After mucking about with the budget gear we bought last year to see if we were going to get into fly fishing, a couple of weeks ago we splashed out and purchased new rods and reels (as well as some higher quality line).
We decided on the Greys GRXi 5/6 weight reels as they come with 3 extra spools so you can have different types of line on each to suit different fishing conditions, eg, sinking line if the fish are deep, floating if they’re feeding on the surface, etc. The rods took a bit more research though but after chatting to Mike Roden during our fly fishing lesson and a few other people we decided on going one better for the rods and purchased a couple of 9 foot Greys X-Flite’s 6 weight rods which would cover us for most of our fly fishing needs.

The line we are using, also from Greys , is called Platinum and we have both floating (mine in grey, Wendy’s in orange) and intermediate in clear (intermediate line sinks very slowly).

So were now all tackled up and although we’ve not caught any fish on them yet we have been out and given them a try as well as spending a fair amount of time on the local playing field trying to put into practice all that Mike taught us.

All the new fly fishing gear came from Ted Carter Fishing Tackle in Preston, not for any specific reason except it was local and had in stock what we wanted. The service there was very good, with advice freely given in the game fishing department where Joe (I think) who served us also helped us select some flies for where we would be fishing.

I’d forgotten how much difference ‘proper’ tackle makes as I’ve been sea fishing for a while now so my sea gear is well up to scratch, but these new pieces of fly fishing tackle seem to make a huge difference and I’m sure it’s not all psychological.

We just need to catch a few fish now…

But, as they say, every cloud has a silver lining and I’ve done a bit of searching on the internet for bits and pieces about sea fishing and angling in general. The internet has certainly changed the way we gather information about our hobby / sport and with a few quick google searches I’ve come up with a couple of gems.

I was searching for “Bass Fishing” and although I usually stay away from youtube links as they’re normally a bit dodgy I came across this film, made in 1947 by Van Campen Heilner, it’s not up to date by any stretch of the imagination, or even in the UK, but it was good just to sit back and watch this film of fishing from half a century ago.

The other main thing I managed to find today was Dave Lumb’s Specialist Tackle. Now I don’t usually link to tackle dealers but Dave makes custom rods and gear for most freshwater fishing and I expect he could make rods for salt water plugging for species such as Bass and Pollack, but the main reason Dave’s company took me by suprise is it’s only about 2 miles from my house and I’d never even heard of it!

And talking of dealers – we’ve a new one opened up in Southport called Tony’s Tackle, I had a quick look and it looks promising, it’s on Rufford Road (B5244), Southport

We mainly use two type of hooks in all the rigs we make – Aberdeen or wide-gape big mouth. Most of the hooks we buy online from veals.co.uk or Sakuma who have all the patterns available for almost every UK need.

The most common hook used on the beach is called an Aberdeen pattern and has a long shank compared to a relatively small bend (or gape). These are ideal when any kind of worm is used for bait as it can be easily threaded up the hook and still leave a substantial amount of point showing to catch the fish.

We mainly use these for the smaller species such a Dabs or Flounder as although they are strong, the ‘match’ variant can be ‘sprung’ out of the fish when it inevitably swallows the whole bait which causes less harm to the fish than trying to dig the hook out with some pliers.

The hook we use most is called a wide-gape Big Mouth (made by ‘Varivas’ in the Veals catalogue) hook which has a much larger bend and is ideal for bulkier baits such as squid or crab as the point doesn’t get masked by the bait. We use these in sizes 1 – 2/0 for most of our fishing but step them up to a 3/0 or even a 4/0 for Bass or Rays during the summer.

We’ve recently been trying out a newer pattern called the semi-circle which has the barb pointing back towards the eye of the hook and a much shorter shank. These has been very successful during the summer in the smaller 2 or 1/0 sizes catching wrasse of the rocks where the shape of the hook seems to stop the fish swallowing it but also makes sure it gets caught in the lip.

A type of hook which we generally don’t use is the O’Shaughnessy which is usually forged and bronzed. These are used in sizes up to 10/0 for the largest of our native species such as Conger or Tope but care needs to be taken as they will almost always need sharpening prior to use where as the Aberdeens and Big Mouth hooks are chemically sharpened and are hence ready to go straight out of the box.

Hook sizes is another mystery as there doesn’t seem to be any standard by which these things are judged with different manufacturers products not necessarily being the same size even though they will have the same number.

Sea Fishing hooks usually range in size from 8 (about 1/2 cm across the bend on an aberdeen style hook) through to 1 (about 1 cm) then going from 1/0 to 10/0 (more like a meat hook – huge) but a similar size number in an Aberdeen hook is a lot smaller than a wide-gape hook so it can be a bit confusing.

The best advice I can give about hooks is talk to other anglers or even your local tackle dealer and ask what type in what size is catching what and always try to match the hook size to the bait. Remember though – always go for a reputable brand or one that has been recommended to you – a cheap hook will corrode and become blunt quickly. Imagine having that fish of a lifetime almost in your hands only to watch in dismay as the hook straightens and your prize swims away…

One of the largest hook manufacturers is Mustad whose website has almost everything you’ll ever need to know about this subject, have a look at their product catalogue – a hook for everything, amazing.

New Brand – Sakuma Hooks: We’ve recently been using a lot of hooks from Sakuma in the same patterns as the Veals ones. Not through any specific reason except our local tackle shop sells them – they are excellent sea fishing hooks and keep their exceptionally sharp points very well as well as coming in all sorts of patterns for different applications.

The main ones we’re using are;

• Sakuma Manta, an all round hook, good for Bass in the bigger sizes and Cod during the winter, mainly used for bulkier worms or Crab baits.
• Sakuma Stinger, a great fine wire ‘Aberdeen‘ type hook for flat fish such as Flounder and ideal for worm baits.

We make almost all of our own rigs so that we can customise them for specific venues / target species and, when you make you own end tackle you can be sure of the quality of the knots, hooks, swivels etc. For most of this section I will refer to the website of a company called Gemini who make the majority of bits and pieces we use and although we make our own end tackle they supply completed rigs ready to use as well as the bits needed to make them.

Main rig line is normally Penn tuff Stuff and hook lengths / snoods are made from Sunset Amnesia
as it tends not to ‘kink’, both lines can be purchased from all good tackle dealers.

Where distance isn’t an issue the rigs most used are either what is called a 1 up, 1 down flapper or a 2 up flapper – see here on the Gemini website. This notation comes about from the position of the hooks in relation to the sinker or lead when the rig is anchored to the sea bed. The hooks we use are usually size 2, 1, or 1/0 in an aberdeen long shank pattern baited with worm. The smaller size 2 for flat fish such as Flounder or Dab and the large 1/0 for anything else such as dogfish, whiting, codling or even bass.

Once it becomes necessary to get more than one bait that little bit further out the ‘rigs’ need to be streamlined. For this we use 2 hook clip down rigs using the same size hooks as above. This is undoubtedly the main rig that we use in most of our fishing – especially from the beaches in the north west of the UK, North Wales and Anglesey. The rig releases the hooks on contact with the sea at which point it operates in the same way as a normal flapper rig.

For the 2 hook rigs the main ‘body’ line is 60lb breaking strain and the hook lengths are usually 15 – 25lb.

Sometimes it is necessary to get that one large bait out as far a possible and for this I use a pulley rig. The hooks sits behind the lead durng the cast but releases, as above, when the sinker hits the sea. This system is designed to lift the lead clear of snags on retrieving a fish and hence minimising tackle loss in snaggy areas but it works just as well on flat beaches as well as more demanding rocky venues.

Another variant of the this rig is the up and over pulley rig which enables a very long trace or snood (the part of the rig that holds the hook) to be used. This is especially useful where the fish (such as rays) tend to ‘sit’ on the bait before moving away as it minimises the chances of the fish being spooked by the rest of the rig. Also – as it utilises a long flowing trace, it is very effective for predatory fish that need a bit more movement in the bait before they strike.

Both the above rigs are usually armed with strong size 2/0, 3/0 or even 4/0 hooks which as well as being very strong can carry quite a large bait such as a full calamari squid.

Pulley rig bodies are usually made from 80lb line due to the line being bent over where it connects with the main ‘reel’ line. The hooks lengths are anything from 30 – 60lb depending on species being targeted.

Once the rigs are built they are individually stored and labeled in re-sealable bags (so that only those being used get wet from the sea spray) and tied with a food tie so that they don’t get tangled. We also make more than one of every type of rig we use so that once we’ve found the right rig for the venue and conditions we can have another baited up ready to go when we retrieve the one in use and a few spare for those inevitable tackle losses caused by ‘snagging’.

Next time hooks – aberdeen, semi-circle, long shank, what does it all mean!

The main reel I use is the Abu Garcia 6500C3 CT Mag Elite (pictured to the left). I have a pair of these multiplier (or baitcaster) reels set up in exactly the same way just in case the line breaks and I have to change over in a hurry. They are a great casting reel, are easy to control (for a multiplier!) and I match them with my Tip Tornado rods when fishing mainly ‘clean’ beaches or areas where massive winching power is not an issue. These reels are good with line of about 15lbs breaking strain.

Wendy has a pair of Penn Surfmaster fixed spool reels, in fact these are the first proper reels we got and have been very reliable and with two spools for each she is able to load different line for different applications / types of venue (usually 2 x 15lbs, 1 x 18lbs and the last at 25lbs breaking strain).

Fixed spool reels are much easier to control than multipliers, especially in the dark, and although they have a much faster line retrieve rate they can lack power on retrieving line when a lot of weed is in the water. These reels are used with the Zziplex 3500 for the majority of Wendys fishing where distance is an issue.

We each have a light / medium sized fixed spool reel for our lighter ‘Odessa Bass’ rods. These are Okuma Epix Pro 50′s and again they both come with extra spools so we can put different line on each. We use these for light fishing in estuaries and amongst the rocks close to shore for Bass. They also make excellent heavy spinning reels when fishing for predatory fish such as pollock. They have a system called ‘rear drag’ where you can easily adjust the tension of the line while playing a fish. I also use mine on my light Daiwa spinning rod as if necessary I can use one of the Mag Elites on my Bass rod. We normal have line of around 12lb breaking strain on these.

This summer we bought a Mitchell Avocet 4000 for use with Wendys Daiwa spinning rod and as a light spinning reel this has been very good. We’ve only had it for a month so we’ll see how well it puts up with the rest of the summers fishing.

For heavy rock fishing I have a Daiwa Sealine SL30SH (nicknamed SLOSH 30). This reel has massive winching power and coupled with the Tip Tornado Sport is more than capable of landing fish from the most demanding areas. Although it doesn’t cast well due to its size and the thickness of line I usually have on it, the venues where it is used are usually rock ledges and give access to deep water close in. This reel is also used by some as a medium sized boat fishing reel. I normally have 25lb breaking strain on this reel.

The reels we use to cast any distance with have a leader ( of approx. 10lbs breaking strain per 1oz of weight or sinker / lead) attached to the main line to absorb some of the shock of the cast. This also protects the line when fishing close in to the rocks where a light line can easily by cut by sharp edges.

Here is an excellent article by John Holden on the pros and cons of fixed spool and multiplier reels for surfcasting, titled ‘Choosing Surf Reels’. The site is an excellent resource for anyone who casts a rod from the beach and John’s book – Long distance Casting is a classic in this field.

With reels it does seem the more you spend the better quality / performance you get and my advice is get the best reel (no matter what type) that you can afford as given a bit of care it will easily outlast any cheaper model. Remember though, a reel is just a ‘thing’ to hold line, release it in a controlled way to the distance you require and retrieve your end tackle, with or without a fish. You can have the best gear money can buy, but if you are fishing in the wrong place at the wrong time or even using the wrong bait non of it will matter. There will be more on what is termed ‘watercraft’ in a later article.

The next tackle installment with be all about the business end of the tackle, or rigs as they are called.

This first installment is all about the rods we use, why we bought them and what we use them for.

Before buying a new rod or even going into a tackle shop ask yourself a few basic questions. What type of fish do you want to catch, where do you want to catch them from and how do you want to catch them.

Once you’ve answered these questions you’ll have a much better idea one what it is you’re looking for. Have a look in the sea angling magazines for reviews on the type of rod you’re after, go into your local tackle shop and speak to the staff – most will be only to happy to help but the best advice I can give is ‘try before you buy’. Most clubs or groups of anglers have regular get togethers or matches and will be happy to let you ‘have a go’.

Remember, money isn’t everything, just becasue a rod cost a lot does not mean it is suitable for you – if you can’t us the rod in the way you want too, your well earned cash has been wasted. Remember, a rod is just a method to get the baited trace into the sea and out to the feeding fish – no amount of money or fancy label / brand will change this.

To the left you can see the rods that we currently use (going from the left)

1. Century Tip Tornado Match – My main rod, used in just about any situation where distance is the issue and a weight of between 4 and 6oz is needed to tow the bait to the fish. Although this was expensive I’ve been very pleased with it – it’s light (for a beach caster) and suits my style of casting well. I also have a ‘Sport’ version (rated to cast 4-8oz) of this rod which has a bit more ‘poke’ but I only bring it out when the weather is horrific or I’m after very big fish such as conger eels from the rock.

2. Zziplex 3500 – Wendy’s main rod. Although the same length and diameter as the Tip Tornado (13 foot long) this rod is much lighter (rated to cast 3 – 5oz) to use and easier to compress (the bend in the rod generated from casting). This suits Wendy very well as being quite short and a woman (obviously) she doesn’t have as much upper body strength as me which you need to get the most out of modern hi-performance rods. It’s ‘rung’ for a fixed-spool reel but I’ll go into that in a later post.

3. Shakespeare Odessa Bass – This year we bought a couple of these and at appox. £50 they have been great value. At 11.5 feet long these are ideal light rods for estuary fishing, light beach fishing or heavy spinning of the rocks. They will cast 2 – 4oz a huge distance if needed with very little effort and we’ve used them almost constantly over the summer. We could have got something lighter (which would have been nice) but we didn’t want to spend to much until we were convinced of their usefulness and also as we take them on the rocks a lot £50 is a lot less than £100 upwards to scratch, bash or break.

4. Daiwa 10 foot Whisker Spin – We have one of these each for light float fishing and spinning / plugging. The rods are fantastic fun and during the summer we take them everywhere. They are very, very light but as they are designed for Salmon fishing are incredibly strong and we’ve both had some sizeable fish on them. Catching a single 1.5lb Mackerel on one of these will open your eyes to light tackle fishing – great fun and although expensive at the time (3 years ago) they’ve been great value.

Most of the rods have been purchased from Gerry’s of Morecambe where the service has been second to none and build quality where the rods were custom built (my two Tip Tornados and Wendy’s Zziplex 3500) has been superb – I recommend them to everyone if you want to see what you’re getting or talk to someone who know all about fishing.

So that’s it, we’ve also had or still have rods from Penn or Greys but the above are what we mainly use. Next up – reels…