starting again

[don faulkner]

I have just started fishing again after a break of twenty odd years , it started when my two children wanted me to take them fishing , so I got hold of an old rod and reel and took them to the local river , after about two minutes helping them i was hooked againin to the sport that i loved as a child but had given up when I left school. the next few days where spent looking through the local papers for secondhand tackle.now a week later ,armed with tackel,boxes and rod licenceand eagerly looking forward to my day off so that iI can go fishing for the day,I can`t wait. also I have been reading some fishing mags and everyone seems to have gone carp mad, everywhere I look it`s carp this and carp that, have I missed somthing ?. also tackle seems to have changed so much in twenty years, there are things called pods?.I think I willstart of just floating and ledgering. anyway any help or tips would be most welcom to a new begginer, ie ! what rods and reels to use ,rigs and baits ,cheapish ones please. don

 

[Mike Fidler]

Dear Don,

Please don't make the mistake that I made when I came back to fishing. Carp were not around when I was a kid, they were a mystical fish that only true specialists went for. Now that mysticism has all gone and any beginner can catch large carp on day ticket waters. Yes enjoy it while it's fun, but please don't waste your money on expensive kit like bivvy's and rod pod's etc. Sooner or later you will join the disgruntled ex-carp anglers who find that they have to learn how to fish again for normal coarse fish. Send me an E mail any time and I will be more than happy to help.


regards, Mike

 

[John Tait]

Mike, I couldn't agree more!! - and I speak from the viewpoint of one who fished exclusively for carp for almost 20 years, until August last year - now I can't get enough of the rivers, especially the Dove. But then again, I have been fishing since the age of 12, 41 years ago this Christmas, and started on a local farm pool, progressing as the years passed. Quite when I became an angler is difficult to say (now that might start something - when does a fisher become an angler?) - but those formative years are so important. Watercraft is learnt, not bought from the local tackle shop.

Jonty

 

[don faulkner]

Mike
thanks , I only fish on the lake to get me started if I catch carp fine but if I get a bag full of small roach thats greagt as it it good to catch any thing in my mind . I only have a limited amount of tackle and only use maggots,worms and seewtcorn do you think thats o.k. to start with .Also I need a decent rod for both floating and leadgering to cost about twenty pounds , any ideas ?
thanks don .

 

[Mike Fidler]

Don,
quite simply buy second hand. You will get far better equipment for next to nothing as 20 quid will not go far in a tackle shop. Bait seems fine, try feeding trout pellets as your ground bait with maybe a soft hook pellet as bait. This should catch you all the carp you will ever want. Venue is important, where are you based? commercial fisheries are a good place to go to aslong as they are not hammered by matchmen all the time.

 

[don faulkner]

Thanks again mike ,Iwill try local papers for tackle . I live in ringwood ,hants. loads of places to go but I have been twice to a lake at sopley as it is quiet and not very busy , as I don`t want to show myself up as I am not that sure if I am doing the right things , so mistakes don`t matter so much when there is not many people about.there are carp,bream and roach in the lake or so I am told .my e-mail is don@faulkner22.fsnet.co.uk any way thanks
don

 

[Carp Angler]

Don, try either of the two back lakes at Somerley.
Vincents or Kings, you'll get your string pulled all day on these lakes.
Tickets available from Ringwood tackle. Speak to Fat Richy in the shop as he may know of some cheap second hand gear. Tell him Big Rik sent you ;o)

 

[don faulkner]

Thanks big rik , I`ll give it a try . what sort of fish will I catch,as I said it dosen`t have to be carp .
thanks again don.

 

[Carp Angler]

Don these lakes are full of carp and tench, carp to mid doubles and tench to 8 or 9, method feeder near the barrel island works well, otherwise loose fed pellet and corn or paste on the hook. Keep the feed going in and you should score....

 

[Stuart Bullard]

Don, I can sympathise with your original question and point. I am 2 years into my "re-birth" after a 20 year break. What I have decided to do is to fish for most species. So far this season I have had specific sessions targeting tench, chub, carp and perch. The fish-in this weekend will be my first session for barbel. I also alternate methods a lot. It may not give you the absolute best returns in the short term but as a once a week angler I find it great fun. And dont think you have to have all the different types of gear for different methods, especially early on. I never forget my first carp session at Chilham Lakes, a bit of a carp mecca. One float rod for tench, one carp rod on sticks and buzzer with the old fairey liquid bottle top. A couple of guys really took the piss, even though I had the same rigs and had done my homework on pre-baiting. I loved when it I left after 8 hours having banked 22lb and 18lb carp plus numerous waggler caught tench to 7lb. Needless to say they had blanked. Good luck.

 

[Alan Cooper]

Great stories folks - seems like there is a few of us who have taken the long road back! I would suggest going for quality tackle - secondhand preferably, but quality nontheless.

 

[GrahamM]

Don't forget a whip or short pole with elastic. It's one of the easiest things for very young children to do and get a feel for the joys of fishing. No casting, all they have to do is drop the tackle in and the elastic makes it dead easy to 'play' the fish. They'll still need supervision of course, but a good stepping stone towards rod and reel fishing.

 

[Mark Munday]

Many of us long term anglers have seen the light and found our way back from the carp-only sindrom. Go with the baits you suggested and you will probably catch more carp and good size other fish than the bollie and bolt rig bragade.