LRF(light rock fishing), is fairly new to the UK and is an adaptation of the Japanese ultra light fishing for aji (scad) and mebaru (scorpion fish). The popularity of this discipline of lure fishing has exploded in recent years, I've been fishing in this style for around 3 years now, I've come along way since my early LRF days but I'm still no master, you never can be, ever session I learn new things and am constantly adapting my technique. My only advice is keep an open mind, you are only limited by your own imagination.
A small bass taken on an ecogear aqua katsu aji straight.
When you ask most UK lure anglers about light game fishing they normally imagine lures around 10-20gram. LRF is lighter, much lighter, I'm talking 0.5-8g.
A big concern from most anglers when starting LRF is whether they'll be able to feel what's going on at the lure end. But with the right balanced gear there's no problem at all feeling what's going on, and with time you get used to the light gear.
Another concern is what if I hook a large fish, again this is not a problem, LRF rods have tons of power in the butt section with which you can give powerful fish such as bass, pollack and crash diving wrasse a lot of stick. Just remember to set your drag correctly. Just look at what has been landed on LRF gear: 8lb+ bass, 9lb+ pollack, wrasse to over 4lb and not to mention the 10lb thornback ray that was caught last year in Plymouth.
My most used gear:
Rod:
Major craft airock solid tip, 7'9", 0.5-5g.
Reel:
Shimano aernos 1000fa
Mainline:
Ygk g-soul 6lb
Leader:
Sunline small game leader fc in 4 or 6lb
Lures:
The lures I use the most are made by tict and ecogear, and of course the legendary power isome, I doubt they're is a fish that can't be caught on power isome.
LRF is not a species specific method I believe that with the right approach anything can be caught with LRF gear. To date I've had 26 species and last year I landed 18 species:
1. Bass
2. Ballan wrasse
3. Corkwing wrasse
4. Long spined scorpion fish
5. Smelt
6. Pollack
7. Rock goby
8. Common Blenny
9. Gilthead bream
10. Sand goby
11. Mackerel
12. Garfish
13. Common goby
14. Black goby
15. Scad
16. Goldsinny wrasse
17. 3 bearded rockling
18. Tompot blenny
A few LRF catch photos:
Long spined sea scorpion
Tompot blenny
Baby pollack
Corkwing wrasse
3 bearded rockling
Black bream
A lot of my LRF fishing is done while on holiday. This year I was in Port du Crousety in France for 2 weeks and if I wasn't chasing my bass on the headlands and tide rips I was spending most evenings on the breakwaters chasing the mini species.
With angling scenery like this, who could complain.
If you haven't tried LRF yet, I highly recommend it, it's not for everyone, but if you enjoy finesse fishing then I couldn't recommend it more highly.
I get most of my gear from my good friend Ben Field and his shop the Art of Fishing:
Ben is more than happy to help out if you have any questions. Or you can contact me through my twitter: @johnwheeler811
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