Last autumn we took on a new member of staff, Harry Brake. Harry is 17 and has been a keen coarse angler for a number of years but after spending a winter selling sea tackle and listening to tales of fishing from his colleagues he was keen to have a go at shore fishing. He had been a couple of times before, the obligatory mackerel trip to Chesil etc, but he had never fished locally or tried anything other then feathering.  As Jansen and Harry share the same day off it was Jansen whom Harry eventually pestered into taking him out.

Realising that there are loads of people who start sea fishing each year we thought that Harry’s burgeoning sea angling career would be a good way to do a number of occasional web based articles to show how to go about starting fishing. Also as Harry’s skills develop we can deal with other sea angling techniques which customers can view as hopefully informative and instructional answers to some of their angling problems.

Getting tackled up

With his coarse fishing background Harry was familiar with fixed spool reels and as for most beginners this is the easiest reel to use. With the modern long cast versions now available fixed spools can cast and fish as well as multipliers and unless you wish to change to a multiplier there is no real disadvantage from sticking with a fixed spool reel. There is a wide range of reasonably priced models available but unless you are planning to only fish very occasionally we would advice against the very cheap reels and look to spend say £30 to £50 on a decent sized beach model.

Long 15’+ rods have become very popular in the last few years but unless you have a level of sea angling experience they can be a bit of a hand full for someone just starting out. We would suggest a 12’ to 13’ model as a good starting point. As it is being teamed with a fixed spool reel then try and buy a rod aimed at this type of reel. Specific fixed spool rods should fewer and larger rings which aids casting. As with the reels very cheap rods are OK for the odd trip but if you plan to go out a few times a month then spending £50+ on a rod will reward you with a rod which is nicer to fish with and should last you for a few years as your skills develop.

Of course if you are starting from scratch then a combo deal is the best way to ensure you buy a matching rod and reel and also save a few pounds over buying separate items. Plus some deals also include line and leader which are two other essential items which you will need before you head off to the coast.

So now you have a rod and reel, the reel is loaded with line and you have a shock leader tied on to the casting end of the line. What else do you need?

Essentials

a)      A selection of ready tied traces – You can tie your own but ready tied rigs are a good way to start and providing you get good ones like the Veals RTG range then you know that they are at least right.

b)      A few grip weights in the range of sizes your rod will cast

c)      A tripod to rest your rod on

d)      Decent waterproof clothing and boots (the sun does not always shine at the sea side!)

e)      A seat box or rucksack to hold tackle, food, drink etc

f)        Scissors, pliers and bait elastic

g)      A towel to dry and clean your hands

h)      A local tide table

Non essential but handy bits!

a)      A small box with a selection of clips, swivels, beads and hooks to allow different rigs to be tied if necessary

b)      Filleting knife

c)      Scales and a camera – you never know!

d)      A rod holdall which makes carrying rods and rod rest much easier and frees up one hand

e)      A bucket to hold bait and carry any fish you wish to take home to eat

f)        A cool box/cool bag – as above but essential in the summer to keep your bait and catch in good condition

With Harry now all kitted out it is just a case of waiting for the next day off and his first fishing trip in the Bristol Channel – full details soon…..

(If you liked this article and/or found it helpful or interesting please let us know harry@veals.co.uk