Fishing

What Is Fishing?

Fishing is the art of catching fish. Its origins are as ancient as early mankind's hunter gatherer societies. Fishing has developed into a mass industry world wide. However, modern fishing or 'angling' also remains a popular leisure activity and a professional sport.

What Are The Main Types Of Recreational Fishing?

In the UK there are three main types of fishing. Each use different techniques. Coarse Fishing is 'freshwater' on rivers and lakes for fish such as roach, bream, pike or carp amongst many others. Fly fishing involves fishing for salmonid fish such as trout or salmon using artificially tied flies. Sea fishing occurs around coastal waters for sea fish such as cod.

How Do You Fish?

The most common form of leisure fishing is done with a rod, reel, line and hooks and uses baits. This type of fishing is also known as angling. Angling is also sometimes the general term for catching fish for all recreational purposes. Lures are also frequently used in place of bait.

Why Do People Fish?

The reward for most anglers is the challenge of finding and catching the fish rather than eating or financial reward for selling the fish, although that can be involved too. Partly the challenge as well. Many fisherman just love the peace and quiet of fishing and the opportunity to be near the water - very relaxing in itself - and be out and about in nature. Fishing can be very therapeutic and calming. At the opposite end it can be very exhilirating both in terms of competition - with other fishermen, in competition with yourself and in competition with the fish. The experience of being in very dramatic surroundings or very dramatic waters can be very exciting, especially if you are on a boat or tackling big sea fish. Tacking a full size Tuna or Marlin out in a speed boat is anything but sedate. Landing a fish with rod and reel is often described as almost a primal necessity for some anglers.

Are Anglers Conservationists?

In the past sports anglers almost often killed their catch to bring them to shore to be weighed or for preservation as trophies if they were not killed for food. Now changing times have created a shift in consciousness about this type of trophy fishing amongst many fishers. Lobbying from conservationists along with a genuine concern amongst anglers about fish stocks have led many more anglers to begin releasing their catch alive. Sometimes fish are fitted with identifying tags so as to aid fisheries research. This is known as tag and release.

How Can I Be A Better Conservationist Angler?

Release predators. Larger predators like bass and pike need to remain in the waters to maintain a balanced ecosystem.

Always handle fish with wet hands. Handle them gently and return them to the area in which they were caught.

Avoid polluting. Keep your rubbish and take it home to dispose of it. Don't discard old fishing line or other debris.

Report pollution. Anglers can provide an important service by reporting any signs of pollution in the water.

Encourage others to act responsibly when it comes to fishing and the environment.

How Do Competitions Work?

Sport fishing competitions provide either teams or individual competitors an opportunity to compete against each other over a specified time and with a determined area. Scores can be awarded for numbers of fish caught, weight and species. Individual prizes can be made for available for things like best individual catch.

Got Any Tips For Good Fishing Etiquette

Respect other anglers and also residents of waterfront areas. Be quiet in the wee hours and also careful about casting lures.

A disgorger is an essential angling aid to help you unhook fish quickly and safely.

Handle fish with wet hands only as this protects their protective mucus layers.

Try to avoid carrying fish. If you must carry them try and use a landing net.

Unhooking/carp mats are a good idea for unhooking fish and helping to cushion the fish. They need to be wet when in use. Alternatively lay the fish on wet clean grass.

Never unhook fish on hard or rough ground with anything that could endanger the fish.

Rods and line too heavy for the size of fish being caught can cause damage. Try and match your tackle to the size of the fish you are likely to catch.

Make sure your landing net is large enough for the fish you may hook.

In summer if you are allowed to use a keepnet ensure as much as possible of the net is submerged because the water temperature is much warmer in shallow water.

Never retain more than 50lb of fish in one keepnet as the weight can crush the fish below. Bring two or more nets if you expect large catches.

When returning a fish to the water if it rolls onto its side hold it gently upright in the water until it regains the strength to swim away.

If you see fish or any other animals in distress report it to the appropriate body.

What Is Coarse Fishing?

Coarse fishing is the branch of the sport involving the capture of most freshwater fish other than members of the trout and salmon family. Generally coarse fish are caught for sport and returned alive. Chub, Carp, Perch and Tench are examples of coarse fish.

What Do You Need To Coarse Fish?

Permission to fish. A rod licence. Rod, floats, hooks, reel, bait. Small weights.

A spool of line. Landing net. Disgorger. You may also want a keepnet and bankstick, umbrella, tackle box and rod bag, groundbait, bite indicator.

What Types Of Reel Are There?

The two main types are the fixed spool and centre pin type.

A fixed spool reel has a static spool but the line is wound onto the spool by a revolving arm. These reels are by far the easiest to use, making them ideal for the novice.

Centre pins are different with one turn of the handle equalling one turn of the reel. They offer greater and more intimate control. The modern multiplier is a centre pin with gears, where one turn of the handle equals multiple turns of the reel, hence the term Multiplier.

What Do I Need For Sea Fishing?

More than 350 species of fish have been recorded around the British Isles including flatfish, halibut and cod plus sharks such as dogfish and tope. What you need depends if you are beach fishing or from a boat. But from the shore you will need say, a 12ft beachcasting rod, a medium sized reel, 300 metres of 15lb breaking strain line. Also Aberdeen hooks in various sizes, beads, split rings and swivels, assorted weights, bait, rod rest. From the boat a seven foot boat rod should do it.

What Is A Paternoster?

A paternoster is any style of hook rig where the leader is tied to a fixed lead. The hooks are on droppers above the lead. Usually one to three hooks are used on a paternoster. The droppers can be either blood loops tied in the leader or more often an arrangement of stop knot, bead, swivel, and bead.

Is Night Fishing Better Than Daytime?

Mostly yes. Most predatory fish are far more active at night. Some species are only worth fishing for after dark. Cod feed far better at night for instance.

What Sort Of Baits Can I Use?

Different fish like different bait but some are universal and it is worth trying different things. Anything from worms, Spam to cheese, sweetcorn and bread will catch fish. Maggots are the most popular coarse fishing bait used in Britain. Almost all UK freshwater fish are landed on it. Worms and flies are good for salmon and trout. Many freshwater fish such as tench like sweetcorn. Cat food is good for carp. Sardines, worms, meat, fish pieces and bread are all good sea baits.

Got Any Tips For Beginners?

Buy good quality tackle but don't overspend, especially on lures and extra bits of kit.

Research different kinds of fish and do some reading about habits etc.

Take waterproof clothing.

An umbrella and a landing net are essential if you are serious.

Research your bait for the right catch. Maggots are a good starting point but try and experiment.

Always check whether a license is required and find out as much information about rules and regulations for the waters you intend to fish.

After fishing, especially in salt water, gently rinse or wipe off your reels and rods with fresh water.

Dry reels and rods with a soft absorbent cloth or let them drip dry. Then use a light oil or WD40 or similar to apply a protective film on your reels but be careful not to spray your line.

Store your rods and reels in a cool, dry place. Don't store your rods by leaning them against a wall as this may cause them to warp. Storing them vertically or horizontally in a cool, dry location is best.

To restore a cork handle to its original light colour you can sand with fine or extra fine grade sandpaper.