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A guide to coarse fishing
for the absolute beginner.
Welcome to Angling,
On the following pages you will find
information on the basic fishing tackle you will need to go coarse
fishing and what you need to know to start fishing for coarse fish. I
have given a run down of the fishing tackle you will need and how to
set it up for float fishing and the general techniques for fishing.
I hope you find the information helpful
and interesting.
Tight Lines
Jim
What you need to know before you
catch your first fish.
What is Fishing?
Fishing (also called Angling) is the sport of catching fish,
freshwater or saltwater, typically with rod, line and hook. Fishing
originated as a means of providing food for survival.
In its most basic form, fishing is throwing out a fishing line and
pulling in the fish when it goes for your baited fishing hook or
fishing lure. It sounds so plain and simple, however, throughout the
history of fishing, various fishing disciplines have emerged that
target specific fishing conditions and species of fish. These fishing
variations have their own unique fishing equipment, know-how, and
technical skills. The type of water in which they are done, the kind
of fish targeted, as well as the kind of fishing equipment used.
read more here
ROD LICENCE
Any angler aged 12 years or over, fishing for salmon, trout,
freshwater fish or eels in England (except the River Tweed), Wales or
the Border Esk and its tributaries in Scotland must have an
Environment Agency rod licence. You can buy your rod licence at Post
Offices, by telephone or online
Check here
Be warned!
It is an offence to fish for freshwater fish and eels without a valid
rod licence and if you do you are looking at a fine of up to £2,500.
If your
serious about taking up fishing then it is cheaper to buy a 12 month
licence. If you are unsure then I would suggest buying a 1 day
or 8 day licence.
CLOSE SEASON
Close season
means no fishing (you are not allowed to fish in
certain areas in a specified period)
Coarse fish
close season - 15th March to 15th June inclusive.
The coarse fish close season applies to all rivers, streams and drains
in England & Wales, but does not apply to most stillwaters, however,
there are some exceptions that retain the close season.
Recent byelaw changes mean that the coarse fish close season does not
apply to most canals in England and Wales; again there are some
exceptions.
In the areas where there is no coarse fishing close season the fishery
owners and angling clubs are free to introduce a close season through
club or fishery rules if they wish to.
Check here
Fish welfare.
The welfare
of the fish is paramount to the the future of fishing and all fish that are
caught must be returned to the water without injury.
Preferably use barbless hooks as these do less damage to fish. They are a lot
easier to remove as well.
Handling fish.
All fish are covered with a protective layer of slime and this acts as
the first line defence against parasitic infections, bacteria, and
other diseases that a fish may contract.
When you catch a fish you must make sure you don’t remove too much of
this protective coating, so always wet your hands before handling the
fish and never use a cloth to hold a fish. ALWAYS unhook fish quickly
but carefully and return them to the water as quickly as possible. If
the fish is too large to hold, don't unhook it on the ground as this
can damage it and remove the slime, use an unhooking mat. With a
smaller fish hold it tightly so that it doesn’t flap about and slip
out of your hands onto the ground but don't hold it too tight or you
may damage its internal organs.
Unhooking
a fish.
Never pull on the line to remove a hook from a fish - this WILL NOT
work without seriously injuring the fish.
If the fish is lip hooked you may be able to remove it using your
fingers. If the fish is hooked inside its mouth and you can see the
hook use a disgorger (a thin plastic or metal rod with a slot in the
end). Hold the line tight and put the slot of the disgorger over the
line and slide it along the line until you reach the hook. Push the
hook in the opposite direction to the way it went in until it is free
and then carefully remove it. If the fish is deeply hooked and cant be
removed it is better to cut the line as close to the hook as possible.
The hook will dislodge itself or will eventually rust away. If its a
Perch and its deep hooked, these fish can bleed VERY easily, have a
careful go with a disgorger and if it wont come free, cut the line as
close to the hook as possible. Using barbless hooks make removal a lot
easier!
Returning fish to the water
NEVER throw a fish back into the
water. Always get down close to the water to release a fish and let
the fish swim away. If it is a large fish, especially Barbel, it may
have tired itself out while you were catching it. In this case hold
the fish in the water facing the current until it is ready to swim
away. Moving the fish backwards and forwards sometime aids its
recovery.
next -
float fishing tackle for coarse fishing
Guide to Coarse Fishing for Beginners
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