What would you do

[tincatinca]

I know that variations of this have been done before, but imagine a situation where you had one type of rod, one type of reel, one size of mainline, one size of hook link, one size of hook, one type of bait and one type of venue. What would you choose, what method and what fish would you target.

[Anderoo]

Ooh, that's an evil question!

 

In one way being more restricted makes the choice easier - the usual question is, pick one outfit you have to use for everything. At least this way you can choose exactly the right gear, albeit only for one specific type of fishing.

 

My answer would probably change depending on the time of year, but out of all the different types of fishing I do, chub fishing is my favourite. Specifically, quivertipping big baits and roving. So, I would have to choose:

 

Rod - 1.25lb tc Avon/quiver (with isotopes on the quivertips please!)

Reel - not bothered really, my little Daiwa Matchwinner is nice so that will be fine

Line - 6lb Sensor

Hooklength - 6lb double strength

Hook - size 8 barbless Drennan Specialist (I would normally go for a 6 but some days a 10 is needed, so this is a compromise)

Bait - Bread is probably the best 'go anywhere' chub bait and very versatile, so I'll go for that, and accept I'll never catch a perch again

Venue - small, intimate, interesting, pretty rivers

Method - link leger/quivertip

Species - Chub!

[Tony U]

Perversely, I would chose a 6# fly rod and reel with a floating line I presume a selection of various flies would be allowed as my bait choice. This would allow me for still fish for most coarse species (anyone had a Tench on a fly).

 

 

Tony

[Chris Plumb]

Actually a pretty easy question for me as what follows pretty much describes at least ½ of my winter fishing...

 

Rod: 15' Harrison Gti (of course)!

Reel: Withcher Aerial (Diito)!

Mainline: 4lb Fireline Crystal

Hook length: 4lb mono

Hook: Drennan Super Spade Size 16

Bait: Maggots

Method; Trotting

Venue: A southern chalk stream or carrier - narrow enough to be intimate, deep enough to be interesting.

Species: What ever the river held - but would have to hold chub and/or grayling with the chance of a dace, roach, perch etc!!!

 

 

C.

[Kappa]

I know that variations of this have been done before, but imagine a situation where you had one type of rod, one type of reel, one size of mainline, one size of hook link, one size of hook, one type of bait and one type of venue. What would you choose, what method and what fish would you target.

 

Very very evil question one I'm not sure I can answer! I guess if I really really had to it would be (copied and modified Anderoo's as I'm lazy):

 

Rod - 1.25lb tc Avon or maybe a drennan tench float rod (if I win the lottery )

Reel - not bothered really, maybe a centrepin?

Line - 6lb Berkley big game

Hooklength - 6lb double strength

Hook - size 8 microbarbed hook, dunno what pattern

Bait - Maggot (I could NEVER accept I'd never catch a perch again ) (edit picked worm first but probably maggot on reflection)

Venue - Gravel pit in spring / early summer thames and tributaries in Autumn and winter

Method - Float

Species - Bream tench perch and chub!

 

Sorry but I really can't pick one type of venue!

 

Rich

Edited November 17, 2009 by Richard Capper

[Dales]

Rod - 1.25lb TC Quiver tip

Reel - Fixed spool

Line - 6lb Daiwa Sensor

Hook Length - 5lb Any

Hook - Size 10

Bait - Medium Lobs

Method - Feeder

Venue - Small lake with plenty of overhanging trees, lilies, reeds etc

Species - Perch

[Rusty]

Rod - 1.25lb Drennan Avon/Quiver

Reel - Probably a CF reel if I could only have one, good for windy days.

Line - 6lb Fireline Crystal

Hook Length - 6lb Daiwa Sensor

Hook - Size 14 micro barbed

Bait - Maggots

Method - Trotting

Venue - Barton Court, every type of stream you could want

Species - Anything, it's all there.

 

That should just about cover it.

[tincatinca]

Some interesting comments however,the main reason for the question is that I was sitting in my office surrounded by tackle to suit every occassion and method and was reflecting on what I used to do in my early days of fishing which was basically one rod and one reel and thinking, if I could go back to that time, what would I take from todays vast array of tackle which would have enabled me to be more successful in the type of fishing that I used to do, mainly float fishing a river and the answer I came to was in principal not a great deal . Yes there has since that time been some huge improvements in materials used which makes for more efficient and reliable equipment, but to quantify how many more fish would it would have enabled me to put on the bank is debateable.

 

Anyway, after some consideration I arrived at the following conclusion.

 

Rod , Harrison GTI which is capable of handling both small and larger fish

Reel, ABU 507 closed face which gives a lot of versatility and particularly in windy conditions although the Mitchell 300 in its time was excellent.

Line, I would take from today the Ultima Flocast in 6lb bs which I find to be excellent for trotting with 4lb Maxima to use as a hooklength although I did seriously consider 6lb Maxima as the main line.

 

Bait would be maggot which also gives caster as an alternative

Hook would be a size 10 which can be used with various combinations of maggot/caster

Method of course would be float fishing

Venue, this would be a river preferably lowland full of bends and weir pools containing a good head of quality Roach, Chub, Perch, Dace, Tench and Bream and where you can walk miles without seeing another soul where you just have to watch out for the odd Bull and Billy goat.

I had an encounter with one of the latter fishing the River Blythe but the least said about that the better.

[ubat]

Can't do it, everthing changes, if you do the same thing for a few weeks running you then get the urge to do something else, I will be fishing a mainly carp pool on Sunday, the following Sunday a flowing river, looking forward to both.

Have tried in the past to concentrate on a particular venue/ style, soon need to go out and do someting else, that is the beauty of the sport, so many things to do/ try, and you never stop learning.

 

At the moment I am getting an irrational urge to go punch fishing, maybe I should get help

[Tigger]

rod- normark avenger

Reel - centrepin

Line - 6lb Sensor

Hooklength - 4lb sensor

Hook - kamasan animal 14's

Bait - maggot

Venue - small to medium rivers

Method - trotting

Species -all comers