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Big Eels


Ken L

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I was speaking with my dad and apparently, the reservoir that he fly fishes holds some monster eels, and he really fancies trying for them.

He can coarse fish it from June onwards and invite guests - me.

We can't night fish, but we can fish through dusk and as there aren't many features, I was thinking of simply fishing the bank where the wind will be in our face (where any food will float too and where the water will be warmest), with a combination of float fished baits close in and ledgered baits on bite alarms a bit further out.

Baits will be a mix of lobworms and fish (possibly lamprey if he pulls any off the trout and freezes them) and I was thinking of using small circle hooks and have some soft braid with a steel core for hooklink.

Have I missed anything or does anyone have any other suggestions?

Edited by Ken L

Species caught in 2020: Barbel. European Eel. Bleak. Perch. Pike.

Species caught in 2019: Pike. Bream. Tench. Chub. Common Carp. European Eel. Barbel. Bleak. Dace.

Species caught in 2018: Perch. Bream. Rainbow Trout. Brown Trout. Chub. Roach. Carp. European Eel.

Species caught in 2017: Siamese carp. Striped catfish. Rohu. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Black Minnow Shark. Perch. Chub. Brown Trout. Pike. Bream. Roach. Rudd. Bleak. Common Carp.

Species caught in 2016: Siamese carp. Jullien's golden carp. Striped catfish. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Alligator gar. Rohu. Black Minnow Shark. Roach, Bream, Perch, Ballan Wrasse. Rudd. Common Carp. Pike. Zander. Chub. Bleak.

Species caught in 2015: Brown Trout. Roach. Bream. Terrapin. Eel. Barbel. Pike. Chub.

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You could get a tray of sprats for about a quid from the supermarket fish counter & hook them pennel style (2 single hooks in tandem) size 8 or 10. Maybe Trebles if allowed??.

Fishin' - "Best Fun Ya' can 'ave wi' Ya' Clothes On"!!

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Not seen an eel of any size since the early 70's ,i wonder why ? OH yes i forgot the EA issues licences to take elvers !

I find it strange the EA forget to protect increasingly rare species (which is the root of their job) if theres a buck to be made! Banning it would be better until bootlaces were in the annoying numbers they were in the past when it was hard NOT to catch them!

Strange lot they destroy species by allowing deliberately fish that breed with other species to be stocked ,they encourage polution by not closing down po!uters and they put species on the verge of extinction by encouraging their young are caught by the million ,never to pass their genes on to the next generation and for the benefit of foreigners! Couldnt make it up if you tried!

Edited by chesters1

Believe NOTHING anyones says or writes unless you witness it yourself and even then your eyes can deceive you

None of this "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" crap it just means i have at least two enemies!

 

There is only one opinion i listen to ,its mine and its ALWAYS right even when its wrong

 

Its far easier to curse the darkness than light one candle

 

Mathew 4:19

Grangers law : anything i say will  turn out the opposite or not happen at all!

Life insurance? you wont enjoy a penny!

"To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical." Thomas Jefferson

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7 hours ago, chesters1 said:

Not seen an eel of any size since the early 70's ,i wonder why ? OH yes i forgot the EA issues licences to take elvers !

I find it strange the EA forget to protect increasingly rare species (which is the root of their job) if theres a buck to be made! Banning it would be better until bootlaces were in the annoying numbers they were in the past when it was hard NOT to catch them!

Strange lot they destroy species by allowing deliberately fish that breed with other species to be stocked ,they encourage polution by not closing down po!uters and they put species on the verge of extinction by encouraging their young are caught by the million ,never to pass their genes on to the next generation and for the benefit of foreigners! Couldnt make it up if you tried!

Lough Neagh is home to the largest commercial wild eel fishery in Europe, exporting 650 tonnes a year to Billingsgate, Holland & Germany. Those eels start as elvers caught in the Severn estuary and are shipped to the lough to grow on.

Plenty of eels to be caught on the Severn and Warks Avon, and you will catch little else if you fish worm.

The last big one I saw was 4lb+ and came from the local park pool on a blazing summers day last year.

 

 

Edited by Ken L

Species caught in 2020: Barbel. European Eel. Bleak. Perch. Pike.

Species caught in 2019: Pike. Bream. Tench. Chub. Common Carp. European Eel. Barbel. Bleak. Dace.

Species caught in 2018: Perch. Bream. Rainbow Trout. Brown Trout. Chub. Roach. Carp. European Eel.

Species caught in 2017: Siamese carp. Striped catfish. Rohu. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Black Minnow Shark. Perch. Chub. Brown Trout. Pike. Bream. Roach. Rudd. Bleak. Common Carp.

Species caught in 2016: Siamese carp. Jullien's golden carp. Striped catfish. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Alligator gar. Rohu. Black Minnow Shark. Roach, Bream, Perch, Ballan Wrasse. Rudd. Common Carp. Pike. Zander. Chub. Bleak.

Species caught in 2015: Brown Trout. Roach. Bream. Terrapin. Eel. Barbel. Pike. Chub.

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As i said, sent to foreigners

Believe NOTHING anyones says or writes unless you witness it yourself and even then your eyes can deceive you

None of this "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" crap it just means i have at least two enemies!

 

There is only one opinion i listen to ,its mine and its ALWAYS right even when its wrong

 

Its far easier to curse the darkness than light one candle

 

Mathew 4:19

Grangers law : anything i say will  turn out the opposite or not happen at all!

Life insurance? you wont enjoy a penny!

"To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical." Thomas Jefferson

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A friend of mine spent some time chasing eels and came up with a anti deep hooking rig.  It was just a bolt rig with a very short, 2 or 3inch hook link.  He used a large single hook and the short hook length was wire.  He used bunches of worms, small dead baits, stew beef etc etc, for bait and had lots of good sized eels.  He never had one deep hooked fish because of his set up and removing the large hook was very easy.  He would get hold of the hook with long nosed pliers and just twist/rotate the hook free. I never saw him struggle to unhook an eel due to his set up.

Although i've had eels up to just over 6lb I really don't like catching them, no idea why really, they just don't appeal to me. 

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18 hours ago, Tigger said:

A friend of mine spent some time chasing eels and came up with a anti deep hooking rig.  It was just a bolt rig with a very short, 2 or 3inch hook link.  He used a large single hook and the short hook length was wire.  He used bunches of worms, small dead baits, stew beef etc etc, for bait and had lots of good sized eels.  He never had one deep hooked fish because of his set up and removing the large hook was very easy.  He would get hold of the hook with long nosed pliers and just twist/rotate the hook free. I never saw him struggle to unhook an eel due to his set up.

Although i've had eels up to just over 6lb I really don't like catching them, no idea why really, they just don't appeal to me. 

Sounds like a variant of the stick rig. It's something I may have to try if I can't get dad not to strike with the circle hooks.

 

Species caught in 2020: Barbel. European Eel. Bleak. Perch. Pike.

Species caught in 2019: Pike. Bream. Tench. Chub. Common Carp. European Eel. Barbel. Bleak. Dace.

Species caught in 2018: Perch. Bream. Rainbow Trout. Brown Trout. Chub. Roach. Carp. European Eel.

Species caught in 2017: Siamese carp. Striped catfish. Rohu. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Black Minnow Shark. Perch. Chub. Brown Trout. Pike. Bream. Roach. Rudd. Bleak. Common Carp.

Species caught in 2016: Siamese carp. Jullien's golden carp. Striped catfish. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Alligator gar. Rohu. Black Minnow Shark. Roach, Bream, Perch, Ballan Wrasse. Rudd. Common Carp. Pike. Zander. Chub. Bleak.

Species caught in 2015: Brown Trout. Roach. Bream. Terrapin. Eel. Barbel. Pike. Chub.

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To be honest, if I were to go purposely targetting eels it's a set up I would most definately use.   No worries about deep hooking and unhooking is so easy, you don't even need to touch the eel.

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