Thank you to Lasse Birch Hojrup from Denmark for these interesting photos of big Brown Goldfish, caught using on his favourite Double Strength line. Lasse is an angling journalist for the Danish angling paper “Fiske Avisen” – and explained to us how he came to target and catch these fish:-
“This year my brother and I decided to focus 100 percent on catching big brown goldfish. We have been targeting a couple of waters but our tactics have been very similar. Normally we fish with a float rod and a bottom rod each. The float tactic consists of Drennan Tench float rods and Shimano 2500 reels loaded with 6 or 7 lb Double Strength line depending on the amount of snags and weed. Double strength is the only line we have ever been fully satisfied float fishing with.
Our float rig is a rig we have designed during the last couple of years. We have constantly changed small details so it fits our every need. It’s made of a Drennan Insert Crystal Waggler (typically 1½ AAA) attached with a Drennan silicone float adaptor. This float adaptor is fixed between a couple of Drennan float stops. The shots are attached by tying a small piece of mono to a Drennan micro rig ring and fixing the rig ring between two float stops on the main line. The shots are then pinched on the small piece of mono thereby not damaging the main line and making it easier to move the shots up and down if needed. This has resulted in far fewer losses due to the mainline breaking on the strike.
Our bottom rod tactic has consisted of Drennan Specialist Avon 12ft 1½ lb rods loaded with 10 lb main line. The business end has been either a lead clip or a Drennan in-line flat method feeder. These new feeders are so brilliant and work and cast to perfection when you use them with the feeder mould. Our hook links are short and made of braided 10 lb material. The hook is a size 12 hair rigged with either artificial sweet corn or a 10-12 mm boilie. Both the bottom rods and float rods are fished over areas baited with a mixture of our own home made ground bait, pellets and particles.
Our spring campaign awarded us with several brown goldfish over 3 lbs with five over 4 lbs the biggest being 5 lb 4 oz and 5 lb 3 oz! The biggest at 5 lb 4 oz pulled the float under close to midnight on a beautiful evening in the beginning of May and gave my body a huge injection of happiness in its purest form. We did also manage to land a few Crucian Carp with the biggest being a beautiful fish at 3 lb 2 oz caught on the Drennan in-line flat method feeder and strawberry flavored sweet corn. I’m looking forward to the fall campaign…”
Lasse tells us the Brown Goldfish is much more widespread in Denmark that it is here, and more valued as a sport fish. They catch them in various waters, from small gravel pits to park lakes or ponds. In Denmark the goldfish are much more common than the Crucian Carp so the specimen hunters focus on them.
For further details on Double Strength, line as recommended by Lasse, click here.