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A guide to coarse fishing for the
absolute beginner - page 4
Ok, your all set up, lets catch
some fish!
Your
all tackled up and the fish are waiting.
Start
off by throwing about a dozen (12) maggots into the area you
will be fishing. This is called, 'loose feeding', and it is done
so that the fish get used to seeing your bait and to try and
tempt the fish in the area to take your baited hook.
Now take
a couple of white maggots and put them on your hook. Do this by piercing the
hook through the maggots head (thick end is the head, pointed
end the tail).
Casting.
Casting can be tricky and takes
time to learn but with practice you will get it right!
Please note, this is a simple guide to casting while coarse
fishing. Fly fishing casting is a different matter. I am not a
fly fisherman so will not attempt to describe this casting. For
more information take a look
Generally when fly fishing a Centrepin reel is used and there is
a special technique involved when casting with a Centrepin reel.
I'm not a fly fisherman and for me to try and describe this
casting technique would be almost impossible. To learn how to
cast when fly fishing I suggest you have a lesson with a
fishing instructor.
Hywel Morgan, fly fishing tuition and casting instructor,
has produced a DVD on the various types of fly casting and its
well worth a look - see
website for preview.
-
Make sure there are no trees or other obstacles behind you.
-
Thinking of a clock (with 12 o'clock pointing straight up
and 10 o'clock in front of you)
hold the rod with one hand near the reel and the other near
the butt of the rod pointing to 10 o'clock in front of you.
(If you are right handed this is the hand near the reel - left
handed vice versa)
-
Let
out enough line so that your hook is around 3 feet off the
ground.
-
Open the bail arm of the reel and use your forefinger to trap
the line against the rim to stop any line coming off.
Now
the next bit needs to be done in one smooth movement . . QUICKLY
(read note below)
-
Move the rod back over your head to the 2 o'clock position and
then punch it forward and stop at the 10 o'clock position.
-
A
split second before the 10 o'clock position remove your finger
from the spool to let your rig fly out and pull line of the
reel.
-
Just before it hits the water lower your rod to parallel with
the water and put your finger back on the spool to stop the
line coming off and your rig should fall in the water in a
line with the hook furthest from you.
-
Now
dip the rod tip under the water and reel in to where you
intend to fish (this will sink the line and help stop your
float drifting with the wind blowing across the water)
Note. The forward movement
should be slightly faster than the backward movement and timing
of the line release is crucial.
Cast
a bit further than you intend to fish then you can dip the rod
tip under the water and reel in to where you intend to fish.
This will sink the line.
You will no doubt have a few mishaps but stick at it. We all
mess up sometimes even after years of fishing !
Feeding
After
you have cast out throw 6 to 12 maggots around your float. Your
hook will sink to the bottom and your float will settle with
just the tip showing. Now you watch your float and wait for a
bite (a fish attempting to eat your maggots) this will be
noticeable by the float either disappearing under the water or
lifting up out of the water. Every couple of minutes throw 6
maggots around your float. The rule for 'loose feeding' is
'little and often'. You want to tempt the fish but not overfeed
them.
Striking and playing a fish
When
you get a bite - you must 'strike' (no, not down tools). Holding
your rod near the reel and in one swift movement lift it up in
an arc over your head until you feel the resistance of the fish.
If you can feel resistance on the line you have hooked the fish. Keeping the line taut,
start to reel in and at the same time lower the rod top towards
the water so there is a slight angle
between rod and line - don't point the rod straight at the fish.
If it is a small fish you will probably be able to reel it in
and 'net it' (use your landing net).
With a large fish you will need to keep the line taut but let the
fish swim about and tire itself out first. If it starts to 'take line'
(swim away from you pulling line off the reel) there isn't a lot
you can do about this except keep the pressure on. (this is why
you set the drag earlier) You may have to put your finger on the spool
to stop the line if it starts swimming too far away. You will learn
through experience when to do this.
Note. When striking as soon
as you feel resistance stop lifting your rod or you could pull
the hook out of the fish. Always keep tension on the line when
playing a fish.
Landing a fish
Holding the handle, place the landing net in the water and using
your rod with the line taut, guide the fish to your net. When
the fish is over your net lift it up to trap the fish. A small
fish (as a guide a fish up to 8 oz) can be lifted out of the
water, try to do this with a large fish and you stand the chance
of the net breaking away from the handle. With a big fish, once
its in the net you will have to pull the net through the water
closer to the bank and lift the fish out of the water holding
the sides of the net itself.
Now you have netted a fish you have to unhook it.
This
was covered on page one
'What you need to know before you catch your first fish'
As a re-cap
. . . .
Hold the
fish 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.
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 without damaging the fish it is better to cut the line as close to the hook as possible.
The hook will dislodge itself or will eventually rust away. Perch can
bleed VERY easily. so if its a Perch and its deep hooked, have a
careful go with the disgorger and if it wont come free cut the line as
close to the hook as possible.
With the
hook removed, get down close to the water and release the fish and let
it swim away.
Fish caught, unhooked and put back safely.
That's it. You have set up your own
fishing tackle, baited your own hook. fed your swim, cast your rig,
caught, landed and returned your first fish. You can now
officially call your self an ANGLER !
WELL DONE
Tight lines
Jim
If
the information on these pages have
helped you in any way drop me a line.
jim@fish-uk.com
Guide to
Coarse Fishing for Beginners |
page
2 |
page
3 | page 4
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