Fishing advice

[linfield100]

Any anglers on here?
I havn't fished for a long time, 30 years in fact, but am about to start again.
What sort of rod should I get for general all round fishing? Don't want to pay too much yet till I get back into it. Maybe up to ?50.
A fisherman I was talking to said, if I'm fishing a canal get a 3 piece float rod, but if I want to fish a pool/lake get a carp rod and some 10lbs breaking strain line. Is there a rod that is suitable for both?

Tony

[JOAO LA PEZ]

for the canal buy a 5 meter whip and a 2.5 test curve for the carping

[Simon Bolivar]

I'd agree with the above, a whip is much quicker to set up, you have the line, float, shot & hook wound onto a holder & put the top loop into the clip on the whip. A carbon one will be much lighter to hold, the glass one very cheap. I use one for knocking out livebait. Don't forget terminal tackle is much finer than 30yrs ago, visit a tackle shop & quiz then hard. For the canal 1 lb bottom would cope with roach & small perch in the summer but in the winter go even finer. And actually they go by dia of line now rather than lb breaking strain.
The Carp rod, 2 1/2 tc will do fine unless it's a big lake & you want distance, then you might need a 2 3/4tc but 2 1/2tc would be a good all rounder & a good place to start. 10lb line minum though, any weed or sunken hazards go 12lb-15lb.
Buy a couple of 'Improve your Course fishing today' monthly mags & you'll soon catch up. Put the rod & whip into fleabay search & you'll find plenty of amazing cheap deals, just recommend you buy from a fleabay shop, then you can rtn if not happy.
Any other tips you can pm me. Don't forget you'll nee da National Rod licence or risk a ?2,500 fine! Here's a pic of my 6 yo nephew & a bream he landed on my carbon 3mt whip, on 1lb bottom.2006.08.10_0324.jpg

[linfield100]

Thanks for the replies fella's.
I've got my licence so, alright there. Is a whip, a pole?
I used to love just float fishing when I was a wee lad. Wouldn't this be advisable on a pool unless you know there there are no big carp in there.

[JOAO LA PEZ]

A whip is like a pole but much smaller i diameter and you don't un ship it to get to the hook

[Simon Bolivar]

As Joao says, you don't have to ship a whip, the line is the same length (or shorter) than the whip so when the float goes under you don't strike as such, just lift the whip & then swing the fish towards you, into your hand if it's small enough. Like you say keep it simple like in our youth, gettting into poles gets more complicated & a lot more expensive.
Find out what he likely size & variety of fish are in the waters your going to fish, if they are plenly of smaller bait fish, you'll do fine on the whip & catch a net full (except most anglers don't use a keepnet anymore unless in a match). The draw back with a whip is if you hook a bigger fish you haven't any line to pay out. I had my top section of my whip elasticated so at least theres some play there for 2-3lb bream. Not going to cope with 4-5lb carp though. That's why th ebottom 18" has to be a lighter line thna th erest so it snaps on the hook length & not the main line or the whip itself. Most pools in England these days are packed with small to medium size carp. You could put your carp rod out with a couple of boiles on a bolt hair rig, put it on the rests with an alarm & then enjoy yourself with the whip catching the tiddlers we used to enjoy so much. This pic taken during ht esame session as the previous one, shows my newphew with a bream of nearly 3lb, landed on a 5mt glass whip, with elastic, without which he probabl wouldn't have landed it. Look in th ebackground & you can see my carp rod set up in the hope of a chance fish whilst looking after nephew. Note baitrunner reel & alarm on fron trest. Didn't have a run that day but have managed up to 24lb on this private club water.2006.08.Bream.009.jpg