I got the bug!

[Little Roachess]

Hi All! I bought the mags, got a shopping trolley full of books, read every page in a week! I even have a couple of freebies from the mags I bought. Anyway, after reading until my eyes are fish-shaped, I wondered if I could get some advice from some of the experts around here? The last time I fished I was about 10yrs old-I'm considerably older now-and wish to take up the sport in all seriousness. With all the choice around as far as rods go, and I do want to stick to rods, which would be the best rod for my style of fishing? I am not the tallest person, and I want as light a rod as I can get, and I want to be able to catch roach this spring, and maybe some barbel in the summer months in my local lakes-in other words I want to do a wide variety of coarse fishing, but I can't afford two rods! Please could anyone help me, I would appreciate the input.

 

Also, are there any Lady Anglers out there I could share my fishing experiences with as I just feel swamped by the "Man's World" ethos of fishing. Don't get me wrong guys, I know without you the sport and technology would never have intensified, and your wealth of knowledge is commendable, (heck my mentor is a great Cumbrian match winner), but a bit of female company wouldn't come amiss on the bank!

 

Forever hopeful of a response or two,

 

Little Roachess!

[Newt]

Welcome to Anglers' Net. I'll move this to the coarse section where more members (including several most excellent ladies) will see it.

[Janet]

Hi Little Roachess, and welcome!

 

There are a few of us lady anglers on here...

 

I started off knowing absolutely nothing about fishing, but joined this site back in 2006 to ask for advice and haven't looked back since!

 

Like you, I read and devoured every magazine and video going - now I can't remember the last time I bought one....it's so much easier to get relevant advice on Anglers Net!

 

The guys on here were absolutely brilliant at helping me get set up...if you do a forum search for threads started by me, you'll see all the help I've had from the start, which may answer some of your initial questions. If your questions aren't covered there, then please feel free to ask!

 

After starting from nowhere, I'm currently the only female member of my local club which has just over sixty members, and am also now on the Committee...a bit of a shock for them when I was voted on, but they've learned to live with it!

 

As for rods? I have far more now than I can ever use, but my favourite and most used one is a Shimano telescopic spinning rod which I use all the time for coarse fishing both on my club lake and on the local river. It's handled everything from tiddlers to double figure carp without a problem.

 

Whereabouts are you? If you're local to me then it would be great to have a day out on the bank....

 

Janet

[Vagabond]

I am not the tallest person, and I want as light a rod as I can get, and I want to be able to catch roach

I note that you want to use a rod (not a pole or whip)

You will also need a fishing licence, landing net, hook disgorger and an unhooking mat as basic equipment

 

Best get a light but reasonably long float rod, say 11 to 12 feet.

Dont be persuaded to get a shorter rod - you need to compensate for a limited reach, not compound it.

A small Okuma fixed spool reel won't set you back too much

 

Start by aiming to catch roach under your rod tip with a small (to carry 2 split-shot size BB) float attached top and bottom. Forget waggler floats until you have more experience. Forget casting further until you have a feel for the basics - ie catching some roach.

 

Buy Maggots, a plummet, size 18 hooks, 4lb breaking strain line, small float weighted with a couple of BB shot.

 

Put on float, tie on hook, attach plummet to hook and find depth under the rod tip. (Anything deeper than a couple of feet is OK) Set float-to-hook distance an inch or two less than the depth. Remove plummet, put on a maggot. Put one BB shot 8" from hook, the other about 20" from hook

Throw in six maggots a rod-length out every two or three minutes, fish under the rod tip where you throw the maggots, and in the average commercial fishery it would be unusual not to start catching small roach soon. You might even get something bigger.

 

 

That is quite a simple set-up, When you caught some fish on it, come back, tell us what happened, and you will get lots of (conflicting!!) advice on what to do next.

Edited April 17, 2011 by Vagabond

[Renrag39]

Welcome to AnglersNet.

 

Can't go wrong with Vagabonds advice IMO. However, rods CAN be had quite cheaply and most modern rods are light. I learnt as a litl'un, the higher (usually) a reel is seated up the handle, then it counterbalances the tip weight. You will, in time, find the 'sweet spot' that aids casting and makes the rod behave how you want it to. No-one can teach this though, its your arm.

 

Janets advice is sound and if you ARE nearby to someone, I can't think of a regular on here who wouldn't be glad to accompany you and give you some help bankside.

 

Good luck, let us know how you got on.

 

Renrag

[larsagi2010]

Welcome to AN!

 

My partner is new to the site and enjoys general course fishing for Roach/Perch ect: I will get her to post some recommendations later on today when we come back from the Lakes

 

Roxi (My Partner) tends to fish canals and small lakes mainly. She normally uses a telescopic rod which is about 4ft when fully extended and cost her only £11 each! Although she float fishes shallow in the margins she has had a few nice Perch and even a few Tench on her setup. The rod handled it all perfectly and is more than adequate for the job.

 

Another bonus is when she gets to the bank she can literally take the rod out of her handbag, unhook the hook from the rod handle and extend the rod to fish.... Its common for her to be in the water before I have even taken the feeder rods out the rodbag

 

Of course this method won't often catch the bigger fish (Carp ect:) but she does put plenty of fish on the bank in a few hours and she has fun doing it.... Maybe worth considering as a starting point?

[Little Roachess]

Welcome to Anglers' Net. I'll move this to the coarse section where more members (including several most excellent ladies) will see it.

 

 

Thanks so much for your help there Newt. You are a gentleman. I am trying to learn the art of fishing and hope that some day I can actually call myself an Angler. Be back soon, and I hope I don't pester people too much. Tight Lines!

[Little Roachess]

Hi Little Roachess, and welcome!

 

There are a few of us lady anglers on here...

 

I started off knowing absolutely nothing about fishing, but joined this site back in 2006 to ask for advice and haven't looked back since!

 

Like you, I read and devoured every magazine and video going - now I can't remember the last time I bought one....it's so much easier to get relevant advice on Anglers Net!

 

The guys on here were absolutely brilliant at helping me get set up...if you do a forum search for threads started by me, you'll see all the help I've had from the start, which may answer some of your initial questions. If your questions aren't covered there, then please feel free to ask!

 

After starting from nowhere, I'm currently the only female member of my local club which has just over sixty members, and am also now on the Committee...a bit of a shock for them when I was voted on, but they've learned to live with it!

 

As for rods? I have far more now than I can ever use, but my favourite and most used one is a Shimano telescopic spinning rod which I use all the time for coarse fishing both on my club lake and on the local river. It's handled everything from tiddlers to double figure carp without a problem.

 

Whereabouts are you? If you're local to me then it would be great to have a day out on the bank....

 

Janet

 

 

Hey Janet! Thankyou for your advice, real good. I was thinking Shimano 12' rod myself but didn't know if I was floating in the wrong pool! It's amazing that you are from Burnley, as I was from that neck of the woods myself before I moved over to Cumbria some years ago. I regularly make the trip to Lancs to see my folks and it would be great to have some company when I get myself kitted up for a fishing trip over there some time...............See what I mean though about female members of the Angling fraternity and the lack of??

[Little Roachess]

I note that you want to use a rod (not a pole or whip)

You will also need a fishing licence, landing net, hook disgorger and an unhooking mat as basic equipment

 

Best get a light but reasonably long float rod, say 11 to 12 feet.

Dont be persuaded to get a shorter rod - you need to compensate for a limited reach, not compound it.

A small Okuma fixed spool reel won't set you back too much

 

Start by aiming to catch roach under your rod tip with a small (to carry 2 split-shot size BB) float attached top and bottom. Forget waggler floats until you have more experience. Forget casting further until you have a feel for the basics - ie catching some roach.

 

Buy Maggots, a plummet, size 18 hooks, 4lb breaking strain line, small float weighted with a couple of BB shot.

 

Put on float, tie on hook, attach plummet to hook and find depth under the rod tip. (Anything deeper than a couple of feet is OK) Set float-to-hook distance an inch or two less than the depth. Remove plummet, put on a maggot. Put one BB shot 8" from hook, the other about 20" from hook

Throw in six maggots a rod-length out every two or three minutes, fish under the rod tip where you throw the maggots, and in the average commercial fishery it would be unusual not to start catching small roach soon. You might even get something bigger.

 

 

That is quite a simple set-up, When you caught some fish on it, come back, tell us what happened, and you will get lots of (conflicting!!) advice on what to do next.

 

 

I have some 4lb camo line, rubber maggots and enthusiasm. When I eventually go out I will be legal, as I think the act of fishing without a licence is abhorrant to me, and disrespectful to the Angling community. I will have all the gear to make a fishing trip a memorable one for me and the fish-remembering that their experience needs to be as stressfree as possible. But it's good sound advice for a newey and I am pleased that there are anglers who always mention the rules, most of which are common sense, and always are there to protect the fish and the environment. Thanks also for reminding me about the plummet, etc, as all the information I have gurned has been swimming around in my head and as soon as I read your post it reiterated a few salient points before starting out. I will keep you updated, but hope I don't bore anyone!!!

[Little Roachess]

Welcome to AN!

 

My partner is new to the site and enjoys general course fishing for Roach/Perch ect: I will get her to post some recommendations later on today when we come back from the Lakes

 

Roxi (My Partner) tends to fish canals and small lakes mainly. She normally uses a telescopic rod which is about 4ft when fully extended and cost her only £11 each! Although she float fishes shallow in the margins she has had a few nice Perch and even a few Tench on her setup. The rod handled it all perfectly and is more than adequate for the job.

 

Another bonus is when she gets to the bank she can literally take the rod out of her handbag, unhook the hook from the rod handle and extend the rod to fish.... Its common for her to be in the water before I have even taken the feeder rods out the rodbag

 

Of course this method won't often catch the bigger fish (Carp ect:) but she does put plenty of fish on the bank in a few hours and she has fun doing it.... Maybe worth considering as a starting point?

 

 

I love mirror and have great respect for them as a large fish, watching old Matt Hayes videos I have learned a lot about how a landing mat is a must if you happen to catch one. I am not the handbag angler, and I won't be buying a 4ft rod, but I would welcome any input from your partner, Roxi, as she could give me a lot of angling from a woman's perspective. Thanks...look forward to her response.