-14T11:46:00.000+01:00

The 'Blow Back Rig' is one that has become probably one of the most popular specialized Carp Fishing rigs used by today's Carp angler and one that I have been using a lot myself over recent times with excellent catch results.

The rig is constructed from coated braid, which is weighted to help aid its ability to sink and lay flat on the lake bed to help with cautious feeding fish. Also with the short stripped section of the coating near the hook, this gives the hook a bit more freedom to be picked up by the carp.

This braid is matched up with a long shank carp hooks and is linked together via a Micro Rig Ring running up and down the long straight hook shank, finished off with a curved section of shrink tubing to help flip the hook as quick as possible once in the carps mouth.

The idea of the construction of this rig is that with the ring on the shank of the hook this allows the hook greater movement and a greater chance of catching hold, due to being able to pivot within the ring itself. Having the ring starting low down around the hooks curve this keeps the weight from the bait where you want it, near the hook point.

Secondly once the carp has sucked in the hook bait and hook and then goes to blow the bait and hook out upon realizing what is happening, the bait freely slides down the shank first leaving the hook fully exposed to catch hold plus with the weight of the bait being transferred this pulls the hook down faster too into the carps mouth giving greater penetration.

A sure winner for anyone that uses this rig.

Watch Jon Bones, Deputy editor of Total Carp, as he demonstrate how to tie "The Blow Back Rig"

Want to know how to catch carp? by Jack Bloggs

2010-04-06T18:04:00.000+01:00

Want to know how to catch carp

We all realize carp fishing is addictive, thats why we now have put together five magnificent suggestions on how to catch carp

Several anglers happen to be hooked from the carp fishing bug and uncover this sport highly captivating. Maybe, the explanation for the popularity of carp fishing is the fact that you simply must overcome the fact carp could be really tricky to catch and special catching methods have to be adopted so that you can both improve your carp catch rates or to catch that certain significant elusive carp inside your nearby water.

Carp manage to have a high regard within the angler's scale of best fish and even though seen as the King for most syndicate waters they still hold the reputation to be one of several hardest fish to catch. This motive alone is why numerous carp anglers get totally hooked on setting to catch the elusive carp and will never be beaten by them. On the other hand, it is possible to adopt selected fishing tactics that may help you to start out catching a lot more carp and provide you a far greater chance of catching your own record fish.

Manyaspects combined can help you catch - these are generally our best five on how to catch carp.

1) Create a patient approach - You should realize that catching any specimen fish does demand a fair degree of waiting around and you will have to be patient and willing to accept that changing your rig or bait many times throughout a fishing session is par for the course. You must understand that so as to catch carp you simply must start off with the smaller fish and work your way as much as the bigger carp.

2) Carp are wily fish and since they have been caught at several times throughout their lifetime they adopt coping mechanisms which result in them becoming cautious when faced with food and for that reason you will require a bait and rig presentation which the carp feel happy about feeding upon.

3) You simply must acquire your approaches and tactics of catching carp on a specific water which can take time and can lead to a learning curve to be able to build up to catching those major specimen fish. If your local water is stocked with many smaller carp, don' be overwhelmed, this can be a fantastic starting point and catching 8-15lb fish will surely help you on the method to individuals 30lb specimens.

4) Carp fishing tackle and related equipment is vital with regards to your longer term vision of catching huge carp and you need to research and obtain carp fishing tackle that both finest suits your personal needs and budget. A number of the basic carp tackle will contain a few good carp rods (2lb test curve), 2 beneficial bait runner reels, bite alarms, swingers or butt hangers to register carp strikes, a fantastic bivvie for that rainy day or overnight carp fishing session.

5) Don't be swayed by other carp anglers - It maybe that the carp fisherman next to you has just caught a good sized fish on some brand new rig or bait and you are therefore tempted to ask them exactly how they are setup. Nonetheless, stick with your personal procedures and grow individuals over time which is fair to say that not only ledgering, the most common procedures of carp fishing, could be the only approach to apply that you can catch carp on top via bread floating or float fishing and you'll nevertheless catch big carp on most nearby waters. You will see far more about efficient baiting using homemade carp baits and feeding methods in forthcoming articles and via our web site.

The easy question concerning how to catch carp is one which frustrates quite a few anglers but it don't have to be something that blocks you or leaves you scratching your head. You simply must be capable of learn and produce new fishing skills but the rewards will be excellent you may have adventure and numerous enjoyable experiences as you go along.

Use these points on how to catch carp the next occasion you hit the water and i bet you'll be having a much better day on the water.

About the Author
Jack Bloggs is a carp fishing legend

4 Carp Fishing Secrets - We Reveal Big Carp Tips For Bait Rigs And Tackle By: Val Marks

2010-04-06T17:45:00.000+01:00

When it comes to catching big carp, you will benefit from some carp fishing secrets, we all know that it is vital to understand certain crucial factors that will at least give us a fighting chance to hook that elusive lake record carp. Catching big carp should not be down to just chance but someone we can be confident about achieving and if you want that edge to start catching bigger carp then carry on reading and next time you go to the river bank or your syndicate water you can make the bagging of a record carp a reality.

Your 4 Carp Fishing Tips and Tactics - So How Do I Catch Big Carp?

1) Understanding why carp can be elusive is the most important factor to being able to catch the big ones. Carp get used to seeing standard baits being presented on fancy rigs that can make the fish stand up and think to themselves - Danger. You need to present a bait in a reasonable manner and on a carp fishing rig that suits the environment on the bottom on the lake. Lake information should be obtainable by the bailiff and they are usually more than happy to let you know certain quirks about a particular swim and to what type of lake bed you are casting onto.

2) Big Carp also seem to have more developed awareness to baiting patterns and an over fished swim may lead to the carp filter feeding of the dissolving bait already having been put there by over keen anglers who think that throwing in a ton of bait will actually help them catch. Again, it is worth getting to know information about each swim of the particular lake and when the last carp was caught. It is really good when you can get into a swim that is bare of old bait and the fish start to feed again on your whole baits - you are then in for a full catching session so don't expect to get much sleep if you are doing an all-nighter.

3) Baiting for Carp is a much discussed topic for top anglers but it has been proven that certain factors influence the carp into feeding on dissolving or whole baits. If you are fishing a swim for just a couple of nights and you can see lots of splashing around and occasional cloudy patches on the top of the water where the carp have been splashing it is true that the dissolving bottom bait is the normal cause. Whilst, dissolving bait is available to the carp they will often feed on this as they have become used it to this as being safe to eat. However, if you present new carp bollies or other bait they will still prefer the filter feeding until it has run out and then will venture upon your new baits. The rule of thumb and best practice for the big carp is to pre-bait small amounts of new bait and wait until you know that a swim has been quite for at least 3-4 days and then get established in the swim and do a 4-7 night session which will result in good carp catches and maybe get you that elusive carp record.

4) Make sure you have all the tackle and spare equipment that you think you may need for a good carping session. We know that carp tackle can be expensive these days but if you are serious about catching, carp fishing secrets and tips aside, then you should at least have a mid range carp rod and spend as much as you can on the bait runner reels, I still use and prefer Shimano. Make sure you have good bite alarms and you take a few spare batteries with you. Remember, you can always upgrade your other carp equipment but it is best to start with a good package of rods, reels and bite alarms so you minimize having to waste that money when you find that the tackle you first purchased may not be up to the job after 6 months.

The more you can understand about the proven methods to catching big carp as early as possible will stand you in good stead for future carp catching success. There is much written about catching good carp and you should take the time to read and read more on the subject as knowledge is King - having loads of fantastic carp fishing tackle doesn't mean that you are guaranteed to catch the elusive fish.

Published At: Isnare.com Free Articles Directory - http://www.isnare.com/
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=483538&ca=Recreation

Fly Fishing Tips To Get Going For Beginners! by Jimmy Woodall

2009-12-31T12:13:00.000Z

Live bait anglers are excellent sportsmen but fly fisherman will observe better preservation from the beginning.
Primarily, fly fishing is considered as not only the fastest growing sports or recreation but as one of the best type of conserving natural resources and also providing aquatic recreation.

Fly fishing is very simple when three things are right: you must have a appropriate rod; you have to match it with a line to learn the proper casting technique.

For folks who would really like some tips about fly fishing, here is a list of some pointers that would help anglers improve their fly fishing skills:

1. Material of the rod

For one of moderate means, and particularly for the beginners, hollow glass is advised since it would force less care than bamboo and will not take a set if improperly handled or stored.

2. Line

Your fly casting skill will not progress with a mismatched rod and line. About 99 times in a hundred, the troubled fly caster incorporates a line much too light to bring out the action of his rod.

It is absolutely necessary that on any given rod, the fly fisherman will be using the same proportion of a line for anything from tiny trout and bluegills to the most important sea fish.

In selecting the size line, anglers should get a C level, an HCH double-taper, or a GBF three-diameter. This alternative is predicated on the actual fact that a high percentage of fly rods bought these days are hollow glass, and that a nice majority of those work best with lines of these sizes, almost no matter length or weight.

3. The correct casting technique

In casting, it is vital to get about twenty feet of line out front. Anglers should always cast straight line.

You should avoid any destructive movements when you are on a faster mode even when trying to do so. What is best is that the angler is just calm and relax because taunt muscles will ruin his casting.

After you boil it all down, there should be no reason why you should not learn the fundamental principles just as easily as those that now enjoy fly fishing presently.

The best way to learn casting is to spend your day on the water with a master fisherman who is sufficiently qualified at casting.

Lessons learned on the water are the best tips you'll acquire anywhere in your quest for learning fly fishing.

About the Author
A must visit to Jim Woodall "Fly Fishing" website. A good information about learning fly fishing. Click Here ====> http://flyfishing.jwoodl.com/

Ice Fishing Activity For Families by Bennett Kalio

2009-12-31T12:09:00.001Z

It's great to fish in the summer time when the air is warm and the lake is calm. There are fishermen, though, who cannot wait for winter and the lake to freeze solid. Ice fishing is a sport that many folks enjoy, extending the fishing season to year-long pleasure. What's more, ice fishing is a great family activity. What makes ice fishing so appealing to families is that the sport is not just about catching fish. Grins, gleeful chuckles, and playing in the snow are all not unusual occurrences while out on the ice.

Those reasons are some of the few that even folks who hate fishing get hooked on this winter activity. If you would like to try a day of ice fishing with your loved ones, there are some things to bear in mind. Ice fishing is mostly an all day activity. Get out on the ice early after breakfast to take advantage of the best hours. If you are counting on bringing home a handful of perch for a meal, then being prepared with your lines in the water when the sun starts to rise is best. Fish have a tendency to bite in the early morning or later on in the afternoon, depending on the species.

The period in between fishing sometimes finishes up being playtime for families instead of hours spent reeling up the fish. Pack a good lunch and some nibbles, as the unpolluted air and activity will stir up appetites. Plenty of finger foods and lots of water to drink serve the purpose nicely. It's a great idea to avoid bringing lager with you as alcohol and cold don't mix well. Alcohol can lower your body temperature and the chill in the air makes it harder to feel the effects. You will finish up going overboard without realizing you have had way too much to make the safe drive home. Staying warm while ice fishing is a complete must. The open-air location will generally carry a good breeze, so windproof clothing should be your initial consideration. Lots of layers beneath warm sweaters will trap the heat and keep you feeling toasty. Good boots and mitts of solid construction are best, and even better are those that are water resistant. Another accessories you will need are a warm hat and shades.

Bright sunlight reflects on the white snow and ice, which can create havoc on your eye and vision. Many ice anglers who don't wear sun shades return home and realize they cannot see well for over a half hour. These outfitters wish to ensure you enjoy your day as much as practicable and will set you up with all you need for hours of delight. The workers will be very pleased to respond to your questions and give you tips about how to fish.

Have a fun time, but do not blast a radio to upset the peace and serenity of other anglers. Don't throw waste on the ice either and have a care for the environment. Use the metal spoon provided to keep your holes from freezing over. Additionally, if you are not going to eat the fish you catch, handle them softly and practice catch and release. Being outside for a couple of hours in cold temperatures will hit you hard after you get into a warm automobile. When you get home, you can possibly feel exhausted. After a day of ice fishing, ordering a pizza for dinner could be a gift from God.

About the Author

For a complete information, visit icefishing for a variety of valuable articles on other forms of fishing.

Colorado Freshwater Fishing Destinations by Joe Laing

2009-12-31T12:05:00.000Z

You may be traveling to Colorado for the mountain views, but did you know there's a wealth of fishing to be found there, as well? Colorado freshwater fishing is the perfect activity for RV camping fans, because it blends the thrill of "catching the big one" with an unforgettable mountain camping experience. Follow these tips to find the best Colorado freshwater fishing destination for your next RV trip.

Red Feather Lakes: North of Fort Collins, trout fishing enthusiasts will find a wonderful collection of small lakes well worth fishing. The Red Feather Lakes area is famous for easy access to lake trout, and was the site of the 2007 National Fly Fishing Championships.

Get ready to experience Dowdy, Parvin, Bellaire and West Lakes, all open to the public. Trout fishing at each offers unique thrills and challenges in a gorgeous mountain setting.

Lake Pueblo: With sixty miles of shoreline and a mild climate, Lake Pueblo offers almost everyone the chance to fish for trout, bass, channel cat, bluegill, and walleye. Well-known as an angler's paradise, this South Central Colorado lake is sure to please the most demanding lake-fishing diehards. There are numerous RV campgrounds operated there by the State Parks Department.

Blue River: Flowing above and below Lake Dillon about sixty miles west of Denver, the Blue River will thrill fly fishing enthusiasts with trophy-size rainbow trout. If fly fishing is your sport, you definitely deserve a trip to the Blue River. This is your chance to fish for rainbow, brown and brook trout while surrounded by some of the prettiest mountain views possible. Tiger Run RV Resort is one highly-recommended RV campground in the area.

Rio Grande River: The legendary Rio Grande River flows through the San Juan Mountain Range and Rio Grande National Forest, boasting enormous brown trout just waiting for cagey fly fishermen. Near the towns of South Fork and Del Norte, in particular, you'll find government leases on private land that allow you easy access to the Rio Grande.

North Delaney Butte: Three bodies of water boasting great trout fishing can be found near Walden in Northern Colorado. North Delaney Butte Lake, East Delaney and South Delaney Butte Lakes form a fisherman's paradise that will tempt you to stay for weeks. North Delaney is actually one of a handful of "Gold Medal" rated trout lakes in the state. By the way, the North Platte River winds through the canyons in this area and also offers tremendous trout fishing possibilities.

There are areas for wakeless boat fishing on these lakes, and those willing to do a little hiking can also find quiet bank or bellyboat fishing areas. Plan to fish primarily for brown trout here, but also be on the lookout for rainbow and cutthroats. A nice RV campground is available on the shores of nearby Lake John, also known for its trophy trout fishing.

There are hundreds of great freshwater fishing destinations in Colorado, and most of them have comfortable RV campsites nearby. As you're putting your vacation plans together this year, why not schedule a trip to the Rockies for some serious fishing action? To keep your trip very affordable, gather a few of your fishing buddies and split the cost of RV rental, food and campground fees.

You're not going to want to come in off the water once you've learned the joys of fishing in Colorado. Why not find out why thousands of RV campers drop a hook in the Centennial State each year?

About the Author
This article was written by Joe Laing of El Monte RV, your source for RV rentals throughout the United States. Be sure to check out the Monty's Musing blog for more RV Vacation Ideas

The Lure of Pike Fishing by Mark Jenner

2009-12-31T11:49:00.001Z

Back in 1653 Izaak Walton described the pike as the 'the tyrant of the rivers, or the fresh-water wolf, by reason of his bold, greedy, devouring disposition'. The pike has been subject of many folk tales over the centuries and the disappearance of many dogs, farm animals and even humans has been attributed to a monster pike said to inhabit the local lake or river. It is this air of sinister mysticism surrounding the pike that provides its attraction to the sports angler.

It is Britain's biggest native freshwater fish and ranks also as one of North America's leading quarry. Catching the big one needs stronger rods, larger nets and clever tactics. Holding up this heavy beast for the camera makes the hunt worthwhile. Taking the hooks from the pike's mouth require strong equipment and a stronger nerve. A slip of the hand can result in deep and painful wounds that are easily infected. Many pike fisherman use a steel gauntlet of the type worn by knights of old, such is the danger when unhooking this fearsome beast.

But it is this fear and respect that attracts us to angling for pike. I think back to my last visit to the canal, where it joins the river not far from where I live. It was close to dawn when I left my house, cold and very still. There was no frost but the mist was thick. When I got to the water I found a good spot that would allow me to cast upstream almost to the canal lock where there was a deep pool and also downstream to the far bank around thirty yards away.

I wandered along the bank peering through the gloom hoping to see signs of active pike. The surface of the canal was like a glassy mirror, broken only by the sporadic splash or ripple as a bait fish darted here and there. Something was feeding! Seeing the water like this urges you on, you want to make haste and present your baits to the unseen foe. This desire to challenge and best the majestic fish is what makes us want to seek out bigger and stronger pike.

I quickly tackled up, attaching a still frozen half herring dead-bait to my treble hooked trace. Casting upstream about twenty five yards to the spot where I was walking just minutes earlier, I could just see the splash as the bait hit the water. I thought the line would follow the bait as it sank but something seemed odd. Puzzled, I lifted the rod to take in the slack, only the feel the line go taught. I struck quickly and sure enough, a fish was on and I realized that it did not want to be simply drawn towards the net. After three strong runs including a worrying spell downstream I drew the monster pike over the lip of my oversized landing net. This was my best pike, at just over twenty pounds. Not really a monster maybe, but a success for me. I know that there are much bigger pike living in these waters, and they provide the lure to bring me back again and again!

About the Author

Mark Jenner is an angling writer who lives in the North of England. He writes a blog that looks at detailed aspects of sport fishing tackle including pike fishing and carp fishing rigs and equipment.

Carp Fishing Tips - 10 Reasons Why You Should Fish The Margins

2009-05-06T10:55:00.000+01:00

Over the years I have been carp fishing both in France and the UK I have lost count of the number of carp I have caught fishing the margins. I would go as far as to say it is my number one choice of feature on any water. The less pressured the venue to closer in I would chose to fish. So here are ten of my reasons why, when you turn up at a new venue in France you should not over look the margins.

1. Largest Feature: The margins on any lake are the largest feature. Stretching all around the perimeter and that of any islands they offer a natural barrier where food will accumulate either by wind action or water movement. Food will fall or be thrown in the margins, and aquatic and semi-aquatic life will often lay eggs, hatch larvae or nest in the vegetation lined area of a lake.

2. Fish are Drawn to Feed in the Edge: Pleasure anglers nearly always fish close in, bait close in and throw spare bait in the edge; this in turn attracts fish and conditions them to patrol the margins of a lake. How often have you seen walkers, children etc feed the ducks in the edge? It stands to reason that any food thrown into a lake will also attract and be eaten by the fish. This includes carp, and is all the more true in Spring with flood water entering lakes and the run off from the land being important.

3. The Margins Offer Shelter: The margins of lakes often have overhangs & covering vegetation. Overhangs can on occasions stretch back several feet under the bankside, due to water erosion. Shaun Harrison proved this during a video shoot in December, when he banked a 20lb mirror on inches from the bank. This area, will offer a natural trap for food and shelter for fish species. Most margins are also rich in vegetation such as reedbeds, trees, lilies etc. These plants naturally grow along a margin where they are carried by the wind and currents. They offer a larder for the fish and help reinforce why margins are such a good place to fish.

4. Easy to Bait Up: It is far easier to bait up in the margin. You can do this with a simple catapult for pellets and particles or by hand for boilies. I remember in the 80's when I was fishing all sorts of particles to provide a blanket of bait, that the furthest we could fish was the catapult range of our bait. Fishing close-in increases the variety of baits you can use and avoids the use of baitboats, spods or feeders.

5. Easy to Fish Accurately: The ease of baiting means you can fish more accurately. Accuracy is so important in carp fishing. The margins are far easier to explore with a marker float, and once you have baited an area, to get your rig bang on the money. If weather conditions are against you, you have no worries about reaching your spot. Often a simple under hand swing is all that is needed.

6. Easier to land the fish: Fishing at long range is always more awkward and full of danger. However hooking a carp under the rods top gives you far more control. You are straight away in command. I have on occasions scooped a big lump into the net before it has realised its been hooked. Even if the first rush can be full blooded and brutal, the amount of line in the water and the reduced chance of getting snagged means that fish are more often than not easier to land when hooked close in.

7. Don't need big reels and long cast rods: Fishing the margins precludes the need for stepped up heavy, long distance carp rods. You can use softer more forgiving gear, lighter leads and smaller reels. You don't need big pits to cast 100 yards plus. Some of my friends still fish on the pin...now theres pleasure in fishing!!!

8. Far Margin is often quieter: If you chose to fish the far margin, and how many of us have ignored that sexy overhang on the far bank or the reed bed opposite? Then you will almost certainly be fishing the quieter part of the lake. Probably and area that is less accessible or inaccessible to other anglers or dog walkers. On waters that see a bit of pressure the carp will move away from this and the far margin is often an area they will hold up in.

9. Most people overlook this area of the lake: Curiously enough, despite all the reasons I have evoked above, the simple fact is most people don't fish the margins. I remember a question from and angler once 'Do you have any a long range swims on your lake?- because I've got rods that can cast 120 yards plus'. This type of question amazed me and my reply was that he'd be better off fishing where the fish were.

Equally even if anglers fish a close-in rod it is often at 20 odd yards, to me the margins are just that, inches off the bank.

10. If you're Too Drunk to Cast Out, Chuck it in the Edge: Finally the great Rod Hutchinson once said in 'A Carp Strikes Back', if you are too drunk to cast out, chuck it in the edge!!!

Gareth Watkins

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gareth_Watkins

The Best Times For Fishing - Figuring Out the Best Fishing Times

2009-05-06T10:42:00.000+01:00

Were you aware of the fact that some times are better than other for fishing? I know, I'm happy anytime I get the opportunity to wet a line just like you, but there are things that make fishing better or worse, and those things have nothing to do with the fisherman. In this article I'm going to discuss the factors that affect fish, so we can determine the best times for fishing.

The first of the factors that I want to discuss so that we can figure out the best times for fishing is the water temperature. Small changes in water temperature can cause fish to not only move from one area to another, but can also cause them to change water depths. As a very general rule water temperatures above 80 degrees and below 50 degrees tend to make fish less active, so fishing in these conditions certainly wouldn't be the best.

Many times fish will move along "breaks" in the surface temperature, where warmer and colder water meets. Remember, fish are cold blooded and are heavily impacted by temperature changes in their surroundings. Fifty to sixty five degrees is considered "optimal" for many fish species.

Paying attention to the weather, or more specifically barometric pressure changes, will also help us figure out the best fishing times. When the weather changes the barometric pressure changes, and fish detect these changes with their lateral lines (that run along the sides of most fishes bodies). This is why old timers say the fishing is good right after it rains, because when it rains a barometric front has passed through the area changing the barometric pressure.

Another factor that determines the best times for fishing is the moon, or more specifically the phases of the moon. The phase that the moon is in has an amazing impact on the feeding activity of fish, so this is certainly a factor in determining the best fishing times. For example, did you know that fish are much more active during new moon phases?

As anglers our goal should be to learn the simple rules surrounding these factors so that we can be on the water fishing at "the most opportune" times, thus tipping the odds into our favor. Is it necessary to study water temperature, the weather, and the moon for 6-20 hours? Not at all, but learning the basics can make you a much more effective angler.

Trying to time your fishing trips so that one or all of the above factors are in your favor will make a huge difference in the number of bites you get. Sometimes it's not about you as an angler so much, as the conditions that you're fishing in. I know from experience that the above conditions play a huge role in determining the best times for fishing.

Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 20 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country...Montana!

Get a FREE eBook About The Weather, Moon, & Fishing - http://www.jrwfishing.com/signup.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Trevor_Kugler

Winter Carp Bait pop up tricks for more Fish

2009-04-28T20:41:00.000+01:00

Many anglers use their conventional tactics and rigs in winter and cold spring conditions without accounting for changes in carp behaviours due to the cold and carp being cold-blooded. So here are some proven tricks to try for more big winter and spring fish...

First off carp metabolism is much reduced which means less movement and feeding and less effective rates of digestion and so on. Carp and cold water is really all about the conservation of energy as this is central to these creatures survival. Although this produces changes in carp behaviours that can make them harder to catch, there are many things you can do to help maximise the opportunities and chances you have in winter fishing.

Probably the major factor in winter fishing in the consistent application of a digestible attractive bait designed specifically for these conditions. Believe me when I say I totally agree that instant attractor baits work very well in winter, but there are far more complex effects on carp that occur with many of these flavour substances than most anglers even imagine.

Many of the best flavours are extremely sophisticated and many are potently bioactive in effect like many top nutritional value baits. And having fished through the period years ago when Richworth Tutti Fruiti baits seemed to be the only winter bait used by the masses, it soon becomes clear that when used enough, such baits can become over-used to the degree they tend to catch predominantly smaller fish and the less wary carp! (This is very different to using a single bait fishing approach where such baits are not introduced en masse as free baits as well.)

Wrapping pop-up baits in paste of a completely different recipe base mix and flavour attractor combination is a well proven trick all year round. The chopping up of baits and trimming of pop-up baits for instance is nothing new and anyone who used luncheon meat and spam 30 years ago will have realised the effect of this on warier fish! (I used to soak mine in aniseed oil for winter.)

Many angler use the now infamous so-called snowman rig basically use of a sinking and buoyant bait on a hook rig so that one counteracts the weight of the other and much more importantly (and often missed,) the weight of the hook itself. Years before snowmen rigs, the use of a hook bait with a high fat content when used with a sinking boilie made rigs more effective especially in winter as being more buoyant, they helped counteract the weight of the hook, and assist baits in flying up into the mouth better among other effects. In fact after years of using tinned meats the incorporation of minced cheap tinned spam and luncheon meats has proven very effective in winter as they are so soluble and act more as attractive paste when used on a conventional boilie rig with boilies or particles etc.

My question is how many carp anglers use half a small pop-up bait to help balance a half a brazil nut or tip a hair full of chopped nuts or hemp in winter? Carp are notorious in winter even more so than usual, for choosing smaller sized food items and baits to satisfy their energy requirements. I find it so ironic that it is popular to use a chopped-down pop-up bait in winter when many of use have done it for decades. I suppose like anything else, eventually if something works the masses will get to hear of it so why not here?

Why not try this: add a liquid food such as Minamino, Nutramino, Liquid liver, liquid yeast or Feedstim XP to a 50 percent proportion of genuine Robin Red. Try this as your pop-up bait soak and apply it to all your free baits for winter (why not boost Robin Red based pellets too?) You might use one of the many Robin Red ground baits available alongside your hook baits.

Ground baits are not purely the domain of small carp as many carp anglers incorrectly assume; far from it! Bread based ground baits are very effective in cold water for wary big carp and you do not have be yet another conventional slave to hemp at all; the diversity of fantastic homemade and readymade winter ground bait and feed options are amazing! (Perhaps try testing your PVA products until you find ones you yourself like the taste and smell of that really do melt effectively without leaving a nasty residue in low temperature water; such little things make all the difference...)

Pop-up baits can include those fake baits too made of plastic and rubber substances etc and these obviously are used by many copy-cat anglers to tip-off there other baits. But like any other popularised method, copying eventually becomes counter-productive and doing things in new and alternative ways will always sustain more consistent success!

Personally I would far prefer to be using a buoyant pop-up bait made with 30 percent de-fatted green-lipped mussel extract (available from Ccmoore), plus added squid liver extract powder, mineral salts and fish-digestible vitamin supplements, spirulina powders and European fermented shrimp extract, krill and salmon extracts for example, than a piece of rubber sweetcorn; even if it is trimmed to be different to normal and glows in the dark! Read on for details of some very unique bait secrets ebooks...

By Tim Richardson.
Author: Tim F. Richardson Tim F. Richardson Source: http://ezinearticles.com/ Added: March 4, 2009

Fishing is Fun

2009-04-28T20:24:00.000+01:00

There are many ways to fish; on the river bank, sitting on a rock with rope for crab fishing or even out in the middle of a sea on a deep sea fishing boat catching shark!

I remember as a child going fishing on a river bank, it isn’t like going to Disney land, but the buzz you get from when you catch your first fish could resemble the same feeling of rushing through the air on a rollercoaster. It was a great feeling, and it is a buzz that many people today strive for every time they go fishing.

I have friends where the first thought that came to their mind when thinking about fishing is to sit on a river bank, bored, just watching the float bobbing up and down in the water waiting for a miracle. They would rather be shopping for shoes.

I have seen the same friends later on tell me their boyfriends were into fishing so they gave it a go and went along with them. Did they end up with their own rod? Yes, they did. Simply because they realised that fishing can actually be fun, even for girls who prefer to shop.

Fishing isn’t always about how many fish you are going to catch or who is going to catch the biggest fish. It is also about doing something where you can forget everything that is going on around you and just enjoy the peaceful environment and relax.

As well as this, fishing can also be about having a day out with friends having a few laughs and who is going to catch the biggest fish and have a giggle at the one who catches the smallest.

Experienced fishermen will know all the places to go on a deep sea fishing boat. If the fish are not biting in one area, then they know the spots to go to save any disappointment when going out to catch fish.

One of the great things about deep sea fishing is that you are more likely to catch fish that you won’t find on the river bank. So for first timers especially, the excitement of what you are going to catch and the fun you have with friends whilst doing it will more than likely want you coming back for more.

The guys who go out fishing on river banks with the big umbrellas and waterproof clothing don’t go there to catch colds, they go there because they enjoy the relaxed environment and the thought of going home and telling their friends what they caught.

Teenagers who have nothing more to do than hang around the streets, have found a new hobby by going out with their friends fishing. It is just great to be able to do something with friends, where there is a little competitiveness involved and just have a good time fishing.

So the next time someone talks to you about fishing, just remember, there is a reason why people fish, and more often than not it is a lot more than just hanging around bored waiting for a bit. It’s actually fun.

Article Source: http://www.wisdomextract.com
Nicky Bullimore has been writing articles for a number of years on various different topics. For more information about Deep Sea Fishing Trips, visit www.pastimeprincess.com.

Fashionable Fishing

2009-04-28T20:14:00.000+01:00

We know if we look at history, fishing didn’t initially start out as a sport. Fishing was a part of hunting for food to survive.

Fishing is a practice that is currently dated back to around 40,000 years ago. Historians know this because of the fish bones and cave paintings that have been discovered including tomb scenes and drawings by the Egyptians.

Even today, fishing is relied upon to put food on the tables as well as natives who still fish as a part of their survival diet; however, it doesn’t stop there.Although fishing started out as a hunter’s strategy for survival, it has now developed into a form of recreation as well as a competitive sport.

Kids have also latched onto fishing. Many parents would hope that their children would take up one sport or another but probably didn’t expect fishing to be one of those sports.I know many families who have tried to get their sons into football or rugby, but the sport didn’t interest their kids at all, however, surprisingly, when it comes to fishing, they love it!

Fishing is something boys can do with their friends; they can have fun and even camp out overnight whilst they compete against each other to see who is going to catch the most and biggest fish.

Fishing is not only a great for recreation; it is also great to teach kids focus and as well as that, it also offers a kind of respect for the environment we live in as well as having an appreciation for nature.

Fishing also offers a ‘buzz’. As soon as you feel a tug on your rod, the challenge is then set before you to reel in what has taken a bite. At that point, you cannot see what you have caught as it is still under water. Your friends also spot that you have caught something and wait in anticipation to see what you are about to reel in.

Is it going to be a big one, is it a small one or is it just an old boot? Whatever it is, the ‘buzz’ effect has kicked in. You feel the thrill and excitement that all that waiting patiently is finally going to pay off. This is what brings the fun factor in fishing and why even kids can enjoy this outdoor recreational event.

This is another reason why fishing as a sport or for recreation never goes out of fashion. Fishing has a lot to offer and that doesn’t just mean the fish that might bite on the end of your rod.Also, fishing isn’t restricted to our local fishing banks. There are a variety of ways to fish, including deep sea fishing.

If your kids have got into fishing, then imagine what excitement a day trip on a deep sea fishing boat with their friends would bring. That really would make their day, especially as a birthday gift where all their friends could come along and experience fishing in the deep waters.

The great thing about deep sea party boat fishing is that you don’t have to buy all the equipment before you step on the boat, more often than not, everything you need is provided on the boat. So what a better gift could you give a kid who is into fishing?

Regardless of what type of fishing you enjoy, the act is not stuck in the ice ages as they say, it is still fashionable to fish, and will be for years to come.

Article Source: http://www.wisdomextract.com
Nicky Bullimore has been writing articles on various topics for a number of years. For more information about Deep Sea Fishing and party boat fishing trips, please visit www.pastimeprincess.com

Tips for successful Carp Fishing in Sumer and Winter

2009-04-26T19:18:00.000+01:00

Summer Talk to any angler and they can expound for hours on the joys of carp fishing, whatever the time of year, but summer has got to be a favourite time. It’s tranquil, relaxing and exciting all at the same time. Here are some tips to help make your carp fishing even more enjoyable.

• Summer is a good time to try out new baits, rigs and ideas of your own

• If you are a regular at a particular water, study the fish movements to see if you can establish any patterns that might give you a clue as to where to fish on future occasions

• Look for obvious feeding grounds, for example, beneath overhanging trees and amongst weed beds

• Carp are very active in the summer months, enjoying the sun as much as we do, so eventually they will give themselves away

• Try choosing a bait which is similar to the natural foods that are around in abundance at this time of year, such as fruit and nuts

Winter

The once plentiful natural food will disappear during winter, so carp will try to gain as much weight as possible to help them survive the harsh weather. As with any cold blooded animal, low temperatures will slow them down a great deal, so it’s a good idea to locate the carp before you set up and start fishing.

As far as baiting is concerned, try to adopt the little and often approach, offering about 15-30 baits over a session. Loose feed these a couple at a time at regular intervals of about 30 minutes and try not to spread the bait around too much. As in the summer, it’s a good idea to try using bait which is similar in flavour to what is around naturally. Swan mussel and crayfish are still active at this time of year so if your venue contains these, try something like this.

About The Author
Dog Lane Fishery, near the village of Napton in Warwickshire, has a carp lake which responds well all year round to anglers looking to catch big fish. They have comfortable pegs and ample car parking. Visit their website now by clicking on http://doglanefishery.co.uk/

Take your kids fishing..by Dan Bryant

2009-04-26T19:02:00.000+01:00

Take Your Kids Fishing There is an old adage that if you give a man a fish he can eat for a day, but if you teach him to fish he can eat for a lifetime.

The same is true that if you take a kid fishing he can enjoy it for the day, but if you teach a kid to fish he can enjoy it for a lifetime.

When was the last time you took your son or daughter fishing and really took the time to teach them the right way to fish? When was the last time you took your kid’s friends on a fishing trip and taught them how to fish? In this day of self gratification and immediate reward, we often neglect to instill in our younger generation the heritage of hunting and fishing for food that helped expand the frontiers of our country.

In many cases these were skills learned from Native Americans who taught our ancestors how to live off the land. Maybe we don’t need to live off the land today, but the fun and recreation of landing a big fish still excite most outdoorsmen and pump adrenaline to the body.

Teaching the skills of fishing also instills in our younger generation the need to protect and preserve the heritage as well as the natural resources that allow these recreational pursuits. Many of our younger generation are being taught to preserve the land for its beauty and natural resources but not how to interact with nature without damaging that beauty and natural resource. With spring having finally arrived many fishing enthusiast are already planning that trout fishing, bass fishing or surf fishing trip.

Plan a trip with your kids and their friends and spend the time to truly teach them how to fish. Let them experience the thrill of that native trout jumping from the stream, while fighting them on a light tackle fly rod. Take the time to teach them how to land a fly in a teacup at ten paces, even if you can’t. If you are a bass fishing enthusiast, take your kids bass fishing and teach them not only how to fish, but boating safety and common courtesy on the water. Teach them how to pick the right lure or bait for the conditions you are fishing in. Teach them how to cast to the brush pile without getting tangled.

Teach them the value of catch and release. If you are a surf fishing fanatic like me, take them to the beach and put a rod in their hands. Let them feel the tug of a blue fish or puppy drum on the rod. Teach them how to cast a surf rod and to tie the knots for rigging lines. Show them how to care for the equipment. Get your kids away from the video games and television and let them learn the self esteem that can be gained from successfully fishing with friends and family. Take a kid fishing and you will find that you enjoy teaching them as much as you enjoy fishing yourself.

About The Author
Dan Bryant is an avid surf fisherman who spends as much time as possible on the Outer Banks of NC as possible. Visit his website at http://www.saltysport.com

Whellchair Accesible Fishing in Devon

2009-04-25T12:34:00.000+01:00

Where can you fish if you're life is tied to a wheelchair? Your disabled and you want to go Carp fishing. I think we may have found just the place for you. Fishing is one of today's most popular recreational activities. Fishing also represents one of the easiest activities to adapt to people's individual needs. Fishing has no boundaries to open up the great outdoors for, people with disabilities and is the best alternative for persons who cannot practice active exercises.

This outdoor pastime invigorates the body and also lifts the spirit of the person. Hence, disabled persons, retired people and those recuperating from illness keenly seek wheelchair accessible fishing facilities. Wheelchair accessible fishing in beautiful surroundings at http://www.creedylakes.com/ Carp fishing in beautiful surroundings in Devon UK. Two prolific spring fed estate lakes set amid mature established woodland providing a superb setting for those wanting peace, scenery, good company and good fish. Accessible ground floor apartment.

For those who face daily the battles associated with a disabling condition, the combination of readily accessible sites and the low-impact nature of pleasure fishing combine to form a perfect way for the disabled to interact with nature while still retaining the necessary safety factors. Because mobility-impaired persons often find the most difficulty in using sites, accessibility levels are based on the needs of disabled persons, especially those who use wheelchairs.

The most common form of recreational fishing is done with a rod, reel, line and hooks, and any one of a wide range of baits. Fishing competitions where fishermen compete for prizes based on the total weight of a given species of fish caught within a predetermined time.

Commercial Carp Fishing .. by Luke

2009-04-25T12:25:00.000+01:00

Now most of you frequent readers of the forums and articles will probably consider me as more of a big carp hunter than a comercial fisherman. But yes, I do enjoy a good day out catching smaller carp. So, getting to the whole comercial fishing for carp thing. How do you go about it ?
Well first of all you need to know the following basics:-

1... Size of carp at fishery
2... Best baits
3... Tackle for the job
4... And most of all the RULES

So lets go through each of these in a little more detail:

1... First lets start with the size of carp at the fishery. Now most bailiffs are happy to let you know the size of carp in the lakes, but there are some including Mr. John Wilson himself, who like to keep that element of mystery to the equation. But generally you can say the fish grow to the size of the lake. So if it is a small lake you can expect smaller fish. I mean think about it, a 40lb carp isn't going to be very happy in a lake less than 1 acre in size, unless of course its Royal Berkshire...lol. Also, knowing the size of fish links in with appropriate tackle needed.

2... Secondly, its nice to know what bait they like to see most. If they are used to seeing pellet, and react well to pellet, you are best of fishing with pellet (this is a general rule of thumb, for more experienced comercial fishery anglers, presenting an alien bait to the fish can be a killer tactic if presented and loose fed appropriately and accurately). Most fishery websites provide records of past catches and baits caught on.

3... Now, coming to tackle. Personally I think the idea of comercial fishing is having a fun day out. So to make it fun, the appropriate tackle plays a big part in it. For example, if the average size fish is only 5-8 pounds, you dont really want 15lb line with 3lb tc rods (assuming of course you are ledgering). Otherwise the fish aren't going to stand much chance and it wont give you that special feeling and rush of adrenaline you get when playing a fish. Assuming the fish are 5-8lbs in weight, you want something around 2 1/4lb tc with 8-10lb line. Thats my personal preference anyway !

4... Finally, we come to the rules. The most important part of the day. Be sure to check for licence regulations, rod limits, net requirements etc. The worst possible is to turn up at the fishery and be told to leave for something is wrong. Only happened to me once, but there was no signs for rules anyway.

So you have got your knowledge of the lake, you know the rules and you have the right tackle, so now what ???????

Well you have to choose a swim, basically one you like the look of or one where you know there is a special feature, anything which makes you feel more confident in catching. From personal experience I can tell you its a HORRIBLE feeling sitting in a swim where you have no confidence in catching. Baiting up is an important part as well. You need to keep the fish in your swim and eager to feed, so you dont overfeed them. "little and often" is a saying I like to go by. Every 10-15 minutes throw in a handfull of loose feed. This will keep the fish in your swim, hopefully long enough for them to find your hookbait !

The rest takes care of itself really, so I hope this helps you to cath more fish and have more fun !
Thanks for reading ! Luke

Fish Feeding Stimulant

2009-04-25T12:20:00.000+01:00

CC Moore has introduced there new Feed Stim XP which they believe to be the ultimate liquid fish feeding stimulant and recent field tests seem to confirm this.

Feed Stim xp is designed to be used on all bait items from bollies to groundbait and has had some spectacular results on some of the UK's most demanding lakes.

Feed Stim works be stimulates the fish's chemo receptors to encourage the fish to feed. The natural enhancer's are combined with a group of essential amino acids, in such a way that guarantees to supply fish with the nutrients they need but may find difficult to find in their natural environment.

It will not melt PVA and it creates a prolonged boost of attraction when used with method mix, pellets and groundbait mixes.

It is sold in screw top bottles and is priced at £11.99 for 250 ml and £38.99 for a litre.
for more detail visit http://www.ccmoore.com/

Sexing Carp

2009-04-25T12:10:00.001+01:00

For most of the year distinguishing between male and female common carp is not straightforward, but there are a number of visible clues which can be used to make an educated guess.

As a general rule males are slimmer than females, but the actual body shape varies between genetic strains, and to an extent is a function of diet and exercise regime, so this can be difficult to ascertain with only a couple of fish in the bank at any one time.

The nature of the genital opening can also offer some clues as to the sex of a fish, as in males this is generally concave and not particularly noticeable, while females it is more noticeable, and even slightly protruding. While these two features combined can allow an educated guess, it is not generally possible to be certain about the sex of a carp outside the breeding season.

In the run up to spawning however, there are a number of physiological changes which result in externally visible differences between the sexes, for much of the year the males are generally slimmer, but in the weeks leading up to spawning the abdomen of the female carp becomes noticeably distended as the eegs are swelled ready for release. The genital opening also becomes distended, protruding from the body and looking like a small fleshy tube. Meanwhile, male carp usually develop tubercles, small raised lumps, most noticeable on the head and gill plates. At this time the sexes even feel different, with the females being slippery and the male feeling noticeably rough to the touch.

The final, and conclusive, piece of evidence is the release of the reproductive products, with females releasing eegs and the male releasing sperm.

After spawning the tubercles on the males quickly disappear, but the genital opening in the female can remain visibly distended for a short period, and having released all of her eegs have a flaccid, saggy abdomen for a few weeks.

But very soon they regain condition, and it becomes very difficult to tell them apart again .. until next year

High oil trout pellets

2009-04-25T12:05:00.000+01:00

Carp fishing baits ... high oil trout pellets

Be careful what bait and Liquids you use when fishing for Carp, a lot of research is under way into how fish respond to baits with Hi Oil content typically Trout Pellets.
These pellets could contain up to 30% oil content depending on the size of pellet being used, the larger the pellet the higher the oil content.

The research is concentrating on the long term effect it has on their well being and this research is providing a strong case that these pellets can be in fact harmful to the fish; some fisheries in the uk are now considering banning baits with such high oil content.

In the last few years high oil pellets have become the trend on many waters as this is what fish farmers are feeding their stock on from fry upwards, fish soon recognized these oily pellets as a good food source. Anglers up and down the land soon wised up to this and day ticket waters across the country were being besieged with anglers using these high oil trout pellets, most anglers never gave a thought to what they were using for bait or the effects it may have on their quarry, and to be fair to them, all they were after was a bait that would catch fish and these oily pellets seemed to fit the bill perfectly, fish everywhere seemed to respond to them and anglers were happy as they were catching plenty of fish.

Gradually commercial venues got concerned about the level of oil that their fish where consuming and started to ban or restrict the amount of high oil pellets that anglers could use in a session.
The bait companies where quick to respond and started to manufacture low oil coarse pellets; these pellets are typically high in protein and come in a variety of sizes and colours. Fishmeal baits are now one of the favorite choices of the carp angler but flavors also now play a huge part Strawberry, Tuna, Maple and Chili to name but a few and some baits sound as if they are a culinary delight prepared by celebrity chefs.

I feel that a more sensible approach is needed, oily pellets are ok in moderation during the summer months when the fish are more active and can digest these pellets but come the colder months when the fish are less active opt for a more natural offering or a bait with more attraction than actual food content, our online bait shop offers a wide range of low oil pellets also liquids to enhance your baits, give them a try you will be amazed at their effectiveness.

http://www.pvaandpellets.co.uk/index.html
Sussex Carper is a dedicated angler who is committed to the welfare of fish and their habitat, he is a corporate sponsor of ECHO and has attended many courses on fish management, offering a wide range of pellets to sort all anglers with the essence on good nutrition view the range at www.pvaandpellets.co.uk/index.html

What's new in the world of tackle

2009-04-13T10:12:00.000+01:00

Quick Release Method Mould

Preston's Quick Release Method Mould has been developed to perfectly mould groundbait or small pellets around its method feeders.

The devise ensures that you get the same shape and weight of loaded feeder every time, which will improve your casting accuracy.

If you place your hookbait into the mould before loading the feeder, its also guarantees that your hook will sit at the top of the method ball so that fish can find it straight away.

The other advantage of this is that you can be sure your hook doesn't foul the Method Feeder

____________________________________________________________________
Quantum ECO Solar Carp Bag

This is a simply fantastic bit of kit that incorpaporates a solar panel in the lid. The bag itself is a standard mediem sized carryall with three external pockets - well made, but nothing special. But on the outside of the zipped lid is a small 7cm x 10cm solar panel attached to a compact battery box that fits a whole host of attachments.

Now you can charge your phone, regardless of the make, or maybe your MP3 player, on the bank. So however long your trip, as long as you've got some sunshine you'll have power.

A real breakthrough! Visit http://www.zebco-europe.com/

30 Carp Fishing Tips for Beginners and More Experienced Fishermen Pivotal for Success

2009-04-12T18:45:00.000+01:00

If you want a simple short-cut to carp fishing success you’ve come to the right place. This advice applies to any form of fishing because it is so vitally important. Here is a list of simple details that I wish I’d discovered when I began carp fishing when information was in much shorter supply. Over the years I have been shocked by the number of newer carp anglers who over-look the ultimate importance of their hooks and their hooking efficiency. So many unnecessary blank sessions come from anglers not realising details they’re missing on the end of their line and more awareness of aspects of the part of their tackle that truly matters the most...

Sometimes it’s very easy for a carp angler to get fixated by new products; like bait flavours, new boilies and pellets etc and the constant stream of new bivvies and ‘camo’ gear that emblazon the advertisement pages of glossy fishing magazines meant to seduce us. These products are very well designed to meet new anglers’ fashions and needs and specific purposes. However, the ability of a hook to actually hook a fish is a pretty old basic need and deserves far more personal attention from many anglers to improve the results of their fishing time and efforts spent.

The basis of the information below arrived from my use of thin wired light-weight ‘Kamasan’ hooks 25 years ago or more, which were extremely effective but occasionally opened-up on hooking bigger carp. The answer came in the form of very precisely sharpening thicker wire hooks like the ‘Kamasan’ low water salmon hooks with the longer shank. I have used this types of hook and many similar designs for years and believe their point’s angle of penetration to be absolutely ideal for my purposes. It’s proven superior in sea fishing applications for me also. (Ask England international Dion McFadden – ha ha ha!)

(You might bear in mind fishing hooks do not ‘hook’ fish by themselves, but require force, from a particular angle of line attached to make the point penetrate effectively enough to do its required job.)

In the ‘British Carp Study Group’ magazine (Spring 2007,) famous angler and one of the group’s scientific advisers, George Sharman, proposes that an ideal hook point penetration angle / line angle of force of 26 degrees transferred into the hook point is about right, teamed with an in-turned eye. This has shown ideal initial ‘pricking of fish’ and secure hook hold properties with hooks of varied gap sizes. Now I’m not an engineer, but my practical trials and experiences with hooks and indication / conversion to hooked fish leads me to similar conclusions. It may be noted that I’ve fished for more than a couple of decades using bite indicators and various set-ups tuned to register the minimum of line movement since positive benefits of this were first discovered in my winter fishing especially.

I personally use a sharpened hook and I realise this sound ‘antiquated’ perhaps today. But I consider it is vital for many surprising reasons laid out below. Hooks catch fish but many benefit from a little help and close attention to maximise their effectiveness. It takes personal fishing trials and indication / catch rate comparisons over time to achieve true confidence in the hooks you choose to use. Why not use the best designed best quality hooks you can buy for your personal fishing styles and activities, which may be extremely varied indeed.

Sharpening hook has many hidden benefits on the whole of your fishing and confidence levels and even thinking and approach to everything you do to catch fish.

Fishing hooks are often an after-thought when compared to the attention brought to bear on expensive carp rods and reels for instance. By disciplining yourself into sharpening every hook you use you not only get a great feel for the action and success of any hook pattern compared over time, but ensures that no faulty eyed or blunt pointed hooks are used which definitely cost you fish.

The easiest way to lose a fish is to give it the chance to consume your bait and have a hook either inefficiently penetrate its skin, or that has the wrong design for your rig purposes or situation, size or shape of bait, hook link material action etc. Your rig is the converter of attempted bait consummation. If it is not maximised in every way possible to convert attentions to your bait into hooked fish you may as well fish with no hook or no bait for the majority of your time spent fishing.

Most fish are lost without an angler ever realising a fish was ‘on’ in the first place, which is a shame and is one area the best most detail oriented tuned-in anglers excel out. This may seem ‘over the top’ but then why should you not benefit from little differences that set the best apart from the rest? Rigs don’t need to be complicated just as with baits, but it’s the attention to details in getting the complete process refined so the right bait and rig for any given fishing situation are the right ones. This can produce above average catch consistency without an angler having the added advantage of access to better bait techniques and technology or more fishing time available.

Don’t forget many hooks bought in packets may not be as sharp as is truly needed. Mostly a carp will hook itself, but on pressured waters a hook any less that past needle sharp can well mean many lost fish you never ever imagined had taken your bait into their mouths. A diamond hook sharpener is essential to me – I’d not bother fishing without treating my hooks to a very precisely formed diameter point and length of point too. I find a hook with a longer point which is well sharpened and thinned along its length makes a massive difference to numbers of bigger fish hooked. This ‘point’ applies to chemically sharpened hooks also.

OK, I’ve over-done sharpening sometimes and lost 40 pound plus fish at the net as the point opens, but would such fish have ‘spit’ the hook anyway and not been hooked? It’s very likely. Most anglers use a heavy lead on any of a range of rigs styles and lengths. But most don’t consider the fact that we are really trying to get around how the fish are feeding in response to angling pressure and associated feeding behaviours in response to what the anglers themselves are doing. Sure a heavy lead and tight line hooks lots of fish, but very often a light lead even at range with a longer hair and hook link will produce more fish and, often more warier bigger fish too.

If you find you are ‘dropping fish’ or ‘pulling out’ of them during the fight, or even getting odd single bleeps on the bite indicators which don’t produce positive action afterwards, try sharpening your hook. I cover my freshly sharpened hook with paste and coat the hair and bait in paste. I often use 2 or 3 types of homemade paste on a rig beside other boilie or paste baits for example in order to vary the solubility and rate of breakdown of bait and give the fish more to ‘think about’. This covers the taste of a sharpened hook and glint of hook metal before it oxidises and fades. Plus paste melting produces unusual bait movement and added dimensions to a curious fish.

In fact using paste on the hook and similar paste in different states in a PVA bag can really trip up fish even better than common set-ups that just use paste on the bait on a hair alone. I like to actually draw attention to the hook itself which is unusual these days. By using fresh balls of paste, air-dried paste and scalded paste bits together with a diversity of strategically included items in the PVA bag many fish seem to lose the grip on their ‘danger reference points’ momentarily. This is after all the aim of all our rig and bait efforts right?

If you’re still not convinced, why not trial identical rigs with sharpened and unsharpened hooks and see the difference over a range of hook designs. The results will be clear; I actually refined my results using rigs and a range of hook patterns to hook very shy biting crucian carp. I could actually observe the fish taking each bait and I was shocked that many makes and designs straight from the packet rarely produced a hooked fish. Often a fish would get hooked and get off in a second, while others stayed in the mouth despite attempts to twist and shake the hook out. I do appreciate that the quality and technology and design involved in hooks has been raised over the years by manufacturers but a personally physically sharpened hook has enormous benefits.

The realities of simple peace of mind and improved confidence that you are fishing as efficiently as possible really counts especially on tougher waters and when fish are not ‘playing the game!’ Using the most important piece of your fishing tackle which you have intimately inspected and shaped yourself really does produce more fish; getting into the habit of being more detail oriented adds up and the extra effort even influences your effectiveness in fish location and swim choice, thinking and approach to bait and efforts to minimise lazy conventional fishing practices whose edge has already passed.

As its Christmas coming up why not invest in a hook sharpener and really experiment in achieving the longest sharpest hook points possible, perhaps while watching all that Christmas TV. (I have no connection with ‘Fox International’ except I used to fish alongside Cliff (ha ha ha!) But their bar shaped diamond sharpeners are the most effective tool I’ve used for many years now.) The effort of sharpening your hooks will really pay you back for sure. It did for carp fishing legend Richard Walker...

Best of all, doing this will raise your confidence when you cast your rig into those cold winter waters, where a fish may only be willing to move just a few inches to feed and an extremely sharp hook is all you may have to initially efficiently hook a winter fish. Especially at times such as this, just a few minutes in concentrated effort sharpening your hooks, could well produce for you a very memorable fish worthy of your efforts.

By Tim Richardson.

About The Author
Tim Richardson is a homemade carp and catfish bait-maker, and proven big fish angler. His bait making and bait enhancing books / ebooks are even used by members of the “British Carp Study Group” for reference. View this dedicated bait secrets website now... For the unique and acclaimed new massive expert bait making / enhancing ‘bibles’ ebooks / books: “BIG CATFISH AND CARP BAIT SECRETS!” And: “BIG CARP BAIT SECRETS!” (AND "FLAVOUR, FEEDING TRIGGERS AND CHEMORECEPTION SECRETS") SEE: http://www.baitbigfish.com

Which Liquids

2009-04-12T18:28:00.000+01:00

In this article, I will try to give you a list of the best liquids to use when fishing for carp. Everyone has different ideas as to which is their favourite but I hope to give you some choices.

Ming Oil.

This liquid is a ruby, fishy blend and is considered to be one of the best warm water carp attractors when splashed over any sort of pellets to add real pulling power. It’s also good in any boil mix, use 20-30 ml to per 1 kilo of dry mix.

Marmite.

Like the saying goes, you either love it or you hate it, well carp seem to love it. This is salty and very rich in vitamin B and they do seem to like it. Use between 15-30 ml with 6 eggs in a boil mix, sometimes warming the jar makes it easier to work with. Beware your bait may soften quicker in the pond, I also use dog biscuits soaked in marmite when fishing on the surface.

Corn Steep Liquor.

This is one of the biggest corn steep liquors or CSL is a brown thick liquid made during glucose extraction from maize. You can use this in a boil mix, pour it neat over ground bait or splash it over pellets. There are different qualities around and prices but try to buy one that’s not been watered down to much as it looses its effectiveness.

Liquid Molasses.

Liquid molasses can come in many different strengths and sweetness’s. It can range from top quality to a bitter black strap molasses. It’s very thick, sticky and tastes a bit like sugar that’s been burnt. This liquid is very cheap and does not sound exciting which is perhaps why more anglers don’t use it, but I find it quite good. Use it in a boil mix at 15 ml with six eggs or try it direct on pellets or something else.

Squirrel Dip.

Squirrel dip is a blend of several concentrated extracts and liquid foods. It is very reliable of getting a bite off a carp, whether it is in the warmer or colder months.

This is good whether you use it in a mix or as a dip. You can only get it through

Yateley Angling Centre or Tackle Box.

By using these liquids for carp fishing it has been known to catch carp up to 40lbs in weight but you must be sure to have the right tackle to land these big fish.

About The Author
Jeff Ryall runs a sports website that focuses on information about sport and sport related products. You can enjoy reading tips, tricks and techniques about golf at his site at http://fishermensfriend1.blogspot.com

Got your own views then e-mail me at wetnets@googlemail.com

Accuracy is the key to success

2009-04-12T18:18:00.000+01:00

As a Carp specimen hunter I have fished many well known venues and being able to cast to the exact same spot every time is essential if you are going to succeed in catching that big one. There is no point spoding out 10lb of bait all over the lake and then casting your hook baits yards from where you need to be, there is a sure fire way to get your spod bait and hook bait in exactly the same spot every single time, when a friend of mine showed me this technique my catch rate improved dramatically.

Let me give you a scenario that I am sure you have all come across. You arrive at the lake and you pick you peg, the lake is well known for weed and before you can start to fish you have to find a clear area which you can spod out to and cast your hook baits to. I keep this simple, I setup one rod and cast to an area that I like the look of, before you do this pick a specific feature on the far bank, could be a tree, building or set of lily pads, anything will do, this will be your casting line, you will always aim for this line. At this point I have no rig attached just my weight. I then retrieve the weight by very slowly pulling the rod towards me, you will easily feel the weight pulling through the weed, reel in the slack line and pull the rod backwards again, when you find a clear spot you will feel the difference as the weight moves freely across the bottom, this is the weed free area, stop pulling, this is the spot you want!.

Now, you need to be able to cast to this exact spot every time, accuracy is key to your success. This is what we do now, you have your weight in the clear, weed free area, don't move it, simply get some electrical tape and put a small piece at the end of your rod tip, just wrap the tape around the line and trim off, this gives you a marker on line, so when you recast using the feature on the far bank you picked earlier you simply reel the line in until you can see that tape at the end of the rod tip, now you have your bait in exactly the same spot and distance every time you cast out!

Now do the same for your second rod, use the same method and you have two rods that you can cast out to a clear area in exactly the same spot every time!.

As you probably already know Carp fishing requires lots of bait, especially if you are on a long session and fishing through the night. You have to be able to spod your free baits out to this exact spot where your hook baits are going to be, so how do we do this? This is how.

You already have your line of cast, remember we picked the features on the far bank?, so we use the same features, that way we know we have the correct line, but how are we going to get the distance right for the spod rod, we have no tape on the line, this is what we do. Get one of the bait rods with the tape on the line, put your reel on free spin or take the bail arm off and walk up the bank with the end of the line in your hand, when you get to the tape at the end of the rod tip stop, this is the correct distance, lay the line on the ground, it will stay there as you have your weight attached. Now simply get the spod rod and do the same, walk up the bank to where you left the other line, hen you get there, don't put tape on the spod rod line just go back to the reel and clip the line up on the reel, most reels have line clips!.

Now you can cast the spod rod out and it will hit the line clip and exactly the right distance, how easy is that!.

I hope you enjoyed this tip, it has worked wonders for me, and you can always email me if you need any further help at the address below, tight lines and remember accuracy is critical to your fishing success.

If you would like more great tips please feel free to visit my site, http://www.FishingGuide4u.com
Steve Kempsonhttp://www.FishingGuide4u.com email - L.kempson@btinternet.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Kempson

Got your own tips or experiences then e-mail me at: wetnets@googlemail.com

Surface fishing for Carp

2009-04-12T18:04:00.000+01:00

If you have not tried surface fishing for Carp you are missing out on a really fantastic and exciting method of Carp fishing There is nothing like seeing the big swirl around your bait and then that slurping sound as your surface bait is taken by what is usually the larger than average Carp.

I have tried many methods of surface fishing and can tell you they all work and one of the most interesting facts is that the Carp you catch are usually bigger that what you will take from a bottom bait, I don't know why this is but previous experience has always shown me when I take a Carp from the surface its a nice one and bigger then the average bear !.

We can use many different types of baits for surface fishing, dog biscuits, pop-up boilies, ready made floaters specially prepared with delicious flavours, the list is endless all of these works but my favourite is the old trusted bread crust. I have caught more Carp on floating bread than any other method and to set this up is really simple, I will explain this for you in a moment.

I see many anglers using what we call the 'controller float' this is simply a float that is heavily weighted for casting distance and we have a 3 to 4ft tail with our bait usually sitting on the surface behind the float. Now, don't get me wrong this is a good method you can cast virtually anywhere but I have always found one major problem with this method the float will not stay in the prime area where you want it, especially if its a windy day, you know the spot by the Lillie pads where you have catapulted those free offerings and those carp are taking them like food is going out of fashion!.

I decided it was time for a change and tried something so simple it just could not work, or could it!, yes you are right it worked and it worked so well I could cast my bait out to the exact spot I wanted and it never moved, perfect!.

So, what method did I use, here it is, please do not under estimate this method because its looks to simple I have found this to be very effective whenever I have used it, this is what you do. You setup a simple ledger rig, free running, slide the ledger on to the line, add a ledger stop below the ledger, one side only we need this to be free running and then tie on our hook, for crust fishing I will usually use a size 8 or 6 hook.

Now we start with a tail of about 2 to 3 ft add some bread crust and cast out, id the bread does not rise to the surface our tail is to short and the depth of the water is deeper than 2 or 3 ft. We slide the ledger of another foot, re-cast until we can see the bread floating in top of the water. I have used this method in water that is over 10ft deep, so I had a ten foot tail but can still cast this out easily.

So, now we have our weight sitting on the bottom and out bread floating on the surface, and yes you guessed, it will stay exactly where you cast it, even if there is a Gail force wind!.

Give this method a try, I guarantee you will have great success, there are many more tips on my website here www.fishingGuide4u.com May all your fish be big ones tight lines!

Article written by Steve Kempson, 30 years of fishing experience and a lover of the sport. For more great fishing reviews please visit http://www.fishingguide4u.com/
email - L.kempson@btinternet.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Kempson

Got your own Experiences you wont to share then contact me at: wetnets@googlemail.com

My first twenty..By Steve Kepson

2009-04-12T17:38:00.000+01:00

I started fishing as a small boy around the Birmingham area, mostly on the canals and small lakes in the public parks. It did not take me long to catch my first Carp and of all things it came from the canal just half a mile from where I used to live. I can remember thinking what the hell have I got here as my little 6ft spinning rod doubled over and the line ripped from my reel at the speed of a roaring train. I landed the fish at it was a 10lb 2oz mirror, from that day I was hooked (excuse the pun!) and Carp fishing took over my life, as it does with many of us !.

It was not long before I became obsessed with catching my first 20lb carp and I went everywhere trying, the canal did produce other carp for me but none of them hit the 20lb mark and I spent many lonely nights on the canal bank, sometimes feeling very isolated and scared, fishing the canals in Birmingham can be a scary thing and I would not recommend doing this these days, make sure you have some friends with you!

There were many day fisheries springing up all over the country boasting of 20lb and 30lb fish and I knew they were there but could I catch that twenty, NO I always ended up just short and went home disappointed to fight another day.

So, to cut a very long story short a mate of mine told me about Horseshoe lake which boated big fish and there were lots being caught, I guess part of the answer for me was if I really wanted to catch a twenty I had to fish where they were, and Horseshoe is where they were !.

Armed with every carp bait you could imagine off we went to Horseshoe, we had booked a mid-week session as we were not members and we fished from Monday to Wednesday, we were luck and managed to get the double peg in the winter bay. Horseshoe is exactly what it suggests and lake in the shape of a horseshoe, with a summer bay which is quite shallow and a deeper winter bay where the fish move into when the weather gets colder.

We were fishing in the winter bay on the double peg about half way up the bay. Horseshoe is very weedy and you have to find a gravel spot by casting out and slowly pulling your tackle back, I found my spot about 80 yards out, a clear patch probably no bigger than 3 foot long and 4 foot wide. I clipped up and put two rods out hitting the patch after about 7 or 8 casts!!.

I had read so much about complex rigs and super wonder baits but the truth is if Carp are in the mood they are in the mood and will eat anything, this has always been my experience. So, out went both rods with the same bait on tiger nut flavour boilies, my mate decided to use his tried and trusted Maze.

Having cast out the rods, then came the really hard work, horseshoe is no easy lake, you have to work hard, I know people who have spent a whole week at this lake and never had a run!!, this was my first visit and that was not going to happen to me, or was it!!

I had a spod mix of maze, hemp, corn and shopped boilies and I must have spodded out about 50lb well it seemed like that anyway, and my arm was dropping off after the first night. So, the rods were out, Tiger nut boilies on both of them, the areas was baited up and the wait was on. The first night I had a run at about 02:00, yep she was on and I lost her, the hook pulled out I was devastated, she was a big-un I could tell. No action during the day so we eagerly await the next night, bingo my left hand rod went off like a train and I landed my first carp, was it my first twenty NO, she weighed in at 18lb, dam just two pound short !!.

I was beginning to think it was not going to happen, we were on our last night, this was my last chance was that twenty going to come. I sat up for most of that last night praying for a run, the last thing I remember was looking at the clock 04:00 and I must have fell asleep.

I was woken by my left hand rod screaming off at 06:30, I could not believe it, we were packing up in just two hours and I was in to what felt like a very big fish, no mad dashing around the lake just heavy thumping on the rod top. After about 10 minutes I had the fish in the net and I knew it was a 20lb yippeeee. The fish actually weighed 29lb 4oz so not only did I catch my first 20lb I nearly had my first 30lb !!.

Horseshoe was kind to me, two fish in three days and a 29lb fish to end with.

So what’s the morale of this story, if you want to catch a twenty or thirty go and fish where they are !! Keep it simple and pray...

Steve Kempsonhttp://www.FishingGuide4u.com email - L.kempson@btinternet.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Kempson

Got your own experiences you wish to share then E-Mail me at wetnets@googlemail.com