Catch Fish with
Mike Ladle

Information Page

Freshwater Fishing

For anyone unfamiliar with the site always check the FRESHWATER, SALTWATER and TACK-TICS pages. The Saltwater page now extends back as a record of over several years of (mostly) sea fishing and may be a useful guide as to when to fish. The Freshwater stuff is also up to date now. I keep adding to both. These pages are effectively my diary and the latest will usually be about fishing in the previous day or two. As you see I also add the odd piece from my friends and correspondents if I've not been doing much. The Tactics pages which are chiefly 'how I do it' plus a bit of science are also updated regularly and (I think) worth a read (the earlier ones are mostly tackle and 'how to do it' stuff).

Wire traces.

My local rivers are like pike city and the smaller pike are not always in 'pikey' places. As a result, however hard you try it's impossible to avoid having your lure taken by toothy creatures. Even baby pike have teeth like razors so it is essential to use a wire trace when you're spinning. Of course I'd prefer to fish without wire because even if it doesn't put fish off (and I don't honestly think it does) it can spoil the action of lures, particularly those which are small or lightweight. One of my favourite lures for seatrout and chub is a 9cm black and silver jointed Rapala. Not only does it catch me lots of fish but because it is made of balsa wood and is pretty lightweight it tends to hang in the air when you cast. A disadvantage you might think, but when you get used to it the deceleration of the lure enables you to control the casts and drop your plug just short of the opposite bank. This is perfect when you're after fish which tend to hug the bank and lurk under overhanging vegetation - in other words chub and seatrout.

The other day I had a classic example of the need for wire. I was hoping for seatrout but my first fish was a jack pike which took in a shallow pool. I drew it to the edge and unhooked it with my pliers. The next bite was from a brown trout but it shook off then, in a shallow, fast flowing, riffle I hooked another small pike. The little devil fought like stink and performed head-shaking jumps on three occasions, all this action could have been designed to hack through nylon but it wasn't a problem for my 15lb knottable wire. Once more I was able to unhook it in the water and release it.

Another smallish missed trout followed then I had a better take which proved to be a fat 3.5lb seatrout. There's no doubt that it's easier to hook the larger fish securely than the small ones. I completed my session with a beautiful half-pound perch. All the fish took despite the wire ahead of my Rapala and I am quite confident when using this set up.

If you have any comments or questions about fish, methods, tactics or 'what have you!' get in touch with me by sending an E-MAIL to - docladle@hotmail.com

Jack number 1.

Jack number 2.

Beaten.

Seatrout.

Perch.