Use Heavy Line In The Estuaries
The Age
Thursday July 22, 1993
The strength of the line is an important factor for an angler to consider in any type of fishing. With beginners this is doubly so, since it takes a few outings for them to understand the subtleties involved in handling tackle correctly and to know they are using suitable line.
This is most important when they are fishing on the bottom with bait.
But although some think that if they use very thin line they will get more bites, my experience has shown this is definitely not the case.
In estuaries, for example, although they could be fishing on a clean, sandy bottom, they are more likely to have cast their sinker and bait into areas dotted with weed beds and snags. This means that it is possible for their hooks to be caught in an obstruction when they are retrieving the line to check their bait, or while they are playing a fish.
If this happens, a fine line usually breaks and the angler loses his terminal tackle, which means he has to assemble an entire new cast.
With heavier line, the snagged hook can often be pulled free.
And my opinion that estuary fish are not deterred by comparatively heavy gear is shared by many Gippsland veterans, who have used 5.443 and 6.350-kilogram line all their lives.
At Marlo last Saturday, my fishing partner, a very experienced local, was using 5.443kg mono and I, having put on the wrong reel by mistake, had to fish with the 1.814kg line that was on it. Fish were very scarce, but he scored three mullet with his heavy line and I, with much finer mono, did not get a touch.
But next day, I put on 4.082kg line and took three mullet and one bream, while he had another three mullet. That's still not much of a catch for two ``experts", but that is fishing. And, as that fine line made no difference at all, I suggest that 4.082kg is the minimum for estuary fishing.
CONGRATULATIONS were in order when David Weston, 22, of Boronia, won the individual title at the World Freshwater Fishing Championships in Ireland last year.
This branch of angling is called coarse fishing and millions of British anglers pursue the sport. A film of the 1992 event that was shown on SBS television recently aroused a lot of interest. Maggots, canned corn, worms and hemp seed are among the baits used in coarse fishing to catch a wide variety of fish.
The National Federation of Angling's annual championship has five divisions, with 80 teams of 12 in each and they are all keenly contested. The fish caught range from little gudgeon to big carp, but roach, dace, barbel, chub and other smaller species are also taken.
The British record for a rod-caught carp stands at 25.402kg, but those hooked in the competitions are usually 1-3kg.
Coarse angling is referred to in Britain as ``the working man's sport", since the cost of trout and salmon fishing is prohibitive on most rivers and lakes as they are privately owned.
TIP Most fish, particularly trout, spoil easily and when fishing from a boat those you catch should go straight into a covered bin or box.
Even a cardboard carton will, with a wet bag, act as a good cover. A couple of plastic bottles of water, pre-frozen at home, will suffice for a day trip and get your fish back in good condition.
© 1993 The Age