Don't know what I'm doing wrong!

[Mally]

Yes youre right if you feed too much it can have a detrimental effect, Feeding is by far the most complex thing in fishing and the best fishermen are generally those who are best at feeding, a good guide though is to feed little and often, say 4-8 maggots every minute or two, that way there isnt too much bait going in to feed the fish off but there is always a few maggots falling through the water to attract fish. If the fish respond well then feed a bit more, its difficult to get right but its pretty easy to get it averagely right and catch a few. There are very few anglers who are truly good at feeding and i dont regard myself as one of them, it seems to be more of a sixth sense.

 

Regarding spade end hooks, i always use them, for anything but the very largest of fish say 10lbs plus then i would generally stick with spade end hooks and the hooks to nylon are very good these days so i'm told so if your not confident about tieing your own then these would be the answer.

 

Good luck and tight lines

 

Mally

[Vagabond]

Mally:

feed little and often, say 4-8 maggots every minute or two, that way there isnt too much bait going in to feed the fish off but there is always a few maggots falling through the water to attract fish. If the fish respond well then feed a bit more, its difficult to get right but its pretty easy to get it averagely right and catch a few.

Absolutely right Mally - LITTLE and OFTEN - no more than a dozen every couple of minutes as I said in previous post. As Peter says there are bream present, it is unlikely that he will overfeed at the rate Mally and I have suggested - in fact, if you start catching bream in numbers, you will need to increase the maggot supply to hold them in your swim. - but stick to "little and often" until the fish show.

 

and Peter - no matter what fancy rigs you are told about, stick to simple float gear until you have caught some fish

 

One tip I didn't mention - make sure you put on enough shot to keep your float low in the water - then even the lightest of bites will pull it under - a common beginner's mistake is to have the float barely cocked , sitting up in the water like a lighthouse - fish then feel the resistance and let go of the bait.

 

Also examine your hook bait from time to time - if the maggots come back as empty skins, you have had a bite! Put on fresh maggots, and move the bottom shot nearer to the hook so as to aid bite detection.

 

When are you going to try this advice out?

 

[ 08 July 2002, 06:56 PM: Message edited by: Vagabond ]

[big al]

i would agree with most that has been said,however my approach would be to ask at the tackle shop.tell them where you are going give them a budget and get them to give you advice.i would go for a pole or a whip as these are very easy to set up and use with a shop bought rig to fish light for small fish (this is a canal).this together with half a pint of maggots or pinkies should get a few bites and fish.enjoy your fishing then you will be really hooked.cheers big al

[PeterBlair]

Thanks for the further tips guys - especially about feeding the swim. Before I'd never fed the swim when I was fishing float, so now I know another thing I might have been doing wrong.

 

Vagabond, all being well I'll be buying my kit this week, and venturing out either this weekend or early mornings next week

 

Big Al, although it is technically a canal, it's not like your typical inner city canal - it's extremely clean and a lot more like a river (even more so when it opens out to it's widest points.).

 

Just one question about nylon hooklengths... I didn't realise the procedure and hooks used for them was different. I assumed you just used a normal eyed hook and then tied the hook length as if it was a normal mono one... Can anyone direct me to a website or picture for tying nylon hooklengths (tbh I don't even really know what hooks I'm looking for)? Would having a 4lb mono hooklength and 6lb main line do much the same job as a nylon hooklength?

 

Thanks again,

 

Peter

[Vagabond]

quote:

---

Originally posted by PeterBlair:

[QB Would having a 4lb mono hooklength and 6lb main line do much the same job as a nylon hooklength?

 

[/QB]

---

In word, yes. Tie a size 14 barbless to about 9" of 4 lb nylon monofilament, and water-knot that to your 6lb main line (if you don't know the water-knot, use loop to loop for now - but the water knot is simpler, neater, and quicker to tie than two loops)

 

Don't forget to buy a disgorger, yer gonna need one!

 

[ 08 July 2002, 10:50 PM: Message edited by: Vagabond ]

[Zinky]

Peter if you take note of all the above Total Confusion is what you have.

Best advice Is that you get down to your local water and spend the day walking round just watch other anglers and you will learn more. Pick the anglers fishing the style you want and site and watch taking a mental note etc..

As for rods and reels you will not go far wrong with Okuma of Ron Thompson rods for price and value.

Reel Review

Reel and Rods

Check out Gray Catchpole's article the other month Fishing with Giles "C" well worth a look

Tight Lines

[PeterBlair]

Vagabond:

In word, yes. Tie a size 14 barbless to about 9" of 4 lb nylon monofilament, and water-knot that to your 6lb main line (if you don't know the water-knot, use loop to loop for now - but the water knot is simpler, neater, and quicker to tie than two loops)

 

Don't forget to buy a disgorger, yer gonna need one!

I was actually gonna do it with a link swivel, so that I can quickly change out hooklengths (also I can attach the plumbline using the same method) really quickly. I'll be sure to let you know when I'm actually gonna get out on the water

 

Thanks again,

 

Peter

[Nugg]

But your not now though are you?

Set up the end takle, using loop to loop knot on your hook length, and main line, using shop bought hooks to nylon,which will have a loop on, of the size and strength of your choice, which will more than likley be spade hooks anyway, and then put the hook through the loop on the plumbob and secure the point of it in the bottom, in the cork bit, then you'll find the depth, and remove it from the hook, it's that simple, shorten the float, by pulling it down slightly, for off bottom fishing, and lengthen the float, by pushing it up the line a little, for laying on the bottom, only about 4 inches or so.

If you feel the need to change your hook at all, you only have to push the two loops of the loop to loop knot together which will release the knot and will undo it in the reverse way to how you did it up. You can of course use a light swivel if you want to, swivel links are for heavier methods of fishing.

It's a bit late now I'll see if I can find something to scan and send to you by email later.

[Nugg]

Hi Peter

You have mail!!!!!!

[Newt]

Peter - one other thing that hasn't been mentioned is odor.

 

It is possible that some smell from your hands gets on the bait and causes fish to shy away.

 

You might try a session where you use rubber gloves to bait up or wash your hands with a scentless soap and then put some sort of attractant on before baiting up.

 

I'm a heavy smoker and also usually need to gas up my boat before I get on the water. 2 bad odors right there. So I carry a bar of soap designed to remove smells (over here the make them for deer hunters - should be a UK product of some sort) and then put some shad or crayfish scent on my hands before I touch a lure or bait.

 

I think it helps my catch rate and I know it boosts my confidence which is all-important for an angler.