START FISHING GUIDE

FISHING GUIDE

A guide designed to get people started, giving the basics to start and enjoy fishing. Once hooked, there are endless books, online sites and stores that will help you improve your skill. 

WHAT FISHING LICENSE DO YOU NEED?     

In most countries you are going to need a fishing licence, which is most cases, you will find in the countries post office. In all countries, the regulations vary. Mostly, where it is tidal or in the sea, there is no need to have a license. Check online for this or if there is a “Closed season” for fishing. This means, you are not allowed to fish in certain areas in during a specified period.

PLACES TO FISH     

There are so many places to fish, some of which are free, to get you going. Rivers and streams, canals, lakes, ponds, harbours and in the sea from the shore offer endless opportunities. If you are not sure where to go, look online or ask at a tackle shop. In the UK the small ponds, lakes and the canal systems offer great fishing. If travelling abroad, then look to harbours or from your holiday beach to provide some instant fun. 

SET UP YOUR ROD    

1. Assembling any rod properly and carefully, extends its life.
   
2. Put the rod sections in size order from handle to tip.
   
3. Bring the size matching male and female ferrules together carefully.
   
4. Firmly push the ferrules together, twisting the rod sections clockwise and anti-clockwise to lock them together.
   
5. Do this, using gentle pressure, until the female section will not go further.
   
6. Line up the guides on the rod, twisting the rod sections clockwise and anti-clockwise gently, so the line can now travel smoothly along the guides.
   
7. To take apart, reverse the process. 

 
THE REEL     

REEL HANDLE. Can be left or right handed. When turning forwards the line winds in. It can be totally unscrewed and reversed to suit left or right handed people. 
ANTI-REWIND. When locked on it prevents the reel winding backwards. 
DRAG ADJUSTMENT. Ensures the line from the reel will pull out before breaking.
SEA FISHING. Clean the reel in fresh water after fishing in the sea to stop salt corrosion.

ATTACHING LINE (may be already attached)

1. Open the bail arm. Place the line around the reel spool. 
   
2. Tie a suitable tight knot of your choice with the line tightly round the spool. 
   
3. Cut the loose piece of line so the knot is secure. Close the bail arm. 
   
4. Tightly hold the line 50 cm (2 foot) away from the reel. 
   
5. Keep the line tight, turning the reel handle until the line is on the reel
   
6. Ensuring the line comes just under the edge of the line spool to make casting easier. 
   
7. Now open the bail arm and thread the line through the fishing guides. 

KNOTS AND LINE SETTING

Now tie on your hook, lure, or terminal tackle (hook and weight/sinker) 
There are 100s of knots for tackle. Here are 2 that cover most nylon line needs. 
Now you have to set the line drag properly so the line does not break.

BASIC TACKLE YOU NEED 

• Hooks+line. Barbless, size 8, 10 and 14 hooks to mono filament
• Floats. Basic floats will work. Buy floats already attached to line with weights and a hook. 
  
• Disgorger. This will be used when you catch your fish to remove the hook from the mouth. 
  
• Split shot. They are small weights to squeeze onto the line using pliers, forceps. 
  
• Weights. You will want to bait fish on the bottom. 1⁄4 ounce 20g bombs sinkers will do. 
  
• Scissors. Or nail clippers, or both, for cutting the line when you have tied your hook. 
  
• Bait box. A takeaway tub will do. Make sure it has plenty of 'small' holes in the top. 
  
• Landing net. Small you can just lift them from the water. Bigger you can try to hold in your hand, however the easiest way to do this is by using a net.

PRACTICE THE CAST 

• Hold the reel with your dominant hand at the reel foot, where it joins the rod. 
  
• Ensure your index finger can reach just above the bail arm. (Picture 1) 
  
• Move the bail arm so the line roller and line are close to your index finger. 
  
• Using your index finger, wrap it around the line with the bail arm still closed. 
   
  
• Check the tackle at the end of the line is 50 cm 2 ft is deal between the tackle and the rod tip 
  
• With your index finger still holding the line, flip open the bail arm
  
• Facing forwards, draw the rod slowly back behind you. 
  
• Swing the rod forward, release the line from your finger, when the rod is almost in front of you. 
  
• Now the tackle will fly, taking line off the spool until it hits the water (you will need to practice) 

BEST WAYS TO START FISHING

FLOAT FISHING 

The best way to start. This way, you get to look at something that shows the bite. It is easy to do, not complicated, bait is easy to get and most importantly you should catch fish. The bait should be on or very near the bottom of the water. You need to secure the float with small weights then decide how you want to apply weights to sink your bait, so the float is just above the water surface. A bite is indicated when the float goes down or up.

 There are 1,000’s of ways to float fish and 1,000’s of floats. Get going, then decide your favourite.

LEDGERING 

This means fishing on the bottom of the water, (on the river, lake or seabed), sinking your bait and waiting for the tip of your rod to move or line to reel out to indicate a bite. There are numerous ways to do this, regardless the principal is the same, to get your bait to the bottom and weight the tackle so you can see a fish bite.
HOOK AFTER WEIGHT

                                   
HOOK BEFORE WEIGHT
These are some methods you can use depending on the water, speed, depth and size of fish. The lighter the weight, the less the fish will sense the tackle. You can fish using the bait for weight. 

LURE FISHING (SPINNING) 

METAL & HARD PLASTIC LURES    

This technique is for predatory fish (fish that eat other fish). These mainly include trout, salmon, pike, perch, chub and sea fish. It uses a lure which is pulled through the water to imitate a small fish. The most effective lure to start with will be the Mepps rotation style spinner, size 1, 2. You can also use other metal lures or plastic baits to imitate fish. 

There are 1,000’s of lures to choose from. One consideration is the care of the fish, so we recommend using lures with single, barbless hooks. These are better for the care of the fish and importantly for the angler.

• Lures can be tied directly to the fishing line. 
  
• If you are fishing for Pike, you will need a Pike Trace (look it up online). 
  
• Cast it out then retrieve it at various speeds, jerks, twitches and depths to find the fish. 
  
• Don’t spend too long in one place. Keep moving. 
  
• Remember to flatten the barb on the hook to make it easy to remove from the fish. 
  
• You should have fishing forceps (look them up) at hand if you deep hook a fish 

SOFT LURES    

These are soft baits normally fished using a larger single hook, which may or may not have a weight attached (with weight it is referred to as a jig head). Again, there are 1,000’s to choose from, replicating fish, worms, larvae and crustaceans. These can be retrieved like a spinner, bounced along the bottom or bounced up and down (jigging) to promote a bite from the fish.

DROP SHOT    
This technique has the weight at the end of the line and the soft lure or bait further up the line, moving off the bottom. The line is retrieve slowly, with jerks and twitches to attract fish.

BAITS 

All the baits here can be fished on floats or the bottom of the water. 

White Bread. Nearly  all fish eats white bread. Start with small hooks, size 16 or 18 on a float. White bread floated on the surface is a deadly for carp, chub and mullet,

Worms. Garden worms of any size can be used, even a small bit of the worm. For most cases, worms work on hooks from size 16 to size 6. 

Maggots. Maggots are available from most fishing supplies shops. At first go for a half pint of mixed maggots. Pinch the hook through its bottom (the fat bit). You can also throw in a few (6 maggots) every 3 casts to keep the fish active. 

Sweetcorn. This is cheap, and one of the best fishing baits used today.

Other Baits. Slugs, insects, smaller fish, shellfish, prawns, nuts, dog biscuits, potatoes, cheese. There are 100’s of artificial baits including for carp and other fish. Best check online for more information.

BITE INDICATION

So how do you know you have a bite?  Floats can go up, down or lie sideways indicating a bite. If you are bait fishing there will be an irregular knocking of the rod tip. These can be tiny or they may pull the rod round. When these happen you need to strike the rod.

STRIKING & PLAYING THE FISH

Striking is the act of actually setting the hook into the fish. It is done by a quick short movement of the rod tip. Once the fish is hooked you must apply constant pressure on the fish to make sure it doesn’t come off. This is best done raising the rod tip. The only way to learn will be to get practice.

Remember don’t be brutal to the fish. Don’t lift heavy fish directly out of the water. Treat them kindly and make sure they return to the water in good condition.

UNHOOKING A FISH 

All your fish need to stay in good condition to be returned to the water, so a disgorger is important 

Which end of the disgorger you use depends on the size of the fish or fish hook? Remember to always keep the line tight out of the mouth 

DISGORGER 

If you are not sure how to do this, check a video online first. Hold the line tight and put the slot of the disgorger over the line and slide it along the line until you reach the hook. Push the hook in the opposite direction to the way it went in until it is free and then carefully remove it.

LOOK AFTER YOUR FISH

To fish responsibly with catch and release, using barbless hooks. You should have a hook disgorger, scissors, forceps a landing net and wet hand towel or unhooking mat to place big fish on.