joolz_red

Hi Donnie! I'm a newbie in exactly the same situation, and found out fishing people are very friendly and generous online :-)

Christened my rod Went to the end of Swanage pier yesterday when I had the chance of a trip & faffed about setting up rod and reels - it was odd doing it again after a 25 year break! It only took me about 1/2 hour to actually get some line wet ...ahem. I only caught a clump of weed - but the fishing was a bit thin - a few small - medium wrasse by people nearby all the time we were there. Tried a light shrimp feather handline in the centre area for jigging (could see fishies around the central legs) but no joy. So, a complete blank but also a nice trip for me - just getting out fishing again for the first time since about 1985!

Thanks lady & gentlemen much appreciate your welcome!

Hopefully got a trip planned next Sunday afternoon-evening with some family down to Weymouth - if I get *anything* I'll put a piccy up!

Yep, was down there last week and looking over the new walls & flats etc - very smart now.

Thanks for the info ziggy, always good to know what's allowed in different areas - and West Bay is probably one of the spots I might visit when I can get a lift there (I live inland nearish Yeovil)

Thank you very much Janet - I have 3 nieces so when they are a bit bigger I plan on getting them hooked too to increase the numbers!

There is so much more stuff now to make rigs with & different types of rods. I remember having a split cane rod, about 6ft long and that was that, even that was a handmedown (we had no spare cash when I was a kid) There were boat rods, coarse rods, poles and fly rods, choice of split cane or fibreglass, carbon fibre was so expensive only match anglers with deep pockets had them! I remember using an empty plastic jif lemon as a sea float, and wheel nuts or old spark plugs as weights, garden worms as bait. We caught sprats & crabs (sea) and tiddlers down the river (naughty unlicensed kids!!) I remember eating a 6" perch I caught We (my cousin & I) begged old bits of spare kit like line, hooks& floats from family friends & sometimes he'd climb trees to get snagged tackle down & we'd reuse it. Will stop reminiscing now as I might start start talking like Ron Manager & "jumpers for goalposts..>" etc etc !

Heh heh, thanks for the info everyone who replied. Good to know that the basics are still the same plus the essential luck factor. I didn't know you couldn't use feathers off Weymouth jetty any more, so tvm for letting me know. Any reason for this being so? I must do some more research on Dorset coast marks I think! Dan - I'd even cook 2 pouting so your bait ain't safe round me even

Hi there, I'm Jools, a lady from Somerset/Dorset area & a returner to fishing after over 25 years away - I used to go fishing for tiddlers as a kid! - find the whole angling arena a bit daunting being female, slightly disabled and also on a tight budget but hope to pick up some excellent advice hints & stuff from the wise sages here. Stuff's certainly changed from when I was a sprog! no carbon fibre rods & we used old spark plugs or wheelnuts for weights and empty jif lemons for seafloats (for our bumper caches of sprats). It's all a bit over whelming now & I'm reading like mad & asking a couple of experienced anglers I know. Anyhow... on to the question! I want to take up some lightish pier,harbour,rock, shore fishing - nothing too strenuous, a few mackerel, garfish or whatever to pop under the grill I visited a local-ish tackle shop and chatted to the owner about what I wanted - an 8-9ft spinning rod & durable reel - I ended up spending £50 on a Storm brand 'Predator' 10-40g 9ft 2pc rod (nice & light) & a Mitchell Avocet II c2000 reel. I felt so put off by all this stuff around me, and flustered, that I couldn't quite bring myself to get more ( or afford it LOL!) Can't find much info about the products online. Did I get a fair deal??

Hi there, I'm Jools, a lady from Somerset/Dorset area & a returner to fishing after over 25 years away - I used to go fishing for tiddlers as a kid! - find the whole angling arena a bit daunting being female and also on a tight budget but hope to pick up some excellent advice hints & stuff from the wise sages here.