This week the fishing video is of sailfish on a fly. Amazingly many people are doing this now and it seems to be a viable way of catching these beautiful fish. When I first heard about flyfishing for fish bigger than the rod I was thinking of little 6 weight trout rods, but these saltwater fly rods are built just as tough as the fish they catch. The video is a little unstable, but worth watching if only for the original sailfish strike about 10 meters from the boat! Enjoy!
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How to throw a cast net (video)
I remember my first cast net a a few years ago. Literally hours spent in the back yard, swearing each time the damn thing didn't do what it was supposed to until I finally got it right. It looks easy right, but just wait until you have your first go at it!
I thought that to help people out I would post a couple of videos that show various techniques so you can learn how to throw a cast net. For what it's worth the second video is the technique that I use and it took me about 10 hours (and about 600 swear words) to learn really well.
My Tips for throwing a cast net (so you don't end up swearing and the net doesn't end up in the bin):
Good Luck
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I thought that to help people out I would post a couple of videos that show various techniques so you can learn how to throw a cast net. For what it's worth the second video is the technique that I use and it took me about 10 hours (and about 600 swear words) to learn really well.
My Tips for throwing a cast net (so you don't end up swearing and the net doesn't end up in the bin):
- If you can't get it right don't change everything at once. Make little adjustments to what you are doing and note when the net spread it is getting better (or worse).
- Don't be afraid to ask around for a demonstration.
- Remember that it will take some time and don't give up.
Good Luck
Perfection Loop - Fishing Knots and Rigs (Video)
Name: The Perfection Loop
Strength: Retains a high proportion of line strength
Uses: Attaching lures and flies to a leader
Difficulty: Easy
The perfection loop forms a strong yet compact loop in the end of the line. This knot will not slip and it has the added advantage of being very easy to tie. It is generally used for attaching leader to lures or flies as it retains a high degree of line strength. It can be tied in fluorocarbon and monofilament.
Instructional Video
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Strength: Retains a high proportion of line strength
Uses: Attaching lures and flies to a leader
Difficulty: Easy
The perfection loop forms a strong yet compact loop in the end of the line. This knot will not slip and it has the added advantage of being very easy to tie. It is generally used for attaching leader to lures or flies as it retains a high degree of line strength. It can be tied in fluorocarbon and monofilament.
Instructional Video
Bonefish Los Roques - Fishing Video of the Week
I love catching bonefish, but all the ones we get in Australia are tiny compared with some of the monsters I have seen caught in some of the most exotic locations. Los Roques is a place that I have only seen on television and in my dreams. All indications are that Los Roques is one of those "must visit" fishing locations for bonefish. This video demonstrates that perfectly and if you can get over the annoying music (turn down the volume) and sit still for 10 minutes (should be no problem for us patient fisherpeople right?) then this video is worth watching. Enjoy - oh and if anyone wants to sponsor my trip to Los Roques feel free to contact me :-) lol
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Caring for monofilament line
Does anyone still use monofilament fishing line any more? Every fishing report I hear, read or watch these days is about braid. In my own fishing braid is used 99.9% of the time after I switched to it a few years ago I have never looked back. However, there are some situations where monofilament fishing line is still king of the fishing lines, not to mention much cheaper than braid!
Here are some important tips to keep your monofilament fresh so it lasts as long as possible and doesn't break when the big fish gets on*
(thanks to tackletactics.co.nz for these tips)
Sunlight weakens monofilament. Don't leave in direct sunlight when you are not using it. Pronglong heat weakens it. Never store your line (or your rods) in hot areas like car boots or a back car window, attics etc. The best place to store your fishing rods and excess line is in a dark, cool room, closet or garage.
Don't let your line come in contact with gasoline, oil, suntan lotion, or other harm-full chemicals. These cause monofilament line to break down or become brittle.
With proper care and normal use, monofilament lines ages. However, it's a good idea to periodically strip and replace old line. Two line changes a year should be sufficient - at the beginning and the middle of the season.
Last but most important be on constant guard against nicks abrasions or other weak spots in your line. You can detect these spots by running the line through your thumb and forefinger. If you find a rough spot, clip off the line above the bad spot and retie your bait. It's better to lose a few feet of line than to lose that trophy fish!
*this may have happened to the author more than once!
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Here are some important tips to keep your monofilament fresh so it lasts as long as possible and doesn't break when the big fish gets on*
(thanks to tackletactics.co.nz for these tips)
Sunlight weakens monofilament. Don't leave in direct sunlight when you are not using it. Pronglong heat weakens it. Never store your line (or your rods) in hot areas like car boots or a back car window, attics etc. The best place to store your fishing rods and excess line is in a dark, cool room, closet or garage.
Don't let your line come in contact with gasoline, oil, suntan lotion, or other harm-full chemicals. These cause monofilament line to break down or become brittle.
With proper care and normal use, monofilament lines ages. However, it's a good idea to periodically strip and replace old line. Two line changes a year should be sufficient - at the beginning and the middle of the season.
Last but most important be on constant guard against nicks abrasions or other weak spots in your line. You can detect these spots by running the line through your thumb and forefinger. If you find a rough spot, clip off the line above the bad spot and retie your bait. It's better to lose a few feet of line than to lose that trophy fish!
*this may have happened to the author more than once!
Fishing Video - Trout (New Zealand)
After watching this video I am definitely considering booking my flights to New Zealand. Seriously New Zealand is the home of big big trout and catching a fish like the big one in this video is certainly a possibility not just a dream. I don't know what it is about the place, but the trout grow big there! It might be the land of the long white cloud, be full of sheep and be inhabited by people that can't talk properly (just a bit of Aussie teasing going on here), but the fishing, both fresh and saltwater, is red hot. I for one am sick of watching lucky Aussie fishing TV hosts catch big fish over there and it is something I am going to have to remedy soon! Enjoy the video
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Surgeons Loop - Fishing Knots and Rigs
I have decided to give the whole fishing knots and rigs section an overhaul and I have decided to go down the video route. Videos give a much better visual description than I can give with pictures and written descriptions as you can see every stage of the knot - leave a comment and tell me what you think about this new feature.
This fishing knot is great for when a quick, easy, yet strong, fishing loop. Loops are often used to hold sinkers or to attach leaders and traces. This knot can also be tied in the dark, which makes it one to learn for most types of fishing.
I use this knot at the bottom of my paternoster rig to hold my sinker. The benefit of this is that I can change sinker weight when required.
The guy in the video is using blue rope for demonstration purposes only.
This video is presented by http://fishing-live-bait.com
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This fishing knot is great for when a quick, easy, yet strong, fishing loop. Loops are often used to hold sinkers or to attach leaders and traces. This knot can also be tied in the dark, which makes it one to learn for most types of fishing.
I use this knot at the bottom of my paternoster rig to hold my sinker. The benefit of this is that I can change sinker weight when required.
The guy in the video is using blue rope for demonstration purposes only.
This video is presented by http://fishing-live-bait.com
Beach Fishing - Finding the gutters and the fish
Finding the deeper water or gutters, the pockets that hold fish, is the key to finding fish along a beach. Some beaches are flat with only slight depressions; while others have distinct holes with severe drop-off's. In clear water and bright sun, look for the blue-green holes contrasting with the sandbars. In low light or when the water is discoloured, you need to look at the shoreline and watch wave action for clues. Buy some really good polarised sunglasses these are great for spotting gutters and fish. If you don't have sunglasses or arrive in low light look for sand walls that often form in front of the bigger holes. They can be three to four feet high.
Watching wave action and how the white water moves over the beach's contour is the best way to find good water. Along flat sections of beach, which are devoid of holding water, waves break then roll all the way to the shore. In sections with sandbars and holes, the wave breaks over the bar, rolls for a distance, then disappears. Where this wall of white water disappears is the inside edge of the hole. Watch surface bubbles to determine the flow's direction. This flow moves from the corner back to the deeper water in the hole's middle, or in the case of a very large hole creates a long section of moving, fishable water. Without wave action look for a current line indicating a sandbar with a drop-off on the backside.
Remember that you don't always have to cast a long way on the beach to catch fish. In a recent fishing trip I was catching decent bream around my feet! Try different length casts until you find the fish.
(Thanks to LBF Member: big smoove who wrote the original tip, which I have modified)
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Watching wave action and how the white water moves over the beach's contour is the best way to find good water. Along flat sections of beach, which are devoid of holding water, waves break then roll all the way to the shore. In sections with sandbars and holes, the wave breaks over the bar, rolls for a distance, then disappears. Where this wall of white water disappears is the inside edge of the hole. Watch surface bubbles to determine the flow's direction. This flow moves from the corner back to the deeper water in the hole's middle, or in the case of a very large hole creates a long section of moving, fishable water. Without wave action look for a current line indicating a sandbar with a drop-off on the backside.
Remember that you don't always have to cast a long way on the beach to catch fish. In a recent fishing trip I was catching decent bream around my feet! Try different length casts until you find the fish.
(Thanks to LBF Member: big smoove who wrote the original tip, which I have modified)
Fishing Video of the week - Carp
In Australia these fish are an introduced pest. They have taking over the native waterways, muddying up the rivers and basically making it hard for the Australian freshwater sportsfish. They are causing so much trouble that it is illegal to return a carp to the water dead or alive. A carp fertilizer has now been developed called "Charlie carp" which puts the dead fish to good use. They were introduced originally to make Australia seem more European and they have also been introduced into our rivers by well meaning pet owners who could no longer care for their fish.
From what I understand the problem also exists in the United States and I would love to hear more about it.
However, after saying all that, carp are a popular angling target in Europe and they grow mighty big and put up a very strong fight. This great video is for all those people that like to catch carp.
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From what I understand the problem also exists in the United States and I would love to hear more about it.
However, after saying all that, carp are a popular angling target in Europe and they grow mighty big and put up a very strong fight. This great video is for all those people that like to catch carp.
Fishing Joke of the week- You might be a fisherman if...
I have been a bit sick lately so the updates have been a little bit slow so I thought I would reward all my readers with a good laugh!
The fishing joke today come from landbigfish.com. Some people tell me that all I think about is fishing so if you are like me some of these are probably true for you too - Enjoy!
You might be a fisherman if...
1) You have a power worm dangling from your rear view mirror because you think it makes a good air freshener.
2) Your wedding party had to tie tin cans to the back of your bass boat.
3) You call your boat "sweetheart" and your wife "skeeter".
4) Your local tackle shop has your credit card number on file.
5) You keep a flippin stick by your favorite chair to change the TV channels with.
6) You name your black lab "Mercury" and your cat "Evinrude".
7) Bass Pro Shop has a private line just for you.
8) You have your name painted on a parking space at the launch ramp.
9) You have a photo of your 10 lb. bass on your desk at work instead of your family.
10) You consider viennies and crackers a complete meal.
11) You think MEGABYTES means a great day fishing.
12) You send your kid off to the first day of school with his shoes tied in a palomar knot.
13) You think there are four seasons--Pre-spawn, Spawn, Post Spawn and Hunting.
14) Your $30,000 bass boat's trailer needs new tires so you just "borrow" the ones off your RV.
15) You trade your wife's van for a smaller vehicle so your bass boat will fit in the garage.
16) Your kids know it's Saturday---Because the boats gone,
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The fishing joke today come from landbigfish.com. Some people tell me that all I think about is fishing so if you are like me some of these are probably true for you too - Enjoy!
You might be a fisherman if...
1) You have a power worm dangling from your rear view mirror because you think it makes a good air freshener.
2) Your wedding party had to tie tin cans to the back of your bass boat.
3) You call your boat "sweetheart" and your wife "skeeter".
4) Your local tackle shop has your credit card number on file.
5) You keep a flippin stick by your favorite chair to change the TV channels with.
6) You name your black lab "Mercury" and your cat "Evinrude".
7) Bass Pro Shop has a private line just for you.
8) You have your name painted on a parking space at the launch ramp.
9) You have a photo of your 10 lb. bass on your desk at work instead of your family.
10) You consider viennies and crackers a complete meal.
11) You think MEGABYTES means a great day fishing.
12) You send your kid off to the first day of school with his shoes tied in a palomar knot.
13) You think there are four seasons--Pre-spawn, Spawn, Post Spawn and Hunting.
14) Your $30,000 bass boat's trailer needs new tires so you just "borrow" the ones off your RV.
15) You trade your wife's van for a smaller vehicle so your bass boat will fit in the garage.
16) Your kids know it's Saturday---Because the boats gone,
Fishing video of the week - Mulloway
Who said you can't catch big fish from the beach! This great little video I came across today really shows what Australian surf fishing has to offer. The mulloway is arguably the ultimate catch from the beach in the Southern areas of Australia and this is an amazing fish. This video is taken from Kalbarri in Western Australia and it is another of my favourite areas to fish! I hope you enjoy this video!
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Knots and Rigs - Bristol Knot
This knot goes hand in hand with the bimini twist that I gave instructions for last week.
This knot is easy to tie and is a very strong knot. When tied correctly the bimini twist bristol knot combo can actually form a combination that is stronger than the main line! It is suitable for braid, monofilament and fluorocarbon. Most commonly the knot was tied with 20 turns, but recent testing has shown only 8 turns are needed for the best strength and that less turns may actually be even better for this knot!
1. Pass trace through the loop of doubled line
2. wrap the leader line five to seven times around the doubled line
3. Pass the leader line end back through the loop in the opposite direction from which it entered in step 1.
4. Lubricate and pull each end of the knot evenly until it tightens. Trim the tag end.
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This knot is easy to tie and is a very strong knot. When tied correctly the bimini twist bristol knot combo can actually form a combination that is stronger than the main line! It is suitable for braid, monofilament and fluorocarbon. Most commonly the knot was tied with 20 turns, but recent testing has shown only 8 turns are needed for the best strength and that less turns may actually be even better for this knot!
1. Pass trace through the loop of doubled line
2. wrap the leader line five to seven times around the doubled line
3. Pass the leader line end back through the loop in the opposite direction from which it entered in step 1.
4. Lubricate and pull each end of the knot evenly until it tightens. Trim the tag end.