So you’d like to spend the weekend fishing on a local lake. Before you begin, follow these freshwater fishing tips so that you can be prepared for a relaxing, fun time. There’s nothing more frustrating than a weekend spent in the emergency room or on the shore because you hurt yourself or didn’t bring proper supplies. Below, we are going to give you some fishing tips.

First of all, treat your fishing equipment with the respect it deserves. Fishing hooks and other pieces of fly fishing equipment are sharp. Never load a hook in a hurry or do anything else that will put you in danger of stabbing yourself with it. Fishing hooks are similar to kitchen knives in their ability to harm you, and you should follow the same safety rules when using them. It’s especially important not to move too quickly when using the hook.

You also need to pay special attention to the weather. Common sense says not to go fishing if bad weather is expected. But even if the sky is perfectly clear, a storm can come up out of nowhere. So it is important to notice things like clouds forming or winds getting stronger.

If it seems like a storm is approaching, you should pack up and get back to shore. Never keep fishing in a lightning or other rain storm, and always wear a protective life vest in case winds ever knock your boat over.

Hopefully, there are no storms, and instead your weather is sunny and hot. You will need to wear sunscreen so that you don’t risk sunburn or damage to your skin. You should also make sure to pack plenty of drinking water so that you don’t become dehydrated.

Bring extra supplies when going on a fishing expedition. You will need extra hooks and fishing equipment, small tools such as a flashlight or a screwdriver, and of course plenty of bait. If you should run low on bait, try cutting some worms in half. The fish won’t really care how small the bait is; they are just interested in a free meal.

Freshwater fishing is an enjoyable, relaxing sport–so much so that it is one of the most popular sports in the United States. Make sure you follow freshwater fishing tips like the ones in this article so that you have the best chance of enjoying your fishing trip and catching the biggest fish.

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It is Britain’s biggest native freshwater fish and ranks also as one of North America’s leading quarry. Catching the big one needs stronger rods, larger nets and clever tactics. Holding up this heavy beast for the camera makes the hunt worthwhile. Taking the hooks from the pike’s mouth require strong equipment and a stronger nerve. A slip of the hand can result in deep and painful wounds that are easily infected. Many pike fisherman use a steel gauntlet of the type worn by knights of old, such is the danger when unhooking this fearsome beast.

But it is this fear and respect that attracts us to angling for pike. I think back to my last visit to the canal, where it joins the river not far from where I live. It was close to dawn when I left my house, cold and very still. There was no frost but the mist was thick. When I got to the water I found a good spot that would allow me to cast upstream almost to the canal lock where there was a deep pool and also downstream to the far bank around thirty yards away.

I wandered along the bank peering through the gloom hoping to see signs of active pike. The surface of the canal was like a glassy mirror, broken only by the sporadic splash or ripple as a bait fish darted here and there. Something was feeding! Seeing the water like this urges you on, you want to make haste and present your baits to the unseen foe. This desire to challenge and best the majestic fish is what makes us want to seek out bigger and stronger pike.

I quickly tackled up, attaching a still frozen half herring dead-bait to my treble hooked trace. Casting upstream about twenty five yards to the spot where I was walking just minutes earlier, I could just see the splash as the bait hit the water. I thought the line would follow the bait as it sank but something seemed odd. Puzzled, I lifted the rod to take in the slack, only the feel the line go taught. I struck quickly and sure enough, a fish was on and I realized that it did not want to be simply drawn towards the net. After three strong runs including a worrying spell downstream I drew the monster pike over the lip of my oversized landing net. This was my best pike, at just over twenty pounds. Not really a monster maybe, but a success for me. There are reports of thirty pound plus fish at the same venue, and it is this that will lure me back for more!

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The bass rod is one of the most popular types of poles simply because bass is one of the most popular fish to catch. There is no shortage of bass-fishing tournaments held all across the country each year. Part of the reason for the bass’ popularity is that this type of fish is not an easy catch. They are crafty and put up a fight even if they have already taken the bait. Most fishermen like this challenge and thus go for these worthy opponents.

Given this, the bass fishing pole and the fishing reel have to be sturdy enough to withstand such a struggle. Since bass can come in many different sizes, the rods are also offered in various sizes. However, one thing unites these poles: they are all built to take on quite a beating. Poles specifically designed to catch bass are usually made out of fiberglass because they are more flexible. This flexibility makes it more apt to withstand the twisting and turning bass fish will most likely subject the pole to.

For those going fishing smaller game such as trout, the rods need not be as flexible as those used for bass. Consequently, the fishing reel also need not be as strong. Although a trout can grow to big sizes as well, this type of fish is relatively light and is not as exuberant as other fish. Most of the poles used for this kind of fishing are made out of graphite. Although this material is not as flexible a fiberglass, it does the job of catching trout.

Finally, crappie is a type of small fish that is popular among fishermen. Crappie fishing rods come in various lengths. The choice of its size largely depends on what the fisherman wants. A good rule of thumb to follow is to pick one that feels comfortable. Since the method of catching crappie is usually the jig, or snapping the rod up and down, the fishing pole used should be light. Otherwise, the wrist may feel strained from the weight.

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I thought it was about time we had a section on the site where we list tackle sales. Please reply to this post if you find something that looks like a bargin.  Post the URL and the product price and maybe give us a bit of information about the Tackle Sale item.  Please not this is not an excuse for tackle shops to post there links willy nilly all posts will be verified before being accept to our tackle sale list.

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Todays entry level graphite fly rods in the $100 – $200 range are as good as premium rods of just a generation ago. Like everything else advances in manufacturing and technology have provided the fishing rod manufacturer with new tools and techniques to produce a quality fly rod.

Lets face it most casting is done in streams of about 20′ – 30′ in the spring and less as the season gets along. Fly fishing expert Tom Morgan said, ” During the last forty years most trout have been taken from 20′ to 40′ and I expect the next 50 years will be the same.” Some fly fishing guides go as far as to advocate learning to cast and catch fish at 10′ to 15′.

So with this in mind long casts are not always necessary. Although a good presentation is.

If you are a beginner there are a bewildering number of terms relating to fly rods. Lets take a look at the ones that we will need to get us fly fishing.

Fly Rod Actions

Our choice of rod material will be graphite.

Fast – Tip flex: The top 1/3 of the fly rod flexes under line load. This rod loads very fast and requires quick timing and reflexes.

Medium – Mid flex: The upper ½ of the rod flexes under load. This action is slower and allows a more relaxed casting style. It is a good flex action for the beginner fly fisher. It is a more forgiving and less frustrating rod action to cast when starting out.

Slow – Full flex: This rod flexes from tip to butt. This action produces a slow recovery rate and a slow line speed. In my opinion this action doesn’t produce the power required for a hard hook set.

For our money a Mid flex graphite rod would be a good choice in terms of casting stroke, hook setting power and all around fishing performance.

Remember a good quality entry level rod can be purchased for $100 – $200 and we can assured that we are getting a decent fishing rod with many years of use. One we didn’t have to 2nd mortgage our house or use the kids college fund to purchase. Remember a good rod needs to come with a good warranty. So when you catch a car door it won’t hurt as much.

Line weight and rod length and reels

When we have decided on our type of fly rod we need to decide on our line weight and length of rod. If you are going to fish small streams 15′ across a shorter rod might be in order. But an average 8 ½ foot is about right for most of our fishing needs as length goes. As I think most of our fishing is in the 20 foot to 40 foot range casting range a 8 ½ foot rod gives us good leverage and casting power.

Line weight is somewhat determined by the fish we will be fishing for. But a good all-around weight forward floating 6wt is a good choice and one that you won’t go wrong with on most streams. A weight forward floating line will load our rod quickly and is good for flies from dries to terrestrials and into a moderate wind on our medium action rod.

For a balanced system we ill need a 6wt fly reel for our rod. A good reel can be bought for $50+ after all its basic use is to hold the line. You as the fisher person do 99% of the work. Get a disk drag reel. Any good fly fishing book or store clerk can show you how to put backing and your line on your reel.

This rod will meet 90% of stream fishing needs.

Leaders for fly fishing

So we have decided on a 8 ½ 6wt medium action fly rod and a 6wt disk drag reel. With our 6wt line we are best suited to fish hook sizes 1/0 to 12s and with the correct leader we can push this to 16s and 18s

A good all purpose 9 foot knotless taper leader is our choice. The spring trout fishing here in the North East is a good time to use Blue-winged-olives in sizes 12 to 16 so a 4x leader is our choice. To this we can add a 12 inch 4x tippet and we are set. But remember we can fudge our numbers and use a 3x to 5x tippet to extend our fly sizes with no harm done.

How to fudge and rearrange our gear to suit our fishing is the essence of fly fishing. It is what will take us to the next level.

Review of setup

So to review we have created a balanced fly fishing system of:

* 8 ½ foot 6wt medium action graphite fly rod

* 6wt disk drag reel

* 9 foot knotless tapered 4x leader

* 4x tippet for hook size 10 – 14

This is our basic balanced system for trout fishing in most of the streams we will encounter. We can cast 20 feet to 40 feet with it. Fish fly size 10 – 14 with our tippet. And have a great day of fishing with it. With this outfit we can change-up our tippet and line type and extend our fishing range to meet our fishing needs. The essence of fly fishing is to be as changeable as the streams we fish.

Put your outfit together, tie a piece of yarn to the tippet and practice casting. There are more books and videos on the market about fly fishing then there are fish in all the streams.

Any good book will get you started casting and reading the stream. Take a lesson from a casting instructor. But get out there and fish.

Warranty

As with any purchase a lifetime warranty is a must. Never purchase a fly rod without one. I have caught 2 car doors with mine. Lets not forget the ever elusive ceiling fan. With a good warranty you can get your rod fixed with little or no cost to you.

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When fishing for trout in the winter, there are a few items that every trout fisherman needs. Fishing for trout during the winter months is tough enough; there is no need to make it tougher by not having these items available to you on the water. In this article I will outline 3 items every winter trout fisherman needs to have available to them. These items will not only make the winter trout fishing experience more successful, but also more comfortable.

When winter hits trout don’t stop feeding completely, but they certainly feed much less often. You see trout like all fish are cold blooded so when the water temperatures drop, their body temperature drops, and when a fish’s body temperature drops they become much less active and thus feed less. For this reason, winter trout fishing can be a challenge to say the least.

1. Smaller Baits – No matter what type of trout fishing you enjoy most, traditional or fly fishing, you want to downsize your baits in the winter months. I’ve always found that darker colors are more effective when fishing for trout in winter as well. If you’re a live bait fisherman, rather than using live worms, try maggots and meal worms as bait during the winter months. Slowing down your presentation is also in order when fishing for trout in the winter. Many times it’s necessary to place your offering right in front of the trout’s nose to trigger a bite.
2. Fishing Gloves – When fishing for trout in cool to cold weather a quality pair of fishing gloves is definitely in order. I personally carry two pairs of fishing gloves with me when fishing during the winter. A pair of fleese fingerless gloves and a pair of neoprene fishing gloves. I wear the fleece fingerless gloves at all times and the neoprene over the fleece gloves as needed. The bottom line is that when winter trout fishing quality fishing gloves are certainly a “must have” item. There is simply nothing worse that having frozen fingers and trying to fish.
3. To Be Fishing At The Proper Times – This is always important, but during winter trout fishing it seems to be even more important. You want to be on the water when the trout are the most active and this is accomplished by paying attention to the weather & moon. These two forces of Mother Nature have an amazing impact of the activity level of fish and using this information to your advantage is imperative during the winter months. The bottom line is that you want to be on the water when the weather & moon are in your favor, rather than working against you.

Keep these 3 things in mind on your next winter trout fishing excursion. Not only will you be more comfortable, you’ll also be much more successful. Winter trout fishing may be tough, but it’s certainly not impossible.

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Sometimes you find acquaintances that have that “extra” something special that makes them stand out as fishermen. Sometimes this acquaintance is a friend and this means you will share many experiences and above all you will have the opportunity to observe him in action. It is difficult to pin point exactly what it is that makes them true fishermen.

What it is not, is just one single thing.

After years of fishing together we have managed to work the river with hardly a second glance at each other or need to question anything. We flow as one, although this could be that his expertise has rubbed off on me. Depending on the mood we are in and what the river tells us we may fish together or go our separate ways.

There have been times when we stand together in the middle of the river, cast simultaneously and have a trout strike at the same time. At other times we both use the exact same lure, fish in the same spots and do just about everything alike – just about because he keeps on catching, while I…

On only one or two occasions I have out fished him, to his great frustration – but this is very rare indeed.

I have observed him for over twenty years now and am a better fisherman for it. Here are a few of the things I have noticed that makes him a consistently good fisherman (good as in he never returns empty handed).

1. Attitude – he has this saying that a fisherman who doesn’t get wet is not a fisherman. And he always gets wet. We will cross the river when we need to; we will wade; we will fish from the side, from under a tree, from the bank, from the middle, from a rock or from a bridge.
2. Perseverance – there have been times when the trout is caught when daylight has all but gone. No matter what, he will fish.
3. Love of the sport – something happens to us as we prepare for a fishing trip. And this something becomes even more obvious as we approach the river until it becomes patently obvious as we fish. We are transformed. Life as we know it is left behind and we become one with the sport.
4. Knowledge. He knows about trout but still has the ability to be surprised by a trouts reactions. He can read the river incredibly well – and rivers are always different and changing.
5. Fishing Gear. Once as we chatted under a tree during the mid day sun, he left his hand dangling in the water. He actually tickled a trout to sleep and then he flipped it out. His gear is always well kept – the reel in superb condition, his lures, his line, his rod – all in top shape. But he can fish with a pole and a shoe lace if necessary.
6. Luck. At least that is what he calls it. But after years of observation I now know that it isn’t luck; or at least not too much luck.

Getting into the “fishing zone”. 

He, this fisherman friend of mine, has the uncanny ability to focus his whole being while fishing. This not a question of concentration but of changing his whole self, his body, his mind and thoughts, his breathing, his walk, his attitude.

He stops looking and begins to observe. He stops his inner voice and hears nature around him. He notices the light and the shadows. Sometimes I am sure he hears the trout and even talks them out.

He is not hypnotized or absent. He just goes into the zone at will.

Those few occasions that I out fished him were when I was in the zone. The difference is that he does this at will, while I am still learning how to do it.

A long time ago I asked him about it and he just said – “whatever you do, do it with your heart and soul”.

And I guess that, in a nut shell, is it.

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I am writing this article as a lot of people have approached me who have tried fly fishing a few times, never had much luck, then thrown in the towel, as they have found the sport to be to difficult to master. The truth is that fly fishing is not the easiest way to fish, but when you do become good at this sport, it is very enjoyable and rewarding. This article is mainly directed at the beginners who want to master the sport.

Here I will give you some very important tips on getting started with fly fishing.

#1 The first thing I would do is to treat yourself to a good fishing book. Make sure that the book has a good review, is based on the beginner fly fishermen and has all the information on techniques and equipment.

#2 It is crucial to select the right type of rod to begin with. Without the right rod you are not going to be very successful, it could also end up to be very frustrating. There are many different types of fly fishing rods so be sure to select one that is right for you. A rod that I would recommend for a beginner would be generally to go with a hollow glass fly rod, as you will find this a great rod to get started with. The hollow glass rod is easier to use than say a bamboo rod. Even if you do not treat it with that much respect as you should, or will once you improve, the hollow glass rod will still hold up better than a bamboo rod. So this type of rod I would say is without a doubt, one of the better rods to go for as a beginner. Once you have improved your skills, if you prefer, then maybe look into getting a bamboo rod.

#3 Having the right type of fishing line is also very important. If you are not using the right line then your doomed to fail from the beginning. As you know, the rod is a must for casting, but the line is the most crucial part for the way you cast. A lot of people use a line that is to light. It is very important to use a line that is heavy enough so you can smoothly and effectively cast out your line.

A line that I would recommend to use with a hollow glass rod would be a double taper HCH line, GBF 3-diameter line, or a C level line.

#4 The last fly fishing tip is to make sure you have the right type of casting technique. This is of great importance to your success. If you want to come home with a big smile and lots of story’s to tell, then practice on making sure you have the correct casting technique when your out there fishing. Whilst having the correct rod and line is crucial, you also are going to have to work on technique. The rod and line will not do all the work for you. Remember that you want to cast out straight. You do not want to jerk the line once you’re casting. You need to concentrate on being really smooth. You are able to do this by keeping your body loosened whilst you do the casting. Whenever you are tense, you will ruin the cast. Naturally, it will take some practice to get it correct, but the more you practice your casting technique, the better you are going to get. A good way to practise is to be outside somewhere on a flat service, maybe a play ground, or on a drive, then lay out some targets to aim for. This will give you a lot more experience and a better feel for the rod for when your ready to put your skills to practice.

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Pole Maver

Pole Maver

As some of you know i’m looking at getting a new fishing pole and i’m looking at the Maver ones at the moment. I’m looking at getting the Maver Invincible 13m. It comes with twi power kits, mini extention, cupping kit, tubes, holdall and pole maver DVD. Theree is an offer on their website at the moment for £499. I think this is a pritty good price.

The pole itself seems like its designed to pull in huge carp and all the sales speil on the website seems to reinforce this.

It’s fair to say that this is the strongest pole we’ve ever produced and is the ultimate pole for big fish on commercials. It can also be fished as a power margin or line to hand pole that will swing specimen fish to hand with confidence.

Let me know what you think guys is this a good buy? I’m still looking around ill let you know what else I like.

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We take a caravan holiday every year to Europe, and we are building up a group of friends in France. Most of these are Brits who have moved over there and opened caravan sites. This is my fishing exploits from this year at such a place.

The site is called Twin Lakes it’s near Montendre in Charente Maritime. It has two carp lakes hence the name. Folk staying on the site get to fish for free and as the lakes are totally on private land no licence is needed either.

The bottom lake
This lake holds Carp (Common, Mirror and Leather) up to 35lb that we know of, I fished this lake at the beginning of the tourist year (May) . The Carp were full of spawn and very lively when you caught them. They are what I would describe as slow runners (they set off as if they don’t realise they are hooked then go like a bat out of hell)

Tactics
On this lake there are two that work surface float fished bread and Dog biscuits and Cat food on the bottom, and the pole is risky. Trust me I went through Boilies, Sweetcorn, Worms, pellets, and host of other esoteric baits without any fish. BUT put a chunk of French Bread on a size 2 hook! you got a fight eventually. On some days the fish were visible especially the one we nicknamed “Jaws” for it’s habit of taking bread of the surface like a Whale going straight up and crashing back into the water, usually about 3 feet away from you when you were fishing around 4 rod lengths out.

The Top Lake
This is a new lake about 7 years old dug by the previous owner of the campsite. It’s still settling down but does hold Carp and a few silver fish Nase and Roach that I know of. The Carp here are a lot easier to catch and a lot more aggressive takers and they RUN.
The baits are the same which upset some anglers when they had been fishing all day with tons of boilies (and a bait boat) and I ambled up showed one of them a certain spot and he cast in only to bank a 10 lb’er within minutes. Same bait and tactics work on this lake too.

I caught quite a few large Carp there during my stay and upped my Personal Bests on a lot of the sub types
Mirror Carp is now 27lb 5oz (although I also had one 23lb that was almost a leather)
Common Carp is 13lb
Leather Carp is now 10lb

The main point of this site for me is that is miles from anywhere “touristy” it’s real France; the site owners Sandra and Garry are brilliant folk from South Yorkshire. The bar is always a happy place and the food is great when everyone gets together and has a real French style eat in.

It’s address is

Twin Lakes
La Faiencerie
17130
Soumeras
Charente Maritime
France

33 5 46 49 77 12
Twin Lakes France: Family Holiday Caravan Park, Tourers, Camping, Fishing Lakes
twinlakesinfo@hotmail.co.uk

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