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Fishing with a Pole
Jump to Pole Fishing Video
There is some evidence that the fishing pole was used long before 2000 BC. in different areas of the world. The need arose when it came to fishing in deeper waters. It’s great technological evolution took place when the rod began to be used with a resistant line and hook. First, the line was tied to the rod, then rings were used to guide the lines. The longer the line, the easier it was to tire the fish. After this the reel was invented, to avoid entangling the line.
Basically, pole fishing is a method of float fishing where the float is fished just below the tip of the pole. The float “rig” is connected directly to the pole tip; unlike waggler fishing there is no free running main line or a reel. The distance you can fish is therefore limited by the maximum length of your pole. Poles are available at lengths of up to 16m and (at least with current technology) this seems to be the limit of what an angler can comfortably handle due to the leverage of the protruding pole from the anglers’ grip (although there have been experiments from a few manufacturers with poles as long as 20m).
There are specialist fishing poles designed for nearly every type of fishing. As a beginner, we can pretty well avoid all of these. Often, a lot of this ‘specialization’ for a specific type of fishing is just clever marketing, the same as the term ‘beginners pole’.
Are you looking to get into Pole Fishing? Adam gives you everything you need to know about getting started with pole fishing. From start to finish, Adam shows you how to set up your new pole, how to elasticate your pole, how to tie your first pole rig, a few simple baits and ultimately, how to catch more fish on the pole!
Shimano returns to the pole market with the long-awaited Aero range.
The Aero Competition pole range has been many years in the making. Employing a dynamic development program conducted without compromise, the design team has maximised the use of Shimano’s leading carbon engineers.
The Shimano Aero Range is available in 13m and 16m lengths and augers Shimano’s return to dominance of the pole market.
Shimano’s Aero poles come with a choice of packages to suit all pockets and abilities.
Bass Fishing
Jump to Bass Fishing Video
In the past, where human populations were sparse and fishing pressure modest, sea bass were simply called “bass”, meaning basically “prickly.” But in Mediterranean Europe the same species began to be named in a way that indicated intelligence. The ancient Greeks associated the fish with the word labros, or “turbulence.” Homer uses labros in reference to wind and waterbut labros as it applied to sea bass gradually came to imply cleverness. In modern Greek the concept of the sea bass as a clever fish became its defining characteristic. Today the fish is called lavraki – “the clever one.” If you wanted to indicate in modern Greek that someone had cleverly figured out something tricky and challenging, you would say that he epyase lavraki – “he caught a sea bass.”
The perception of the bass as clever occurs in other Mediterranean languages. The Romans named the fish after an animal they considered particularly intelligent – lupinus, which eventually became the French loup de mer – “sea wolf.” And the Latin poet Ovid wrote of sea bass as using its smarts to frustrate its potential captors. “In vain above the greedy [fisherman] toils,” Ovid wrote, “while with arts more exquisite the bass beguiles.”
European sea bass thus seem to have rapidly solidified their reputation for cleverness in the Mediterranean. The reason for this may be a direct product of the holiday-like environment of the Mediterranean Sea, the place where humans and sea bass had their most intense interactions. The Mediterranean occupies an exceptionally warm and dry climatic zone. Most rivers on the European continent flow away from it, meaning that, compared to other seas, the Mediterranean’s biotic systems receive few nutrients. The sea is therefore described by scientists with the Greek-derived word oligotrophic – a place that “contains little nourishment.” By the time one reaches the level of the European sea bass, both the population of fish and the size of individual fish are naturally smaller and more sensitive to exploitation than in more productive seas. Recently the Italian cookbook author Marcella Hazan said that when she moved to the United States, she simply could not find the right fish for her European sea bass recipes. “Your bass are too big!” she lamented.
New Style Fishing Licence
You need a fishing rod licence to fish for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt and eel with a rod and line in England (except the River Tweed), Wales and the Border Esk region of Scotland.
You need an additional licence to fish in the Thames.
You must always carry your rod licence when you’re fishing or you could be prosecuted. You can be fined up to £2,500 for fishing without a rod licence. Children under 12 don’t need a licence. However, if you take a child under 12 fishing and hold the rod or help hold it you must buy a licence for yourself.
There are 2 types of licence:
Here’s what you need to do:
by Paul Knight
Amazing Fishing Stories is a wonderful collection of tales of adventure with rod and line. This eclectic collection includes thrilling battles with monsters of the deep, epic acts of endurance and more poetic pieces on secret spots where legendary fish are said to lurk. Read extracts on our fishing tackle pages and you won’t be able to wait to buy the book, hard copy, audio or Kindle. About Paul
Also see Fishing Poles
Paul Knight is a hugely experienced fisherman and leading figure among UK anglers, who has traveled to remote parts of the globe to reel in stories with rod and line. He has worked on offshore trawlers as well as fished idyllic salmon streams. His knowledge of fishing equipment is vast as you will see from his tales. Paul has written for a range of fishing magazines for more than 20 years. His wide experience, remarkable network of fishing friends and wonderful writing style make him the perfect author of such a collection of unforgettable tales.
Note: We do not sell or promotes Amazon products. You can easily fins Paul’s book online.
Shimano Fishing Tackle
Float Fishing Crucian Carp
jump to Float Fishing Video Crucian Carp
To catch crucians regularly a very carefully shotted light float rig is imperative the best floats being a fine-tipped antenna or a short narrow-diameter length of peacock quill fished in ‘mini-lift’ style. The object is to see those tiny bites for which crucians are renowned and which often barely register on the float tip (fig. 9B).
For this reason the single shot (a No. 1 BB or AA depending on float size) should be not more than 2 in from the hook. Try moving it even closer to 1 in away because sometimes this alone can make all the difference between seeing bites or not. The secret after casting in and tightening up so the float cocks is to wind down even further so the tip is just the merest ‘blimp’ on the surface. Strike the slightest movement.
When crucians are really feeding confidently denoted by clusters of small bubbles regularly rising to the surface the float might even lift completely out of the water and lie flat as the carp tills its head up after sucking up the bait and dislodges the shot. Or the tip will sink positively as the crucian characteristically runs along the bottom. Many more bites will barely register on the float so you need 10 hold the rod throughout and be eagle-eyed.
To stand a better chance of hilling bites from crafty crucians that just lie on the bottom blowing the bait in and out rig up a light antenna float with a dust shot 2-3 in from the hook with the bulk.
shot set at mid depth {fig. 9A). After carefully plumbing the swim adjust the float so the bait is literally a fraction above the bottom. As with the lift rig strike at the slightest movement on the float tip. Remember to keep loose feed or small balls of groundbait going in on the little-and-often principle and they might be encouraged lo feed all day. A ruse always worth trying when they are particularly dour is to gently wind the float in 6 in at a time which makes the bait lift upwards enticingly and fall gently down to the bottom again. Baits which are inherently buoyant like bread flake or csters or which are expected to move as worms work best when ‘twitching’ in this way to encourage bites.
Incidentally both these rigs work effectively for tench that are biting particularly shyly.
Jump to Video Wild Carp v King Carp
Genetically there is in fact very little difference between wild carp and king carp. Stemming from the River Danube carp were transported around the world originally by the Romans. Over the years they have been selectively bred to grow faster and bigger firstly because they were an important food source and more recently for us to fish for.
Telling the difference between true wild carp and skinny commons is very difficult particularly as there is nothing to stop them breeding together. Wild carp generally have longer barbules a long dorsal fin and a large head. The body is almost chub-like in shape if the fish grow to bigger than about ten pounds then the chances are they are not true wild carp.
You definitely should try cooking with carp. There are many great fish recipes online but do try not to smother your carp in sauce the first time you cook with it. You can only make recipe decisions once you know the true taste of your fish.
Carp really became widespread in the British Isles as a food fish brought to this country from mainland Europe in the Middle Ages. So to find true wild carp now you should look for ancient ponds that have not been stocked with king carp. Estate lakes are your best bet for true wild carp although as more venues become stocked with king carp finding true wild carp will not be an easy task.
The wild carp has a larger tail for its size and has an altogether leaner and longer body.