Any Advice?

[ljstronge]

Hi

 

Wondered if you could help.

 

I went fishing today on my local canal. I had the best day ever there catching loads & loads of fish - I got the right swim, the right depth, everything was perfect - except.....the following

 

All day I was catching chub - loads of them, littleuns, but there were so many of the them, I was over the moon with my day. But on 2 occasions the following happened.

 

I was getting shy bitess from the chub and catching on these all day, so when my float went under in a shot, I knew I had something a bit bigger, as I pulled the fish in to the bank, I had caught a pretty big Roach, I was pretty excited as this would of been my biggest fish yet from the canal. The only problem was that as soon as I got it in close, I lost the blighter. It managed to shake the hook and swam away.

 

This also happened on one more occasion, when I got something bloody big!! (well, it felt like it anyway) I caught something and it was the first time I have ever had to really fight a fish, but, I didnt even get it in close, It bolted towards the reeds and I managed to stop it from doing that, but again threw the hook in open water.

 

Now these 2 were not MASSIVE fish, but a lot bigger that the tiddlers I have been catching

 

What am I doing wrong to keep losing the bigger fish?

 

Am I not striking proberly from the start?

Is the tackle I'm using no good (18 hooks)?

Am I not bringing the fish in correctly?

 

Thing is, I have to teach myself, as I have no-one to learn from, so I might just be pretty rubbish at striking and bringing them in.

 

Hope so one can help

 

Toby

[ricksteruk]

well a size 18 hook should be ok i would imagine. Was it a sharp hook, a blunt hook will cause hook pulls like this, your clutch on the reel might of been just a little to tight, you was trying to land them to quick, or not using the landing net correctly, ie as the fish is coming in the head above water lay the net just under the surface and move the fish to net never the other way around.

 

There is so many reasons as to a hook pull this are the main ones i can think off, you will lose thousands of fish but every one will make you that little bit wiser, we have either all been through it or are going through it

[richjones]

toby, just out of interest what bait/ tactics were you using to catch the chub, iv had no look with breadflake and maggots on my local canal! also which canal was it?

[ljstronge]

well a size 18 hook should be ok i would imagine. Was it a sharp hook, a blunt hook will cause hook pulls like this, your clutch on the reel might of been just a little to tight, you was trying to land them to quick, or not using the landing net correctly, ie as the fish is coming in the head above water lay the net just under the surface and move the fish to net never the other way around.

 

There is so many reasons as to a hook pull this are the main ones i can think off, you will lose thousands of fish but every one will make you that little bit wiser, we have either all been through it or are going through it

 

Defo had sharp hooks, were brand spankers. Might of been the landing net jobbie but for the second I didnt even have it anywhere near in close. Might be just the fact that I need a bit of experience, I was getting a tad excited as I doing so well, (for once!!)

[ricksteruk]

just take your time with each and every fish. you will get there in the end. Experience and confidence come in time. Was you using a pole or rod and reel?

[ljstronge]

just take your time with each and every fish. you will get there in the end. Experience and confidence come in time. Was you using a pole or rod and reel?

 

 

I was using the following

 

Rod & Reel - 3lb main line - 18 hook - I was using twin maggot but switch to single and had more luck with that.

 

I was fishing on the Erewash Canal (Long Eaton Lock - Sandiacre lock)

 

I was fishing in a new swim where the balliff said they put in 1500 new Roach 2 weeks previous. I had zero luck there in 2 hours, so moved about 3 swims down to where this canal boat is moored (never seen it move) thought there may be some fish underneath but was fishing just off side to it. Maggott only - (little and often) thrown into the swim, had nothing for about half an hour and I just started catching these small chub - it got to the stage where I was casting and catching non stop. Didnt catch 1 roach (apart from the biggun I lost ) all day despite the balliff's advice.

 

Its not a bad canal - the next stretch about a mile down is supposed to be better (Long Eaton Lock - Trent Lock) apparently they have carp up to 20lb and some big pike. I havn't fished down there yet as the stretch I was on today is 5 mins from my house.

 

I didnt use a pole as I don't really know how - I was given this Pole/whip - not sure what it is - it has 4 sections that just flick out/ it has elastic on the end, but I've never got round to finding out how to use it.

 

Toby

[chavender]

ooo000 my old stomping grounds .. ( i used to live at long eaton but now live at ilkeston ) theres plenty of good fishing to be had ,dockholme's a good stretch as is the derby rd section that follows it down to tamworth road (L.E fire station) , but tamworth road stretch (roadside) is patchy ans prone to being full of cabbages.below tamworth road bridge and down to trent lock its a matter of locating the fish there is a boat yard down this lower section that was always good for big perch and odd jack if you can get in to fish it .any moorings are fish magnets.

[spireite]

Hi

 

Wondered if you could help.

 

I went fishing today on my local canal. I had the best day ever there catching loads & loads of fish - I got the right swim, the right depth, everything was perfect - except.....the following

 

All day I was catching chub - loads of them, littleuns, but there were so many of the them, I was over the moon with my day. But on 2 occasions the following happened.

 

I was getting shy bitess from the chub and catching on these all day, so when my float went under in a shot, I knew I had something a bit bigger, as I pulled the fish in to the bank, I had caught a pretty big Roach, I was pretty excited as this would of been my biggest fish yet from the canal. The only problem was that as soon as I got it in close, I lost the blighter. It managed to shake the hook and swam away.

 

This also happened on one more occasion, when I got something bloody big!! (well, it felt like it anyway) I caught something and it was the first time I have ever had to really fight a fish, but, I didnt even get it in close, It bolted towards the reeds and I managed to stop it from doing that, but again threw the hook in open water.

 

Now these 2 were not MASSIVE fish, but a lot bigger that the tiddlers I have been catching

 

What am I doing wrong to keep losing the bigger fish?

 

Am I not striking proberly from the start?

Is the tackle I'm using no good (18 hooks)?

Am I not bringing the fish in correctly?

 

Thing is, I have to teach myself, as I have no-one to learn from, so I might just be pretty rubbish at striking and bringing them in.

 

Hope so one can help

 

Toby

 

you may not neccesarily be doing anything wrong,losing fish happens to us all.always make sure you don't let the line go slack at anytime.

Also i find when using lighter lines it's better to back wind than rely on the clutch.