Back To Fishing After 20 Years!

I expected coming back to general course fishing after a near 25-year lay-off to be a little bit daunting - even for someone with, dare I say, a considerable amount of angling knowledge like myself.

However, I seriously undersestimated how much tackle and tactics have changed...and particularly the influence carp fishing has had on our sport. 

The various factions in angling do forever seem at odds with each other - some people hate carp anglers while others despise commercial match fishing on hole-in-the-ground, ready-made fisheries. But one simply cannot deny the impact that the big fish fraternity has had on general fishing now at all levels.

And to be honest, some of the changes are, in my opinion, fantastic. 

Take terminal tackle, for example. Where big carp anglers first pioneered the use of inline lead systems, this has migrated down in size now so legering and method feeder fishing simply couldn't be easier for the pleasure angler. The inline feeder and bomb systems offered by Drennan, Matrix, Guru and Preston Innovations, in particular, are so easy to set up and use. 

There's no tying of paternosters or feeder links required. While attaching hooklengths to small beads at the base of the feeders etc means no complicated knots to attach hooklengths to main lines. And with faltering eyeseight this has been a blessing. Add to this the ease at which one can change size of feeder, or from one method of fishing to another, the speed at which tactics can be altered to suit conditions and fish behaviour is remarkable. 

Hookbait choice now is also quite staggering. While years past meant pondering over maggots, worms, sweetcorn, bread and casters as baits of choice, tackle shop shelves now are groaning under the weight of micro boilies, sinking pellets, wafters - in fact, it felt like I needed a Doctorate in pellets alone to navigate that particular bait maze!

Thank heavens for David Preston at Fjuka Baits, whose simple 'squeeze ready' pellets meant I could swerve the inevitable car crash of learning how to soak pellets properly for method feeder fishing. 

Of course, I should caveat at this point that my return to angling has been very much focussed so far on lake fishing mainly for small to medium-sized carp, which is pretty much the standard pleasure fishing environment. Hence the need for me to come to terms quickly with the tackle, tactics and bait for those sessions. 

Pellet waggler fishing has been a pleasant distraction from 'The Method' which I'll admit I'm still struggling with. At least shallow waggler fishing and blasting in bait was something I'd experienced way back in the day when commercial fishery match fishing was very much in its infancy. All I had to do was swap maggots for pellets and use ready-tied hooklengths with pellet bands (thank you Peter Drennan). 

I confess, I am a bit obsessed with the pellet waggler. Perfectly weighted, they don't need any shot down the line or to lock them on the line (there are gripper stops for that) and they cast beautifully. And the thick tops are super easy to see, although the reality is I'm usually waiting for the rod tip to rip around rather than striking at bites. It's a fabulous way to fish - all action, non-stop when the fish are having it.

For anyone coming back to fishing after a long pause, I also found a very unexpected source of help and advice: Facebook.

I'm not a fan of social media. In my opinion it causes way more harm than good and in the future we will look back at this century and analyse the devastating effect it is having on mental health. However, the Des Taylor Angling group on Facebook is fantastic and an absolute goldmine for help - with some truly nice members like Pete Hudson, Ambrose Draper, and Des himself of course always ready with sound advice.

Facebook Marketplace too has been an incredible resource for used tackle. While I always try and support my local tackle shop (Fishing Evolution in Sleaford) sometimes a cheeky second hand bargain has been too good to resist. My latest find was a Greys Prodigy Rucksack (rrp £115) which I picked up, a little worn but still with plenty of life, for just £15. And in the early days of rekitting myself out, Marketplace was very useful indeed.

I'll write in more depth about the rods and larger items of tackle I've picked up in another blog, but I would say that the quality of tackle now for the price you pay is simply astounding. Rods like the Drennan Vertex range and Preston Monster X are superb for the money, while I picked up two Garbolino Essential Method Feeder rods from Leigh Angling Centre online for £100 each - a complete bargain. 

And, of course, there's Cadence - which Des Taylor uses, a direct-to-consumer brand which I urge you to try. Not only is their tackle first rate, the customer service is fantastic and, quite often, there's a brilliant deal to be had through Des's Facebook group.

Tight Lines!

(c) Picture: A nice roach caught on method feeder. Not a carp.