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Not forgetting the ubiquitous jolly green giant, which can always be eaten by the angler !!

Happy New year for the remaining/surviving dinosaurs.

25 years? I was a bit later in joining a mere 19 years ago. I've looked in a few times, but only just found my password. I was saddened to read of the passing of some of the old regulars, but none of us are getting any younger. I haven't fished for just over a year, having been diagnosed with poly myalgia back in February. My legs just gave way one morning, and I ended up at a&e. Been on a reducing dose of steroids since, and still got about six months to go before I finish the course. Before that I still went fishing but my refusal to fish the over stocked carp waters has limited the waters available. I'm hoping to get back on the bank in the new year, my grandson has been nattering me to take him. It's sad that the site has diminished so much over the last few years, but it always had a niche membership, and that's what always appealed to me, being a bit old school. Anyway take care all, and I'll look in again, now I've remembered my password. (That is if I don't forget it again) John

Blimey, has it been that long? I'm in Kent now, we've got a small campsite and a cactus nursery. Can't get out fishing as Mrs isn't very well and can't sit on a beach for long. She's not too keen on eating fish that have been living in sewage either Kids are all grown up now, still in touch with my youngest. Although we live in the middle of the county we can just see the North Sea from the bottom of the garden. Spend my days growing veg (and cacti) and listening to Radio Caroline. I have 2 Youtube channels, Ziggy's Cactus Channel and Ziggy's Coast and Countryside. Neither of them make any money Just bought a Beehive

Hi Martin, I forgot my latest password and the ‘Forgot your password?’ function wasn’t working properly; but I found my new password on a scrap of paper in the back of a drawer and finally I managed to get back in. Looking forward to being able to post again at last. Keith

Concur with what's been said - I've tried plastic maggots and grubs and had very limted success with them - and will only resort to them if I'm getting totally murdered by - say bleak or minnows. But why not try worms? - easy to acquire and theres not a fish that swims that won't take one!

Eh' up fellas, the "thinking angler" here (as coined by Ian. lol) I've made this Cupping cup which screws into the landing net handle when I don't take my Pole. The thread is a length of 3/8" BSF, screwed bar I "Borrowed" from work, but You could use 3/8" wood dowel (screwed in & out with the Electric Drill, till you can do it by hand) and won't damage the Nut ! The Cup is an "AMBI PUR", air fresher cap and the Ideal size - like a Proper 'un.

Boy what a talent ,couldnt grasp why he polished a tiny bit then realised what it was. https://youtu.be/3jneYK7xebc?si=NAusEmBJcHVHtUmb

Pretty much the same as you Elton, albeit not rooting around barns looking for old cars, and my son is 22yrs old but mentally still wearing me out.

The wife wore a sexy black Negligee for bed last night - I could see right through to her Cardi'.

A friend said that he thought my posting about Amity was just being a proud grandfather. Then he listened to Amity's first single, Bite Me. He said it wasn't just good but PHENOMENAL (his capitals). Amity won the final of Futuremakers for young singer/songwriters at the Royal Albert Hall, and is back there for a solo show in the Elgar Room on Tuesday July 15th. Tickets are just £10 direct from the Royal Albert Hall website. He's being hailed as "the next Adele", so his future performances won't be so inexpensive!

Amity sold out the Elgar Room Amity at the Royal Albert Hall and the standing ovation just went on and on and on......... Amity's now taking this show to the Durham Festival next week. Details at https://durhamfringe.co.uk/events/bite-me/ He's also doing a solo show at the Durham Festival. See https://durhamfringe.co.uk/performances ... the-brink/

Not imitation grubs but; I’ve just sent off for some VMC 7237B Light Inline Single Barbless hooks in sizes 10; 8 & 6 so that I can change the hooks on some very small plugs that I bought for catching some Chub; to single. Hooks, something I’ve been promising myself for a long time. The next time you see them they’ll have single hooks. Let’s just hope the chub like them. Keith

25 years have passed since this site launched and I think it's fair to say, like me, it's past its prime What are you all up to these days? My life has taken me on a different course, dragging old cars out of barns, mostly. I've got a 'late surprise' 7-year old son to keep me worn out, too. I've done barely any fishing. I really need to sort it. I miss the escapism so much.

For about 20 years, I had a chap coming to my place with the thought of catching a 4lb eel. About 8 years ago he was diagnosed with a terminal cancer, and survived longer than anyone else had with that type of 'the big C'. Last Summer, I told him I had lost what I thought must be an eel, short run and then solid, three times in the same place. He set up one night, casting to near where I had been snapped and caught one that weighed 5lb 6oz, his PB. He died 2 months later, but I got him his PB eel! Still getting eels caught from time to time!

Since I last posted on here I caught a nice 27lb 2oz Ghost Carp from the Estate lake (See pic) Unfortunately at the start of next year this estate lake is to be no more as the lake is being half filled in and is to be built around, so after at least 75 to 80 years at least our club is having to give up the lease. At least both my son and I have had some very nice Carp up to 27lb plus from it; plus we some nice Tench up to 8lb and some very nice memories going back to 1978 when I first joined the club. It’s a real shame as about 15 years ago I was awarded a lifetimes free membership to the club for services rendered to the club over the years Keith

Told this story before ,I was fishing down Folkestone warren (sea fishing the ponds long gone) A local (I spotted him on his bike earlier from the campsite we were camping on as I looked at the state of the tide) walked over from the next spot who I had noticed kept recasting every few minutes but didn't appear to be using lures etc. What bait are you using mate he says noticing me unhooking a dreaded dog fish . "Lug and squid on this rod " I said "OH" he says" you want to try these they're great down here" Obviously the fact I was considerably older than him and had fished down there longer than he lived didn't occur to him,he obviously thought I was a newbie or gullible ? "What is this miracle bait " I asked He held out a crumpled bag of those haribo sour worm things "bloody brilliant" he says "How much have you caught "I asked "Nothing ,not a bite " he said I didn't bother to question the logic behind his life choices and just said OK thanks for the advise He went back to his spot ,casted every few minutes no doubt to replace his miracle bait that's dissolved into nothing then left just as it started to get dark which of course is the best time to start unless your lure fishing down there .Perhaps he found a better use for them like eating them just like I would . So just like the topic in question everything is viable in "artificial" baits and like the chaps choice so long ago I have only ever caught using artificial "grubs" when your throwing real maggots around the hooked artificial ,I presume they work in the rush to grab the offerings or are accidentally hoovered up by bottom feeders feeding on maggots on the bottom .As an alone bait I have caught nothing on them and I have tried many in desperation on those hot sticky days when nothing else works .Never understood fake worms though they don't wriggle and the real version are under your feet or a rotten branch . Not saying they don't work but I think it's unusual they do and not the first thing that pops into my head when bread is on the list which I have found catches everything inc predators no doubt grabbing it as a involitary response to something moving in the corner of their eye Not saying maties miracle bait hasn't worked either I have caught fish on bare hooks when they were gold plated and sparkled in the water but as a regular bait that's worked regularly I much doubt it. Artificial baits are a moot point flies work great when your fly fishing but stick one under a float and all changes ,I think your "artificial" has to show a semblance of reality to work ,artificial worms and maggots don't wriggle but nor do dead ones or real or fake casters so there's something fish sense we don't that determines if you catch I think ,perhaps what looks real to us isn't that real to fish Take mackerel feathers for instance ,cast them in and your lucky to catch ,jiggle them about and your catching ,both exactly the same thing but acting differently ,acting more naturally looking like what the fish expect them to look like

Imitation grubs don't really work on their own, as said, OK with lives if the fish are grubbing around. Corn meat and above all bread will all catch, and of course worm.

My grandson Amity has just turned 18 and his first single was released yesterday. The distributors, who release 50,000 singles per year, say Bite Me has achieved in less than 24 hours the best reception they've ever had in their history, and is being streamed all over the world. You can listen to Bite Me on all the usual channels including Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music. Here's a link to make it easier to download Bite Me from the major players: https://kycker.ffm.to/biteme Warning: it's catchy and a bit of an earworm! The saddest thing is that my wife who unexpectedly died a few weeks ago has missed the launch. The chances of an unknown artist's first single being a hit are very remote. However, with exponential growth, you never know! So can I please ask you to download it and pass this onto everyone you know. Many thanks.

Yes i went back to basics a decade or so ago and found it very refreshing ,long gone are boxes on wheels transporting stuff you never use (i remember a trip back from sea fishing with a box a big bag and a huge rod bag and found the train from folkestone to bromley had been substituted for a great deal of the trip by a double decker and i had to take the lot upstairs as the bottom was full .A truly bad trip) Now if i cannot cram it all in my pockets and a small cross body bag it doesnt go .What do you really need , hooks ,shot ,bait ,disgorger or forceps and a few floats or ledgers and such and thats it ,i dont even go for that long i need food but i have a stainless 1ltr bottle for a drink on a strap and the rod and landing net in my hand .

The book is going to be called Doing it Differently: Perch, Wingham and More. I've set up a website at www.doingitdifferently.co.uk where there's an email link so that you can contact me. I'll put more on the website in due course.

Wishing all those who occasionally drop by Anglersnet a merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.

Merry Christmas to you all and your nearest and dearest.

Same to all, keeping the numbers up

A Merry Christmas to all, and a Happy New Year when it comes. With so few on here it feels like we're all 'ghosts of Christmas past' John

The same to you Ken and the rest of "Ye Merry Gentlemen"

The contrarians here sir as always a bundle of fun and gas

River Kennet - Speen Moors 0900 - 1300 Warm, mainly overcast and muggy. AT 18ºC - 24ºC. River very low and clear. 2 Chub: 3lb 6oz & 3lb 3oz. 1 Perch: 1lb 2oz. 17 Roach - nothing noteworthy though they were mainly 'hand-sized'. 5 Bleak. 1 Gudgeon. 1 Brownie: c1½lb, 2 Rainbow's 2½ & 3½lb. Pleasant morning in the big weir pool. Both chub were the first two fish caught. Rainbow's are always an unwelcome sight and were a bit of a menace - I lost a couple as well as landing a couple. Nice to see a good showing of roach.

No we are few now not sure if Newts still going but there's few going from the start .I pop over to Elton's car site now and again but I think driving is behind me now unless I can find a cheap non existent zundapp and sidecar to relive my yooof ,they are rarer than hens teeth I have never seen another combo since I sold mine!

Middle Kennet Weir Pool, Marsh Benham 0500 - 1100 Warm and sunny - though feeling a tad chilly when I arrived. AT 10º - 24ºC. River low and looking a little threadbare. 9 Chub; 3lb 3oz. a 'pounder' and 7 chublets. 1 Bream; 2lb 4oz. 2 Doz Dace; all a 'nice' size but nothing particularly noteworthy. 5 Roach; small. 2 Rainbows both 2lb (and possibly the same fish!), 1 Brownie C½lb. Pleasant morning's trotting by the shade of the bankside trees - hadn't realised how warm it had got until I walked back to the car! Nearly all fish from the weir pool apart from the 3lb chub which was from further downstream. An otter came up through as I was packing up - swam through the pool and scampered up the weir to head upstream!

Warwick's Water - Thatcham 1830 - 2300 Warm and sunny. AT 21º - 14ºC. 2 Tench: 2lb 13oz & 1½lb. 1 Perch 1lb 9oz. Summer tench campaign on this water starts with a (half) decent perch - my first over a lb from the water - which is rumoured to hold MUCH bigger ones! The perch came early in the session when the sun was still one the water and I wasn't really expecting a bite. Both tench, however, were caught after 2130.

I'm sorry to hear this, another one of the good guys gone. My condolences to his family RIP

Hi Keith, I've poured, Near on Boiling water onto about a sessions worth of the dried Meal worms and they've "Softened" to nice & Bendy so can now get a hook in ! Also, more palatable for the Fish - Will deffo' let you know after Sunday buddy.

Do I need one? - Probably not. Will I ever use one? - Probably not. Do I want one? - derr, of course!

Kennet & Avon Canal - Enborne (down) 1430 - 1715 Sunny spells. AT 10º - 8ºC. 9 Perch: 6 over a lb, best 3: 2lb 10oz, 2lb 1oz. 1lb 13oz. First visit to a new swim from one of the platforms on Dog Sh!t Alley. I rarely fish here and the amount of footfall and dog poo on the tow-path reminded me why! However walking this bit recently sans rods I spied this spot which simply screams perch so resolved to give it a try. My hunch was soon confirmed with a perch of 1½lb in the first 20mins but by the time 4.45pm rolled around I'd only added the 3 smaller ones to my tally. There then followed a bonkers ¼hr of action. As so often happens on the canal in winter the setting sun was a cue for the dinner bell to sound and 5 fish in 5 casts produced nearly 10lb of stripeys. On the stroke of 5.00pm bites ceased and a flock of canada geese landing in my swim triggered time to pack up! Biggest canal perch of the season.

Sony to hear that you've been in the wars, John. A shot knee and neurological problems have left me very limited at times. I've had to use a stick, but never a frame. For me at least, stripping the kit back to the very basics and getting a good chair were key.

Middle Kennet Carrier (& main River) 0900 - 1400 Cool and overcast. At 4º - 6ºC. River high, very pacey, clear and weed free. 3 Chub: a couple of 3lbers (best 3-07) and a 'pounder'. 3 Roach, 2 Dace - all fairly small. 9 Brownies 2-3½lb. 1 Rainbow: C. 2½lb. Worked my way down the entire length of the fishery - trying to avoid trout - though not very successfully - a very disappointing Chub to Trout ratio! And it looks like the silvers are doing a bit of a disappearing act like they did last winter!

Hi Dave, maybe the Correct term is "Latched" Baiting Needles ? Latched is the Term, used in the Knitting Machine "World".

Kennet & Avon 'flowing' Canal & Backstream, Thatcham/Colthrop 0730 - 1430 Cool & breezy with sunny spells. AT 4ºC - 10ºC. River at normal levels and quite clear. 5 Chub: 5lb, 4lb 10oz, 4lb 3oz, 3lb 15oz, 3lb 7oz. 4 Dace: a smallun and 3 good-uns - which all got weighed 2@10oz topped by one of 12oz. 1 Grayling 1lb 2oz. 2 Brownies - a 'pounder' and a parr. Started off on the hunt for big dace and for the second trip running here a 1lb grayling turned up in my dace swim! Fishing around ¼ mile upstream from my previous lady, this time I was totally convinced I was into a really good dace, as I'd just slipped the 12oz one back and the grayling was next trot through with the float burying at the same spot! Having worked my way down the canal it was off to my new favourite chub swim on the backstream (after a bit of lunch). Took it nice and slow - resting the spot for 10-15mins after each fish which seemed to do the trick as I had bites pretty much straight away each time I re-started trotting...

Hope you get a photo of the Great white egret ,what has been seen locally are little grebes ,maybe you will see a pair. (dab chicks)

That's a Great idea Ant - I should have at least half a pint by 2030 !! - I'll start right now.

The best maaggots i ever used were from a pig carcass.The farmer whos fields i camped on in my youth processed his own pigs and his custom was chuck out the unusable bits for nature to process .Nature did is bit and i braved the smell and harvested the biggest maggots i had ever seen .They resembled wasp grubs and were hard to put on the hook as they were very soft but boy they caught some great fish. A warning though is pig bone cuts are very painful and take an age to heal ,ask me how i know! Ps should we be talking of 'coloured' maggots? the thought police could be watching and prison awaits now the pedos and rapists have been chucked out to make room for the wrong think criminals

I have one ,its ok on loose nuts but rounds of the corners of tight ones ,its like those one size sockets with pins in ,ok in an emergency but dont expect much