The Fishing Coach

Once again, this article first appeared on the TryAngling website but we’re in the process of redesigning that site and part of the plan is to move tackle reviews, catch reports and so on to this blog for instant publishing.

It being mid April I should be able to say “file this away until next November or so” but having just seen the UK weather forecast for the next week (snow!), perhaps it’s a good idea to read this right now.

Winter is nearly on us again and Gordon and I will continue to fish through all but the most severe weather but in order to fish effectively it is important to be as comfortable as possible.

To achieve this the most important thing is to keep dry - not easy in our climate, especially if you do your winter fishing on the move. I find it very difficult to fish from underneath an umbrella and usually use mine to keep the tackle bag and bait dry.

Firstly you will need a waterproof outer layer. If you can afford it something made of one of the modern man-made fibres such as ‘Gore-tex’ is favorite as the fabric will ‘breathe’ and allow the circulation of air around the body to prevent perspiration wetting the inside of the garment whilst keeping the rain out. These are not cheap but I feel they are worth the investment unless you intend to remain immobile inside a bivvy.

I prefer to use a two piece outer layer, i.e. jacket and trousers rather than a one piece suit because in the later if you need to ‘empty your bowels’ you have to do so practically naked (not a pretty sight for passers by).

Underneath this it is often necessary to wear two or more further layers. These layers should be natural fibres where possible, i.e. wool or cotton particularly those next to the skin. Man-made fibres such as nylon or polyester will cause you to sweat as they inhibit the circulation of air. Modern fleeces can add a very good insulating layer when worn just under the top layer and can be used on their own when the weather is dry.

In the really cold conditions usually associated with Grayling, Pike and Chub fishing I will wear the following: a cotton long sleeved vest and ‘longjohns’ as the layer nearest my skin. On top of this a cotton shirt with long sleeves and a pair of cotton trousers, jeans or cords will do. The next layer is a pair of fleece material jogging bottoms and a fleece jacket. I find the fleece material particularly good as it keeps the warmth in but the furry inner part draws out the moisture away from the body and keeps it dry. An outer layer of ‘Gore-tex’ jacket and overtrousers completes the ensemble but all layers need to be fairly loose fitting as tight clothing eliminates the layers of air that gives insulation and can make free movement of the limbs difficult.

I prefer any garment that is liable to be worn on the outside to be dark in colour, ideally olive drab green for camouflage, so some of the more brightly coloured garments designed for ski-ing should be avoided.

Always wear a hat or wear a jacket with a good hood as 80% of heat loss occurs from the top of the head, especially if your hair is getting thin like mine. A wide brim on the hat will act as a small umbrella and keep the rain away from the neck of the jacket.

Feet are always a problem in cold wet weather and ordinary wellington boots are useless for keeping the feet warm. Unfortunately the moon boot type of insulated rubber boot, whilst warm and dry, are difficult to walk any distance in. There are some new field boots on the market which combine the characteristics of a moon boot and a walking boot and these are good in all but the deepest mud or extreme cold.

A good pair of neophrene gloves with fold back fingers and thumbs will keep your hands warm and dry without taking away the ability to use your fingers.

So just because the summer is gone don’t stop fishing - some really good sport can be had in all but the most Siberian conditions but remember anyone can be uncomfortable- we are supposed to be doing this for fun. Don’t be like one famous angler who was heard to remark in particularly bad conditions “I’ll be glad when I’ve had enough of this”.

Finally, as the comedian Billy Connolly once said: “There is no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing”.

If you'd like to leave a comment on this post, here's how.

I originally published this review on the TryAngling website but we’re in the process of redesigning that site and part of the plan is to move tackle reviews, catch reports and so on to this blog for instant publishing.

I will be the first to admit that I am no longer in the first flush of youth (anyone who knows me will be nodding their head at this stage, if they are not in hysterics) and that some of my faculties are no longer as sharp as they used to be. One of the first things to deteriorate are your eyes and whilst I can still see a quarter of an inch of the tip of a Drennan “Stillwater blue” at forty yards (it’s a float), anything closer than arm’s length tends to blur nowadays. This is aggravated by poor light such as first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening and means that the simple act of threading anything less than six pound mono through the rings of any rod slimmer than my barbel rods has become very difficult. When it comes to setting up one of my twenty foot match rods with three pound braided mainline then the air can turn blue, which is not a good idea when you spend as much time teaching kids as I do and the last thing I want is for young Rodney to go home with a colourful new non-fishing vocabulary.

I have found a new product marketed by Ultra Fishing Tackle that enables me to set up the long match rod in any light, even total darkness, in no time at all and it all but eliminates the risk of missing out one rod ring half way. (Isn’t it funny but you never notice you’ve missed one until you have finished shotting up your stick float shirt button style?)

This very useful little tool is in the form of a needle with an elongated eye, the line is threaded through the eye and pulled towards the blunt end where it is trapped by the taper of the eye. The pointed end is then passed through all the rod rings, pulling the line after it. Should you drop it, it will not be pulled back through the rings - which is an advantage when threading a fly rod with heavy fly line behind the leader. I now own three or four of these tools and use them every time as they speed up all operations, even with heavy line through large rings.

This item is an essential for every tackle box, even if you can still tie spade end size 24’s to 8oz hook lengths by hand under the stairs…! It will speed up the threading of any rod, particularly in bad light.

Update, 9 April 2006: If you have any trouble obtaining this product from your local tackle dealer, contact Shaun Stenton at Ultra Fishing Tackle Limited on 024 7671 6500.

If you'd like to leave a comment on this post, here's how.

I originally published this review on the TryAngling website but we’re in the process of redesigning that site and part of the plan is to move tackle reviews, catch reports and so on to this blog for instant publishing.

As you may know one of my favorite methods of fishing is trotting a float on a river with a centre pin reel. The floats I prefer are fixed to and bottom usually with two pieces of silicon tube and are buoyant near the top. When fishing small baits in steady currents I will use a stick float but when bigger fish are my quarry I will use an avon or heavy balsa type float. The reason for using a top and bottom float is that they allow me to hold them back in the current so that the bait can be made to travel at less than the speed of the current. In order to do this effectively the line must float to give the sensitivity I need so that the tackle is not pulled off line during this process, this also assists when striking at long range.

If you have read the article on float fishing for barbel I wrote for Coarse Angling Today magazine you will have seen that I recommended Shakespeare Bionic Dynacord braid in 10lb breaking strain (4lb mono dia.). No sooner had the article gone to press than it was announced that Shakespeare were no longer selling it in the lower breaking strains. This braid was ideal for the purpose but had one drawback, it was so limp that it tended to tangle around the bottom rod ring on the cast.

I have found a new braid that is fused together with a resin and is slightly thicker than Bionic Dynacord and is slightly stiffer. Whilst this does not impede presentation, it prevents tangling. This braid is made by Berkley and is called Fireline. It’s available in breaking strains between 4lbs and 50lbs and is easier to use than ordinary braid and I know of anglers who use it straight through to the hook when legering. It’s more expensive than monofilament but is not adversely affected by sunlight and will last much longer. Like other braids it has very little stretch which makes it ideal for long trotting but should be borne in mind on the strike, I favour a few feet of monofilament of a slightly lighter breaking strain between the braided main line and the hook length. For example when trotting for Barbel with 10lbs braid I use four feet of 8lbs fluorocarbon between the float and a 6 or 7lbs co polymer hook length.

This winter [2002] I have been using Fireline in 4lbs breaking strain (1lb mono dia.) trotting for Grayling on the river Itchen with great success. It mends beautifully and sets hooks easily at long ranges. I have had no problems with cracking off on the strike due to using a through action rod but the abrasion resistance is not as high as some manufacturers would have you believe.

Another winner from the Berkley stable and if you want to try some, BB Angling do the best deal I know of. Contact Brian on 0208 640 3567. Elsewhere you will pay up to £20 for 100 yards.

If you'd like to leave a comment on this post, here's how.