Once again its that time of year when we have to renew our fishing licenses and get ready for a new season of Specimen fishing around Wales. Unfortunately last year i missed out on a lot of fishing trips due to ill health and side effects of medication but thankfully the other FAW Team members made up for my absence. this year looks like its going to be a busy one regarding the fishing scene. Again we have had a very mild winter which means the fish will certainly be coming on the feed earlier again this year and we are seeing more and more people taking up Carp and Specimen fishing. With this in mind we will be taking a look at some of the basic skills needed for Carp and Specimen fishing over the next 12 months. We will be looking at some great new ground breaking products that have just been released as well as looking at some of the old school tactics that could catch you more fish.
Going Back to Basics - How to set up your tackle.
Leaders - What is the best leader material to use and why use them.
Fishing Old School - Some of the best rigs to use and they still catch fish every time.
Leaders - What is the best leader material to use and why use them.
Fishing Old School - Some of the best rigs to use and they still catch fish every time.
Fishing Bait - from Naturals to Man Made Boilies, what works best for you...
Stocking Up - looking at the most essential tackle needed for Carp fishing.
Plus lots more.........
Every month we will be taking a look at these topics and we will put together some top advice from many of the worlds leading Carp and Specimen Anglers so watch this space.....
This month we take a look at probably the most important aspect of fishing ... Casting!
1 Focus on your target Line up your cast as you would normally, aiming at the spot you would like to cast to. Make sure the lead is half the drop of the rod (level with the join/spigot), as this makes it easier to compress the rod on the cast. When making the cast, make sure you release the lead between 1 and 2 o’clock on a clock face.
2 Watch the lead/rig While the lead is in flight, keep your rod pointing between the 1 and 2 o’clock position, this means the line flows off the spool and through the eyes easier and it makes it easier to feel the lead down too. Also, keep an eye on your rig at all times during flight so you know whether it is going on target and you know when to start feathering your line
3 Start to feather the line As the rig is reaching your spot, start slowing the line down with your finger. This gradually reduces the speed of the rig in flight and it will stop it bombing into the lake making a huge disturbance in the next step. Remember to continue to keep your rod tip high at all times.
4 Trap the line Just before the rig hits the water (around a couple of feet off the water surface) completely trap the line with your finger (i.e. stopping line coming off the spool). This stops the lead over the spot and drops it into the water with a minimal amount of disturbance. By feathering and trapping your line it also kicks your hooklink away from your leader, which stops most tangles.
5 Keep it on a tight line As you have trapped the line and the lead is entering the water, keep the line trapped so you have a tight line out to your rig and your rod tip high. As you feel the lead dropping through the water on a tight line, slowly lower your rod tip at the same time as the lead is falling so you still keep contact on a tight line at all times. As the lead touches the bottom you will feel it on your rod tip. This gives you an idea of what the lead has on. If it’s a hard ‘donk’ then you have landed on a hard lakebed like gravel. If it’s a softer landing then you have landed in silt or low-lying weed.
