Pole fishing tips
Hollie shows us how to land fish on the pole
1. Once you have your fish on then don’t rush to get it in,
let the pole and the elastic do the work.
2. When you are in control and the
fish starts to tire ship the pole
back, keeping the pole tip just under the water. It’s not a race and
there are times you may have to ship back out.
3. If you prefer to take sections
off then take your time doing it,
rushing can result in split joints. Shipping back onto the rollers is
also an option, but again don’t rush to do this. Make sure you keep a
bend in the pole until you are down to your top kit, letting the pole
get straightened out may result in the top kit being pulled off and
lost, not good for your pocket and not good for the fish.
4. Once you are down to your top
kit then most of the work is done, if
the fish charges away then just put the tip of the pole into the water.
This will ensure that if the hook pulls or the line breaks then the
float will not come back and hit you in the face; it also reduces the
amount of tangles you get when a fish escapes the hook.
5. As the fish tires get your
landing net into position. Once you feel
the fish is ready for the net then raise the pole tip high in the air
allowing the elastic to control the fish.
6. Gently slide the fish across the
surface and into the landing net,
keeping the pole tip elevated.
7. Once the fish is in the net,
release the pressure on the pole tip
and proceed to unhook the fish.
8. Always use the grass or an
unhooking mat for bigger fish, it is
important they are treated with respect and returned to the water
safely. If you want a picture then allow the fish to rest in the water
in a landing net as you set up your shot, keeping fish out of water for
prolonged periods is not good practice.
