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FEATURED ARTICLES The Light Fantastic You wouldn’t use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, or a flamethrower to cook a steak. So why do anglers of all disciplines use such heavy tackle to land relatively small fish? It’s time to put the fun back into fishing and join the light tackle revolution… One of my favourite scenes from Monty Python’s Flying Circus was a sketch where machine guns and rocket launchers are used to kill a mosquito. It was about the silliest case of overkill conceivable. But how far off this scenario are some of today’s anglers? From specimen carp set ups on half acre ponds to the powerhouse rods used to tame undersized sea fish, where will it all end? Naturally, tackle choice is a highly personal issue. The golden rule is to use “balanced” tackle, fit for the job. But somewhere into the equation must come sporting consideration, since we are all here to enjoy our fishing, aren’t we? Most fish will put a pleasing bend in our carbon, given the chance; but set up too heavy and playing all but the biggest specimens becomes a chore rather than a thrill. Something to carp about… It is not just for the sake of fun that I would advocate a change of approach in these circumstances however; replace the tackle mountain with a float rod and you will usually find a far more effective method. A light float rig will earn more bites and spook far fewer fish than casting around with leads. It is also interesting to note that carping pioneers such as “B.B” and Dick Walker often used 5-8 lb line where conditions permitted. My other half consistently beats the bivvy crew with a waggler on our local ponds; to the point where they get sick of watching her catching and pack up! It needn’t be a small fish approach either All well and good, you might say, but what happens when you hook a double figure carp? Not a problem with today’s high standard of tackle; just take your time and play fish sensibly and firmly. In fact, even the specimen boys are now stepping down their tackle in search of better enjoyment and more bites. Sea the difference? With specimen sized fish in short supply around our coast, sea anglers too are beginning to see the sporting benefit of light tackle. And although a beach caster may be essential for distance work, there are plenty of places where big lumps of lead are totally unnecessary. Rocks, piers, estuaries and harbours are all ideal for light tackle, if you can be bothered to experiment. The hard-fighting mackerel is probably the best example of a species undervalued because of crude conventional tackle. If you don’t rate the mackerel as a fighter, try swapping the feathers and beach caster combo for a spinning rod and 8lb line. A metal lure will work, but there is hardly a finer sight in shore fishing than a float surging off as a mackerel takes the bait, followed by that serious looking curve in the rod. Equally, with worm or live prawn baits, the float is a thrilling way to take wrasse, pollack and even bass. Just remember to keep tackle balanced and avoid crude rods, oversized hooks and those gruesome floats that could almost be used as buoyancy aids. That carp rod could also come in handy… Flying Away Once again though, provided the tackle is balanced and appropriate, stepping down our approach can be the key to a healthier fighting arc. The small stream fisherman, for example, might find using his 7-8ft wand terrific fun for still water rainbow trout. Your river tool might take on a dangerous looking curve, but in actual fact is ideal for presenting small dries; a light blank is the ideal shock absorber to protect light tippets. Fighting a two pound rainbow will never be the same again! Seeing the light Clearly the final choice is yours. But for the sake of enjoyment alone, why not lighten up a little?
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