Vagabond

March 10, 2002

Hi, Gone-fishin - tell us a bit more about where you intend fishing

Commercial trout lakes - like Chalk Springs at Arundel ? (good but expensive)

Chalk streams like the Meon ? (even more expensive)

Chi gravel pits for rudd etc ?

The Arun for Mullet ? :cool:

Or where ?

Then we can be a bit more specific in our advice.

March 9, 2002

Colin Payne:
Now obviously I didnt know it was a fish more than my line strength .

A 4 lb tench can only exert a 4 lb pull on the line if you try and lift it out of the water!

IN the water, the fish will be exerting a pull of around a pound - as a rule of thumb, a fish in water can exert a pull of about 20% of its weight in air, but lets give the tench credit for pulling a bit harder than most fish. The one exception might be if a weeded fish hits a tight line with its tail - that sort of shock might bust a 4 lb line.

I would agree with Gaffer that it is best to set the clutch on the loose side and use a finger on the spool to increase braking power when needed. Ideally, set the clutch to yield when the rod reaches a quarter circle (ie at the "test curve" figure)

What is useful is to try and lift various weights from about four ounces upward with your tench rod - and keep a mental picture of how much your rod bends at these weights, which in turn will give you an idea of how much pressure your line is under when playing a fish. You will be amazed at how difficult it is to lift a couple of pounds with the average tench rod !

I once landed a carp just over twenty pounds which took a small bait intended for roach - I was using four lb line on a 14 ft roach rod at the time - but there is nothing particularly clever about landing that carp - many experienced anglers could have done the same provided the swim was snag free (which in my case it was). So obviously, at no time was that 20 lb carp exerting a pull of more than four pounds on the line. However, this does NOT mean I recommend 4 lb line for carp!

PS Albert Buckley caught the then record carp of 26 lb on 4X gut - a breaking strain of around 3 lb - now that WAS skilful, particularly as there were snags in the water.

[ 09 March 2002, 04:01 PM: Message edited by: Vagabond ]

March 9, 2002

Colin Payne:
Now obviously I didnt know it was a fish more than my line strength .

A 4 lb tench can only exert a 4 lb pull on the line if you try and lift it out of the water!

IN the water, the fish will be exerting a pull of around a pound - as a rule of thumb, a fish in water can exert a pull of about 20% of its weight in air, but lets give the tench credit for pulling a bit harder than most fish. The one exception might be if a weeded fish hits a tight line with its tail - that sort of shock might bust a 4 lb line.

I would agree with Gaffer that it is best to set the clutch on the loose side and use a finger on the spool to increase braking power when needed. Ideally, set the clutch to yield when the rod reaches a quarter circle (ie at the "test curve" figure)

What is useful is to try and lift various weights from about four ounces upward with your tench rod - and keep a mental picture of how much your rod bends at these weights, which in turn will give you an idea of how much pressure your line is under when playing a fish. You will be amazed at how difficult it is to lift a couple of pounds with the average tench rod !

I once landed a carp just over twenty pounds which took a small bait intended for roach - I was using four lb line on a 14 ft roach rod at the time - but there is nothing particularly clever about landing that carp - many experienced anglers could have done the same provided the swim was snag free (which in my case it was). So obviously, at no time was that 20 lb carp exerting a pull of more than four pounds on the line. However, this does NOT mean I recommend 4 lb line for carp!

PS Albert Buckley caught the then record carp of 26 lb on 4X gut - a breaking strain of around 3 lb - now that WAS skilful, particularly as there were snags in the water.

[ 09 March 2002, 04:01 PM: Message edited by: Vagabond ]

March 9, 2002

Loved that second one - reminds me of an incident from my National Service days.

At training camp we slept in long huts, 22 beds to a hut. 21 blokes and a spare bed in our hut.

In our hut there were three Scots - Lofty Jock (6'2") , Haggis, and Wee Jock (5'3") Lofty slept at the far end near the back door leading to the "ablutions" block.

One night Lofty came in well pickled, couldn't make it to his own bed, so collapsed onto the empty one.

During the night the physiological consequences of nine pints of beer plus chasers gradually overcame his stupor, and he half awoke, feeling the need.

Still half awake, he staggered to the end of his bed, turned right, took twelve paces, turned right again, and took four more paces, and relieved his feelings.

Unfortunately, this routine worked provided the starting point was his own bed, but starting from the spare bed, it brought him standing over Wee Jock's bed.

Wee Jock ( his nickname now cruelly ironic) awoke to find the well-known RAF phrase "being p*ssed upon from a great height" was literally true in his case.

The resultant commotion awoke everyone, and when the lights went on we saw Wee Jock jumping up a foot in the air to land his punches - it was the big fella we had to rescue when Wee Jock hads half-killed him.

March 9, 2002