Wintle’s World of Angling

Mark Wintle, an angler for thirty-five years, is on a quest to discover and bring to you the magic of fishing. Previously heavily involved with match fishing he now fishes for the sheer fun of it. With an open and enquiring mind, each week Mark will bring to you articles on fishing different rivers, different methods and what makes rivers, and occasionally stillwaters, tick. Add to this a mixed bag of articles on catching big fish, tackle design, angling politics and a few surprises.

Are you stuck in a rut fishing the same swim every week? Do you dare to try something different and see a whole new world of angling open up? Yes? Then read Mark Wintle’s regular weekly column.

As a match angler, over many years I’ve had to learn how to consistently land decent sized fish on light tackle. I’ve often had to cope with unexpected chub or carp in match conditions and yet it has been vital to land them. So, what are the skills that make a difference? What tackle tips can help? How do you cope with different types of fish and different conditions?

Before I go any further, I am going to define absolutely the limits that I’m going to be describing. I am only talking about using lines with a breaking strain of 4lbs or less. I am only talking about rods with a test curve of less than a pound, often half that. I am not talking about landing big carp, pike or catfish. The techniques and tackle are very different when it comes to those types of fishing. I do not propose to tell you about them here.

Having got that off my chest, let’s also make it clear that the light tackle that I will be describing is unsuitable for catching seriously big fish, or fishing near snags for big fish. In very favourable conditions and with a lot of skill an angler can land double figure barbel or carp on light tackle BUT, it is irresponsible to fish for such fish deliberately. There are always situations where one may hook a fish that one never intended, and though having a slim chance, may actually land it. I, for one, have little truck with the idea that one must always use gear capable of landing the biggest fish in the river or lake. There are times when this is essential but there are many other times that such an approach prevents enjoyment of sport with many of the smaller species. Time to concentrate on the light tackle.

Balanced tackle
In simple terms, it’s a case of matching the line to the rod. There is a bit more to it than that, matching the reel can also help. But every rod has an optimum line strength that it can work with to its best advantage. A typical modern match rod should work well with main lines from 2lbs to 4lbs, maybe 5lbs at a pinch. It will not only pull hard yet not break the line, it will also feel right with lines in this range when it comes to casting and controlling the line. Similarly, a modern leger rod (designated bomb rod or light feeder) will also work with the same range. The best of today’s match rods do not lock up in the middle joint. That is not to say that eventually they will not lock up but you have got to be brutal to do so. One ancient light feeder rod that I’ve had since about 1986 will work well with 4lb line yet I have put 12lb line on it a few times and got away with it, getting double figure pike. No, I don’t recommend such treatment.

Shimano’s Fighting Drag – Mark’s impressed

A decent reel
Despite my long obsession with Mitchell Matches and backwinding, I am slowly gaining a genuine appreciation for Shimano Stradic Fighting Drags. They work, even with comparatively light lines of two or three pounds breaking strain. Add in a good roller in the bail arm and you’ve got a tool that will let you play a fish to maximum advantage. The toughest drag test I’ve faced this season was a speedy mullet on 2lbs line. The drag coped.

Lines, knots and hooks
Good line is essential. It must be reliable and tough. With two-pound line, you may need to put new line on every six to eight weeks. But that’s no good if your knots are no good. I’ve learnt the Grinner (or Uni) knot this year for tying on bigger eyed hooks. It is totally reliable and easy to learn. The double Grinner will tie two lengths of line together. Similarly, when I tie my own spade-end hooks I make sure that every hook I tie is tied as well as I can get it. If the knot looks bad, or the line comes off the shank in a pig’s tail or at a funny angle, I retie it.

When it comes to hooks, I have spent years experimenting with hooks. Remember we are talking about small hooks now, not size fours and twos. It is amazing how good a hookhold you can get with a small hook. It is often a case of being selective with hooks. Some patterns may be brilliant in a size 18 but not a 20 or vice versa. When people talk about straightening hooks, I wonder what is going on. I very rarely get a hook straightened. To me it suggests that the hook is being used with heavier tackle than it is designed for, either that or the hook is no good in the first place. If you straighten a hook on a snag, replace it.

Fast water in the Hant’s Avon

Far bank chub
One of my favourite forms of fishing is catching chub on a waggler fished tight to far-bank cover. When hooked, the chub don’t mess about trying to get deep into the snags that usually line the far bank. Trailing branches, roots, reeds, weedbeds, they’re all there. So when you strike it is a case of using side strain by keeping the rod low and to the side to pull the chub out of the snags. If possible, I try to gain line as quickly as possible. If I can get the chub moving towards me so much the better. At some point, you will usually need to cope with a sudden and powerful rush back into the snags. This is where a carefully set clutch can help. It is vital to avoid letting the chub build up much speed. If you can absorb that first heavy run then don’t wait for the chub to try again, try to throw him off balance and get him moving towards you again. I often find that once I get the chub into the relatively snag-free mid-river it is possible to allow the chub to swim around for a short while to tire him, before easing him towards the net. This is the second danger point. The chub may spot the near bank cover and make a concerted dash into the reeds. So be prepared to keep a tight line and if possible get his head partly out of the water gulping some air whilst still away from the net. Standard stuff I know, but well proven.

Fast water
One of the problems I regularly face is hooking good-sized fish on light tackle in fast water that can be flowing up to 4mph. Several strategies may help. The first is where all of the current is fast and the fish must be brought up against the current. By keeping the rod low and a steady but heavy pressure, it is usually possible to get the fish to swim steadily upstream. It pays to keep the rod still and wind in at a steady pace but it is surprising how often this works. Once the fish is upstream of your fishing position then start to bring the fish to the surface, and with practice, you can get the fish to drop into the landing net using the current as an ally.

The far bank of the Thames – great spot for chub

On the Hampshire Avon and Dorset Stour in summer, the luxuriant weed growth means that trying to bring a fish upstream against the flow simply gives a chub or barbel ample opportunity to get into the weed and, as you’re pulling the fish into the weed, a better technique is needed. It’s simple. Get off your seat and get downstream of the fish. Don’t wait until the fish is weeded. Now the fish is fighting you and the current, and again you might well be able to use the current to help you net it. The final technique is where there is much slower water by the near bank. By pulling the fish towards the bank into the slacker water, the fish loses the power of the current, and it ought to be easier to bring the fish in.

Advanced Stuff
Many years ago I read a brilliant article by Dick Walker about playing fish. In it, he described that by using a variety of techniques it was possible to land them quickly and without fuss. Though an advocate of using adequate tackle wherever possible, he also fished very fine on occasion, and certainly was very skilled in playing fish. It boiled down to being able to outwit the fish by staying one step ahead and therefore in control as much as possible. He did this in several ways.

Firstly, he understood and practiced the use of side-strain to pull a fish off course by turning its head. He recognised that the fish that is often most difficult to control is the one moving most directly away from the angler, and therefore the most likely to reach a snag. To counteract this, he would try to stop the fish gaining momentum, using a combination of side-strain to throw the fish off balance and knowing how much his tackle could withstand. This is where the anticipation comes in, in that he dealt with each move by the fish in such a way that the fish found it easier to give up rather than keep fighting, ie, it ended up confused! Furthermore, the fight took far less time and the fish could be returned in much better condition than one exhausted by inept and excessive playing. A final tip from the great master was to keep low and avoid scaring the fish when playing it, and this applied to netting it as well. The net was sunk to quietly await the fish that hardly realised the trap was there.

Finally, he was critical of those that did not bring the fight to a swift conclusion through failure to understand what they were doing. This included both allowing the fish to do more or less what it wanted until it finally succumbed through exhaustion, and those that treated playing a fish as simply a brutal tug of war that led to frequent tackle losses and disturbed swims.

There are other techniques that I have not covered, for some species demand special considerations but I hope that I have given you a flavour of the skills that can be developed to make landing fish a straightforward task.