A person who goes fishing, whether it be sea, course or game angling! An angler is a great person
A term used to describe when people are catching a lot of fish.
A piece of equipment mainly used by Carp Anglers which allows them to Sleep, lounge, sleep, sit and sleep again, in between having fryups, casting scores of freebies out, swigging lager and occasionally testing their alarms to see if they still work and day-dreaming of the carp they once caught and then sleeping again.
A small device that attatches to the line and alerts the angler that his line is being moved by a fish (or bat). The device usually automatically drops off the line once the angler lifts his rod ready to strike. (Unless he is asleep).
Boilies are one of the most established carp baits. They are available in different colours, flavours and sizes. Boilies are mainly used to catch larger carp as with it being a fairly large bait it is harder for the smaller fish to eat. A boilie is usually presented on a hair rig. This means that the hook does not go directly through the bait and has a better chance of hooking the fish.
The fish that most fisherman now seem to target! These fish grow very large and strange people known as "carp fisherman" sit in little tents know as bivvys for days on end trying to catch them. Haha only messing they are dedicated fisherman! Sometimes going for days without catching.The world record carp stands at 89lb which was caught on rainbow lakes in France and is know as the scar.
The Dace is well established in a number of Scottish rivers most notably the lower reaches of the Clyde and the Forth. Both these rivers are home to huge shoals of Dace which seem to have colonised quicker than the Roach. The Tweed, Endrick and Leven are other examples of rivers where the Dace is common and they are also present in other South-Western and Border rivers.
A tool used to unhook deeply hooked fish. It is one of the most important pieces of kit that any angler should have.
Otherwise known as the common eel or '*#@?#* Bootlace' The Eel is basically a fish like creature with a shape similar to a snake. Eels live in fresh water as adults but return to the Sargaso sea to spawn.
The Eels eggs hatch into leaf shaped elvers which drift on the ocean currents; slowly changing shape until they resemble small transparent eels and are then referred to as Glass Eels. Once the glass eels develop pigmentation they are referred to as 'elvers' They then migrate slowly up rivers and streams. During this period they are generally referred to as brown/yellow eels, or more commonly '*#@?#* Bootlaces' due to their shape and colour. They generally remain in fresh water untill they are old enough to breed when they then migrate back to the Sargasso Sea to spawn and die.
A method of fishing usually used with a swing tip or quiver tip rod. The feeder can be a closed end feeder - mainly used with maggots or an open ended feeder which can have groundbait wrapped around it. The feeder is especially effective for large shoals of bream and is sometimes used for carp fishing in matches.
The Gudgeon can be found in stillwaters, canals and rivers feeding on bottom dwelling organisms such as midge, caddis-fly and may-fly larvae. On either side of it's mouth there is a short, single barbule, it's throat is scaleless. It's back is brown, greyish brown or green with silvery or yellow sides adorned with a row of six to twelve large, dark spots. The Gudgeon prefers a clean, gravel bed and is nearly always found in large shoals. A sturdy fish, the Gudgeon has a relatively short lifespan of around five years and can reach a length of 20cms although 10 - 12cms is the norm.
The hair rig allows the angler to present the bait to the fish without the hook passing directly through the bait. These are mainly used with boilies but can also be used with various other baits such as pellets, luncheon meat and sweetcorn. The term hair rig comes from the way that the rig was first created as it used the hair from a pony tail co create it.
Additive/Flavouring for Pellets, paste, groundbait or boilies, used for all types of fishing
or more commonly known as an Orfe. A surface feeding fish which is not that common in coarse fishing so it's always nice when you catch one!
A name generally given to small Immature pike. There is no defined size that a Jack turns into a Pike but usually a Pike stops being called a Jack when it reaches around 5 to 9 pounds in weight. In Scotland and Ireland Pike of all sizes used to be called Jack Pike but nowerdays it's more often used for immature Pike.
A net most of which is submerged and used to keep fish in after catching them. Mostly used by match anglers so that they can weigh their fish after matches, but occasionally also used by normal anglers either to prevent the fish from spooking the shoal when returned or so that they can admire their catch at the end of the day. Other reasons for using a keepnet are either to keep your beer cool on a hot day or to give the false impression that you have caught something on a bad day.
The lampreys are one of the most primitive of all living vertebrates. Although they are eel like in shape they are not true fish, since they have no lower jaws and the mouth is surrounded by a round, sucker-like disc within which, in the adults, have strong, horny, rasping teeth. Only 3 types of Lamprey feed on the blood of fish and the Brook Lamprey is the most common variety of these in UK waters. Lamprey sections make great deadbaits for Pike.
One of the most often used lines is "You should have seen the one that got away" Or "You should have seen the one that Smashed me up". Other lines that have been known to be used are "I fell asleep and didn't realise what time it was dear" and one I've used myself "Sorry i'm late dear; someone ran off with my bike and john and I have been chasing him along the towpath for the past hour until he eventually pushed the bike into the Canal and ran off". This worked a treat especially as it had been raining, as the wive's felt sorry for us. The missus even even made me a nice supper and hot bath. However; If the wife reads this Ill be making my own suppers for a while.
A small weight that is used with the tip rod. The weight takes the bait down to the bottom of the water. These are available in different sizes and the heavier ones are used for flowing waters such as rivers.
Used when pole fishing. Mainly used behind the angler to role the pole through. These are used because it can be hard work shipping out a big pole and stops the pole from scraping along the floor behind the fisherman.
Used to rest the rod on whilst fishing. These are not used as much for float fishing as the angler prefers to hold the rod. For feeder/ledger fishing a rod rest is used as the rod needs to be kept steady so that the angler can notice his/her bites on the end of the rod.