fruitloopy

I have been attempting to freeline worms and other baits this week as I tried it once and it seemed to work where a float did not. I think its also going to be more enjoyable doing this when the river season starts. Can you guys and girls offer advice, helpful hints and tips on best methods and techniques? What line to use, should you put weights, swivels, hooklengths on? When to react? How to hold the rod/line? How to know you have a bite (although this was fairly obvious when I have done it!) Etc.

Its a new spool of 15lb Diawa Sensor, I bought it as it was well recommended. I'm using grinner knots on hook and swivel. I did some more freelining last night and found it to be quite a success. Pulled in a lovely 12.5lb Common using the same setup, 15lb mainline and 10lb hooklength. I think the reason I use the hooklength is in case I do snag up or the line snaps and hopefully the fish will only have a short hooklength attached to him. It also allows me to give a slightly better presentation as this line is really quite springy and the swivel seems to keep it rooted down. I have read all kinds of tips about correctly spooling a line to your reel but the bloody stuff still keeps springing out! In response to Ayjay, he initially pulled my rod and my arm down but I recovered and was holding my rod up with a lovely bend in it when it snapped. On closer examination of the line yesterday it felt rough near to where it snapped, possibly indicating being rubbed against something, maybe a tree branch. There were still remnants of the knot at the end. I do enjoy this freelining method so I will post a new topic asking for hints a tips of best ways to do it. In the meantime I hope you enjoy my carp. Cheers.

I went into my local QD store yesterday and spotted an LED headlamp. It looked ok to me but I have little experience of these things. At only £2.50 I thought what the hell. I got it home and put three AAA batteries into it and tried it out. It has three light settings, 3 lights, 5 lights or all of them and it works fine. For £2.50 I think its a worthwhile investment, especially if you dont use it that much to warrnat spending £20 or more. It was in the workwear/tools section. They also do a pretty good tackle box with clear lid and a cantilever (is it cantilever?) compartment for £3.99.

This is one of those "Ones that got away" stories but at least I learned something very valuable from it. In another topic of mine I have been talking about stalking some carp and I have now built up some valuable experience from this. I caught a nice 13.5lb'r last week but I know that there are bigger ones in this lake so I went back there last night to fish during the magic hour. I used a prawn on a size 8 hook, 15lb mainline and 10lb hooklength. I prepared some prawn by putting it breifly in a blender and just mashing it up. When I threw this in it created a lovely fishy cloud and once I had cast a fresh prawn in I had a bite almost straight away. Unfortunately this one came off the hook. I knew these guys would have swam off somewhere else now because they know I am there...clever little buggers! I crept over to a dark corner but quickly got caught up in a tree above me when I tried to cast out further than I should have dared. After the line snapped and left my short hooklength up in the tree I briefly considered stripping off some line from the reel and re-tyeing my swivel and hooklength. I really should have listened to my nagging doubts about this. I have since learned that they like to hang around under a tree so I crept over there and decided to freeline a worm below it. All I could do was to keep the line slack and watch for it to go tight, I didnt have to wait long. After a couple of minutes I almost had the rod torn out of my hand...the clutch screamed and a real heavy fish took off towards the far bank. I didnt have much time to do anything when suddenly the line snapped. Aaarrgghh! He felt really big as well (my personal best is 13.5lb so he felt big to me anyway) but at least I will learn a lesson from it. When I snapped the line from the tree the knot on the swivel must have weakened. I know the fish was big but I should have been in contact with it a lot longer on a 15lb line. Can I ask for any advice or skills needed for freelining baits or should I start a new topic? I do think this worked in this lake as these carp are very wary and there's been many times I have had a bite when using a float but they seem to shy away from it, even when dotted down to a few millimetres. I think maybe its because I am fishing right above them?

The rod bags are great and the tackle bag is really good as well. Its a shame about the barbed hooks though and the washing line that the kids are gonna put on them. As for exploitation, much bigger and well recognised companies are exposed as using these sweatshops, even chains like Gap have been accused in the press and TV. Considering how much more they charge for their clothes compared to places like Matalan, etc shouldnt they know better? Another way I like at it is: If there were no sweatshops where they earn a pittance (or at least a pittance compared to us) then what would they be doing instead? How would they earn their money? How do they feed their children? Nothing to do with fishing obviously!

Thanks for the suggestions. I dont think he will be able to find a rod to cover all of his needs, especially one for method feeding so I will advise him to get himself a dedicated method rod and one of these suggested rods for float & feeder. I really like the Greys X-Flite Barbel but the price is slightly off putting! Cheers.

Can someone have a look at this carp I caught and see if its a possible wildie? I am fishing an old lake which used to be part of land owned by the abbey and originaly stocked to feed the manor house which no longer exists. I wasnt expecting to find this guy in here, I knew there was a Ghost Carp but it mostly seemed to be only Tench & Roach. He put up quite a scrap! Weighed 13.5lbs.

I am posting on behalf of my father who is looking for a rod which can be used for a multitude of applications such as ledgering/method, float fishing. He has not mentioned the test curve but he doesnt go for big carp so I would guess anything in a range of 1.75 to 2.5lb. He would prefer a rod of 12ft - 13ft but this must be at least three peice breaking down to no more than 4ft 6inches and doesnt want to spend any more than £100. I will be doing some research but does anyone have a recommendation?

I've just been browsing results on Google and an article mentions that to hook a worm so that it looks natural you should use Gang hooks. I've got a feeling this is a bit more of a USA thing but the setup looks fairly simple. I wouldnt want to cause any damage to our 'Kings of the Lake' though.

For those who have read it I have been stalking some carp on a local water recently and as it is a natural sort of water, i.e. not a commercial but a sort of nature refuge I think using natural baits is the key. To that end I have been using Lobworms. I dont quite know what is the best method of hooking these, I have been threading it head first a short way into a size 6 or 8 hook and then the point sticks cleanly out of the side with the tail hanging down. I will often cut a small bit off the tail and put this on the hook to stop the little bugger getting off and to let a few more juices flow. As soon as I dropped it in last night I had a bite, the float went under and dragged off so I struck but there was nothing there. I was fishing about 4-5 inches laying on the bottom. Another bite came a bit later, this time I watched the fish take it down so I struck, a small amount of resistance but again no fish. Another bite came when I had slipped into that comatose state you can sometimes get, it was raining and I just sort of drifted off. I woke up when my rod was being pulled away from me! I struck, some resistance...but no fish! On this one though half of the worm had been ripped off. What am I doing wrong or was I just unlucky? Am I putting this worm on the hook correctly? Is the hook showing enough to get attached? Should I use half a worm to give the guy a chance to suck it in? Am I striking to late? Too early? These carp are clever and after a few tries they get wise to what I am trying to do so I need to get this right.

That rod bag looks reasonable though and for a tenner I may have to ask the missus for more pocket money.

I went back that night and started to bait the swim with some sweetcorn, I thought I would let them gain some confidence before I lowered my bait in so I started on my dinner to pass the time. I was visited by another angler, I liked him straight away because he could see I was keeping a low profile so he adopted the same, left his gear 10 metres away and crept up to me. We had a really good chat about the place of which he is very familiar and when he told me what was really in there it shocked the hell out of me! I will not mention the place as it is not a commercial water and its a bit of a secret spot, we certainly dont want a load of bivies camped out around the edges! I dont have a problem with this style of fishing (I dont want to cause another heated debate!) but if loads of these do turn up the place will get closed. There are some big carp in there (big for me anyway) and I was warned that using an 8lb line in there is not a good idea, these carp are not fished for much and very clever. They would have no problem in quickly disappearing around the corner and under some sunken branches. More importantly, I now know where the ghost carp comes from and how he got in there...but I cant talk about that as I dont want to get anyone in trouble. We spoke for longer about tackle, setup, rods and landing nets so I have now bought some more heavier duty stuff, in particular a 42" landing net, 15lb Daiwa Sensor line and I finally took delivery of my Greys Stalker Rod! I decided to go for the 9ft - 12ft stalker as it is adaptable to margins and close fishing as well as for general use. I would have to agree with the reviewer that this thing just oozes quality. Its as light as a feather but gives the impression of a real fighter! So...I will be back there tonight, the weather looks favourable with cloud cover but still warm and a light wind. These guys are not fished for or caught much so I will be going for a natural bait, the trusty worm! I'll throw some chopped up worm in to build confidence and then see what I can do. If anyone has any other suggestions please let me know, they are more than welcome.

I have booked the first two days of the season off from work...I am sure I'm not the only one! I have very little experience of fishing rivers but from the TV and DVD programmes I have seen I will probably start with a swimfeeder full of maggots. Once I have built up a bit of confidence I would love to have a go of trotting a float. Would love to catch a big perch as I never have caught anything over a couple of oz's. I have just joined a local place called Deeping St James Angling which controls a lovely strech of the river Nene so thats what I will go for. Have fun everyone!

Here's a thought... Get an empty spool of PVA tape or an empty spool of that plumbers white stuff that you wrap round leaking pipes (I dont know what its called) which have those clip on covers to the spool. Take off the cover and wrap some masking tape on the inside back to front so its sticky on the outside. When you have line you need to dispose of, take the cover off the spool, wrap the line round and replace the cover. The masking tape should retain the line and the cover will stop the wind, rain and monster crab glug jiuce getting to it. When its full remove the masking tape and put some more on. I've not put it in practise yet but would this work? sounds great, I could 'restock' my lure collection with a couple of hours walking the bank with one of these Has anyone come up with the "Light saber I can screw onto my landing net pole" yet? I want my wagglers back!

I got another one! When I send my favourite float into a tree its usually just out of reach, and as tempted as I am to try and crawl along a 4 inch thick branch overhanging a lake to reach it I never do. I would like a device that can screw onto a landing net pole which can clip the tip of the branch and allow the float, ledger, swimfeeder or other expensive tackle to drop off. You could also use it to clear up others floats and make the place more presentable (not to mention a great line of selling second hand floats on ebay!). You can buy telescopic tree pruners or loppers but I dont want to take one of these along with me. And before anyone else says it...yes I should learn to cast!

One thing thats gets us anglers in trouble if line left hanging around. This happens for me when I cast into a tree (I do it on purpose, honestly!) or just want to change hooklengths, etc. I would like a small device that can clip on to a rucksack, bag, chair that can 'swallow' the line rather than trying to curl it up and throw it in a bag. I imagined something similar to a retractable ski-pass that works on a spring wind or small battery? A small spool with a V shaped groove that accepts your line, you press a button and it wraps the line around the spool, keeping it safe for later when you can empty it. I dont know if anything like this or another device/methoid of saving line already exists?

New and in a nicely presented box set, would make a great gift. There's only one place I can find this sold online and thats for £49.99 I am selling it for £19.99 + £3 postage All proceeds to a new Greys Stalker 7 foot rod! John Wilson Fishing At Its Very Best DVD Box Set of ^ DVD's Thanks.

Thanks Elton, I'm already watching that one and I am currently selling a few things on eBay to pay for it. Cheers.

Thats a lovely looking fish BigKev! I'm only just getting into stalking so at the moment I can only dream of ones that big. I'll have a look at a spinning rod as well because I would like to have a go at some Pike fishing. In the meantime I a selling a few bits & peices on eBay to raise money for the Greys Stalker 7 footer. The stuff I am selling is not fishing related except for a box set of John Wilson DVD's called Fishing at its very best. 6 DVD's in total. I think I may see if I can list it on here but if your interested you can look at them here: John Wilson DVD Box Set on eBay I'm going to go and have another try at my ghostie tonight after work. I couldnt decide on what bait to use so I asked my wife to pick 3 cards, each with a different bait on. Sweetcorn tonight...I'll let you know what happens.

Fashion doesnt bother me, that much is obvious if you ever met me! I do agree with Davyr though that a wrap around pair would be more agreeable. Cant do contact lenses unfortunately as I am long sighted with astigmatisms, etc. Too much focusing on those floats knackered 'em! I'll go and see Specsavers and see what the total comes to, I usually have polarised on my normal glasses anyway because I work heavily with computers. If Rourke7719 is right then there'll be no difference in quality anyway. Cheers.

I would like to buy some proper polarised glasses for fishing and will obviously need them for my prescription. Can anyone recommend a good place? I could obviously go to Specsavers and get a pair free with normal glasses witha polarised option but is this any better or worse than a "Proper" pair?

Is a boat rod or spinning rod any good for this purpose or will the test curve prove too much for the line/fish/hook, etc?

Good point on worm presentation as I thought it may be remembering what happened the day before, maybe I should have left it a few days before trying again. I think I read somewhere that after being caught a fish probably wont feed again for a few days. I'm not sure about the syringe thing! But the foam sounds like a good idea. What about freelining the bait either on top or bottom? I dont need casting distance as its right below me, I think I would be ok with recognising a freelined bait on top because I could see the take but as the water is a little cloudy I'm not sure how to recognise a bite on the bottom. I've seen Chris Yates just feeling the line between his fingers so maybe I will try that. As for rods, I am looking at the Greys Stalker, either 7 or 9ft as it has a good review on here but money's a bit tight at the moment. I have put a wanted post in the relevent section but if anyone has one of these rods they no longer use could you let me know please? Thanks for the advice boldbear!

If anyone has one of these that they dont use could you let me know please? Cant quite afford one brand new at the moment, the wife will beat me up!

I like to do a bit of stalking occasionally to break up the monotony so I went searching around a local lake. I have seen a large mirror of maybe 8-10lbs and he (or she) is accompanied by a lovely looking ghost carp of around the same size. I have now found out where they like to rest up during the day, right under a tree. I dropped a worm in there on a float on Sunday and, after he thought about it for half an hour, took a solid bite on it. I struck and he was hooked. We fought for a few minutes but because of the restrictions and obstacles around me I was limited to how much I could play him. I was also on a 3lb line + 2.4lb hook length so I was trying to be careful as well. I was using a 13ft match rod which also caused problems because of the length. After a few minutes of steering him away from the tree and into open water he took off like a train and took my hook with him! I went back for him last night but I think he must have been sulking. I could see him a few feet away from my worm but he wasnt interested. I had a couple of bites from the mirror but maybe my heavier line put him off? I had an 8lb braid with 6lb mono hooklength, size 6 hook, one no8 shot about 5 inches from the hook and a no1 shot under a light peacock quill float. My other problem is the rod, I only have 12 or 13ft feeders or match rods and its a bloody nightmare trying to get this through the tree's! Does anyone have any suggestions for tackle, line, etc? I dont have a problem with the stalking part as I am sure I am not spooking them. This ghostie is haunting my dreams now!