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Torrid Time

I

Ian Ashton

Member
Having a bit of a mare in the last 4 sessions

2 Blanks, when everyone around was bagging up, same baits, gear etc

Saturday, full wrap around screamer, set off downstream in floodwater, and cut mainline above the leader on a outfall abutment. Hour later, same savage bite, clutch at full, just held and didn't give any line (clutch rated to 15lb, with 12lb line, straightened a size 6 out.

Last night.
Bait been in 10 minutes on downstream rod, hooked into a small one, then it fell off.
Upstream rod twitched and snagged up in seconds, on braid.
Then downstream rod went again, and snapped mono 4 inch ish above hooklink on strike, my fault for not checking after previous hook up (doubt a pike took a pellet!)
Retied, and 10 minutes later, round again, still on mono, hooklink snapped at swivel.

Proper frustration in losing them, knowing that a couple of fish may be dragging around 3 feet of braid, and possibly a leader (but hopefully the leads unclipped)

Looking back, I think, OK Saturday, I had to hold and not give line, otherwise the fish would have gone, but yesterday I think I was just desperate to hook a fish, and didn't pay enough attention to my gear, and just slung it back in while they were biting.

Sometimes its just luck, other times, you have to take a long hard look at what you did, and if you would change what you did. I decided that yesterday I could have been better.
 
Not on the same scale, but the last two visits for me on the Ouse have both resulted in a wrap around screamer that has fallen off shortly after hooking into the fish. I've been fortunate enough to land two other nice barbel on each occasion which has softened the loss somewhat. But there seems no rhyme or reason why two of 3 are firmly hooked and one just isn't. Nature of the game we play I guess :)
 
Rob Paylor said:
Not on the same scale, but the last two visits for me on the Ouse have both resulted in a wrap around screamer that has fallen off shortly after hooking into the fish. I've been fortunate enough to land two other nice barbel on each occasion which has softened the loss somewhat. But there seems no rhyme or reason why two of 3 are firmly hooked and one just isn't. Nature of the game we play I guess :)
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If you hadnt of said you'd actually hooked the fish I would have said they might have been huge liners.

Ive had this on a few swims on the Ouse where the butt is lifting off the ground only to spring back before Ive had a chance to hit it (slow reactions :cool:), ive then been sat there cursing thinking Ive missed a chance only for it to rip off properly a few minutes later.
 
Ash Gould said:
If you hadnt of said you'd actually hooked the fish I would have said they might have been huge liners.

Ive had this on a few swims on the Ouse where the butt is lifting off the ground only to spring back before Ive had a chance to hit it (slow reactions :cool:), ive then been sat there cursing thinking Ive missed a chance only for it to rip off properly a few minutes later.
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Oh, they were definitely attached! 😂 Full on churners nearly dragging the bloody rod in! In fact, after the first session it happened I was straight to the tackle shop the very next day buying two extra rod rests and two Nash butt locks. And I'm sat pretty much on the rods! Quite staggering takes I've had recently, especially when I've been fishing in over 20 feet of water! 🤪
 
Ian id be looking at stripping your reels and starting again. Probably with a thread on here around main line, hooks and hook links.
I counted 2 mono snaps, 1 braid snap, 1 hook straightened and 5 fish lost. 2 of which potentially dragging leads if your not sure they released.
This isn’t bad luck it’s something else.
My advice would be to go back to the drawing board.
Uprate that main line in both strength and provider. Something like a gardener GR60 or Fox Exocet with a reputation for dealing with barbel.
Size 6 hooks should never straighten in a hit and hold case scenario especially on 12lb line. So I’d be changing them too.
The braided hook length again if it’s snapping too easily then go to something with a good abrasive resistant coating.
I assume your using sound, proven knots.

I’m going to blunt here but you said “hopefully the leads unclipped”

if you are not 100% sure your leads have ejected in the event of a mainline break then you are not using a safe rig and that’s just not right. 90% sure isn’t enough!!!

I’d strongly urge you to get shot of those horrible lead clip devices and look at a different set up to guarantee 100% lead ejection in the event of a break.
 
Rob Paylor said:
Oh, they were definitely attached! 😂 Full on churners nearly dragging the bloody rod in! In fact, after the first session it happened I was straight to the tackle shop the very next day buying two extra rod rests and two Nash butt locks. And I'm sat pretty much on the rods! Quite staggering takes I've had recently, especially when I've been fishing in over 20 feet of water! 🤪
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Have you tried shortening your hooklink in the deeper water? Was targeting a deep hole for a few weeks the once and was getting full on slamming bites that were nearly having the rod in but not hooking anything. Shortened my hooklink down to about 12 inch and hooked every bite after that
 
Jon Young said:
Have you tried shortening your hooklink in the deeper water? Was targeting a deep hole for a few weeks the once and was getting full on slamming bites that were nearly having the rod in but not hooking anything. Shortened my hooklink down to about 12 inch and hooked every bite after that
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I've changed rigs this season and a much shorter fluorocarbon (8-12") hooklink fished on a safe helicopter rig has been , so far, very effective. I don't want to temp fate but.. it's been that good for hook-ups
I've also found I'm losing much fewer fish in snags( and they are still finding them aplenty) and put this down to 2 things;

Everything is more streamlined and compact - the hook and hence the hooked fish is a lot closer to the lead or feeder, rather than a hooked fish then 4-6 foot of line or braid, then a feeder or lead swinging about.
I've incorporated a lead-free leader of about 3ft on the helicopter rig which seems to take a lot of stick. I had a right tussle with one last night in a rising river and willow roots and got it out and the line above the leader was very frayed but did the job, but I'm guessing without the leader I would have lost it.
if the line goes above the leader the hook-link will easily come off, as it's a sliced leader joined loop-to-loop to the main line, so it's no death rig and it's not trailing a lead or feeder about. Just a very short fluro hooklink and a Gripz hook, so my conscience can live with that.
Absolutely nothing new or innovative here, but a world away from the long-hooklink, free running rigs I've been using previously. And just my theories as to why it might be working better, but it's currently serving me and the fish well.
 
Jon Young said:
Have you tried shortening your hooklink in the deeper water? Was targeting a deep hole for a few weeks the once and was getting full on slamming bites that were nearly having the rod in but not hooking anything. Shortened my hooklink down to about 12 inch and hooked every bite after that
Click to expand...

I haven't resorted to making changes yet but will consider. In the last 3 vists I've had 7 takes, pulled out of 2 and landed 5. 4 of the 5 have been on the rod with the longer link on. I'm not fishing in particularly fast water, just deep. I generally reduce the hooklink length when the water is rather turbulent, although not always... 👍

ps - my 'long' link is only 3 feet or so :)
 
Richard Isaacs said:
Ian id be looking at stripping your reels and starting again. Probably with a thread on here around main line, hooks and hook links.
I counted 2 mono snaps, 1 braid snap, 1 hook straightened and 5 fish lost. 2 of which potentially dragging leads if your not sure they released.
This isn’t bad luck it’s something else.
My advice would be to go back to the drawing board.
Uprate that main line in both strength and provider. Something like a gardener GR60 or Fox Exocet with a reputation for dealing with barbel.
Size 6 hooks should never straighten in a hit and hold case scenario especially on 12lb line. So I’d be changing them too.
The braided hook length again if it’s snapping too easily then go to something with a good abrasive resistant coating.
I assume your using sound, proven knots.

I’m going to blunt here but you said “hopefully the leads unclipped”

if you are not 100% sure your leads have ejected in the event of a mainline break then you are not using a safe rig and that’s just not right. 90% sure isn’t enough!!!

I’d strongly urge you to get shot of those horrible lead clip devices and look at a different set up to guarantee 100% lead ejection in the event of a break.
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No braid snapped, only mono.

When I say I hope they were not dragging a lead, I'm sure the Bank Tackle lead clip would release, but if for instance you had a tangle (unlikely with a leader and coated braid and sleeves) but maybe I'm just being overly concerned or paranoid.

Bought new hooks, as even hit and hold and 12lb line, I wouldnt expect them to straighten, Drennan Wide Gape Specialist, which never in 30 years, have I straightened at this size.

But yes, looking carefully I what I have, and trying to figure out why.
 
Ian Ashton said:
No braid snapped, only mono.

When I say I hope they were not dragging a lead, I'm sure the Bank Tackle lead clip would release, but if for instance you had a tangle (unlikely with a leader and coated braid and sleeves) but maybe I'm just being overly concerned or paranoid.

Bought new hooks, as even hit and hold and 12lb line, I wouldnt expect them to straighten, Drennan Wide Gape Specialist, which never in 30 years, have I straightened at this size.

But yes, looking carefully I what I have, and trying to figure out why.
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Why don’t you try the Korum bolt and run kit , I’ve never liked the idea of a lead clip set up, but that’s me , always used free running till Korum releases the bolt and run .
 
I dont like the idea of any of thrse so called “safe” commercially available rigs, what is so wrong with a trace of lighter strength than the main line with a free running sinker / feeder on the main line stopped with a simple swivel and bead, fairly foolproof , the sinker or feeder drops away if the main like breaks , or the trace breaks, either way there is minimal chance of tethering .
I would guess that any fish can be caught without resorting to multiple rig components , somebody mentioned leaving plastic in our rivers the other day , well all this rig junk is just, well, junk imo.

IMO most of these fancy commercial rigs are meant to catch the angler and not the fish, and boy do they catch the angler. 🙁

K.i.s.s. !
 
David Craine said:
I dont like the idea of any of thrse so called “safe” commercially available rigs, what is so wrong with a trace of lighter strength than the main line with a free running sinker / feeder on the main line stopped with a simple swivel and bead, fairly foolproof , the sinker or feeder drops away if the main like breaks , or the trace breaks, either way there is minimal chance of tethering .
I would guess that any fish can be caught without resorting to multiple rig components , somebody mentioned leaving plastic in our rivers the other day , well all this rig junk is just, well, junk imo.

IMO most of these fancy commercial rigs are meant to catch the angler and not the fish, and boy do they catch the angler. 🙁

K.i.s.s. !
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Always have used a hook link with a lower breaking strain than my main line. It might not be necessary, but I feel happier with that arrangement.
 
I've tried the Korum bolt & run kits myself for the first time this season. I thought they were OK, but! I did during a session on the Trent have two instances of my hooklink tangling. I caught a boat load of chub so granted, the rods were in an out a lot. However, having snapped off on two good fish and not having any of the Korum bits left, I reverted to my usual sliding float stop, feeder bead, buffer bead and quick change swivel set up and have had no further tangles. Also seems to work just as well, for less pennies :)
 
I am happy with the enterprise breakaway snag safe.

Slides down to a rubber tulip bead over a size 8 swivel. Big advantage is that the breakaway ring will slide over the tulip bead end for tangle free casting.

Hooklink attached to swivel.


No chance of the lead / feeder being connected whatever the break.

Most of my casting is underarm. Hooklink tangles are usually caused by a too fine or non stiffish hooklink
 
Rob Paylor said:
I've tried the Korum bolt & run kits myself for the first time this season. I thought they were OK, but! I did during a session on the Trent have two instances of my hooklink tangling. I caught a boat load of chub so granted, the rods were in an out a lot. However, having snapped off on two good fish and not having any of the Korum bits left, I reverted to my usual sliding float stop, feeder bead, buffer bead and quick change swivel set up and have had no further tangles. Also seems to work just as well, for less pennies :)
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Strange.
The one thing that impressed me the most about them was the anti tangle characteristics and the flexibility of using it in both semi fixed and free running without having to make any changes.
I always get the Korum bits back in the event that I have to pull for a break but I do use a lighter bs hook link over the main line.
I had a nice double last night and the rig was sensational. As soon as I picked up the rod that lead was free running.
Such a fantastic simple little device
 
I find it helps to test your set up thoroughly (and set the clutch) by attaching the hook to a wire fence or similar and putting it under maximum pressure. This is obviously different to a bolting fish but it will find any obvious weak spots. My issue was losing carp through hook pulls (and one straightened out Animal size 8) and changing from Korum curved shank to Drennan Continental with the barb crushed solved the problem.
 
Richard Isaacs said:
Strange.
The one thing that impressed me the most about them was the anti tangle characteristics and the flexibility of using it in both semi fixed and free running without having to make any changes.
I always get the Korum bits back in the event that I have to pull for a break but I do use a lighter bs hook link over the main line.
I had a nice double last night and the rig was sensational. As soon as I picked up the rod that lead was free running.
Such a fantastic simple little device
Click to expand...

Maybe to do with using a braided mainline? I did notice that the Power Pro I use had frayed a little above the Korum bits so presumably this is where the snappage occurred :( Confident the feeder would have pulled free though which is the main thing.
 
Rob.
I used pp for years as mainline. No doubt the lack of stretch accounted for a few more fish especially with those tester bites. Mainly fishing Thames Loddon Kennet. None really snaggy or rocky bottoms

However it is not best IMO to use it on heavy rocky rivers like Trent Severn Wye unless you know the area is fairly clear.

Fished the Trent last couple of days.
I do use PP as hooklink Super Slick 8.
But as standard never more than 18 inches.

I noted after a couple of very decent fish a slight fraying even though.

I try and feed so the fish come to the feeder / lead and even when using pva mesh bags tie them well up the lead.

The mainline I use is GT80 in 12lb . Lots love the GR60. Both pretty tough and great for abrasion resistance.

On all those rivers I play fish rod high...

I have 1000mtrs GR60 for free if you ever come this way.
 
Can't believe the amount of anglers that use 12lb line then complain about getting broke, get some big game 15lb on,and give yourself a chance, fish are looking at the presentation of the bait not the line, i remember a few yrs ago talking to a new member on the bank(dove),he was used to fishing the goyt, i said to him the best info i would tell anyone fishing for barbel,dont go undergunned, he said i'm fishing 12lb off the reel,15lb hooklink, i said you won't stop some of the fish in here, and this bit is genuine, while talking to him one of his rods went round, it took about 10 to 15 seconds and he was smahed to bits, i said ,told you, and then then just said that could well have been a pb gone, he looked distraught, and said to me i think i'd better up my gear, never did see him down there after,,,,
Regards
 
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