Fancy Tackle

[davedave]

Ive been fishing for about 6 years now, i've grown up on improve your coarse fishing and fishermen like alex bones. Ive also grown up on the concept that you will only catch fish, especially big fish, on fancy tackle. I dont fish with very hi-tech gear, (because i cant afford a lot of it), and most of what i use is simple.

 

But ive always assumed that to catch better and bigger fish you needed all the fancy gear and complicated rigs, but recently ive come to think it is all a bit unnecessary.

 

My uncle came with me a couple of weeks ago to show me how it is done, he hasnt been fishing for a good 15-20 years and he completely showed me up, he borrowed my quivertip, a size 16 hook and a single shot, and made himself a very simple free running ledger rig with 5lb line all the way through to the hook, he brought nothing but a tin of luncheon meat as bait. He hooked it and put a piece of grass under the bend of the hook, while im sat there thinking hes a bit out of tune and that carp are too clever for that, there is no way they will be caught on a rig that crude, but from that lake he brought out 2 nice bream, a 7lb, and a 10lb carp in not even an afternoons work!

 

Whilst I faffed about with bite alarms, hooklenghts, swim feeders and all sorts and had a small skimmer bream to show for it. I couldnt believe it, all it did was make me believe that complicated rigs are pointless, and simple is best.

 

So am i completely wrong or is a lot of this expensive tackle quite unnecessary? Sorry for my little rant but it really did change my view on fishing and i just wondered what you all think about it?

 

Thanks for any advice, always appreciated

[powlesY]

Fancy tackle is a load of rubbish, a waste of money. The standard of tackle only goes up to a certain point where it's in anyway beneficial. I've seen matches where theres guys using £3000 poles, £500 seatboxes, speciality groundbait & pellets...and a bloke with a £15 kingfisher rod and a tin of corn smash them all.

 

It's fine to spend a bit of money. A bit extra on a reel for durability is fine, but another £30 on top for the motion to be 5% smoother? Get a grip. And the more higher-end you go, the bigger the price differences are for the smaller the upgrades.

 

Only thing worth spending a decent amount of money on is a seatbox or chair, one that you know'll last you a decent while, will be comfortable and you'll use it a lot - even then, you shouldn't go spending no more than £100-150.

[Sportsman]

Fancy tackle is a load of rubbish, a waste of money. The standard of tackle only goes up to a certain point where it's in anyway beneficial. I've seen matches where theres guys using £3000 poles, £500 seatboxes, speciality groundbait & pellets...and a bloke with a £15 kingfisher rod and a tin of corn smash them all.

 

It's fine to spend a bit of money. A bit extra on a reel for durability is fine, but another £30 on top for the motion to be 5% smoother? Get a grip. And the more higher-end you go, the bigger the price differences are for the smaller the upgrades.

 

Only thing worth spending a decent amount of money on is a seatbox or chair, one that you know'll last you a decent while, will be comfortable and you'll use it a lot - even then, you shouldn't go spending no more than £100-150.

 

 

But I bet you haven't seen many.

Top match anglers don't spend money for fun

[Hillsider]

Meanwhile in America... http://www.tackletour.com/menuenthusiasttackle.html

[Steve Walker]

The ideal rig is just a hook tied to the end of the line. Anything else you add should be for a specific purpose. There is a whole industry based around selling overpriced bits of plastic complication. Sometimes they are essential, often they are not. Methods which used to work, still work, and there is still no substitute for the skill and judgement that comes with experience and the talent some people are born with.

 

The point where you are into diminishing returns on performance of rods and reels is fairly low, but you then end up paying more for stuff that's nice to own.

[essox_lucius]

its not how much the gear costs but the presentation of the bait that matters it does not have to be expensive or fancy just correct

[AddictedToScopex]

I have always been a believer in bread and butter fishing which I have stated on here a few times in the past. The more simple you make something the easier it is to spot the things that can be changed to make it more effective. I really dont see the point in all this rig camoflage etc that usually makes your rig stand out even more! I would be more likely to see a rig coated in thick silicone tubing than a single strand of monofilament. It's just daft. It is the hype and advertising that make people think they need these things to be successful. Particularly people first starting out who want to catch 30lb monsters straight off the bat.

 

To be a good angler you only really need common sense, good watercraft and a good sense of what bait and presentation fish would want in a given situation. Oh and to be able to tie a knot. You don't need things like camo rig tube, different shades of camo clothing for all seasonal changes, £300 rods, £200 reels, all matching luggage, heat shrink, a £600 bivvy and various other luxurious wastes of money to be a good angler.

[Peter M]

A lot of tackle is there to catch the angler. Its best if you fish to your abilities and add "fancy bits" if you really think they will improve things. Even then you don't always have to pay the earth. As already said good quality is one thing but often those extras you wont even notice. For example i don't care how many ball bearings a reel has, try it in the shop and if you like it and can afford it you won't go wrong.

[wotnobivvy]

Just thought I would drag up an old truism - There are more anglers caught by floats than fish. Nuff said

[watatoad]

I AM A TACKLE FANATIC or TART

 

But having said that let me qualify it, I have a lot of tackle...but I take the absolute minimum fishing that I can get away with.

 

I have also tested and posted on here a series of 10 budget rod tests http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/forums/TOAD-t2339067.html

 

There are differences and they may be far more marked than many imagine. I have reels from £5.00 to over £600.00 and rods from £8.00 to over £2,000.00 so I feel that I am able to really comment on this thread.

 

But it is just my personal opinion and when choosing or commenting on individual rods and reels it always is how the angler finds that he or she gets on with a particular rod or reel or the combination of the two.

 

If I went out tomorrow to buy based on my 58 years experience I would buy

 

a LEEDA 2XL 10' Feeder rod available for £16.99 a most excellent rod responsive and capable of taking Carp up to 10lbs

 

a ABU Transmitter 13' power match for £39.99 try this with floating crust for big chub or Carp to 10lb yet it is still great for catching small Roach and perch

 

a Drennan match pro 14' available for £129.99 one of the lightest and pleasant to use trotting rods I have ever used,

 

But for the pure pleasure of a rod to use I would opt for an ABU Suveran match 13' but I am mainly a river angler with a love of Roach, Chub, Barbel, Dace and Bream

 

but these are in my opinions.