I'm off to Ireland for a couple of weeks soon and was thinking of starting spinning for fish. I've got a telescopic rod and decent enough reel. What lures/plugs etc catch what type of fish? I want to do both fresh and salt water spinning when i can't use my fly gear.

I've never done it before so any hints or tips would be grateful too

Thanks for your time Chris

Hi chris pop into anglers choice they should be able to help or the tackle box in billingham and good fishing

Loads of lures here:

http://www.harrissportsmail.com/

Dont be tempted by brand names and big ticket prices - cheap spinners (mepps type) have always caught for me and dont hurt the pocket so much when you inevitable get stuck on the bottom.

Its how you use the spinner rather than using the "right" spinner that counts.

(of course this being a forum for smart alecs i will no doubt, soon be proved wrong)

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with lure fishing there are a lot of extremes you can go to, from ultralite jig fishing with lures under the gram and 2lb line to jerkbait/dawgs weighing up to 10oz plus and 80lb line. but you can have a lot of fun on the middleweight cheaper gear....

for trout, i like mepps in the smaller sizes. copper and black works well for me. i also like using floating divers around 2in. length, there great on rivers to dodge around rocks etc and the trout just smash them. for example rapala original minnow, the shakespeare mini/midi s, and a good deal of the manns range.

perch will take trout lures as will pike, but make sure youve got wire traces if these boys are about. try bigger lures for the pike, spinners, especially spinnerbaits are my fave for pike and they will outfish most lures in coloured water.

and dont knock soft plastics, they will get trashed but they are really cheap and work really well when the fish arent so easily fooled.

do take care with telescopics there not always good enough for the job, and make sure the reel will be up to constant abuse that spinning demands.

you will catch fish with mono line even though these days lure fishing is dominated by braided lines.

I've just been pricing some rapala's up. Bloody hell they're dear!! I want to get set up so i can go from both fresh and saltwater marks. I feel this is going to be a costly adventure!!

CP

try a couple of these places;

great for lure making stuff, its like tying your own flies but for lure fishing
http://www.fishingpool.co.uk/product_home.php

harris sportsmail already mentioned, do some decent bargains
http://www.harrissportsmail.com/

these guys sell decent lures some bargains to be had
http://www.baxterangling.com/

The rapalas tend to be quite a bit cheaper on Ebay

I dipped my toe back in the spinning world just before the coarse season finished and had a few pike on the orange version (second left in picture) of this:

Savage Gear Rattle Smolt

You get two per pack and they swim very nicely.

Cheers

Buy proper mepps spinners gold is very effective some places you can buy four then get a fifth free. Cut off two of the hook points so the treble hook becomes a single, you will still hook plenty of fish and they are kinder to the fish and easier to remove.