"One of the England Angling Team's most experienced members, maintains that when it comes to Poles the simple things are important and yet they are often overlooked."
You may know the basic differences between Whips and Long Poles but do you know about the limitations of each approach - where and when to use a Whip and how to handle the Long Pole, for example?
If you don't then you might run into problems. Since the Pole is the most expensive fishing item you'll ever buy, it pays to take care of it.
Whips are Poles having very fine, flexible solid carbon fibre Top sections - to which the Line is attached.
Use the Whip when there are small fish fairly close in - at about 3m-5m (10ft-16ft) from the bank. It is most effective when there are a lot of fish because it is primarily a speed method.
It is faster than running Line because the length of Line from the top of the Whip to the Hook is kept constant - fish can be swung directly to hand every time. Although the Long Pole also uses a fixed length of line, the Whip can be much faster because it does not involve Elastic: it's a simpler, more direct method. Ideally the line should be about 30cm (1ft) shorter than the Whip itself.
Using the Long Pole with a short Line offers perfect Float control. The Pole is excellent for this kind of fishing because you can drop the Bait just where the fish want it and keep it there.
Whips are not exclusively for speed. They are good for controlling Rigs on slow rivers, canals and lakes with a slight pull. If a swim is not too deep - about 1.8m (6ft) at 4m-5m (13ft-16ft) from the bank - then you might be able to run your Float through about 2m-3m (6ft-10ft). Within this region you'll have enough Line out to control the Float but if the flow is too strong you won't get a decent 'run through'.
The Float needs to be heavier than you would fish on a Long Pole but still light compared to those for running line - so you can cast it easily. When fishing at 5m (16ft) you need a Float taking a minimum weight of 0.5g. If it's windy then you'll have to go even heavier.
It may sound obvious but the whip is only a fast method if you are catching. It is no use staying with it if you are missing bites. That's the time to try something else.
Big fish can present problems for the Whip, too, because the flexibility of the 'flick' Tip is the only means of providing a running fish with Line - and that may not be enough.
Wielding a Pole, say, for the full five hours of a match takes a lot of effort, so it is important to be as comfortable as possible. Using your knee as a pivot and taking the pole's weight with your left forearm is a recommended method.
"One thing that inexperienced Pole anglers often do, is pick the Pole up at the 3m point and try to hold up 10m behind them. Then they'll take it back to the shop and say it's broken. This isn't suprising because a Pole isn't meant to take that kind of treatment. We've all done this kind of thing, though, and it is often the only way to learn. "
In very windy conditions Poles become difficult to manage and can break, so on days like this it is better to leave it to the experts. Feeding the Pole behind you to land a fish is the way to go. You should do this smoothly so that you don't 'jerk the fish'. Keep the Tip of the Pole out of the water so that you can see where the fish is.
The term 'Long Pole' is misleading because you could use the top three sections of a 14m Pole to fish a couple of metres out.
More often than not, though, you'll be fishing at 7m-8m (23ft-26ft) or beyond. It is usual for the length of Line to be much less than the length of the Pole. This means you have to dismantle - 'unship' - the Pole to reach the Hook.
The Line is attached to Elastic which runs through the top one or two sections of the Pole. This serves a unique function - somewhere between that of a Reel and Rod top or Flick Tip - enabling a fish to take Line but only up to a point and subject to increasing tension.
Poles are expensive and it pays to think carefully before parting with your money. You don't have to spend vast amounts - there are some very, very good Poles for a perfectly reasonable price. It is up to you to go to a shop and haggle with your tackle dealer for a good price.
Anything other than carbon fibre is not worth considering. Don't be tempted to get a glass-fibre Pole. They are a thing of the past.
If you are at all serious about angling, you must buy one of at least 11m. Don't think: "Oh, I'll get a cheap one at 9m or 10m to learn with," because you'll see other anglers catching just a bit farther out and want a longer one. It is quite likely that any Pole shorter than 11m will end up as nothing more than a landing net handle. There is, nevertheless, a practical limit to the length of Poles. Anything above 15.5m is difficult to handle.
Lightness and stiffness are related. Generally, an increase in lightness means a decrease in stiffness - though a good quality Pole will be both light and fairly stiff.
Nevertheless, a good quality, light Pole suffers when it is windy - bending, bouncing about and making good Float control extremely difficult. (These kinds of conditions should in any case be left to the experts.)
So to begin with it is a good idea to get a fairly light Pole and to fish it when conditions are favourable. Only when you have mastered the basics should you think about fishing a heavier, stiffer Pole in adverse conditions. One of between about 800g-900g at 12.5m can be managed comfortably by the average angler.
Certainly for matches, it is essential that you have at least one, if not two spare sets of the top three sections to your Pole.
This enables you to set up several different Rigs at the same time. So for example, you can change from a 0.5g Float to a 1.0g Float just by picking up other sections of your Pole, or you might want to fish identical tackles with different size Hooks so that you can try a Bait change.
With a spare you can do this in a matter of seconds. This makes the Pole an exciting method; you can try many different things within a matter of half an hour or so - you can't do this with the running Line.
Most modern Poles have 'put-over joints'. They make 'shipping-up' (putting the pole together) easier - you don't have to fiddle around, struggling with unwieldy lengths of Pole, trying to find the hole. You can do it without looking.
When you piece your Pole together make sure that it doesn't join up with a 'chunk', otherwise it will jam and you'll be taking it home in a 2m length. Twist - screw - the joints rather than pushing them directly together. If the joints are supposed to overlap by 8cm (3in) make sure that they do overlap by that amount. If you lift a Pole when the joints are not properly overlapping it will shatter.
The joints on the sections which are not unshipped should be tight so that they don't come apart when they are not meant to.
When you are catching fish and you are unshipping and shipping-up there is always a chance of picking up grit on the end of a section. If you try to push a Pole together with grit between the joints you'll do irreparable damage to it. So always make sure the joints are clean.
When shipping-up, twist rather than push the sections together.
This way
you can control the amount of pressure and the sections are less likely to
stick together.
Use a Roller to take the weight of the Pole and guide
it when you are pushing it back.
This removes the temptation for you to lift
it by the end sections (something which you should never do) and prevents the
end from getting damaged.
A wide Roller is easier to use because you don't have to keep looking to see where the end of the Pole is.
Sometimes a hedge or fence behind you serves just as well as a Roller.
When you are landing a fish, just where you take off (unship) depends on the size of the fish. If it is big - above a couple of pounds, say - you'll need to unship a section closer to the Tip of your Pole than you would without a fish on. This is so that you can draw the fish towards you. Be prepared to use your Landing Net on fish that are much smaller than you would net on Rod and Line. This is because a fish of only 6oz (170g) will stretch the Elastic and make it extremely awkward, if not impossible, to swing in.
A Gritty Problem
Putting a Pole together with grit in the joints can cause great damage. A very simple and effective way to get rid of grit - especially if it is on the section that you are putting over - is to stab it in the water to a depth of 20cm (8in). This clears it and helps the sections to meet smoothly.
When handling a Pole be careful not to knock it against rocks or stones. Although carbon fibre is strong for its weight it is also an extremely brittle material. Even the slightest nick in the Pole's surface weakens it.
It is often the case that a Pole shatters and the angler concerned insists that he wasn't mishandling it. The chances are that the damage had already been done, and it was only a matter of time before the Pole broke. So if it is windy make sure that loose sections of your Pole aren't rattling about. If your Pole does get damaged, then whip over the damaged area to reinforce it - your tackle shop will probably be willing to help.
One method is to sit with your legs at a slight angle to the water, the Pole resting across your knees and the end of it trapped firmly under your forearm. This way you don't need any Pole behind you to balance it - you can use the full length of the pole for the job it was intended.
Casting is simple with a Pole. All you need to do is push the tackle out with the Pole and lay it on the water.
A lot of anglers don't strike hard enough when fishing the Pole. You need to pull it hard upwards. If you strike to one side then the Float tends to 'clonk' out of the water like a Stick Float.
It isn't advisable to rest the Pole on the water but it can be a help to sink the Line when conditions are very windy by submerging the top two Pole sections.
The only time that a Pole seems to scare fish is on a clear water when you've got them feeding on Rod and Line. If you put a Pole over them, you'll stop getting bites - either because they move off or just stop feeding. At other times they’ll come right under the Pole and feed.
It takes practice to get used to fishing a Pole. The change from using a Rod of 3m or 4m to a Pole of 10m or 11m is a big one, and at first, you'll probably feel a bit awkward. But after a few good catches you'll soon feel more at ease.