Fishplate 42

I get the presentation of spade hooks and agree with it. I was asking if there was ever any advantage in tying a hair on a spade hook over using an eyed hook. As far as I can see there is no advantage so why do it? Ralph.

HI John, I probably should have left the bit about the review off the original post but it the new attachment, that got me wondering if there was any advantage to be had. I am just questioning the need for tying hair rigs to spade end hooks. Is their an advantage to be had? From what I can gather, and in my own (limited) experience, it seems that an eyed hook is so much easier to tie a hair on so why bother tying hairs on spade hooks? Is there any point? Just because you can does not meant it is any better - does it? Ralph.

Guys, With respect, I think you may have missed the point I was trying to make. I was not so much commenting about the machine itself, these things are like Marmite, you either love 'em or hate 'em. My main point was: Do we really need to tie hairs into spade end hooks, when an eyed hook tied with a knotless-knot does the job admirably? Ralph

Gizmo Angling have just sent out the much awaited hair rig tyer attachment for the ZT Pro hook tyer. You can find my 'First Impressions' review HERE. However it has got me thinking. Do we really need to tie hairs into spade end hooks when an eyed hook tied with a knotless-knot does the job admirably? Ralph.

I had trouble tying spade end hooks so I bought a ZT Pro. Yes it works but it just made me more determined to tie my own. I can now tie by hand down to an 18. I am now trying to get to the 20, 22 and 24s. I take it you have seen my review of the ZT Pro... If not you can find it HERE. I bought one because I wanted it. I did not need it but I am a sucker for mechanical gadgets

Hi Guys, I haven't posted here for a while. As some of you may know, I have only been fishing for a couple of years as I never fished as a kid. For this reason I missed out on acquiring all the basic skills. Even hook tying has been a learning curve. Eyed hooks were not so much of a problem but spade end hooks are another matter. I have been experimenting with tying spade end hooks for a while. I know I can buy them ready tied but it bugged me that I could not do it myself. I have tried all sorts of hookers, I even spent a kings ransom on a ZT Pro hook tyer - my thoughts on it can be found HERE. I found I could tie a hook easier with a tyer if I could hold the line tight and I came up with a magnetic solution while trying to tie knots with a Matchman like this: Click on the image for more details. I up-graded to a Stonfo tyer, the small one is good for the really fine hooks. After all this messing around I eventually managed to tie a size 18 spade end hook by hand! Who needs hook tyers? Well me, I still can't tie size 22s or smaller without help... Yet! I think I get just as much fun out of the preparation as I do out of the fishing - almost. That is probably just as well as I have probably spent as much on end tackle and 'tools' as I have on rods and reels. Ralph.

I am a pole newbie. I bought a new, cheap, Maver 9.5m pole and three universal top kits from Dragon Carp at the end of last year. a friend of mine offered to come along and show me how to use it. Rudd's Advice is brilliant and spot on but there is no substitute for having someone show you what you are doing wrong. Earlier this year I was lucky enough to be given a second hand 14.5m pole and again I was out with my mate getting a few first hand tips. Once someone has given you some instruction it is then a case of getting hands on and having a go. I am still learning myself and have just about managed to get the shipping about right even if using a catapult while holding the pole is still not as easy as sme seem to think it is. I have the book someone has recommended you buy. I second that but it may seem a bit muddled at first if like me you do not have any previous experience. Nine months on, the text, that in places might as well have been written in Swahili, now makes much more sense after getting a few sessions hands on. There is so much I have yet to learn but I have documented my experiences so far on my blog. You can find the relevant posts by going to my blog (address in my signature below) and entering "pole" in the search box. I hope this helps. Ralph. P.S. Don't try lifting the pole by the thin end... DAMHIKT

I fished Monk Lakes' Bridge Lake on Wednesday. Since I took up fishing, getting on for two years ago, I have been fishing mainly at one commercial venue. Fishing this new-to-me water was a bit of an eye opener. The whole story of the day can be found HERE. Having never fished a lake of this size before, I was not sure how to tackle it. If you were going to a new venue, for the first time what would you take with you? I took a van load of tackle but I could have done with the stuff I left behind! Monk Lakes website is HERE if you want to see how the lake is stocked. Next time I go to a new water, I will be taking everything with me... Or maybe I will just stick to the waters I know, but that would not be very adventurous - would it? Ralph

Following my post regarding taking too much tackle to the bank (See HERE), I spent a day fishing with minimal kit, just a float rod and a selection of bait. It was like going back in time to a couple of years to when I first started fishing. I caught fish of all sizes from roach and rudd of an ounce or less in weight to a nice ghost carp tipping the scales at 6lb+. The full story of the day can be found HERE. I probably had one of the most enjoyable days I have had for a while. The real bonus is that I got a lot more fishing time as setting up and packing away was a breeze. I am now thinking about applying the same strategy to my match fishing. I am not a serious match fisher, only joining in with the friendly matches held at my local fishery and a few informal get-togethers. My only goal is not to come last. As I have acquired more gear is is hard to work out what I really need to have with me. When I first started match fishing, all I had was a plastic box to sit on (enhanced comfort was provided by a couple of pound-shop kneelers to sit on) a feeder rod and a pellet waggler. Now that has got to silly proportions with several rods and a couple of poles, Seat box with fittings and more bait than my local tackle shop, well almost! I am off to a match on Wednesday and I will be stripping back the amount of gear I will be taking. It will be interesting to see if this approach pays off. Ralph

Peter, No danger of missing a bite, my sleeper rod was right next to my chair and the bait gets checked every couple of hours. On Thursday I was not even getting line bites and the single boilie was perfect at the end of the session. I don't think a fish even smelt it! Ralph

I am sure that the more gear I take, the less fun I have. This week I went fishing with a van load of gear and a plan to try several different things. The full story is HERE. I did have a good day in the end, but the most fun was had with the cheapest bit of kit! This time I also had a two rod ticket. I caught nothing on the sleeper rod as I was not really paying it any attention and it just sat there for hours with no movement at all. Next time I intend to go light with just a float rod, maybe two, and a tube of wagglers. Keep bait down to a minimum, just maggots and a few slices of bread. It should be fun. Do you end up taking far more than you need to the bank? Ralph

Yesterday I fished the June friendly at Beaver Fishery. Last year this was the first match I had ever fished. Things are a bit different now, I had no idea what I was doing last year, this time I have a bit of a clue but still have a lot to learn. The full story can be found HERE. I did improve my weight year on year but I got absolutely soaked I still had a great day - I was fishing Ralph.

I realise that the situation will change day to day, venue to venue, but what pleased me was I managed to read the water and catch different fish by modifying my feeding regime and hook bait. That is Beaver Farm fishery Fishery just north of East Grinstead, on the A22 at Lingfield, (RH7 6HL) I have been there lots of times over the past year or so. It has seven lakes and three ponds and I have not fished all of them yet. There are plenty of posts on my blog showing days out there one lots of different waters. Just put 'Beaver' into the search box on my blog and you will get lots of links to the various waters I have fished so far. I ought to say I have no connection with the fishery other than being a happy customer. Ralph

On Wednesday, this week, while fishing with a friend, I eventually discovered that how I feed the swim, dictated what fish I attract. By matching the hook bait I could bias the catch one way or another in favour or roach or perch. Feeding a few maggots and fishing a dead maggot over a pile of my Surf 'n' Turf groundbait, laced with a few maggots, I could use a dead maggot for hook-bait and attract roach. By changing the feeding to maggots and casters cupped in and fishing using a caster on the hook, caught the perch that were licking their lips at the small roach. The full story of our day can be found HERE. I can't believe how effective the casters are. I am also surprised that dead maggots seem to be far more attractive than live ones, when targeting silvers. As time goes on, I am realising there is method here; getting the fish into the swim and then building it. Obvious maybe, but it is only when it starts to work that it feels like I am working it out for myself, rather than asking for 'instructions' - Great feeling! Ralph

Good point, if they are de-barbed they are not crushed - Thank you! Out with the file and diamond hone - methinks! Ralph.

Looks like it will be a bit warmer by Saturday, anyone going to be bothering the fish? Ralph.

Thanks for the welcome! Fishing the upper part of the Thames is just about as far as you can get from where I live and still be in London! It is not impossible, by any means, but it is not on my doorstep as it might seem. It is easier for me to fish in the rivers that run through the towns in Kent such as Maidstone and Canterbury. The only canal that ran anywhere near me was the Surrey Carnal but that was filled in when I was a kid. Since then a park has been built over part of it and in the 1980's a large lake was dug. That is stocked with fish, some decent size specimens too, but that is not a solo venue as it is too public and you cant leave your gear to answer a call of nature or to get some food. I tend to stick to day-ticket commercials at the moment. They suit me especially while I am getting to grips with this whole new fishing thing. Eighteen months in and I have learnt a lot. I still have an awful lot to learn, having only scratched the surface, but that is the bit I enjoy. I am in the process of tying pole rigs for my new 9.5m (cheap!) pole and plan to get out to the bank this weekend to give it a go... Ralph.

Hi Newt et al., Thank you for the reply. For some reason, some fisheries here state "No barbed hooks, no crushed barbs". Daft I know but if that is what they state, then I have to comply or not fish there. The way rules are written for UK commercial fisheries is a pet hate of mine. Most of them read as aggressive and dictatorial. More often than not they are not as bad as they come over but if they state "No crushed barbs" they probably mean it as the is no ambiguity. I was wondering if anyone could tell me if barbless soft lure hooks and jig-heads are even available... I like the float idea - I will give that a try! I have a couple of rods designed for light lure fishing. One is a nice 6ft 6in Fox Ultron Finesse 3-14g and the other is a 7ft 6in HTO 'Twin Tip' 1-8g. The HTO is supplied with two top sections, one is hollow and very responsive, the other is solid and a bit stiffer. I bought the HTO as a second (cheaper) rod to lend to my brother (or anyone else who fancied coming along) and to do a bit of Light rock fishing with. It is early days at the moment but it is fun. Ralph.

Not wishing to hijack Kappa's post about his exploits, I though I had better start one of my own, as I am a newbie around here. This is only my second post here, my first being my introduction, which you can read HERE. I have been collecting the gear together for a while now and I have had a couple of sessions on the Regent's Canal, here in London. I really enjoy the fact that I can carry a minimum of gear and no messy bait making it tube-friendly. So far I have caught one fish. Now, you may say that is not a good record, and you are probably correct, but for me it was a milestone - I got one! I did lose a couple of weights and hooks but I am learning what not to do! My couple of visits to the Canal so far can be found HERE. I am thinking about having a go at dropshotting a still water I frequent regularly but one of the rules states that only barbless hooks can be used. All the hooks and jig heads I have bought so far are barbed. They also state no triple hooks. so where can I buy single and double barbless hooks suitable for lure fishing? Ralph.

Hello, My name is Ralph and I live in London with my wife Sue. I did not start fishing until 18 months ago. Before that I had never even thought about going fishing and had never held a live fish! Imagine my shock when I hooked and landed a reasonable size common carp! Within a few hours I had landed four of them. Well that was it, I was hooked (sorry). I was 58 years old, so you see I came to this late in life. In a few weeks time I will be 60 and my only regret is I did not take this up sooner. To save repeating lots of it here, you can read the whole story of my fishing adventures on my purely for fun fishing blog (no adverts or commercial links). In brief, I started waggler float fishing after watching a few videos using some cheap tackle. I them got involved in match fishing by entering a few friendly local matches. I am also keen on light lure and urban fishing. It is a convenient way of fishing for a few hours in London, especially on the Regent's Canal. Recently I have acquired a small pole (9,5m) and a seat-box to get a foot into pole fishing. at the moment I am tying to master dealing with those tiny N.10 and 12 shots. That's me so far. I like to think of myself as a bit of an all rounder, keen to try new methods. A planed move out of London, later this year, to the coast might fine me exploring a spot of sea fishing. I am no expert and probably never will be, but I get as much pleasure out of learning as I do out of fishing. Ralph.