Coarse fishing is a term used in the United Kingdom and Ireland for angling for coarse fish, which are those types of freshwater fish other than game fish (trout, salmon and char). The sport and the techniques used are particularly popular in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe.

History[link]

The term "coarse fishing" originated in the United Kingdom in the early 19th century. Prior to that time, recreational fishing was a sport of the gentry, who angled for salmon and trout which they called "game fish". Other fish were disdained as "coarse fish".^[1]

Tackle and technique[link]

Depending on the situation, different types of tackle can be used. Most common is the rod and reel, the rod being typically between 8 and 13 feet (4.0 m) long, and manufactured of tubular carbon fibre. A reel is then attached near the base of the rod to hold a long length of line, which is run to the tip of the rod through eyelets. Once cast out, the line can be retrieved by winding a handle on the reel.

However, the use of "poles" is also now widespread. Here, the line is fixed to the very tip of the rod, with no reel used: in order to retrieve the line, the pole itself is taken apart until the line can be swung to hand. Poles are often very long in order to increase the angler's range - up to 16 metres.

The main techniques used are float fishing, legering and spinning.

• In float fishing, the bait is suspended beneath a float made of hollow plastic, wood or quill. The top of the float is usually painted a bright colour and bites are indicated by the top of the float dipping under the surface of the water, or moving up in the water.
• Legering does not use floats. Instead the bait is held on the bottom of the lake or river by a sinker or large weight. Bites are detected by watching the quiver tip of the rod for movement, or with the use of electronic bite alarms, and more advanced tackle such as polyvinyl alcohol bags, or mesh.
• Spinning. Either a brightly coloured lure or a small fish attached to a hook is towed through the water to attract carnivorous fish such as pike, zander and perch.

Fly fishing techniques may also be used for certain species, such as grayling or chub.

For float and leger fishing, groundbait is usually thrown into the water to attract fish to the area. Typical baits include nightcrawlers, maggots, bread and sweet corn. Lately, advancements in technology and market competitiveness have led to many types of other ingredients being introduced, including chemicals, such as betaine, that stimulate the feeding response in fish. Boilies are popular baits for carp fishing.

Types[link]

The nature of coarse fishing varies with the dedication and attitude of the angler:

• Pleasure angling: Anglers go out to enjoy a relaxing day's fishing, trying to catch anything that comes by without putting too much effort in, with anything caught being a bonus.

• Match angling: Anglers, in angling clubs or as individual entrants, gather together at a venue to catch as many fish as possible in an allotted period of time. Contests are held at local, regional, national and international levels.

• Specimen hunting: The aim with this type of coarse fishing is to specifically target a chosen species of fish, in order to weigh and photograph it when you catch a personal best. The main target species for this branch of coarse fishing include carp, pike, zander, barbel, chub, perch and Wels catfish.

Target species[link]

The main target species for this type of angling include:

Name	Image	Variants
Barbel
Bream
Carp		Grass, Common, Crucian, Leather, Mirror
Chub
Dace
Ide
Perch
Pike
Roach
Rudd
Tench
Wels catfish
Zander

There are also some lesser species that can be caught in the United Kingdom and are not normally sought after. These include:

• Bullhead

• Eel

• Gudgeon

• Minnow

• Powan

• Ruffe

• Stickleback

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Cooper, Dave (2004) First Class Fishing Fishing Magic.
• Lowerson, John (1993) Sport and the English middle classes, 1870-1914. Manchester University Press. ISBN 0-7190-3777-8
• Tranter, Neil (1998) Sport, Economy and Society in Britain 1750-1914. Page 101. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 052157217

Further reading[link]

• Bailey, John (2008) Where to Coarse Fish in Britain and Ireland. New Holland Publishers Ltd. ISBN 978-1-84537-934-6
• Partner, Steve (2007) Coarse Fishing Basics. ISBN 978-0-7537-1586-4

External links[link]

• Coarse fishing at the Open Directory Project
• Coarse fishing: The sport of gentlemen
• Fishing for fun
• Coarse Fishing
• Henfold Lakes: Coarse Fishery Pictures from Surrey, England
• Anglers net: Coarse fishing articles
• Coarse fishing venues on google maps. Angling Social Networking
• Some basic information on choosing coarse fishing tackle a.k.a. carp fishing tackle

Angling and game fishing Angling Boat fishing Trolling Casting Spey casting Reach cast Surf fishing Rock fishing Bank fishing Kayak fishing Centerpin fishing Coarse fish Rough fish Bottom fishing Tackle Techniques Tournaments Traditional fishing boats Angling personalities Television series Game fishing Big-game fishing Land-based game fishing Salmon run International Game Fish Association The catch Catch and release Tag and release Bag limits Minimum landing size Panfish Priest (tool) Ike jime Sport fish Bass Carp Fly target species Mahi-mahi Marlin Porgie (bream) Shad Smelt whiting Striped bass Swordfish Walleye   Fly fishing Fly fishing Fly fishing tackle Bamboo fly rod Fly rod building Fly Casting Analyzer Spey casting Reach cast Tenkara fishing Float tube Trout bum Target fish Fly waters Bibliography of fly fishing Artificial flies Fly lure Fly tying Amadou Cul De Canard Trolling tandem streamer fly Royal Coachman Clouser Deep Minnow Diawl bach Egg sucking leech Flesh Fly Grey Ghost Streamer Hare's Ear Klinkhammer Muddler Minnow Partridge and Orange Pheasant Tail Nymph Woolly Worm Woolly Bugger Organizations American Museum of Fly Fishing Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum Federation of Fly Fishers Trout Unlimited Literature Blacker's Art of Fly Making A Book on Angling A Concise Treatise on the Art of Angling Dry-Fly Fishing in Theory and Practice Favorite Flies and Their Histories Floating Flies and How to Dress Them The Fly-fisher's Entomology A History of Fly Fishing for Trout Minor Tactics of the Chalk Stream Pseudonyms of notable angling authors The Salmon Fly The Way of a Trout with the Fly

v t e Fisheries and fishing topic areas Fisheries Fisheries science Wild fisheries Fish farming Aquaculture Fish diversity Fish diseases Fisheries management Fishing quota Sustainability Fishing Fisherman Artisan fishing Fishing villages Fishing vessels Fishing history Industrial Commercial fishing Processing Products Seafood Marketing Markets Recreational Angling Game fishing Fly fishing Catch and release Techniques Gathering Spearfishing Line fishing Netting Trawling Trapping Other Tackle Hook Line Sinker Rod Bait Lures Artificial flies Bite alarms Locations Fishing by country Fishing villages Fishing banks Fish ponds Marine habitats Index of fishing articles List of fishing topics by subject Fisheries glossary

v t e Fish About fish Diversity Capacity for pain Ethnoichthyology Diseases and parasites Fisheries Fishing Fear of fish FishBase Fish kill Genetically modified Ichthyology Prehistoric Schreckstoff Anatomy Fish anatomy Ampullae of Lorenzini Anguilliformity Barbel Dorsal fin Electroreception Swim bladder Gill Gill raker Gill slit Glossohyal Hyomandibula Lateral line Leydig's organ Mauthner cell Otolith Operculum Pharyngeal teeth Photophore Pseudobranch Shark cartilage Shark tooth Scales Vision Weberian apparatus Digital Library Reproduction Bubble nest Clasper Egg case Fish development Ichthyoplankton Milt Mouthbrooder Roe Spawning Spawning triggers Locomotion Fish locomotion Fin and flipper locomotion Amphibious fish Walking fish Flying fish Undulatory locomotion Behaviour Aquatic predation Bait ball Bottom feeders Cleaner fish Diel vertical migration Electric fish Filter feeders Forage fish Hallucinogenic fish Migrating fish Paedophagy Predatory fish Salmon run Sardine run Scale eaters Schooling fish Venomous fish Habitats Coastal fish Coldwater fish Coral reef fish Deep sea fish Demersal fish Freshwater fish Groundfish Marine habitats Pelagic fish Tropical fish Wild fish Lists Aquarium fish Fish common names Fish families Fish on stamps Ichthyology terms Predator fish billfish mackerel salmon sharks tuna Forage fish anchovy herring sardine Demersal fish cod flatfish pollock rays