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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!

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.

I saw some absolutely disgusting behaviour on the way through town today. There was a man and a woman having an almighty argument in front of a load of kids. Suddenly the woman just lost it, she was hysterical and smacked the guy straight in the head. It all kicked off then and there was a massive brawl. Someone must have called the police because this poor policeman turned up on his own. He was trying to stop the fight by hitting the man with his baton but the guy took the baton and was hammering the Policeman and the woman with it. Then out of the blue a crocodile appeared and stole all the sausages!

They were good "in the day" but compared to most intrepids they were far superior . I have a boxful of Mitchells not worth selling on but dont collect them as such ,some are highly sought after but more to put on a shelf than a bank. I dont rate them today enough to use them but i do use abu closed face reels most trips from the same era they fulfil the need i use them for as most know on here i stupidly becan collecting intrepids this is about 2/3rds of my collection i cannot go back far enough to get them in all in the fram

You're right Ant, 20 years young! I was one of the first to join, on February 19th, and almost immediately became a moderator. Technically I was 'involved' with AN before it even started. At the time Elton, myself, and many others were on the rec.fishing.coarse.uk chat group (ethernet?) where I'd be replying to requests on where to fish. Then Elton contacted me to ask if I'd like to manage the fisheries database on a website he's hoping to make. I agreed, and the rest is history.

Don’t be daft, he doesn’t subscribe or actually read the body of the text, he just grabs and links to the headline that, very often contradicts With the point he is attempting to make.

I had the last hour of daylight on the river today and it was more than enough! Ok, it was only 6 degrees but the wind made it feel much colder and it made my hands and especially my fingers ache like hell. Anyhow, the hours trotting/torture produced quite a few small chub and I lost one that felt quite decent to a hook pull.

Thinking about it - must have been another forum I was on (which I no longer use) alongside A.N.

A while ago I was seriously considering investing in Gozzer’s fan cleaning and refurbishment business, after all there was an abundance of warnings and it seemed a worthwhile investment with the possibility of a high return. As the frequency of the predictions became more and more diverse and yet never happened I looked for another way. I came up with my own idea. Grow a huge crop of sour grapes, this would benefit the environment by removing some pollutants from the area and give some financial reward. Imagine my surprise on learning that lots of people, including some on this forum, already have an abundance of sour grapes that they are peddling! Oh well, better buy some cleaning gear and see if I can still get a franchise from Gozzer.

text set out below is from someone who I voted for to be sacked. Guess who cod. yes it came from a daily rag this morning. It is more truthful than your misery you are peddling. As a test to see if you actually read text you don't want to comprehend, I wonder if you will claim that 17.4 million where either duped or they are the far right. One other detail that is a fact, 4 million plus labour voters also voted to leave, Corbyn and co blatantly ignored their wishes. Weren't the newspapers fault. A lot of MPs had tried to make the Election about stopping Brexit: Jo Swinson, Phillip Lee, Chuka Umunna, Anna Soubry, Dominic Grieve, Sarah Wollaston, Chris Leslie, Sam Gyimah. All of them ended up losing their seats. We meant what we said in 2016. Three years of being told that we hadn’t understood what we voted for didn’t wear us down. It just annoyed us. Plenty of people who voted Remain in 2016 were exasperated by the dishonesty of those MPs who, having promised to respect the result, did everything in their power to frustrate it. This week it was the country’s turn to speak. Britain is a democracy. That doesn’t just mean that we hold votes from time to time: Russia, China and Venezuela do that. It means we expect our votes to count. We expect MPs to act as our servants, not our rulers. We expect our decisions to be honoured. Our bloody-mindedness obviously caused a degree of surprise in pro-Brussels circles. Other countries that have voted against European integration have been ignored or made to back down. Not Britain. When we say something, we mean it. Sticking to our referendum result is not the only thing that makes us unusual. Unlike many European countries, we have never had a Marxist party in office. Nor, in modern times, have we ever allowed an anti-Semitic party anywhere near power. Those two honourable records are still intact. Above all, Thursday’s election was a vote for moderation. Although his detractors make him out to be some sort of extremist, Boris Johnson is a main stream politician. Yes, he is unusually clever and gifted. Yes, he has a rich and eccentric speaking style. But his politics are pretty moderate — he is a one-nation Tory who, as a backbencher, backed Ken Clarke for the party leadership. He has always stood for liberal and humane conservatism. The only way you can label Boris “far Right” is if you also apply that label to 17.4million Leave voters. ‘Voters treated as thick’ Plainly, the electorate doesn’t see Brexit as extreme. There is nothing wrong with wanting to live in an independent country that makes its own laws, just as Canada, Switzerland or Singapore do.

Oh FFS!

BC, You know you can still look at the posts in the closed thread, as well as this one. I have a suggestion. Just select a "post from the past" and then all you will have to do is type #314 or whatever is nearly identical to what you were going to post this time. As for me have a #216 Phone

I'll comment. Unless you've been in a position of responsibility to take or save life and have been trained as such, briefed as such, are acting as such and have a split second to make a life changing decision, (for both parties) I don't think anyone is qualified or has the right to make statements or judge without having 100% of the facts in front if them. Mistakes have always been made, will always be made, but as long as the person responsible is acting in the interests of the brief given and within the law they should be confident before setting out that they have the full backing of the law and the brief provided even if they get it wrong. Better to be tried by 10 then carried by 6. They put their life on the line for us. Right or wrong every day, maybe less than a quarter second to decide, yet armchair heroes, keyboard warriors, tree huggers, do gooders and associated buffoons have a lifetime to rip them to shreds. More than a little unfair I think.

I buy red crumb by the sack £27 for 20kg off Ebay I also buy hemp at the same time, £26 for 15kg. Cook my own hemp with additives, freeze it down or use fresh. With the crumb, I add my own additives as I see fit to where I'm fishing, sometimes I'll buy a bag of the expensive stuff, often a meaty red and use some of it to some crumb. I often buy the groundbait that's in the remainders or cheap bin to mix in. Occasionally I'll grate a tin of meat into it or blitz hemp to a rough powder. Just experiment with whatever is available. I tend to mix it with the water from the cooked hemp. Oh and unless hemp is banned I always add hemp and corn. It normally lasts me 2 or 3 seasons, just depends on how much I get out and need groundbait. Normally I use it through the feeder only. One of my favourite additives at the moment is a suet bird food pellet from the pound type shops, 89p for about 1.5kg I think. Very soft and can be rubbed between your hands to produce a rough powder, mixed with g'bait it helps bind for a method type mix or just through the feeder. Used loose as a feed, the pellets are about maggot size. On the hook, banded, single or double it's a killer bait. They come in red and an off white. 1 bag lasts 2 to 3 sessions maybe more. You do get the odd pellet that floats but the vast majority sink. Oh, one last thing, if I'm really struggling for bites I sometimes squirt some strawberry ice cream topping stuff on the loaded feeder and bait.

Oh look, a post by clod I can agree with.

And now it ends.....

Why does a brown cow make white milk,when it only eats green grass?

Chesters post about his unplanned bath in his local stream got me thinking about similar things I've witnessed in my angling years. I haven't actually fallen in, yet, (he said hastily touching the nearest piece of wood), a few near misses, but not an actual 'fall in'. I remember once fishing a favourite stretch of the R Ure, and one foot slipping into the river. I managed to throw myself forward and grab both a bank stick and my box. I hung on with one leg in the water nearly to the top of my waders, (I wore waders because we had to walk through long dew soaked grass to get to the river), and my other leg more or less at a right angle along the bank. I hung there for what seemed an age, trying to get a foothold with my immersed foot, but not being able to find anything to get any purchase on. I then realised that the bank was undercut, and could possibly collapse at any time. My shouts for help to my mates went unheeded as I tried to pull myself back onto the bank. Fortunately, it was many years ago, and I was younger, stronger, and considerably lighter, than today, and slowly managed to pull myself in a position where I could roll onto the bank. As I laid there shaking slightly, and feeling exhausted, I remembered the undercut bank beneath me, and gingerly moved myself and my tackle out of harms way. I came back later that day to lay-on next to the undercut, which was about 10ft deep, (fishing from a safe distance upstream), and caught some decent perch. I caught well from it on each visit that season, but the next season, following the winter floods, I found the whole lot had collapsed into the river. A session on the R Wharfe at Boston Spa, saw my mate have an amusing, if nearly fatal 'fall in'. We were fishing a swim that could be tackled in two ways. There was a slack behind a bush, that I was fishing from the bank, and as it was fairly shallow above the bush, (knee deep), my mate waded out , and trotted down the edge of the slack. We had shared the same swims so often, and knew each other so well, that we rarely had trouble, and often had our floats inches apart trotting down a swim. We were both catching steadily, when I heard a shout, a splash, and saw his float being jerked back upstream. I stood up and couldn't see him over the top of the bush, so walked round to have a look. As I rounded the bush I saw something like a scene from Arthurian legends. There was an arm sticking out of the water, holding a rod and reel aloft! I dashed into the water and grabbed the arm and pulled my mate up, and dragged him to the shallower water. He had been stupid enough to wade out without using a stick to test the river bed, thinking that because we both had fished the swim many times before, he 'knew' it well enough. The gravel bed had been moved by the current, and there was a sudden drop off he hadn't seen, and slid down, causing him to fall length ways into over three foot of water. When we'd got him on the bank, lit a fire, hung most of his clothes over a tree branch, let him dry himself on a collection of groundbait cloths/towels, and dressed him in bits of spare clothing we had, including maggot bags for socks, and a large waterproof mac', he grinned and said 'at least I kept my new reel dry'. John.

I'm with Phone on this. If you haven't fallen in yet, you're not trying hard enough!

River Frome - Wool 0800 - 1400 Dull, overcast and cool - AT around 6ºC all day with a breeze picking up. River VERY full, barely within its banks and that only recently given the state of the field. 1.30m at the East Stoke river gauge - much higher than I'd usually fish it - BUT after a dry week it was reasonably clear. 10 Grayling - only 4 needed the net - biggest 1lb 11oz but that was the only really 'decent' one. 1 Sea Trout (1¼lb and still with sea lice on it), 1 brownie - small. Bit of a gamble - but the river levels have been so high on the Frome since the start of the season (1st Nov) it looked like my DDAS ticket was going to go to waste - and with more rain forecast this week - it was a case of now or never! The venue is never prolific so it was nice to get a few, and would often get a fish first trot when I moved swims. Frustratingly I lost nearly as many as I landed including a large fish which I had on for sometime before the hook pulled (again!) - hope it was just a troot! Resting and returning to swims was the order of the day - all fish coming from just 3 spots (and one of those only produced one fish!) One of yesterday's 'hotspots'.

China is better

From today’s Hansard: Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans) I have to notify the House, in accordance with the Royal Assent Act 1967, that Her Majesty has signified her assent to the following Act: European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020.

Just don’t get between him and a meat pie! Or be cruel to hamPsters.

Twas really an easy decision to let them go, I've all the reels I need to see me out. Nice to see them go to a good home & for them to be used again in anger. I can tell from meeting him, Andy will look after them for me. Especially the 300 with all the paint chips Andy - that one was my late Dad's , the best thing is the knowledge it'll be used again. That, for me will celebrate his life just right!! Enjoy with my pleasure Bud'. Fixed Spools were at first called "Casting Reels".

I was once fishing a river in the depths of winter where the ground was frozen. I had gone across to fish a stream that flowed into the river, that was high due to the tide backing up the water. The top layer of the ground had defrosted and I slipped. Falling down the banking, hitting the water and sliding all the way up to my nipples into icy water! The awkward part was trying to climb back out up the slippy banking, rod and reel in hand. Believe it or not, somehow my rod and reel weren't wet apart from the bottom third of the cork. I, however, was shivering like a nervous fruit jelly. Once back at the car i stripped off and drove off naked and drove home bolloc'o. Another time, I was stood in the middle of a large river in the process of playing a barbel. I stepped back and sunk like a stone. I must have resembled the Statue of Liberty as I although submerged I kept my rod held up. I reckon that hole was so deep that when my feet hit the bottom there was several inches of water over my head. I was only submerged for a brief moment, as the instant my feet found bottom I pushed myself back up. I swallowed a mouthful of water, but I also l also managed to keep the barbel on my line:). Luckily for me, that it was high summer and the water felt like hot bathwater. Back on the bank I landed the fish, released it, before once more stripping off and laying out my clothes on the bank to dry. I can clearly remember lying down on the bank and lifting up my legs allowing all the water to drain from my waders. I tried wading out in my stocking feet but the stones hurt my feet so I had to put my squelchy waders back on. I recieved several odd looks from people who saw me fishing dressed in just waders and underkecks and then, even more when, I started checking peoples membership cards, lol.

Phone, the float is only 3 gram and I shot it simply byusing four or 5bb's. I have one dropper shot about 6 to 8 inches up from the hook and bulk the rest about 12 or so inches above the dropper. I can vary the shot as the session goes on by sliding them up and down the line. I rarely ever faff about with fiddly set ups and for the most of my trotting I simply fish 6lb mono straight through to the hook. The majority of anglers would say I fish way to heavy, some call it crude. At the end of the day (crude or not) it works alreet for me . Obviously there are situations where I do scale right down if the fish i'm targetting pay more attention to anything out of the ordinary/suspicious but i rarely fish for those kind'a species.

Its not my first bath the most dangerous was wearing waders and after slipping off the bank at the military canal i realised as the waders were full of water i couldnt climb out.strenght didnt help even undoing the staps didnt in the end i had to float at 90 degrees to the bank and lift one leg out of the water and drain the water then hook that foot on the bank and do the same with the other !not easy as both legs came out the water your head went down so you had to hang on for dear life! Another time i stupidly tried to walk across a frozen lake (ice was thick enough to jump on) about 3 quarters of the way across i guess the pond was warmer i suddenly went through i litterally had to break through 20ft of ice to get to the bank to get out and it was a long cold walk after wringing out my clothes ,i dont know how i made it home it was a few miles from beachborough pond in folkestone to hawkinge and all up hill! Ofcourse i had ignored my parents telling me the lake would be frozen but as my moniker says i dont believe anyone lol Water and me have a strange attraction i have fell in that canal on two more occasions ,the medway once and both frenshams My mrs though did the most spectacular dunk ,she leant forward to push her bankstick into the bottom of the pond and it obviously wasnt tighted enough (one of those 2ft ones with an inner bit 18" long that was tightened with a crew)it went down and she followed into the water i laughed a chap in the next swim watching laughed she mumbled! Good on her though she dried her bits and carried on fishing luckily it was a ery hot day unlike mine! When i was a bailff i was doing my rounds and i asked an angler for his permit his seat was obviously to close to the the edge of the swim and as he stood up he turned round to open his bag on the back of it and he fell forward (towards me on the bank behind him)the chair folded up and acted as a slide one end propped up on the box behind it and the other resting on the telegraph pole wd used to make the front of the swims and he slid into the water i grabbed his hand and pulled him out but he was a old guy so i helped him pack up and carried his stuff to the car at least he could warm up driving home Next time i shouted across and asked if he had his swimsuite on and that carried on for a couple of years until he stopped coming (generally to frail to come or dead most were retired blokes fishing for tench)

Hi Ian - Maybe we could have a whip round for new float lol. Keep the Pic's coming bud' they're very welcome for us fair weather Anglers.

Hardly worth posting this as it's just regurgitating more of the same of my latest posts but heres a pic of a couple of the chub anyhow...

Silly that was me ,we have to even stage that aswell!

New years day and I had to go and try for some chub....mission accomplished.... Forgot to mention i got my first fish of 2020 on my very first trot :).

Clod accepts that 100% of migrants in the Channel ‘belongs’ to the U.K. but that 85% of the fish ‘belongs’ to France and he is happy with that.

ALL Hoarfrost on my back chain link fence. (circa 1975 - 78?) My favorite Phone

As requested, at the end of January when we leave the EU, I'll close this thread.

Surely theres no conger in whitby at all! According to you those devils called scallopers have turned every reef and wreck into fine sand overnight

Bastard Tories, Bastard Westminster, Bastard English selling out the Scots Fishermen to Brussels, they should all vote to leave the U.K. in indyref 2, 3, 4, 5, 6... Then the SNP can join the EU and hand over control of fisheries to Brussels. Is there a flaw in this cunning plan? What’s the phrase? Oh I remember now “You couldn’t make it up!”

I broke a rod last year on holiday early season and as I think nothing of doing my own repairs and if I'd been at home would have fixed it overnight. I called into the local tackle shop to get the bits I needed only to be told I was wasting my time no one stocks bits now. My local guy does. I was shown new rods, superior to mine and told that they are "disposable". Reasonable quality feeder rods from a tenner upwards. Wanting to feeder fish I decided on a new Drennan rod not the cheaper disposable ones and the guy threw in a new NGT baitrunner and 100m of 6lb Chinese line. All for under £70. The line was given to a chap on the bankside later as I buy bulk spools of quality stuff and keep it in my caravan when we go away. Returning home I talked to my local guy and stocked up on whipping thread, dope, varnish and a bulk box of tip rings. He'll have to order intermediate rings in bulk so I said not to bother. The cost......you don't want to know, cheaper to buy a new rod! We're definitely in a disposable society. Last time out I picked up a 10ft telescopic landing net handle, the reason it was propping up the bin, the tip was missing. I simply glued a piece from the head of a broken bank stick in its place. Now its sitting on my garage shelf waiting for son to collect it.

Cameraman, be sure to contact the seller re the Mitchell's you're bidding for!! The later ones are made in China & no where near the quality of the old French versions!! I've a few older French ones I don't use anymore + some spare spools (they all interchange with 300 & 410 Match) A drive over from Sheffield & you can have them all for Now't if you don't win!! (The reels & spools that is) PM me if Interested? (have a look on page one for around what I think I have?) Martin.

In 2016 we voted to leave the EU: up to now, those who disagreed with that have done everything they can think of to prevent it from happening. Boris won because he was the leader of the only credible party who said he would honour the democratic decision of 2016 and take us out of the EU. I didn't vote for anyone, I spoiled my paper because I won't vote Conservative and the other three candidates were rabid remainers. If you want hatred and poison, look back through your own posts.

Great pic Keith :). I thought the abu blew the mitchells out the water. i've seen those huge mitchell sea reels Martin, as you say they do look like a 300 on steroids lol. I think most people who had a black prince (as I did) progressed to the mitchells.....I should have stuck to me black prince lol.

The BIG question is, did the Conservatives actually win? Lets see, hmmmm, what have we all been informed in the past. If you add the entire population together including babies, dogs, cats and goldfish more people did not vote Conservative. Since yesterday somebody has had their 18th birthday today but couldn’t vote yesterday. Somewhere in the Country a Conservative voter has died this morning so the vote doesn’t count. It was an advisory election not a real one so doesn’t count. Lots of people didn’t understand the question on the ballot paper. Only racists, bigots and thick people voted blue. It wasn’t clearly explained that if you voted Conservative then the Conservatives would form the government. Lots of people have changed their minds. Not quite such a decisive result then is it?

Real anglers catch fish that have been caught before

Hi Phone The only rods of 7ft or less that I have ever owned (and still do) are a couple of very light spinning rods plus a light dropshotting rod; but I would find it almost impossible to use any of these rods to trot a light float straight along a glide or gully 15ft or more away from my bank and downstream in a straight line, let alone striking cleanly through a float as it journeyed downstream with the line lying on the surface behind it. I have several different length and different strength float rods which I use when trotting for various fish species; 11ft, 12ft, 13ft, 14ft 6in, 15ft and for the very occasional time when I need to trot very tight along the far bank below the rod tip for big roach on a local stream or I’m float fishing in a deepish swim; an older 17ft/20ft float rod, but unless I were trotting in an exceptionally narrow and/or exceptionally overgrown brook I wouldn’t even consider using anything shorter than my 11ft rod when I’m trotting; and a 7 footer would definately not be my choice if I’m trotting. The rod length that I find the most useful on my local stream when I’m trotting is 13ft. That 15ft 6in Sphere rod that Ian used looks just the ticket. Keith

Hello Kieth, I noticed it was rain forecast for the rest of the week so the rivers will be even higher, ok for legering but no good for trotting so I spied my chance and got out yesterday. It's thrashing down right now! The rod is the longer version of the 13 ft 6 inch sphere spliced tip rod I got a couple of months back, this one is the 15 ft 6 inches spliced model and it's the longest rod i've ever had. It was nice to use and i'm looking forward to giving it a propper test in the warmer months. The extra length did make mending the line and keeping the float in the right lane easier....not as much stretching etc.

I had a couple of hours using a quivertip today, just a change from trotting for once. To be honest me shoulders and neck are wreckin so that was the real reason for the change. I only fished for a couple of hours up to dusk and had about 14 or 15 chub, no big fish with them all being very much the same as the one in the pic. They were very sneaky and I had to hold the rod in my hand and actually strike to hook them! I reckon I would have had a hell of a lot of them if I had used the float.

That's good to hear John, thanks. As I'm getting older I've thought about some of the regular members from when I joined nearly 14 yrs ago, and how they are now. Names like Poldark, Ferret, DavyR, Budgie, Snatcher, Nurse Judy, Worms, Kleinboet, Chris Goddard etc. There are too many to mention, but it would be nice to hear how they are if anyone is still in touch with them. It's sad that so many have left the forum, it used to be such a lively place, if a bit argumentative, at times. John.

No ones mentioned it's still possible to use a spade end and a hair rig, I do. From about a 16 up. I also often tie an eyed hook with spade knot after passing the line through the eye. Depends what hooks are available and what I'm doing at the time. I also have way too many hooks. Put that in the other forum to add to the fun. (I don't use any other forum for my fishing but here) I use an old matchman hook tyer in plastic but have just ordered, well about two months ago, one made in gold coloured metal from wish. (Just in case I drop it and can't see it, i tell myself) I still use a 50 year centrepin for Carp fishing as well as trotting, but wouldn't even consider using a 50 year old cane rod. It's what works for you on the day.

Let 'em get on with it Ian, the guys on this forum can tie spade end hooks - End of!!

Newt is certainly still in the land of the living, but apparently he's decided to off on his own for a while.