Time for a so called "experienced" angler to ask a question.

[coarsefish-torbay]

Looks like you've found a bit of help with your initial questions.

 

As far as using your pole with big fish goes, most poles are broken by the anglers, not the fish.

First, make sure you do not accidentally damage your pole by allowing it to fall onto th eground, edge of a box, pole roller etc. And make sure you keep the joints free of grit. Any of those things can put a weak spot in your pole that can be exploited by a hard fight.

Next, make sure your tip is cut back sufficiently to handle a reasonable elastic. I would suggest a hollow in the 6-8 range for the strength of rig you are using. If you hook a big fish, or any fish come to think of it, drop the tip of the pole level with or just under the surface of the water.

All fish are programmed to respond to threats from above, whether using pole or rod and line, if you lift it straight up in the air, the fish will respond by fighting harder. Keep rod or pole tip down low and to the side and the fish will calm down.

Watch what the elastic is doing, if it is running away from you, you may have to add a section to follow the fish out, but try to encourage the fish to circle around by pushing the pole slightly to one side.

If the elastic is going straight down or even coming towards you, you can ship back, hopefully straight to the point where you break down the pole. Ship back slowly, don't rush and the fish will usually follow easily. If it decides to have a little pull, take off some pressure by dropping the tip down into the water, keeping a little bit of side strain on to stop your tip flying out of the pole.

When you have broken down the pole, try to lift smoothly and quickly and as long as your landing net is to hand, the fish can often be netted before it knows what is happening.

That takes some practise, in reality, the fish will realise you are a bit nervous and set off on a mad run again, so just drop the pole tip in the water again and it will soon calm down and you can try again.

Complicated answer to a tiny bit of a question, and actually easier to learn than it sounds. You just need to hook some smaller carp to try it out on, although the 2-5lb fish are usually more difficult to land than the 10lb+.

[jonnychaos]

Thanks CT, its funny really because I fish with my father and Uncle and they are both set in there ways with rod and line and will never change so really I have never actually had anyone to teach me how to use it, I have just bought it and obviously watched videos for the basics but I never seem to be set-up like those guys you see on Fish-o-mania with about 4 top sections all laid out alongside and one section for a pot I just seem to use My power top 2 section all the time and never use a pot. Every time I hooked a fish I would play it like a rod and reel oh god no wonder they use to tear across the like and all i could do was hold on and hope.

I could visualise everything you were saying and cringing at how bad I have been doing it, I must ensure my setup around my box is correct from now on and mabybe invest in a few pole rolers or pole rests as at the moment i have just a "V" roller and normal rod rest tops.

Its nice to speak to guys with the same and even more passion for this sport as I and I do hope for your sake I never meet you or else I would probably talk you to death as once i start talking about fishing I cant stop

[Anderoo]

Its nice to speak to guys with the same and even more passion for this sport as I and I do hope for your sake I never meet you or else I would probably talk you to death as once i start talking about fishing I cant stop

 

I can't help with pole fishing, CF Torbay is the expert there, but we do arrange a few fish-ins throughout the year where we get together and enjoy a blank and a chat Sometimes some fish are caught too. Even better, sometimes there are BBQs.

 

The next one is in May at Wingham (see the separate post by Steve Burke about it). It's the highlight of the AN year!

[medwaygreen]

Alas, not close enough!

 

I was just thinking, all our combined watercraft, experience and expertise, finely honed over many years of experimentation and observation, culminated in a resounding double blank at the last fish-in

 

 

Bugger

[coarsefish-torbay]

Hey JC, no worries about watching someone to see where and how they can improve. 20 years as a teacher have put me in a good position to be able to analyse the mechanics of a sport.

I appreciate others watching me as well, because you often don't realise where you are going wrong yourself. And, as you said, having the influence of others who fish using 'traditional' ways of doing things may not help you learn the important leaps forward that have been made in fish care and presentation over the last couple of decades.

 

I was on the bank two weeks ago at one of my local fisheries and was 'recognised' as that bloke who writes articles and makes Will Raison's films, the angler in question couldn't get his questions answered fast enough. He was talking ten to the dozen for 15 minutes until I said, "right, I'm going to have a bit of fishing now". He then went back to his peg and I fished for 2 hours.

I could see he was struggling after those 2 hours, so I packed up and sat with him for half an hour, putting him right on a few things, most noticeably his feeding. Soon he was catching great big roach/bream hybrids 12" deep with no float on. Every one was ripping the elsatic out of the end of his pole.

He was burbling like a kid and over the moon that he was catching fish like that, that he had never caught before.

It means just as much to see a reaction like that as to catch those fish myself. Although I'm no longer an angling coach, my drive to improve angling skills of others and myself means I would never have a problem helping someone on the bank.

Next time I'm around the North Midlands, I'll be scouring the fisheries looking for you...

[jonnychaos]

Next, make sure your tip is cut back sufficiently to handle a reasonable elastic. I would suggest a hollow in the 6-8 range for the strength of rig you are using. If you hook a big fish, or any fish come to think of it, drop the tip of the pole level with or just under the surface of the water.

 

A hollow in the 6-8 range? i take it thats elastic, is that not too thin? I was considering putting a 16 on my margin kit is that to strong?