A North West Guide to Angling:Tips and Tricks

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In this section I'll be sharing with you some tips and tricks which hopefully will help to make you better anglers and catch more fish.

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Sample Knots

Baits, Hooks and Line Strengths

Casting Lesson

Floats

Bait Tips

Sooner or later when you start fishing, you will have to be able to tie a good knot.

Below you will find instructions on how to tie some simple but very effective knots, useful for attaching hooks, swivels or legers, and for making loops used to attach hooklengths to mainline.

	This is called the half blood knot and is a simple knot used for attaching hooks, swivels, feeders or legers. The line is passed through the eye, passed over the line at least 6 times to prevent it from slipping, then the tag end passed through the first loop. Moisten and pull tight then trim the tag end.
	This is the tucked half blood knot and is a slight variation on the knot above. It has the same uses but is not as likely to slip. After passing the line through the first loop, it is then also passed back through the loop formed.
	The double overhand loop is a knot used in making a loop in hooklengths and mainlines, and used for joining lines via the loop to loop method.
	The loop to loop method, used for attaching hooklengths to mainline. The main thing to remember here is that the mainline loop is pushed through the loop on the hooklength then the hook is passed through it to join the lines.
	The water knot is a simple versatile knot used for attaching hooklengths, feeders or legers, and used for joining line to line.
	The whipping knot is used to tie a spade end hook to a hooklength or direct to the mainline, and is tied as follows: Make a loop and hold it against the shank of the hook, leaving about 3 inches at the free end. Whip the free end of the line around the shank and the loop about 8 times, then pass the free end through the loop. Moisten the loop. Hold the free end and steadily pull the hooklength so that the knot slides tight against the spade. Trim the tag end.

Hook Sizes

The following table should be used only as a guideline, and line strength

should be increased according to the type of fish you are fishing for.

Bait	Hook Size	Hooklength line strength
Single squatt	24 or 22	0.34 - 0.45kg (12oz - 1lb)
Double squatt	22	0.34 - 0.45kg (12oz - 1lb)
Single pinkie	22	0.34 - 0.45kg (12oz - 1lb)
Double pinkie	22 or 20	0.34 - 0.45kg (12oz - 1lb)
Single maggot	22 or 20	0.45 - 0.68kg (1 - 1.5lb)
Treble squatt	20	0.45 - 0.68kg (1 - 1.5lb)
Treble pinkie	20 or 18	0.45 - 0.68kg (1 - 1.5lb)
Double maggot	20 or 18	0.45 - 0.68kg (1 - 1.5lb)
Treble maggot	16 or 14	0.9 - 1.36 kg (2 - 3lb)
Single grain of Corn	14 or 12	to 1.8kg (4lb)
Double corn	10	to 2.25kg (5lb)
Three or more	8 - 4	to 2.75 kg (6lb)
Luncheon Meat	12 - 4	1.8 - 2.75kg (4 - 6lb)

Casting Lesson

If you are fishing close in then a gentle underarm swing is all you need and you are less

likely to get into any tangles.

If you are fishing at distance then you are likely to need an overhead cast with the bulk

shot down the line, but remember to feather the line in mid-cast in order to straighten

your rig out before it hits the water, reducing the risk of tangles.

Floats

When using a rod on these fisheries, the commonest form of fishing is by using a

float or waggler, but there are so many so which should you choose?

Depending where the fish are, and only as a rough guide, if you are fishing 3 - 4

rods lengths out then you will only need a float taking between 2 - 4 BB shot. If,

however, the fish are farther out, then a heavier float from a 2AAA upwards will be

needed.

If the wind is strong, and especially if it is blowing straight at you, you will need a

heavy float just to get your bait out. Surface drags and untertows will move your

float out of position so use a long waggler, up to 18" to combat these effects. Using

a bodied waggler will give you greater stability in these conditions. Another use

for the bodied waggler is if you are fishing in shallow water. A long float which

dives too deeply on entry may scare the fish away, so use a short, bodied waggler

which allows you to use the same shotting capacity of a larger straight one.

Bait Tips

I don't know what you've all been using this summer but I've had some really good days and plenty of nice fish using Bag Up Pellets, Felix Tuna & Shrimp cat food and good old fashioned bread.

Its now reached the time of year when the sport gets a bit harder so spice up your maggots with a touch of tumeric curry powder & warm up the fish and the action !!