Fishing slang!

Fishing is full of funny little sayings, daft nicknames, and some of the most ridiculous rhyming slang you’ll ever hear. To the angling newcomer it can be a confusing world, until now…

Goots

A carp angler’s term for maggots, often lots of them piled in with a spod.

A carp angler’s term for maggots, often lots of them piled in with a spod.

Whiskers

Not the popular catfood, but a nickname for barbel.

Not the popular catfood, but a nickname for barbel.

Snake

An eel or a very large lobworm.

An eel or a very large lobworm.

Unit

Any big carp caught in a match, normally one that wins late in the day from the margins.

Any big carp caught in a match, normally one that wins late in the day from the margins.

Dame Judy

As in Dame Judy Dench. The rhyming slang for tench. How anyone could compare one of our greatest living actresses to a fish? See also: Park Bench, Monkey Wrench.

As in Dame Judy Dench. The rhyming slang for tench. How anyone could compare one of our greatest living actresses to a fish? See also: Park Bench, Monkey Wrench.

Babies’ heads

Large balls of groundbait thrown into the swim at the start – if your hands are big enough, their size will be akin to that of a newborn’s bonce.

Large balls of groundbait thrown into the swim at the start – if your hands are big enough, their size will be akin to that of a newborn’s bonce.

Mudline

The bare bank on an island or far bank of a snake lake where you can catch big on carp.

The bare bank on an island or far bank of a snake lake where you can catch big on carp.

Wasp

Tiny nuisance perch which are rarely bigger than those annoying striped insects!

Tiny nuisance perch which are rarely bigger than those annoying striped insects!

Billy burglar

A bigger perch, so-called as its stripes resemble the striped shirt of a burglar as seen in the Beano and similar comics.

A bigger perch, so-called as its stripes resemble the striped shirt of a burglar as seen in the Beano and similar comics.

Tommy

A nickname for the ruffe, that great scavenger of a fish that no one likes catching.

A nickname for the ruffe, that great scavenger of a fish that no one likes catching.

Splodger

The Method feeder, especially one that’s cast to the shallow water around an island.

The Method feeder, especially one that’s cast to the shallow water around an island.

Tina Turner

A sedge bed on the far bank of snake lakes, which looks like the American superstar’s barnet in the 1980s.

A sedge bed on the far bank of snake lakes, which looks like the American superstar’s barnet in the 1980s.

F’won

An abbreviated form of the F1 hybrid, used by Northern matchmen.

An abbreviated form of the F1 hybrid, used by Northern matchmen.

Ligging on

Presenting the bait well overdepth on pole or float. Commonly used in the north of the country.

Presenting the bait well overdepth on pole or float. Commonly used in the north of the country.

Dribbly Brenda

What predictive text or spellchecker normally arrives at when you type dendrobaena – a type of worm – in on a phone.

What predictive text or spellchecker normally arrives at when you type dendrobaena – a type of worm – in on a phone.

Pudding

Groundbait, although if mixed correctly it should end up looking nothing like a Spotted Dick!

Groundbait, although if mixed correctly it should end up looking nothing like a Spotted Dick!

Snottie

Used to describe any fish which leaves its slime all over your line, net, and clothing, but mainly used to describe bream.

Used to describe any fish which leaves its slime all over your line, net, and clothing, but mainly used to describe bream.

Redfin

The humble roach.

The humble roach.

Blathering the snap

Overheard between two Yorkshire anglers who were discussing that the bream were ‘properly on the feed’ during their last match.

Overheard between two Yorkshire anglers who were discussing that the bream were ‘properly on the feed’ during their last match.

Bag of shells

A pint of casters.

A pint of casters.

Rub-a-dub

That large-mouthed saviour of many an autumn session, the chub. Also sometimes called Rubber Lips.

That large-mouthed saviour of many an autumn session, the chub. Also sometimes called Rubber Lips.

Ian Beale

EastEnders character and rhyming slang for eel.

EastEnders character and rhyming slang for eel.

DNW

A favourite with match anglers, it stands for Did Not Weigh. A humiliating end note on the weigh-in sheet.

A favourite with match anglers, it stands for Did Not Weigh. A humiliating end note on the weigh-in sheet.

BBS

Battered Both Sides – the joy of being soundly beaten by anglers on the pegs either side of you.

Battered Both Sides – the joy of being soundly beaten by anglers on the pegs either side of you.

Chod

The mucky stuff at the bottom of your lake, and a carp rig designed to fish over it.

The mucky stuff at the bottom of your lake, and a carp rig designed to fish over it.

Bin lid

A massive bream. Their shape also earns them the name ‘slab’.

A massive bream. Their shape also earns them the name ‘slab’.

Snig

Derogatory name for an eel.

Derogatory name for an eel.

Clunk line

A part of the swim on commercials where big carp turn up late – typically 6m out where you ‘clunk’ into fish on the strike.

A part of the swim on commercials where big carp turn up late – typically 6m out where you ‘clunk’ into fish on the strike.