Thanks for the last advice! how about this lot for starters?

[Waveney One]

Go to a decent local car boot sale with £20 and a list of the essentials. You'll have change more than likely with decent stuff. Look for someone who has lots of fishing stuff and you know it'll be more than likely reasonable stuff.

 

What do you need? IMO:

 

A rod with a thin tip - i'd go for a leger/feeder rod, so you can add a swing/quiver tip if need be at a later date.

 

A reel that works smoothly and that isn't too large.

 

Some floats, legers and hooks (16 or 18) ready-tied, some shot.

 

A maggot box, maybe a landing net (probably a good idea in case you hook a decent fish).

 

That leaves you enough for your licence.

I wouldn't go to a car boot for gear as I have a horrible feeling that a lot of the stuff is someone else's pride and joy that they have taken years maybe to collect.

 

Certainly for junior anglers, an elasticated whip with a few ready made rigstogether with the bits and pieces that Mark mentions are all that is required. A reel just complicates matters. Learn how to fish first, then how to use a reel. A landing net is essential imo. Imagine the distress caused not only to a fish perhaps towing a length of line and float etc, but the distress to a small boy when he loses that whopper. I speak from experience having played a carp to a standstill in 1961 (they were rare then, especially in the park pond I fished!) and not being able to get it out. . That memory will live with me forever and it isn't a good one!

[Dick Dastardly]

Most of the items of "end tackle" I see on "traders" stands at boot fairs are over priced and well out of date.Remember that nylon has a shelf life.The finer the line the more important it is to buy "fresh".

 

Things like line and hooks are essentials so it is pointless paying the same prices at a boot sale for crap as you would for proper stuff at tackle shops.(oh even in tackle shops be cautious of fine lines in the "bargain bucket")

 

You dont need lots of different lines and hook sizes to get started sucsessfully so dont begrudge spending the money on them.

 

Remember it doesnt matter if your rod cost £300 or £3 if your line keeps breaking because its old!

[Mark Crame]

I agree Budgie, forgot to mention about getting line, hooks and shot from a proper shop. I mainly mean the rod, reel and net.

 

I agree Budgie, forgot to mention about getting line, hooks and shot from a proper shop. I mainly mean the rod, reel and net.

[mearmortal]

The two Rod's I have are ledger rods and I do have a couple of quiver tips that are in good nick too.

The two reels are in working order but I will scrap the line anyway.

 

I have a pair of forceps, and a disgorger.

 

The Line, Shot, hooks I will get, so you recon about 4-6lb line and between 16-18 hooks. I guess the shot are lead substitues by now.

 

 

Maggot box good.

 

 

 

The landing net and Keep net are both micromesh and in good nick, is it still a good standard to use or has that changed over the years.

 

You said tench and carp are more likely to be caught, so what bait you recon I use.

I don't think it will make a difference cause even if its not used on this pond it will provide more interesting to the fish if its not. Appart from the obvious maggots.

 

I was fishing for about 4 years before I stopped so I'm not completely a novice.

 

I havn't been to the pond since I stopped so its difficult to find out what's going on there.

[Dick Dastardly]

Youve slightly mis read me there mate,or Ive mislead you! I dont know the water but IF there is more chance of you catching Tench and Carp (you can find this out by asking regulars there) then go for the heavier line but if its mainly Roach with the chance of the odd carp or tench then stay with the lighter gear. That was really based around float fishing.

 

However you mention in your last post that you have two ledger rods.If your going to use these then I would use a main line of 4lb lightest up to 6lb based on the same as above ie what you are most likely to catch.When ledgering I tend to use slightly larger hooks than float fishing with slightly larger baits.I would try 2-3 maggots on a 16 or a grain of corn on a 12 or bread flake on a 12-14.If you are getting more bigger fish then try bigger baits and hooks.Struggling to get any bites then go smaller.Also try to keep the hook length breaking strain in relation to the hook/bait size around 2-2.5lb for the small hooks and maggots up to 4-5lb for the bigger hooks and baits.Always pay that bit more for as low a diameter hook length as you can get in the required breaking strain.It really does get you more bites.

 

Some simple ledgering rigs are shown here-

 

http://www.anglers-net.co.uk/rigs/legerrig.htm

Edited July 25, 2006 by BUDGIE

[Newt]

Respooling is an excellent idea though since mono does go bad with age and with exposure to sunlight. It's about the cheapest safety precaution you can take.

[mearmortal]

Youve slightly mis read me there mate,or Ive mislead you! I dont know the water but IF there is more chance of you catching Tench and Carp (you can find this out by asking regulars there) then go for the heavier line but if its mainly Roach with the chance of the odd carp or tench then stay with the lighter gear. That was really based around float fishing.

 

However you mention in your last post that you have two ledger rods.If your going to use these then I would use a main line of 4lb lightest up to 6lb based on the same as above ie what you are most likely to catch.When ledgering I tend to use slightly larger hooks than float fishing with slightly larger baits.I would try 2-3 maggots on a 16 or a grain of corn on a 12 or bread flake on a 12-14.If you are getting more bigger fish then try bigger baits and hooks.Struggling to get any bites then go smaller.Also try to keep the hook length breaking strain in relation to the hook/bait size around 2-2.5lb for the small hooks and maggots up to 4-5lb for the bigger hooks and baits.Always pay that bit more for as low a diameter hook length as you can get in the required breaking strain.It really does get you more bites.

 

Some simple ledgering rigs are shown here-

 

http://www.anglers-net.co.uk/rigs/legerrig.htm

 

 

 

Thanks thats more along what I was looking for, what you recon to use for carp baits, something with an odor?