New to F/W Angling, help Pleaseeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!

[Bluesbro]

Hi guys n gals

I have recently taken the plunge and started freshwater fishing after many years of sea angling. Mainly because i have a freshwater river running past my house and i have just been given a load of gear. actually i now have loads of questions as it`s a hell of a lot different to fishing of the beach lol

It`s probably easier if I tell you what im thinking and then you can advise me as to what you think I should do. I have got a kingfisher carp rod and reel and also a match rod that i think is suitable for casting small floats out and a rod license, i have checked with my local shop and been told I can fish in the Medway between Allington and Barming for free so I am wanting to give it a go. Before i set off what do you guys think I should have in my kit? What are the bare essentials that i will not be able to do without? Are there any rules and regulations i need to know about for fishing in the river (i.e seasons, bait limitations etc)? What is the best way for me to fish in the river and get a variety of fish? Are there any spots or features along the river i should fish in or around for a successfull trip? and finally what baits should i use for these fish? am i right in assuming all these boilies that are used in stocked lakes will not be as affective in the river, as it is not a natural food source?

I have been fresh water fishing once before with a mate, but it was a stocked lake and i caught an 8lb carp. i found however, sitting round a lake was rather unrewarding if you get what i mean. i am used to having the beach to myself lol.

Thanks all
Joe

[Bluesbro]

relist

[peakoverload]

I'd personally say don't worry about the Carp rod at this stage, for a river it's not really suited unless you know there are lots of Carp or Pike in there and intend to target them. In VERY general terms river fishing is best with the float or quiver tip rod the choice of which is determined by the species you are after, the flow and depth of the water and even the time of year amongst other things.

You say you have a match rod but you don't mention what reel you have to go with it. You really don't want to use a Carp reel on a Match rod as at worse it won't even fit on the rod and at best will completely out balance the rod making it very hard to cast a float. So if you don't have a suitable reel then that must be your first purchase.

Your second purchase must be a landing net and handle as with coarse fishing we return the fish and don't want to return them with ripped open mouths having lifted heavier fish out of the water without one (plus you are more likely to loose them by the line breaking).

Next is the choice of line. With sea fishing you'll be used to lines over 30lb but for coarse we start much, much lighter. The choice of breaking strain depends on the species you are after and the method of fishing but for float fishing on a river I'd go for 4lb for general stuff & 8lb for species like Barbel and river Carp.

For float fishing guess what, you'll need some floats , the choice of float is very much dependent on the river you fish. On faster moving rivers a stick float has a distinct advantage but some rivers are so slow they are almost still waters and you can happily use 'normal' wagglers. I don't know the waters in your area so either others here can advise but I'd ask for advice at your local tackle shop.

Next is hooks. Buy a selection ranging from size 20 (very small) to size 4. For general float fishing use baits like maggots, cheese, corn I'd probably use anything from a size 18 to a size 14, for shy biting species using maggot I might drop down to a size 20 or 22. For ledgering using bigger baits I might use size 12 - 4. You can buy hooks to nylon and also one pre-tied with a hair rig but tying a hair rig is so simple it's cheaper to make your own.

For ledgering you'll need a form of bite indication. Have a look at the very top eye of your match rod, if it has a screw thread underneath it you can screw in a quiver tip. If it doesnt you have to use something else but really quiver tips are best for rivers unless the river is very slow moving as other indicators can make bite detection very hard or impossible due to the flow. So, ideally buy one or two quiver tips say 2oz as a good average. Then buy yourself several feeders, if the rivers aren't too fast flowing then an open end feeder is great as you can stuff it full of your hookbait and then use groundbait to bung the ends up but if the river is fast flowing this can let the bait out too quickly so block end feeders are better. Get a range of sizes.

Invest in a catapult, you'll need it.

Buy yourself disgorgers and forceps, essential for unhooking deeply hooked fish.

Buy yourself a couple of rod rests and heads so you don't have to hold the rod the entire time which is essential for ledgering.

As for rules and regulations. The close season for rivers is March 15th to June 15th where no fishing can take place on rivers. The same used to apply for still waters but this changed a few years ago and most are open all year now but some do still enforce the close season or have one at another time of year so always check.

A rod license is always required but some stretches of river and most lakes require a day ticket to be bought or to me a member of the club that owns the fishing rights so check before you go. Your local tackle shop will be able to advise.

As for baits, boilies are typically used for Carp and Tench (although other species will also eat them but not as much) and as these species are more still water species then river species you wouldn't normally use them for rivers. Not too long ago maggot was the widest used bait but now that has changed to pellet. Pellet will catch most species on a lake because all the fish are so used to seeing tons of the stuff chucked into the lake every year. For rivers it will also catch, especially if it's a heavily fished river but personally I tend not to use them and instead use Worm, Maggot, Paste, Cheese depending on what species I was after.

In regards to where to fish, bends in a river are frequently the best spot because the water slows along the outside edge causing natural foods in the current to be dropped to the bottom and therefore where the fish go to feed. Also look out for cuts in the bank, over hanging trees and reeds.

HTH

[Bluesbro]

Wow thanks for the reply, I really appreciate the help!!!! My reel is a small fixed spool that I got with the carp rod but it`s considerably smaller than my mates pit/carp reels. It fits onto my match rod ok and it has a rear drag to allow for playing fish so I think it will be ok. I got the rod license and I know where I can fish for free so i guess i just need to re-spool the line on my reel to something a bit lighter, get a catapult and look through my box of floats to see which ones i have available. The river doesn`t seem to flow hard but im told there is a bit of a under tow so i will give float fishing a try. I went out and brought a book on course fishing which has helped a bit and I think I will try trotting if there is enough current to allow this. I will walk up the river and find a bend with overhanging trees/bushes and fish through that area with maggot,cheesepaste and worm. Does this sound like a good plan? Should I go and find the area and groundbait with a mix of bread/maggot and worm for a few days first or will the undertow just wash it all away making it a pointless excersise?

Many thanks

Joe

[peakoverload]

That sounds like a very good plan. Trotting a float is by far my favourite method for rivers as it lets you cover so much more water and allows you to try different bait presentation by holding back and letting the bait rise. I wouldn't bother prebaiting on a river. River fish are fairly nomadic and will cover several miles a day, once the food has washed away they will soon move on. What keeps fish returning the same area is where natural bait is frequently found or where fish feel protected hence the bends in a river and over hanging trees. So 'all you have to do' is find a place where the fish will hopefully be at some point and introduce a regular amount of food to get them feeding confidently. It's a lot harder than it sounds though!

Tight Lines

[Bluesbro]

Im sure it is but I have learnt to be patient through my sea angling exploits!! Half the fun I have is in the hunt for the secluded spot with unexpecting fish. I went to a lake and caught a 8lb carp but found it very unrewarding as it felt like I had cheated and knowing that fish had ben caught numerous times took the gloss off of the catch, it was too easy if that makes sence? If I had caught a 8lb fish in the sea i would ave een extatic but this was a hollow victory to me. These river fish are more "WILD" to me and thus I feel it more natural fishing, a bit like sea angling, you may only catch a few but they were hunted and caught fair and square

Joe