A swift guide to the jargon used by the anglers in your family. Tempted to join them?
ESSENTIAL TACKLE
SHOT
Small weights that are pinched on the line when fishing a float. They are used to make the float sit correctly. Use enough shot so that half of the float tip is showing when fishing.
ROD
A rod could cost anything between £10 and £400 and generally range from around 8ft to 14ft in length. The longer it is, the further it is capable of casting. A 10ft rod is a good length to start with. Consider whether you want to fish a float or feeder, as rods for each style are different.
REEL
This is attached to the rod, and line runs off the spool and through the rod rings. Sizes range from 2500 to over 6000. To begin with, use a 3000 for fishing a float and a 4000 for a feeder.
FLOAT
A float is used not only to suspend your baited hook, but it also indicates you have hooked a fish when the coloured tip is pulled under the surface.
HOOK
A piece of bait is impaled on the hook and when the fish swallows the food, they are hooked. Make sure the bait doesn’t cover the hookpoint or you may miss bites. They come in sizes ranging from 2 to 26 and the higher the number, the smaller the hook.
HOOKLENGTH
A short length of line that connects to the mainline. This is a lighter breaking strain than the mainline so it will snap first. This prevents more expensive items such as the rod being broken, should you hook a fish that proves unstoppable.
VENUE TYPES
COMMERCIALS
Widely regarded as the ideal starting places for newcomers, these venues have been man-made solely for the purpose of fishing, and numerous lakes are often available on the same complex. These are heavily-stocked, often with carp, to make it relatively easy to catch fish.
RESERVOIRS
These large lakes were not originally constructed as fisheries but are often home to big numbers of many species including roach, perch, bream, pike and perch. Their vast size lends them perfectly to fishing a feeder, as the shoals often stay well away from the banks and the anglers sitting there.
RIVERS
All rivers in England are closed to coarse fishing between March 15 and June 15 each year. This closed season is in place to help fish stocks recuperate and spawn. When you are able to fish the rivers, chub, barbel, bream, roach, perch and dace could all be possible targets.
CANALS
Originally devised hundreds of years ago for transportation, they have now become a popular haunt for anglers. They were initially seen as territory for small silverfish such as roach and perch, but big fish are now booming with carp and bream numbers increasing rapidly.
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