Im new to fishing, help please

[jamieb]

Hi, Ive just started fishing and im really enjoying it. But i have a major problem, everytime a decent size fish bites, it takes my hook. I float fish so i have been recommended to purchase better, line to hooks. Any help setting up would be much appreciated as i would love to land a big fish. Im on a tight budget so i would be unable to pay for the very expensive equipment.

Thanks

[scottish_and_mental]

is it biting the hook off or is the line snapping ? you might just need some heavier hook lengths bud .i assume you are fishing for coarse fish ?
Steve

[jamieb]

ye i am coarse fishing,it is snapping where i tie the knot from the hook to the line. also, this may sound silly but ive heard a lot about fishing in the margins, what are these?

[scottish_and_mental]

Originally Posted by jamieb

ye i am coarse fishing,it is snapping where i tie the knot from the hook to the line. also, this may sound silly but ive heard a lot about fishing in the margins, what are these?

are you tying on the hooks yourself ? you either need a stronger knot or buy hooks to mono already tied

fishing the margins as far as i know is the edges of the lakes
you want to look for areas with features such as lily pads, overhanging trees or deep pools as these tend to hold most of the fish .

[jamieb]

im tying the hooks myself yeah, is there any chance you could link me to those that are already tied? would be a big help. Ok thanks ill try fishing there from now on

[scottish_and_mental]

ask for packs of ready tied in the tackle shop bud....aint expensive ( couple of quid ? )and come in packs of a bout 10 ..
failing that and probably better ....the next time your fishing ask a more seasoned angler next to you if he will show you a decent knot .. the majority of folks will be only too willing to help

[scottish_and_mental]

once the better coarse anglers get on tomorrow im sure you will get tons more help .. I'll make sure of that

[peakoverload]

Hooks to nylon are a good and easy solution to tying a hook but they do have their drawbacks.

1. They are more expensive than a pack of ordinary non hook to nylons
2. You are restricted to the breaking strain of the line that they use.

Tying your own hooks is definitely cheaper and better and doesnt have to be difficult.

You can tie your own very simply.

1. Get a spool of hooklink line which should be of a lower or breaking strain to your mainline e.g. if your mainline is 5lb you should be looking for a hooklink of around 3-4.5lb.

2. Tie a double overhand loop knot or a figure of 8 knot in one end to create a loop and do the same to the end of your mainline.

3a. If you aren't tying a hair rig than attach your hook to the hooklink using the Palomar Knot. This is a seriously strong knot because it doesnt weaken the line like many other knots do. Here's a guide to tieing it, it's dead, dead simple to tie http://www.animatedknots.com/palomar/index.php

3b. If you are using a hair rig than tie another double overhand loop knot or figure of 8 knot in the other end and then use the knotless knot which if anything is easier and stronger than the Palomar knot. A guide to tying it is here http://pleasurefishing.com/html/hairrigs.htm

It is always a good idea to use a hooklink rather than tieing the hook directly to your mainline for two reasons.

1. Fish safety. If the line is going to snap it's best that it snaps just above the book rather than break on your mainline which could mean that the fish is then towing your float of ledger weight around with it.

2. Hooklink line is of a thinner diameter than mainline even if it has the same breaking strain. This makes it harder for the fish to detect thus improving your chances of catching.

HTH

[jamieb]

Ill try the palomar knot on friday when i next go. Hopefully it will work!
Thanks a lot guys

[AndrewR]

Hi mate, try the tucked half blood knot http://www.btinternet.com/~kevin.l.j.knight/knot15.htm this knot is easy, you need a eyed hook though. Practice the knot at home! just pull off about a foot or two of line and practice until you're happy with it, thats what I do, good luck