Fishing on a student budget

WORDS & VIDEO: Stefan Hennop | PHOTOS: Jessica de Villiers GETTING TECHNICAL … Since the half-year exams are creeping ever closer for all students, our time at the water is limited. So, to compensate for lack of fishing, I decided to visit a well-known tackle shop, Die Hengelvriend in East Lynne, Pretoria where the owner, Petrus Nagel, an experienced bank angler and I looked at fishing tackle for the student budget. When we talk about the technical aspects of ‘fishing on a student budget’, we mean everything from rods to reels, stands, dips and bait. We also made a short video where Petrus discusses the affordable tackle he has in his shop for the student. So, for now let us get technical. RODS AND REELS In Part 2, I discussed rods and reels in detail and concluded that it's important to have rods and reels that cover all the bases: firstly a 12ft rod with a larger reel for casting longer distances, especially now that winter is upon us. A second, shorter rod such as a 10ft rod with a smaller sized reel for fishing shorter distances more accurately. The rods that Petrus and I agreed on are the Mitchell ‘Carp Catch’ rods. These rods are quite inexpensive and feel great in the hand. Reels that pair great with these rods are the Mitchell ‘Avocet Bronze III’ reels. The 5000 size is a perfect, all-round size for any rod length. It is also supplied ready-spooled in the factory with 10lb test line. LINE If there's one thing that I believe in in my angling life, it is that you cannot compromise on line, therefore line choice is important. This might be the only part where a budget does not apply. You can use any line to fish with, but not all line will land your fish. Your line is your only contact between you and the fish, so it's the most critical part of your tackle and fishing in general. I've used a vast array and types of line in my angling life and lost fish due to inferior line. A line I recommend is the Awa-Shima ‘S-FLUO’, available in two colours, neon yellow and neon red. It is available in 1 000-metre spools, more than enough to spool two reels as well as spare spools. The S-FLUO covers all bases: when fishing venues with snags or if you need to cast a distance, this line will be more than able to do that. Line choice however remains a personal preference and there are many lines to choose from, so choose the line you trust. STANDS VS BANK STICKS I personally use a stand for my fishing. The reason being that it's easy to set up and I can use it anywhere I decide to fish on the bank. A stand offers you more choices when fishing rocky, sandy, or grassy banks where bank sticks cannot penetrate the ground. A stand is also compact when packing away into a small vehicle, which a lot of students drive, and it's very easy to clean after a day’s fishing. On a stand you can also have your feed and dips by your rods, ready to use. Stands come in different shapes and sizes, from higher grade aluminium, tough stainless steel, and mild steel. Personally I use a mild steel pop-up stand. It's very compact and has everything I need on it ready to go, and if I need to pack away quickly to move to another spot, I can do that in minutes. TRACES Without a trace on the end of your line, how will you catch a fish? There are different traces on the market with different applications. The most common being the Rietvlei trace and the bottom or Boer trace. I've used both these traces for years and caught fish all over the country with them. The Rietvlei trace is a must-have in your arsenal; it's the most versatile and used trace by anglers in South Africa. It's perfect for fishing close-in with a large ball of feed on the sinker, and having two hooks, your bait choices are incredibly varied, namely having one sliding hook above the sinker on the mainline and one fixed hook line under the sinker. It's available with a light sinker when fishing a soft bottom or when fish are extremely hard to catch and with heavier sinkers when you want to fish a longer distance and want to secure a proper hookset. It can also be fished with a bait spring instead of a sinker when you want to put more groundbait on your spot. The bottom Boer trace has been used to fish over longer distances or when targeting bigger fish such as big carp and barbel. It's a longer trace than the Rietvlei and uses two fixed hook lines on the mainline with the lead tied to the end of the mainline. The bottom trace is highly effective and was designed to fish longer distances with bigger sinkers. DIPS AND BAITS Bait additives, anglers term them ‘dips’, have been used for years in South Africa to catch fish, but with so many different makes and flavours on the market, where do you begin? I believe you don't need thirty dips on your stand to catch a fish, but sometimes a dip can give you an edge. So, what dips do you need with you when you go fishing? Dips have different applications; some will work better in summer than in winter and at the venue you are fishing. The best way to start getting the right dips is to do research on the venue you are fishing and see what works well. Having fished different venues, I can recommend the following ten dips as a starting point to build your arsenal. I've used these ten dips at different venues and have always caught fish using them alone or in combinations. FX Sniper Devils Fork Perdeby Banana Passion Fruit Honey Glow Tjop-Tjop. CONCLUSION In conclusion, these are the basics of what you need to start fishing and an introduction to the technical side of fishing. These topics discussed will help you to catch a fish and start your fishing journey without breaking the bank. Getting out on the bank will help you build experience and better your fishing skills as well as making your own decisions on what works for you and building your tackle to your preference. https://youtu.be/wVKF1hAzbX4 In part 4 I will be heading out during the winter holiday in search of a big carp on a student budget! Until then: good luck to all students with the half-year exams!

Fishing on a student budget

PART 3

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