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Here's just a few Do's and Don't for the new comer, or like myself, the 'second time around' angler.
Firstly, why i'm a second time around angler.
When I was very young, around six or seven years old, my grandfather was a keen and quite successful angler of our local rivers and canals here in West Yorkshire. Luckily for me (not so lucky for my grandfather) we lived only two streets away from each other, so I was able to tag along on some of his Sunday fishing trips. My grandmother would send us on our way with our sandwiches along with my flask of hot chocolate, and grandads obligatory bottles of beer.
Upon arrival at one of my grandfathers favorite fishing spots we (or more honestly) my grandfather would set out our 'stalls'. My grandfather, throughout the operation, would have me doing one or two odd jobs, tying the occasional knot, putting landing nets together, making sure I could do them all correctly and knew why I should do them correctly. Then we would be ready to 'drown some maggots'.
Being of that young age I would sit there contently listening to my grandfather pointing out what I should be looking for to indicate the presence of fish in our swim along with hazards or snags that should be avoided. Unfortunately (again for my grandfather) once I had munched my sandwiches and slugged down grandma's most excellent hot chocolate I would lose my concentration, and my mind (usually taking the rest of me with it) would wander off the current task in hand and find other forms of entertainment, such as skimming stones, climbing trees etc. As a result of this my fishing was never as successful as my grandfathers but never the less, I loved every minute of the time I spent with him, god rest him and his more than patient soul.
Being an adult now with two children of my own and hopefully having learned the art of patience, I have spent the last twelve months re-learning the art of angling. and having done this with moderate success, I would like to pass on a few good tips I have had passed on to me, along with some basic do's and dont's to get you started.
DO's
1, Make sure you are legal. Always make sure you have a valid fishing or rod licence that carries the relevant categories of fishing you are taking part in, and carry it with you when fishing. Your rod licence is not a permit to fish in any river, canal, lake or pond that takes your fancy, its a licence to use a fishing rod where you have paid to fish, where you have permission to fish or where there are no restictions (private or public) on that particular stretch. Being legal also means knowing 'open and closed' seasons, and only fishing in only the open seasons on that particular stretch. Not following this basic set of rules could cost you your fishing licence, your fishing tackle, a hefty fine, or worst case scenario, a spell behind bars!
2, Preserve nature and respect your surroundings. Always make sure you follow the country code. Make sure on private land you have permission to be there AND fish. Close gates behind you, stay to known and used paths and tracks where possible. Disturb as little of your surroundings as possible. Take ALL of your litter along with any evidence of your fishing with you when leaving, this means any used or broken takle, bait bags or packaging.
3, Now for the fishing stuff! Buy a good book or DVD, usually an angling family member or friend can recommend (or even better lend) you a good fishing book with basic knots and set ups and with diagrams to get you started, failing that a library or fishing tackle shop could point you in the right direction. Reading the whole book/watching the whole DVD, trying to digest it, and putting everything into practice can be a bit daunting. I would personally recommend, that you initially concentrate on understanding the very basic knots, set ups or 'end tackle' (the stuff at the hook end of the line) and practice tying or setting them up an a piece of spare line while at home untill you are confident and feel ready to catch some fish.
4, Buy only the tackle you need to get started and that you can easily afford (the internet, car boot sales, second hand shops can be aladdins caves for these because second hand tackle is fine for starting with), whether its for spinning, lure, feeder, ledger, waggler, fly etc. Personally I chose one specific set up which I felt confident trying and which was suitable for the type of fishing I was going to be doing, I stuck to that for a few weeks, might have been over a month before I bought anything else other than bait.
5, Stay local. When first starting out, try (where possible) to stay local for most things. Its usually best to use your local fishing tackle shop as they get to know your face and particular type of fishing. Its a good idea
to be honest and open about any advice you may need from them, generally they have a good knowledge of local clubs, waters and the methods on those waters that get results. If you try and convince them that you know more than you actually do, they will be less likely to help in the future. Using local fishing spots is not only convenient, but gets you out and about with the chance of getting to know other anglers in your area (another good source of information and advice).
6, Be patient. You may not be the next world champion angler and pull fish in constantly one after another all day every day, but dont let that put you off. Like I have already recommended, get to know you local fishing spots intimately, knowing the currents, the drop off's, the weedy areas, the gravelly runs, the sunken trees etc, and just as importantly the fish that inhabit these areas, and even more importantly what method is best for tempting them from these spots and onto your hook. Make sure you are sitting in a comfortable position and have your tackle easily to hand. Too much movement or shadows from the bank can easily spook your quarry and drastically affect your results.
7, Return your catch. In my opinion it is always better to catch and return your catch as cleanly (as little harm and handling as possible) and as quickly as you safely can. Ok, I understand you may like to weigh or possibly take a picture of your catch before returning it but a tip for this would be to have everything you need to do this already set up and readily available to hand. Always make an effort to wet your hands when possible before handling your catch as it causes less distress and is less likely to cause harm to the fish. Ensure any nets you are using are clean and in good condition, net dips are generally available at your local tackle shops or there are dip tanks to use on private fishing spots. This prevents damage or infection to your catch or a cross contamination of swims you use regularly. Some areas or swims may have restrictions or requests for specific species or size of fish not to be returned (a neccessary evil in my mind, but if done for beneficial reasons, then its a must never the less) this could be due to over population, a fungus or particular disease that targets that particular species. The only time I have come across a size restriction of this type myself was for pike over a certain weight which were being culled due to over population and their effects on the other species in the same waters. I didnt fish for pike that day myself as I am not totally comfortable with idea of taking part in any kind of cull myself, even though i understand its needed in some cases.
DONT'S
1, Get bogged down with advice or information. Take everything at a pace you are comfortable with. The information and advice you will need will always be available to you, take it when needed, and your ability and budget allows. Just because an angler you know to be successful recommends a £150, 6 ball bearing, all singing, all dancing reel, it doesn't mean you have to sell you grandmothers antique pearl neckleace that day and get it. If you are just starting out, chances are, you've no idea what the best conditions for using it are, or what half the jargon in the instruction manual is about, meaning you wont get the best (or your moneys worth) from that particular piece of equipment. Stick to second hand tackle for as long as you can, its usualy been looked after, the owner or seller can usually give basic pointers on where, when, and how to get the best results from it, and it can save you ££££££££'s AND just because something is shiny, it doesnt make it any better than any other piece of tackle!!!!
2, Dont try and target a specific species of fish when first starting out, vary your quarry or leave it to pot luck. Just work on your different tactics. There are many different practices for catching fish in many different kinds of conditions. Some of these are the same or simillar for different kinds of fish, so its my recommendation to get the technique working for you before trying to apply it to one specific species.
3, Dont think bigger is better. Ok it would be nice to land a 35lb Carp for your first fish, but lets face it, would you have a clue what to do with a dustbin lid sized fighting fish once you have it near the bank?? Keep your tackle small and light, get comfortable and confident landing, unhooking / handling, and returning your catch before going after the loch ness monster.
4, Dont let the condition of your tackle let you down. Keep your gear clean, maintained and ready to use (as you start to get results you'll be amazed at what opportunities you will take/make to go fishing at short notice). Having it there and ready to go means you can have it all together with minimum fuss and checking and have it in the car and be on your way in a lot less time. Less time getting ready means more time fishing.....it might be the early bird that gets the worm, but its the earlier worm thats up, gone and on the end of a line catching fish before the early bird has had chance to wipe the sleep from its eyes!
5, Dont be afraid to join a local fishing club, no matter what your ability or experience. The membership fee's usually include exclusive fishing areas and the possibility of guest fishing spots too. Members usually have regular meetings to discuss maintenance parties to be carried out on the clubs fishing spots and other club business. The members are usually more than willing (often a lot more than willing) to offer advice and invites for fishing. go along to a meeting and ask if you can 'sit in' before joining, ask questions, find out about the club and the fishing areas they have access to, maybe even visit those too before deciding whether to join.
6, NEVER take risks with your or others safety. Make sure you have appropriate clothing and weather protection with you even if you have taken my advice and stayed local to start with. If you tangle your line in a tree etc and its dangerous to retrieve it, get as close to the snag as safely possible and cut the line removing as much from the snag as possible. On private waters, tell the owner exactly where the line is that you have had to leave behind pointing out you removed as much as you could yourself safely. On club waters, inform the club secretary as soon as possible, again pointing out where, when, the tackle has been left. On rivers, it can be easier to return later WITH help or the relevant tools to carry out the removal of any line etc you have snagged. In all of these instances, make every safe effort to remove the hook from the line along with any sinkers etc that could cause harm to wildlife.
7, Dont forget to enjoy yourself. Its an opportunity for fun, relaxation, getting out into the fresh air and country side as well as getting to meet others with the same interest. Take your time, treat it as a hobby, if you get to be an expert at it and become sponsored, excellent, good on you (dont forget to drop me a line and let me have first pickings of your free tackle!!!lol)
Good luck, tight lines, and hope this helped a little?
My Ebay Store
Firstly, why i'm a second time around angler.
When I was very young, around six or seven years old, my grandfather was a keen and quite successful angler of our local rivers and canals here in West Yorkshire. Luckily for me (not so lucky for my grandfather) we lived only two streets away from each other, so I was able to tag along on some of his Sunday fishing trips. My grandmother would send us on our way with our sandwiches along with my flask of hot chocolate, and grandads obligatory bottles of beer.
Upon arrival at one of my grandfathers favorite fishing spots we (or more honestly) my grandfather would set out our 'stalls'. My grandfather, throughout the operation, would have me doing one or two odd jobs, tying the occasional knot, putting landing nets together, making sure I could do them all correctly and knew why I should do them correctly. Then we would be ready to 'drown some maggots'.
Being of that young age I would sit there contently listening to my grandfather pointing out what I should be looking for to indicate the presence of fish in our swim along with hazards or snags that should be avoided. Unfortunately (again for my grandfather) once I had munched my sandwiches and slugged down grandma's most excellent hot chocolate I would lose my concentration, and my mind (usually taking the rest of me with it) would wander off the current task in hand and find other forms of entertainment, such as skimming stones, climbing trees etc. As a result of this my fishing was never as successful as my grandfathers but never the less, I loved every minute of the time I spent with him, god rest him and his more than patient soul.
Being an adult now with two children of my own and hopefully having learned the art of patience, I have spent the last twelve months re-learning the art of angling. and having done this with moderate success, I would like to pass on a few good tips I have had passed on to me, along with some basic do's and dont's to get you started.
DO's
1, Make sure you are legal. Always make sure you have a valid fishing or rod licence that carries the relevant categories of fishing you are taking part in, and carry it with you when fishing. Your rod licence is not a permit to fish in any river, canal, lake or pond that takes your fancy, its a licence to use a fishing rod where you have paid to fish, where you have permission to fish or where there are no restictions (private or public) on that particular stretch. Being legal also means knowing 'open and closed' seasons, and only fishing in only the open seasons on that particular stretch. Not following this basic set of rules could cost you your fishing licence, your fishing tackle, a hefty fine, or worst case scenario, a spell behind bars!
2, Preserve nature and respect your surroundings. Always make sure you follow the country code. Make sure on private land you have permission to be there AND fish. Close gates behind you, stay to known and used paths and tracks where possible. Disturb as little of your surroundings as possible. Take ALL of your litter along with any evidence of your fishing with you when leaving, this means any used or broken takle, bait bags or packaging.
3, Now for the fishing stuff! Buy a good book or DVD, usually an angling family member or friend can recommend (or even better lend) you a good fishing book with basic knots and set ups and with diagrams to get you started, failing that a library or fishing tackle shop could point you in the right direction. Reading the whole book/watching the whole DVD, trying to digest it, and putting everything into practice can be a bit daunting. I would personally recommend, that you initially concentrate on understanding the very basic knots, set ups or 'end tackle' (the stuff at the hook end of the line) and practice tying or setting them up an a piece of spare line while at home untill you are confident and feel ready to catch some fish.
4, Buy only the tackle you need to get started and that you can easily afford (the internet, car boot sales, second hand shops can be aladdins caves for these because second hand tackle is fine for starting with), whether its for spinning, lure, feeder, ledger, waggler, fly etc. Personally I chose one specific set up which I felt confident trying and which was suitable for the type of fishing I was going to be doing, I stuck to that for a few weeks, might have been over a month before I bought anything else other than bait.
5, Stay local. When first starting out, try (where possible) to stay local for most things. Its usually best to use your local fishing tackle shop as they get to know your face and particular type of fishing. Its a good idea
to be honest and open about any advice you may need from them, generally they have a good knowledge of local clubs, waters and the methods on those waters that get results. If you try and convince them that you know more than you actually do, they will be less likely to help in the future. Using local fishing spots is not only convenient, but gets you out and about with the chance of getting to know other anglers in your area (another good source of information and advice).
6, Be patient. You may not be the next world champion angler and pull fish in constantly one after another all day every day, but dont let that put you off. Like I have already recommended, get to know you local fishing spots intimately, knowing the currents, the drop off's, the weedy areas, the gravelly runs, the sunken trees etc, and just as importantly the fish that inhabit these areas, and even more importantly what method is best for tempting them from these spots and onto your hook. Make sure you are sitting in a comfortable position and have your tackle easily to hand. Too much movement or shadows from the bank can easily spook your quarry and drastically affect your results.
7, Return your catch. In my opinion it is always better to catch and return your catch as cleanly (as little harm and handling as possible) and as quickly as you safely can. Ok, I understand you may like to weigh or possibly take a picture of your catch before returning it but a tip for this would be to have everything you need to do this already set up and readily available to hand. Always make an effort to wet your hands when possible before handling your catch as it causes less distress and is less likely to cause harm to the fish. Ensure any nets you are using are clean and in good condition, net dips are generally available at your local tackle shops or there are dip tanks to use on private fishing spots. This prevents damage or infection to your catch or a cross contamination of swims you use regularly. Some areas or swims may have restrictions or requests for specific species or size of fish not to be returned (a neccessary evil in my mind, but if done for beneficial reasons, then its a must never the less) this could be due to over population, a fungus or particular disease that targets that particular species. The only time I have come across a size restriction of this type myself was for pike over a certain weight which were being culled due to over population and their effects on the other species in the same waters. I didnt fish for pike that day myself as I am not totally comfortable with idea of taking part in any kind of cull myself, even though i understand its needed in some cases.
DONT'S
1, Get bogged down with advice or information. Take everything at a pace you are comfortable with. The information and advice you will need will always be available to you, take it when needed, and your ability and budget allows. Just because an angler you know to be successful recommends a £150, 6 ball bearing, all singing, all dancing reel, it doesn't mean you have to sell you grandmothers antique pearl neckleace that day and get it. If you are just starting out, chances are, you've no idea what the best conditions for using it are, or what half the jargon in the instruction manual is about, meaning you wont get the best (or your moneys worth) from that particular piece of equipment. Stick to second hand tackle for as long as you can, its usualy been looked after, the owner or seller can usually give basic pointers on where, when, and how to get the best results from it, and it can save you ££££££££'s AND just because something is shiny, it doesnt make it any better than any other piece of tackle!!!!
2, Dont try and target a specific species of fish when first starting out, vary your quarry or leave it to pot luck. Just work on your different tactics. There are many different practices for catching fish in many different kinds of conditions. Some of these are the same or simillar for different kinds of fish, so its my recommendation to get the technique working for you before trying to apply it to one specific species.
3, Dont think bigger is better. Ok it would be nice to land a 35lb Carp for your first fish, but lets face it, would you have a clue what to do with a dustbin lid sized fighting fish once you have it near the bank?? Keep your tackle small and light, get comfortable and confident landing, unhooking / handling, and returning your catch before going after the loch ness monster.
4, Dont let the condition of your tackle let you down. Keep your gear clean, maintained and ready to use (as you start to get results you'll be amazed at what opportunities you will take/make to go fishing at short notice). Having it there and ready to go means you can have it all together with minimum fuss and checking and have it in the car and be on your way in a lot less time. Less time getting ready means more time fishing.....it might be the early bird that gets the worm, but its the earlier worm thats up, gone and on the end of a line catching fish before the early bird has had chance to wipe the sleep from its eyes!
5, Dont be afraid to join a local fishing club, no matter what your ability or experience. The membership fee's usually include exclusive fishing areas and the possibility of guest fishing spots too. Members usually have regular meetings to discuss maintenance parties to be carried out on the clubs fishing spots and other club business. The members are usually more than willing (often a lot more than willing) to offer advice and invites for fishing. go along to a meeting and ask if you can 'sit in' before joining, ask questions, find out about the club and the fishing areas they have access to, maybe even visit those too before deciding whether to join.
6, NEVER take risks with your or others safety. Make sure you have appropriate clothing and weather protection with you even if you have taken my advice and stayed local to start with. If you tangle your line in a tree etc and its dangerous to retrieve it, get as close to the snag as safely possible and cut the line removing as much from the snag as possible. On private waters, tell the owner exactly where the line is that you have had to leave behind pointing out you removed as much as you could yourself safely. On club waters, inform the club secretary as soon as possible, again pointing out where, when, the tackle has been left. On rivers, it can be easier to return later WITH help or the relevant tools to carry out the removal of any line etc you have snagged. In all of these instances, make every safe effort to remove the hook from the line along with any sinkers etc that could cause harm to wildlife.
7, Dont forget to enjoy yourself. Its an opportunity for fun, relaxation, getting out into the fresh air and country side as well as getting to meet others with the same interest. Take your time, treat it as a hobby, if you get to be an expert at it and become sponsored, excellent, good on you (dont forget to drop me a line and let me have first pickings of your free tackle!!!lol)
Good luck, tight lines, and hope this helped a little?
My Ebay Store
Guide created: 15/03/08 (updated 15/03/09)
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