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It was his funeral last Tuesday and he had a good send off i gave a tribute on behalf of his fishing mates and it was a great all be it sad day meeting all his mates and work colleagues Fishing just won’t seem the same without him there

Winding down - angling as one gets older and frailer. Having caught shark, marlin, and sturgeon over 300 lb, and several hundred species from places as diverse as the Amazon Basin, the Australian outback, the Southern Ocean, the Caribbean coral flats and the streams of the American Divide. It is with some disbelief that I find age, muscle weakness and increasingly severe angina drastically limiting where I can fish. I have always loved catching wild fish in wild places, which has had me fishing in all seven oceans, and six of the seven continents. (went to the seventh – Antarctica – bird watching, didn’t fish as ice too thick), So, my choice is either to give up fishing altogether, or re-appraise the easier club lakes, and even the despised “carp-filled mud puddles” that are the only accessible waters for someone who suffers intense chest pain (think elephant standing on chest) if required to walk more than 20 yards, to do anything in a hurry or stand up for more than three minutes. The only saving grace is that a dose of nitroglycerine ends the pain in about three to five minutes. Thus a distance of 60 yards needs three doses of nitro and three periods of five-minute rest. No good for a roving hillstream fisher ! So after thought, I made my choice, ie fishing from a chair is better than no fishing. So I have to fish only those swims I can get to – no sussing out where the fish are, no roving, no scrambling into difficult swims. But then, I am no worse off than the match fisherman who has to fish the peg he or she has drawn – so - you can only catch the fish in front of you or those you can entice into your swim. This in turn means one has to revise one’s expectations and set a realistic target. Above all remember this is not a match, so no need to hurry – fishing is a leisure sport – not an Olympic time-trial. On the plus side, I have been fishing alone since the age of seven, so have eighty years experience to draw upon, allied to which I have had the good fortune to fish with some very good anglers indeed, so I must have learnt something. My adventures henceforth might be of interest to others confined to easily accessible swims. Here are three waters I fished this last week. Norma and I decided to have a week in the campervan, visiting bird reserves, and staying at camping sites offering fishing. Norma would lead the birding trips, with me following on a hired mobility scooter. And I would lead the fishing trips, with Norma doing the netting, fish handling, and returning. Weighing and photography would be kept to a minimum. Occasional casting , loose feeding and playing a fish I can cope with. Handling any fish of two pounds upwards and getting it safely back into the water has me reaching for the nitro, so I am fortunate that Norma can take that on, and it gives me a short rest after playing a fish to the net. NB All venues had similar rules, No bread, No floating baits, No braid, No barbs, No microbarbs No baiting with boilies. So – Venue 1 Swim 20 yards from the campervan. Flat grassy bank, water surface one foot below the bank and one foot deep tight against the bank. Even slope outwards - the depth at a rod length out was 3 ft, A narrow fringe of Norfolk reed with an eight foot gap and a bottom of fine gravel with a little silt comprised my swim. The plummet told me that further from the shore the silt became thicker. What was out there ? Keeping my hands low, I flicked 3 or 4 maggots into the swim, and kept doing that until small rudd and small perch began to assemble, then switched to sweet corn (no result) then small Spam cubes which brought better rudd and some small carp. Persistent loose feeding for about fifteen minutes brought nothing bigger than half-pound rudd and two pound carp. Observation of other anglers showed similar fish being caught from other swims. Having assessed the swim, time to fish. Set my targets, 2lb carp, half-pound rudd, and see how close to the bank I could hook a carp. Tried several baits, maggot, dendrobena worms, Spam, sweet corn, Caught on all of them, except sweet corn (not a bite, neither on its own nor in combination with other baits) Most baits free-lined with perhaps a BB shot to provide casting weight. To stop dendys from wriggling off a barbless hook (or being sucked off) a soft pellet was used Result. Lots of small perch, medium sized rudd to half a pound, about a score of carp all between ¾ and 3 lb. Nearest to bank, (a carp) half an inch ! Comment – Won’t fish there again, just too easy. Could have caught many more if prepared to hurry, but as stated before, that’s not my style. Venue 2 Swim about 30 yds from van, ground level, so did it in one hop. A small pool about 80 yds by 30 yds, the owner said it held lots of carp (true). some bream, (unconfirmed) with “the biggest carp over 20 lb” (taken with a pinch of salt – you can safely divide most owner’s estimates by a factor of three) About four feet deep close to the bank with the water about 3 feet down a near-vertical bank, little vegetation on bank. Bottom very silty. There was a howling Easterly that day and a bright sun, no cloud.. “When the East wind blows and the sun shines bright, Then don’t expect the fish to bite” A bad omen, but I heeded the other one “”Carp follow the wind, and the stronger the wind, the more strongly they follow it” So I elected to fish into the teeth of the gale. The swim was not the nearest to the van, so that was one principle out the window. Sat well back from the water, flicked a few Spam chunks in and cautiously peeped over. There was a rugby scrum of carp after the slowly sinking Spam pieces. All from about two pounds to around 8 , Now one thing I have learnt is that carp become fearless (or maybe just careless) in choppy water so I elected to fish tightline, just a hook in a lump of Spam dangled into the choppy waves. The fish fought to get at the bait – very often all one could see were seven or eight round open mouths all seeking the same chunk of Spam and shouldering the other carp out of the way. I did my best to keep the bait away from the smaller fish and keep it available for anything that looked to be over 7. I only partially succeeded, as out of 15 carp landed, 12 looked about 6 lb or less, 3 of greater weight.. Norma weighed the biggest – just over eight.pound. Retired for an early tea. Comment There were people up the other end catching two pounders,as fast as they could pull them in - the place was absolutely stuffed with carp. “Shooting fish in a barrel” came to mind. Venue 3 This swim was “difficult” as it was 70 yards from the van, and uphill all the way. Two stops for nitro and the second needed a big dose and a fifteen minute rest. The East wind had gone and it was a hot sunny day. There was an island in the lake and breeching carp by it, but only fishable from some steep swims on the opposite bank. Too far away, too unfriendly, so elected to fish the nearest swim , Steep, but some negotiable steps down to it. This was a bit like venue 1 – but a far thicker fringe of Norfolk reed, The channel leading into the lake was therefore twice as long, about 20 ft, This channel was 6 inches deep at the bankside and about 2 ft where it met the main lake. Fishing through the gap into the lake produced rudd to half a pound up in the water, and nothing at all on the bottom. So I elected to bait up the outer part of the channel – it was fairly clear water and I could see there was nothing there, but I hoped to entice something in. A liberal dose of groundbait was laid down in the outer LH corner of the channel with plenty of Spam chunks and halibut pellets (the maggots and dendrobenas were long gone) The afternoon wore on, still no action, the sun sank, and in the early dusk came the action I was hoping for. Carp patrol the margins at such a time, looking for the discarded bait that departing anglers leave behind. One was in the channel ! We waited motionless whilst it mopped up every piece of Spam, before picking up the hookbait and shooting into the LH reedbed. Lets say it tried to shoot into the reeds, for by now I was holding it rather harder than my 6 lb Maxima justified. Good old Maxima – tough as old boots. A bit more stick and the carp decided to try the RH reedbed instead, only to find itself hitting the back of the net wielded by the expert netswoman who I was wise enough to marry. Result was a very angry carp thrashing about in the net, but fortunately the hook came free easily, the net handle was unscrewed, and the carp weighed (8lb) and returned, still thrashing angrily. That experience was a bit more worthwhile, I felt I worked for and deserved that fish. Comment After two somewhat disappointing results, it was nice to feel that with advancing years a bit of experience and watercraft has been accumulated over a lifetime and to a small extent can compensate for the handicap of reduced mobility. Watch this space.

I ordered a Chinese meal last night. Chinese driver came to our door and I walked out to meet him. He started shouting "isolate" "isolate" I said you’re not that late, I only ordered 25 minutes ago!

Damn site more than i caught ,i popped down the river for a couple of hours ,just as i leant forward to drop the float in the bank slid and down i went. The rivers not deep just waist deep in the pool i was trying to fish but getting out was a laugh ,fricking cold and very muddy ! In the end i walked downstream to where the bank was easier to climb but i went down more times than i went up. Must have been a great sight walking along the road ,one hand holding a muddy bag and rod the other desperately trying to hold up sodden muddy trousers with a broken string ! Probably curtains were twitching and the neighbours thinking whats that old fool up to again ,worst of all the mrs refused to let me in until i had a strip wash in the shed and a dash into the house dressed in a labcoat . Not sure i will venture out again this winter And no theres no pictures!

Hi Guys, I haven't been on here for many years, ( I was known back in the day as Norrie ) .....but was told about Daves passing by Elton....geez, the end of an era...what a lovely, lovely guy...I had the pleasure of fishing with him many times at Lochaline, where he and his wife Paula supplied many varying foods for our end of day feasts....one that sticks in my mind is Wild Boar sausages, and for dessert , strawberries dipped in melted chocolate ...awesome food. We also fished at Lymington along with John Becker, and Paul Compton...( Do they know of Daves passing?? ) I remember one trip out of Lymington, when a baby Thresher shark followed Daves bait right out the water and up the side of the boat...exciting that was... So, I suppose it comes to us all, but it was a real shock when I heard about Dave...he seemed to be invincible....just kept going on and on, in his Ford mobile home...I for one, will miss him, but will certainly have fond memories of the time I spent with him.. Att is a wee photo of Dave, Paul Compton and half of John Becker, Lymington 2006...at dinner in the Mayfair...Happy Times indeed..:) RIP Dave...

We have a poster on here who lives on another planet and is brain dead, he might be able to help.

A PLANE IS ON ITS WAY TO TORONTO , WHEN A BLONDE IN ECONOMY CLASS GETS UP AND MOVES TO THE FIRST CLASS SECTION AND SITS DOWN. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT WATCHES HER DO THIS AND ASKS TO SEE HER TICKET. SHE THEN TELLS THE BLONDE THAT SHE PAID FOR ECONOMY CLASS AND THAT SHE WILL HAVE TO SIT IN THE BACK. THE BLONDE REPLIES, "I'M BLONDE, I'M BEAUTIFUL, I'M GOING TO TORONTO AND I'M STAYING RIGHT HERE." THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT GOES INTO THE COCKPIT AND TELLS THE PILOT AND THE CO-PILOT THAT THERE IS A BLONDE BIMBO SITTING IN FIRST CLASS, THAT BELONGS IN ECONOMY AND WON'T MOVE BACK TO HER SEAT. THE CO-PILOT GOES BACK TO THE BLONDE AND TRIES TO EXPLAIN THAT BECAUSE SHE ONLY PAID FOR ECONOMY SHE WILL HAVE TO LEAVE AND RETURN TO HER SEAT. THE BLONDE REPLIES, "I'M BLONDE, I'M BEAUTIFUL, I'M GOING TO TORONTO AND I'M STAYING RIGHT HERE." THE CO-PILOT TELLS THE PILOT THAT HE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE THE POLICE WAITING WHEN THEY LAND TO ARREST THIS BLONDE WOMAN WHO WON'T LISTEN TO REASON. THE PILOT SAYS, "YOU SAY SHE IS A BLONDE? I'LL HANDLE THIS, I'M MARRIED TO A BLONDE. I SPEAK BLONDE." HE GOES BACK TO THE BLONDE AND WHISPERS IN HER EAR, AND SHE SAYS, "OH, I'M SORRY." AND GETS UP AND GOES BACK TO HER SEAT IN ECONOMY. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT AND CO-PILOT ARE AMAZED AND ASKED HIM WHAT HE SAID TO MAKE HER MOVE WITHOUT ANY FUSS. "I TOLD HER, 'FIRST CLASS ISN'T GOING TO TORONTO."

Went fishing this morning. In the absence of access to the River Xingu or the Pacific Ocean I had to make do with a local pond, Made up about a couple of pints of loose feed - sweetcorn and live maggots , Which gave me three options on the hook - maggot, corn or one of each - arranged to resemble a young planorbis snail. Fished a four foot deep swim close to the bank and a morning's fishing produced a mixed bag of roach, crucians, gudgeon, perch and bream. Nothing over half a pound, but par for the course, time to go home for lunch. However, I was playing one last long shot ( for the fifth time this summer ) based on what I knew about feeding times of the bigger perch Put on a bigger bait (how many maggots can you get on a size 16 hook ?) fished close to the bank on the edge of my swim. ................ YES !! A two-pound-plus perch from a club water with a record of 2-15 set fourteen years ago Not a Xingu payara nor a Pacific sailfish, but you can only catch the fish in front of you. Got a pic which was rejected as "too big" for here - is there a way round that ? PS Yes there is shrunk the pic a bit

I'd just like to take this opportunity to thank you all for making these hard times, re this pandemic a whole lot easier to bear. I've made some very good friends on here for which I thank each and every one!! Stay Safe all. Martin.

The EU.

Extract from Tony Blair's book! 'I had regularly started jogging out of Downing Street . On each run I happened to jog past a hooker (prostitute) standing on the same street corner, day after day. With some apprehension I would brace myself as I approached her for what was most certainly to follow. "Fifty Pounds!" she would shout from the kerb. "No way, 50 pence!" I fired back. This ritual between myself and the hooker continued for days. I'd run by and she'd yell, "Fifty Pounds!" And I'd yell back "50 pence!" One day, however, my wife Cherie decided that she wanted to accompany me on my jog. As we jogged nearer the problematic street corner, I realised the "pro" would bark her £50 offer and Cherie would wonder what I had really been doing on all my past outings. I realised I'd need to have a damn good explanation for my illustrious lawyer wife. As we jogged into the turn that would take us past the corner, I became even more apprehensive than usual. Sure enough, there was the hooker. I tried to avoid the prostitute's eyes as she watched the pair of us jog past. Then, from the pavement, the hooker yelled, "See what you get for 50 pence?!!"

I was naked when I met the postman at the front door this morning. I don't know what surprised him most, that I was naked, or that I knew where he lived. I've been told that a good way of letting go of your anger towards other people is to write letters to those you hate and then burn them. I've done that, but do I have to keep the letters? After finding 5 Mars, 3 Snickers, a Galaxy and a Twix in this Celebrations box, I'm starting to think I'm not cut out to be a Bounty hunter. Boss: "This is the third time you have been late for work this week. You know what this means, don't you? Me : "It's Wednesday?" Have you been hit with a rhythm stick? You may be entitled to personal Ian Dury compensation. I just got kicked out of a Flat Earth Facebook group.... I asked if the 2.0m social distancing had pushed anyone over the edge yet. I went for a vasectomy yesterday because my wife and I decided we didn’t want to have kids. It was unsuccessful though - when I got home, they were still there. I've been using Google to search for, 'lost medieval servant boy', but all I get is, 'Page not Found'. I had to go back to the Doctor today. I said, "I applied the haemorrhoid cream that you gave me yesterday and I got a very nasty reaction." "Where did you apply it?", he asked. I said, "On the bus." Earlier today I was at our local library and asked the librarian if they had a book about Pavlov's dog and Schrodinger's cat. The librarian said it rang a bell, but wasn't sure if it was there or not.

Well, I'm glad nobody has written my obituary! Thanks for all the kind remarks - especially about the book. I reconnected yesterday - see Tiggers thread 're a few hours out. Still fishing in my 87th year, albeit just small still waters due to ever increasing angina problems.

Reviving another old thread - had this 1lb 1oz beauty yesterday on a canalised stretch of Kennet at Thatcham!

I had several hours trotting for barbel yesterday, but not a sniff of a barbel! Maybe the sudden overnight frosts and with the river only just dropping down after being in flood had put the dampers on me catching a barbel. Anyhow, I did catch 5 decent chub of about 3 1/2 to 4lb , several roach of around a pound, small roach, dace and chublets....no barbel though! Had another couple of hours after chub today. There was a horrible strong downstream wind but the temps were up from 9 degrees yesterday to 14 degrees today. I did ok today and had quite a few chub, no monsters, but all of them were around 2 1/2 to 4lb and really fought hard. A couple of pictures from the day....

A week ago today I had a ride down to the river seven for a day for a change of scenery, it was really nice, but unfortunately was a little to high for me to wade in my thigh waders. It was dropping off and was carrying colour but still looked good. I stood at the waters edge, or just in it and cast out into the middle or towards the opposite bank. I had roach, dace and some small chub, then dropped on a shoal of very nice chub and had 14 virtually one after the other. My spider senses told me that I was due a barbel amongst those chub, but my friend had to get off and I wasn't sure of my way back to the main roads and left with him. It turned out my phone took my the exact way he took me so I could have stayed after all....darn it! I had planned on another ride down today but the river was way above last weeks level and so I stayed local. I'm hoping to get back down there asap as I enjoyed the change. I had a couple of hours out trotting on a falling river today, the river was heavily coloured with what looked like sewage again!...so not a tanning from peat which often comes down from one of the tributaries that comes from peat, it was tiny brown particles which looked like mashed up bog roll and shyte! Anyhow, the river never fishes well when this stuff is coming down, I saw no sign of a barbel but managed a few decent chub, roach and dace. It was quite precarious wading out around 40yds on a rocky river with no visibiity so I only took one chub back to the bank for a photo when going back to re fill my bait pouch....

Jan, Sue, and Mary haven't seen each other since leaving school. They rediscover each other via Friends Reunited and arrange to meet for lunch. Jan arrives first, wearing a beige Versace dress. She orders a bottle of Pinot Grigio. Sue arrives shortly afterward, wearing a grey Chanel number. After the initial hugs and kisses she joins Jan in a glass of wine. Then Mary walks in, wearing a faded old tee-shirt, blue jeans and boots. She too shares the wine. Jan explains that after leaving school and attending Oxford University she met and married Timothy, with whom she has a beautiful daughter. Timothy is a partner in one of London's leading law firms. They live in a 4000 sq ft apartment on Park Lane and Susanna, the daughter, attends drama school. They have a second home in Portugal. Sue relates that she graduated from Cambridge University, studied to become a doctor and became a surgeon. Her husband, Clive, is a leading financial investment banker in the City. They live in the Surrey stockbroker belt and have a second home in Italy. Mary explains that after she left school at 17, she ran off with her boyfriend, Mark. They run a tropical bird park in Essex and grow their own vegetables. Mark can stand five parrots, side by side, on his erect penis. Halfway down the third bottle of wine and several hours later, Jan blurts out that her husband is really a cashier at Tesco, they live in a small apartment in Bromley and have a caravan parked on the front drive. Sue, chastened and encouraged by her old friend's honesty, explains that she and Clive are both nursing care assistants in an old people's home. They live in Peckham and take camping holidays in Kent. Mary admits that the fifth parrot has to stand on one leg.

When l was a volunteer railway fireman on the Bluebell we often used to have a "celebrity" down to our "Special" days. In return for declaring the gala or whatever open they got a free lunch and a trip out and back on the footplate. I found the average "luvvie" rather tiresome - fullof themselves, their next film and name dropping (you could guarantee they would claim to be personal friends of "Larry" ie Sir Laurence Olivier.) Bernard Cribbins proved to be a notable exception. We chatted about the working of steam engines , and the flora and fauna seen during the trip (Bernard proved very knowledgeable on bird and plant recognition) Green Woodpecker, White Admiral and Mullein being three examples.. l didn't discover he was an angler until late in the day, which was a pity - l would think he would have been an excellent fishing mate.

It seems reasonable that fishery owners can make whatever rules they wish. and if you don't like them you just fish elsewhere. Came across a new ban the other day - "only natural baits allowed" Seems fair enough... But wait, what is meant by a " natural bait" Worms ?, maggots ?, caddis grubs ? You and I may think so - but we would be wrong. A list of "NATURAL BAITS" was displayed in a shed labelled "Bailiff's Office" Wait for it.......... Bread, Dog biscuits, Hot dog Sausages, Sweetcorn and Cheese. ......and they offer "fishing lessons"...................

Scotland play Ukraine next week in a World Cup play-off match. Virtually the whole of Europe will be without doubt supporting a country that has suffered so much torment and heartache at the hands of an immoral leader and will be hoping for a decent win that would bring a much-needed lift to a desperate population. On the other hand, I'm sure there will be a few who'd prefer a Ukraine victory....

I don't think of him as a troll. I think of him as a SO938773

Morning Ian, there are some cracking gudgeon at Warford; they even put a bend in the rod!!!

The Prime Minister has announced that due to the Indian covid variant people will be offered the Pun jab. People must take the Indian variant seriously. My neighbour caught it and has been in a korma for a week and he'd only just buried his naan.

An Australian Army Recruit sends home a letter to the family. Dear Mum & Dad, I am well, hope youse are too? Tell me big brothers Doug and Phil that the Army is better than workin’ on the farm - tell them to get in quick smart before the jobs are all gone! I wuz a bit slow in settling down at first, because ya don’t hafta get outta bed until 6am. But I like sleeping in now, cuz all ya gotta do before brekky is make ya bed and shine ya boots and clean ya uniform. No cows to milk, no calves to feed, no feed to stack - nothin’!! Ya haz gotta shower though, but its not so bad, coz there’s lotsa hot water and even a light to see what ya doing! At brekky ya get cereal, fruit and eggs but there’s no kangaroo steaks or possum stew like wot Mum makes. You don’t get fed again until noon and by that time all the city boys are dead because we’ve been on a ’route march’ - geez its only just like walking to the windmill in the back paddock!! This one will kill me brothers Doug and Phil with laughter. I keep getting medals for shootin’ - dunno why. The bullseye is as big as a possum’s bum and it don’t move and it’s not firing back at ya like the Johnsons did when our big scrubber bull got into their prize cows before the Ekka last year! All ya gotta do is make yourself comfortable and hit the target! You don’t even load your own cartridges, they comes in little boxes, and ya don’t have to steady yourself against the rollbar of the roo shooting truck when you reload! Sometimes ya gotta wrestle with the city boys and I gotta be real careful coz they break easy - it’s not like fighting with Doug and Phil and Jack and Boori and Steve and Muzza all at once like we do at home after the muster. Turns out I’m not a bad boxer either and it looks like I’m the best the platoon’s got, and I’ve only been beaten by this one bloke from the Engineers - he’s 6 foot 5 and 15 stone and three pick handles across the shoulders and as ya know I’m only 5 foot 7 and eight stone wringin’ wet, but I fought him till the other blokes carried me off to the boozer. I can’t complain about the Army - tell the boys to get in quick before word gets around how good it is. Your loving daughter, Sheila.

Except in a river or stream Regarding the information about the wind i have come to realise Millenials dont have a sense of consequence, you see them on youtube falling foul of obvious pitfalls any 'normal' adult will predict so everything has to be explained and most likely every time it's published because when you live on a phone there is no need to remember anything, its a wonder some remember to breathe !

16/08 a couple of weeks ago obliterating my PB caught 3 Chub. And this one on the same boilie lol

all, When one door closes and another door opens, you are probably in prison. * * * * * * * * * * * * To me, "drink responsibly" means don't spill it. * * * * * * * * * * * * Age 60 might be the new 40, but 9:00 pm is the new midnight. * * * * * * * * * * * * When I say, "The other day," I could be referring to any time between yesterday and 15 years ago. * * * * * * * * * * * * I remember being able to get up without making sound effects. * * * * * * * * * * * * I had my patience tested. I'm negative. * * * * * * * * * * * * Remember, if you lose a sock in the dryer, it comes back as a Tupperware lid that doesn't fit any of your containers. * * * * * * * * * * * * If you're sitting in public and a stranger takes the seat next to you, just stare straight ahead and say, "Did you bring the money?" * * * * * * * * * * * * When you ask me what I am doing today, and I say "nothing," it does not mean I am free. It means I am doing nothing. * * * * * * * * * * * * I finally got eight hours of sleep. It took me three days, but whatever. * * * * * * * * * * * * I run like the winded. * * * * * * * * * * * * I hate when a couple argues in public, and I missed the beginning and don't know whose side I'm on. * * * * * * * * * * * * When someone asks what I did over the weekend, I squint and ask, "Why, what did you hear?" * * * * * * * * * * * * When you do squats, are your knees supposed to sound like a goat chewing on an aluminum can stuffed with celery? * * * * * * * * * * * * I don't mean to interrupt people. I just randomly remember things and get really excited. * * * * * * * * * * * * When I ask for directions, please don't use words like "east." * * * * * * * * * * * * Don't bother walking a mile in my shoes. That would be boring. Spend 30 seconds in my head. That'll freak you right out. * * * * * * * * * * * * My luck is like a bald guy who just won a comb. Phone pinched from FB

Well folks, we arrived at the venue - Kippax Park Lakes about 8:15 Wed' Morning for my first session since last September & Trevor's first a couple of years!! Not the best of starts, as when untangling the 3 made up rods I took, hadn't noticed I'd knocked the landing net (Handle & all) into the swim so had to borrow one from the office at least until a lovely old fella, Lawrence came round later & dragged mine out with a grappling hook - He's part of the furniture there & has never failed (he says) to get "Gone In" pole sections etc. Incidentally he always brings with him the only Labrador who can't swim!!! (Think it's a Golden Retriever & actually his Son's dog but spends more time with Lawrence) Pee'd it down nearly all day with only an hour or so's break near the end. Didn't get a bite till after 1 o'clock. & fished down the edge for the whole sesh starting with Method feeder without a touch. Changed to the Pin after a couple of hours or so with the Krill meat then at about 1:15 the float disappeared & was duly smashed on the strike on 8 Lb line & hook length. Ten minutes later smashed up again on the strike which this time took one of my Beloved black top Porkies & all. I could see the float laying flat on the surface so went down the swim to net it - By which time it has disappeared - presumably the fish still attached?? I batted in the bare line & broke out the other made up 13 foot rod & another Pin. About 4 o'clock the float went under again, this time on a prawn & it it was a Monster (For Me anyway) & thought it was never giving up Anyway after about ten minutes it did. So, only one fish to show for the day but well worth it - A PB for me, maybe around 15 Lb?? I guess. (My last PB was 12 LB & Weighed & this one looked a lot Bigger.)

I thoroughly love using a centrepin for trotting on the small streams and rivers that I fish, but not in all swims; some of the swims are too full of streamer weed and cabbages to allow me to trot very far. Plus the smaller streams that I fish have a lot of bends and overhanging branches which can make trotting a float a very precarious pastime in some cases. But the centrepin when in the hands of someone who really enjoys using it and who knows how to get the best out of using one is a tool that a lot of people just ignore; to their detriment in my view; however everyone is different and there’s nothing wrong in that at all, each to their own. I also enjoy using a centrepin when I’m fishing the lift method after Tench not only because I like the feel of a fighting Tench on my pin but also because the pin comes into its own and out performs one of my fixed spool reels when I’m delicately tightening up to a float which is setup to fish the lift bite. I much prefer to use a fixed spool reel when I’m fishing the link leger on my streams and rivers in tight swims and once the light starts to fade and at night. I also use my fixed spool reels on stillwaters (except when after Tench using the lift method) and the only time I ever use my closed face reel is if I’m float fishing at fairly close ranges on very gusty days. I used to regularly use my Mitchell Match when I used to do a lot of Match fishing and I felt the dab bailarm was a treat to use and allowed me to cast a lot faster and easier when I needed to get my float out again fast.. So it’s horses for courses for me, we all have our different likes and dislikes and different views, wouldn’t it be boring if everyone always thought the same. As for floats; Perhaps if one spent a couple of days with a master like Ivan Marks or Billy lane or Keith Speer you would learn to appreciate the different types of floats out there and could take advantage of using different types of waggler or top and bottom floats, both types of which I would be totally lost without. But then again if you are happy with just using the same type float all of the time on both still and moving water then there’s nothing wrong in that either even though that’s not my ideal.? Keith

I managed to get out when the virus first broke, bought 1,500 rolls of bog paper and 150 bottles of hand sanitiser, thought I would be ok but my sister is coming to stay as she lives in a post office with her daughter’s family and it’s not a good environment for protecting her from infection, so I went out today to get some more bog roll and the shelves are empty, bloody idiot hoarders and panic buyers.

Thanks for trying to explain my position Phone, but you've got somethings the wrong way round. It's not so much the 'culture' of the carp anglers in general, I have a few acquaintances, that are carp mad, and we still talk amicably it's a mixture of things. It's not the fault of a virus that it inflicts itself on other people, but we still want to try and control, or eradicate it. We can't eradicate the people who catch and spread the virus, only try and get them to accept more hygienic, and common sense methods to help reduce the impact of that virus. Carp are the virus, anglers are part of the group that wilfully spread it. I've tried over the years to explain my feelings to this group, as well as, clubs, 'fishery' owners, river authorities, and the environment agencies, but while many say they see my point, I'm afraid they are only too willing to accept that angling is now becoming an artificial pastime, worshiping money and the ego, but without, for want of a better word, 'soul'. The creation of overstocked artificial, predominately single species waters, for one. I would feel the same whatever the species, even my favourite roach or tench, it just happens to be carp that are singled out, because they are easy to breed, grow large, and are virtually indestructible in comparison with many other species. I cannot understand, or accept, the appeal of waters that have no natural balance. Throughout my angling life, I have seen waters change, and the predominant species change within them. Sometimes it's been because of changes in the effects of the weather. Long dry summers like the mid 70s, saw an explosion of fry, and very good, (for the time), match weights in the autumn/winter, and the following year. This was then followed by an increase in most predatory species, pike, perch, chub, and even catching roach and bream on small live/dead baits. The waters then over time attained a new, 'natural balance', not always exactly the same as before. Eventually the whole thing levelled out, until the next change in conditions. Sometimes it was a manmade incident that altered that balance, such as pollution. Then, my view was that the water should be left until it could support aquatic life, and then, only then, should there be a restocking programme, just enough to 'kick start' the natural cycle. This last point was dismissed by those who wanted large stocking programmes, to produce instant results, which brings me to my next point. I don't usually refer to these waters as 'commercials', because we have always had waters where we had buy a permit to allow access to fish. The main difference is that where it was once done to create 'pin money', to bolster the family income, sometimes with the added inclusion of a bacon sandwich and a cuppa on arrival. Now it's an out and out business concern, a part of the angling 'industry'. Where once anglers paid the money to allow access to the water, and then their success depended on their skill, luck, or lack off. Now anglers pay not only for the right to fish, but as part of the fee, expect a guaranteed catch, regardless of their ability, and actively complain on line if they don't receive the 'catching experience' they've paid for, just like buying any commodity. Almost instant results, regardless of any ability on behalf of the angler. I've never believed that fish exist purely for the catching pleasure of the angler, they are part of a great cycle of life that encompasses all our native wildlife, and I felt privileged to be able to share in, and be a part of it, if only for a while, before returning to my inner city life. I could go on and on, and as some on here will attest I often have, but will finish....for now, with one more point. While Cameraman and I agree on most things, I, (so far), have refused to patronise any overstocked commercial water since my early disappointing forays in the 90s. While I can understand his views on the safety, and convenience aspects of these waters, especially for the young, and, I guess, the older generations, I still can't understand why they have to be so overstocked. I see it as a dumbing down of the whole thing, and with many of the youngsters I've help over the years, I have found that the ones who have it too easy when they start, (double figure carp, and big bags of fish spring to mind), are the ones less likely to stay with angling. Those who start 'small' and feel the need to 'grow' and expand their angling experiences over time, are the ones that I've seen continue over the years. In fact many of the youngsters I helped 20, 30 years ago, are still at it. It's a standing joke within my family that I have often been stopped by someone, who I don't recognise, but obviously recognises me, (I guess I must have looked pretty old 30 years ago). They then start to tell whoever is with me, the story of how I helped them when they were kids. It's a nice, if somewhat embarrassing situation to be in, but it makes me feel pretty good inside. John.