Get Fishing Resources
How To Go Whip Fishing, by Jimmy Willis – learn to fish
‘How To Go Whip Fishing’ is the first of my series of videos to help you give fishing a go, on your own!
I’ll be getting you started in all the most popular styles of fishing: whip, float, feeder, carp, sea and game. As the series of videos progress I’ll introduce some more advanced techniques and info on how to target individual species.
In each video, I’ll be accompanied by an Angling Trust qualified licensed coach who’ll help show how to set up and use the new Angling Direct Get Fishing Whip Pack. This is a brilliant new all-in-one set of fishing tackle which has everything you need.
In the first episode, I had the pleasure of spending a few hours with my colleague, Dean Asplin. Hopefully it’s easy to follow but if you have any questions on this video, or anything at all related to getting starting in angling please get in touch with me by commenting on the video on YouTube at www.youtu.be/91D2l4ARMEM – I’d love to read your comment and will be more than happy to help!
If you’ve already been to one of our Get Fishing sessions you’ll know that there are loads of little bits and pieces that come together to start fishing. I always think it’s it’s a bit of a ‘jigsaw puzzle’ to begin with but sure enough it’ll all start to become really easy. So just ask away – we all have to start our fishing journey somewhere, and although I might not know the answer I’ll do my very best to find out for you. The new
Hope you like the video – don’t miss that further down this page you can find out what’s in the Whip Fishing Pack, how me and Dean are using it in the video and a few extra top-tips…
Best wishes,
Jimmy
Jimmy Willis
Marketing Manager, Angling Trust
jimmy.willis@anglingtrust.net
@realjimmywillis
How to Go Whip Fishing with Jimmy Willis
The Angling Direct Get Fishing Whip Pack is available for just £14.99 – this is a really special price that I’ve arranged with Angling Direct just because they are as keen as I am to get more people fishing! I can’t believe how cheap it worked out – there’s loads to use in the pack.
What’s in the Get Fishing Whip Pack?
An easy to use telescopic fishing ‘whip’
This is what you use as your fishing rod. It’s called a whip because it’s so simple to use that it doesn’t need a fishing reel to use it, but does the same job for fishing close-in. You can still catch loads of fish with it! You will receive a 3m or 4m whip, depending on what is in stock. They are telescopic so are easy to get ready and will fit in your car boot.
Bait boxes
You get two bait boxes to store your bait in. This will help keep it fresh, tidy and stop any getting on your other tackle. Lots of places to go fishing do not allow you to take bait in bags or tins because this reduces litter and stops dogs and wildlife being attracted by bait. It’s sensible to always use a bait box and they only cost a couple of pounds each. You can fit loads in these ones and they come with a tight-fitting lid – I like them!
A Plummet
This is such a useful piece of your fishing equipment! It allows you to tell how deep the water is where you are fishing, what the bottom of the fishing spot is like (if it feels weedy, hard or muddy) and how much to slide your float up or down the line so that you can tell if you are fishing “on the bottom”, “just off the bottom” or “up in the water”. Fish will eat your bait at different levels in the water, so knowing how deep it is helps you catch them. To find out how to use the plummet by putting the hook in its base and sliding your float up or down the line, watch this simple video – it’s only a few minutes long but explains things simply.
14 pole fishing ‘rigs’
You get 14 ready made sets of line, float, weights and hooks which come neatly wound on a winder. Watch the video and you’ll see how to attach these and set them at the right depth of water to start catching fish. These usually cost about £1 each so this is an absolute bargain! Note: If the line on the winder is a bit long, you might need to snip-off a bit off above the float before you tie it to the whip.
An unhooking ‘disgorger’
This is a small but essential bit of your fishing tackle kit that you need to have with you all of the time. Occasionally it’s a bit tricky to get the hook out of the mouth of the fish because to begin with we will only be using small hooks to catch the fish we are after. This is especially true if you have cold or wet hands. In the video Dean will show you how easy it is to use a disgorger.
Landing nets: The Get Fishing Whip Pack has everything needed to catch a fish (…just add bait!) but don’t forget that you’ll need to take a landing net when you go fishing*. This is to help you safely get any fish larger than about a finger-length out of the water. I do recommend that you look at the Get Fishing Coarse Net Pack which has a handle and net and is only £6.79.
Buy a Get Fishing Coarse Net Pack at www.anglingdirect.co.uk/ad-get-fishing-coarse-net-pack-1
My 5 top-tips to help catch your first fish…
1] Find the depth: When you are float fishing a ‘plummet’ will help you find the depth of the water where your float is. Then you can slide your float up or down the line until you get the right depth where the fish are biting. The plummet is a small metal weight which attaches to the end of your line. It’s easy to use and only costs a few pence from your local tackle shop. You can watch how to use a plummet in our short video by angling dad, Rob Hughes.
How To Fish – Finding how deep the water is with Rob Hughes
2] Use the right bait: I talk about bait in the Get Fishing Whip Pack video and you’ll find out that picking the right kind of bait can make a difference to the species, number and size of fish you catch. The easiest way to find out what bait to use is to watch or ask an angler near to your fishing spot, ask at the fishery shop where you are fishing or ask your local tackle shop what baits work where you’ll be fishing. A good place to start is by using bread, maggots or sweetcorn – just check what bait is allowed first.
4] Stay calm: When you catch your first fish it’s going to be really exciting but stay calm! Wet your hands before touching a fish and don’t let it touch the floor. This keeps the protective coat over the fish scales safe and makes it easier to unhook a fish. If in doubt just ask another angler near to you – they’ll help you.
5] Come to a Get Fishing event: The Get Fishing events the Angling Trust run are all FREE to come to and will show you exactly what to do to catch fish. The friendly people running the event will also tell you all about where to go and the kind of fishing licence you need.
DON’T FORGET…
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Family fishing events: Get Fishing is the Angling Trust’s campaign to get more people fishing and raise awareness of the physical and mental health and wellbeing benefits of angling. Our website has fun, safe and friendly Get Fishing events for beginners and families as well as venues, news, blogs and top-tips.
Events for all ages and abilities at Get fishing near you
Fishing licences: You’ll need a rod fishing licence from the Environment Agency before you go fishing in ponds, lakes, rivers, streams and canals. Licences for anyone aged 13 to 16 are free, but you’ll still need to get one.
Get a fishing licence at: www.gov.uk/fishing-licences/buy-a-fishing-licence
Check Clean Dry: Check your gear after leaving the water for mud, aquatic animals or plant material. Remove anything you find and leave it at the site. Clean everything thoroughly as soon as you can, paying attention to nets, waders, and areas that are damp and hard to access. Use hot water if possible. Dry everything for as long as possible before using elsewhere as some invasive plants and animals can survive for two weeks in damp conditions.
More info on Check Clean Dry at www.nonnativespecies.org/checkcleandry
*We didn’t include a landing net in the Angling Direct Get Fishing Tackle Packs simply because lots of people already have a landing net in the family, can borrow one from a friend or the fishery/event they go to and we want to keep costs down for beginners. Therefore it’s an option when you check-out. Get Fishing Tackle Packs are sold by Angling Direct plc and subject to their own delivery, terms & conditions, returns & complaints. Contents of packs may vary and are subject to availability. Get Fishing Tackle Pack images are copyright 1997-2020 Angling Direct plc. All rights reserved.
Get Fishing is part of the Angling Trust‘s work to increase angling participation and make angling stronger in future. It is funded by:
- The Environment Agency from fishing licence income as part of the National Angling Strategic Services Contract (NASS)
- Sport England to contribute to its “Towards An Active Nation” strategy so that everyone in England regardless of age, background or ability feels able to engage in sport and physical activity
Together we want to get more people fishing, more often.
