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Unhooking an eel
You have all caught an eel at
sometime and know the hassle you have with keeping it still to
unhook it! The answer is to mark a big cross onto your
unhooking mat and drop it onto it. Why? Well this is what an old angler told me
many years ago when I was a young lad just starting fishing. At
first I thought he was just taking the mickey out of me for being a
novice. BUT!! I had hooked an eel. Ok, he said,
draw a cross on a flat part of the bank using a stick or the side of
your boot. This I did. Reel in the eel and
drop it on the cross (on its back if you can). I did
and within seconds it stopped moving, as if it was dead!!!
Now you have time to unhook it and return it to the water.
The old mans story / reason for this was: The cross represents a
crucifix. The eel is the fish of the Devil and like the Devil if it
is faced with a cross it is subdued. (probably a load of baloney but
it has worked every time for me) TRY IT YOURSELF AND LET ME KNOW THE
OUTCOME!!!
jim@fish-uk.com
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Worm fishing
When fishing with worms nip off the tail end. This gets them
wriggling more and also adds more flavour and smell to your swim
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Using a stick float
When using a stick float always use 3 float rubbers so if one snaps
you don't have to tackle up all over again
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Hold back when trotting
When trotting you must fish over depth and hold your float back to
let the hook sink if you want your bait to trail along the bottom.
This is because the surface flow of a river is always faster than
the flow near the bottom. At the end of your run through always hold
back for a few seconds. You'll often find this brings a bite.
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Bites dry up when trotting
When your trotting and catching fish and the bites dry up, try
altering the depth. The fish are probably still there but higher or
lower in the water
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Chewed maggots
If you get chewed maggots shorten the hook length or move the bottom
shot nearer to the hook. If this don't work try hooking the maggot
in the middle (handlebar style)
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Flavours & Colourings
When your wife or partner goes to your local supermarket surprise
her and say, ' Wait a minute, I'll come and help you darling'. (hee
hee). When you get there have a look round the food flavours &
colouring shelves. There is loads and they are a lot cheaper than
the commercial ones just for anglers. I use mainly vanilla and I've
had good success. For red colour I use cochineal. Also try custard
powder in with your maggots. It lumps up a bit but don't worry about
this.
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Lack of bites
If your not getting bites try twitching the bait. This sometimes
makes all the difference
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Stop your float drifting
When waggler fishing on a stillwater if there is a breeze or its
windy, overcasting and winding back with the rod tip underwater
sinks your line and stops your float being pulled out of position
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Feeding correctly
When feeding, don't throw lots of bait in at the start and sit on
it, little and often is best.
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Can't see your float
If the light makes it hard to see the flouro tip of your float do as
I do;
Carry a black marker pen and a bottle of tipex (typewriter
correction fluid bought from your local stationary shop). If there
is not much light or its overcast paint the tip with 2 - 3 coats (it
dries quickly) and you have an easily seen white tipped float. If
the light is bright, after painting the tip as I've said, colour the
tip with the marker pen, you then have an easily seen black tipped
float. Also it is easy to use your thumbnail to scrape off the tipex
back to the original tip.
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Plumb the depth
Once you've plumbed the depth
of the water you're going to be fishing, put your hook onto the rod
ring nearest the reel and tighten the line (reel in the loose line).
Using the tipex I advised you to carry, mark on your rod where the
float is. Now if you alter the depth or get snapped off all you have
to do is put the hook put your hook back to the rod ring and you've
got the original depth you were fishing at.
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Missing fish, 'on the drop'
If the fish are up in the water and taking maggots 'on the drop' and your missing the bites then instead of hooking your maggots through the end as normal try hooking them in the middle.
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Raking for tench
If you are going tench fishing, take a rake with you. Before you set
up rake around the bottom of your swim. (ask the fishery owner if
this is ok to do first!). It attracts the Tench and they seem to
love searching for food in the murky water of a freshly raked swim
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Bubble float
I always buy the clear ones. Fishing within seeing distance I can
watch the bait for bites. Fishing further out and depending on the
light I can always use the old faithful tipex to colour it white and
marker pen over the tipex to colour it black
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Bubble float hook length
Some agree with this some don't. A straight through line of say 10lb
will give you better chance in the weed once a big fish is hooked,
but if it snaps off the fish can be left with the hook in its mouth
trailing the float about. I always use a hook length from the bubble
float of 3/4 (75%) breaking strain of the main line. Then if it
snaps off the fish isn't left trailing the float around
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Discard old hooks and line
Your line and hook are the two most important items of your fishing
tackle. When I finish a session I will pull off the reel 3 or 4
yards (3 or 4 metres) of line, wrap it round my hand, tie it up and
put it in my tackle box. This line could be frayed or weakened. When
I get home I always discard the line AND the hooks I've used. They
WILL be blunt and for what they cost I do not want to miss the
probable catch of a lifetime because of weak line or a blunt hook.
Hooks used for sea fishing are a different case as most of these can
be re-sharpened but I still discard 3 or 4 yards (3 or 4 metres) of
line.
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Deeply hooked fish
If the fish has obviously
swallowed the bait right down and you can't get it out with your
disgorger or forceps, simply cut the line off as close to the hook
as possible and allow the fish to swim away. The fish will usually
be able to get rid of the hook itself, especially if it has no barb, or it will
be dissolved. Never pull on the line of a gut hooked fish in an
attempt to recover your hook, this will severely injure the fish and
will probably kill it.
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Fishing with Bread
This tip
was sent in by Mark Dodson. Thanks Mark.
If you intend surface fishing with bread in the summer why not try
preparing the bread baits the night before. Whether it be round
(boilie style), basic torn style or moulded, simply shape your
chosen style (I prefer thick sliced, white or brown if you prefer.
Once you have your chosen style, leave on a large baking tray to dry
out naturally and you will end up with a white toast effect but
still soft in the centre. This method will float twice as long and
will stay on the hook better for more distance casts.
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