ChrisBishop

There's considerable evidence that all culls do is lead to an explosion in numbers of smaller pike. There's quite a lot of info here and here and here. The campaign against culling is being stepped up on a number of fronts, if you're interested subscribe to the PAC Blog here and get an e-mail every time it's updated.

I'm off for a couple of weeks' fishing but have offered to help Bob and Brenda promote the club, I've PM'd you my numbers - give me a call.

Hi Chris, everything is just fine, phone and ISP problems. Will phone Trev although I did speak to the round fella a week or so back. Trust that you are also well. Glad to hear it Pete. Haven't bumped into the big fella for a while, Gerry Castles' funeral was the last time. I'm fine thanks - just getting ready to start fishing again.

Peter Waller... Could you phone Trev Salmon - he was getting a bit worried a few weeks back because he couldn't get hold of you. Hope all's well, CB

I wouldn't bother with a stop knot, just use a couple of rubber rig stops - moisten them before you slide them to avoid damaging the line. Stick a bead on afterwards, then your float. Pencil floats are best for stillwaters as long as it's not too rough. Avoid the loaded ones. Attach it bottom-end-only, set it a foot or two overdepth and stick three or four swan shot on the trace about 18" from the bait. When you sling it out, the float will lie flat on the water. Tighten the line carefully and it will cock. This is very sensitive, it will usually keel over when a fish picks your bait up, then bob and go under as it moves off. On rivers you need a through-the-middle float, use a sliding bomb for weight, say a couple of ounces and again set it slightly over-depth. It's easier fished upstream, as the flow will tighten the float up. There's more information on rigs and other aspects of pike fishing here: www.pacgb.com look in the fishing tips bit down the left hand side.

Try this link.. Fens fishing column

You're nowhere near the Broads up there, it's right on the North Coast and there's a dearth of coarse fishing. Good samphire picking but limited sea fishing as it's mostly salt marsh. Come inland a bit and there are a few day ticket fisheries, the nearest is Springfields Lake off the A149 Snettisham Bypass, it's controlled by the tackle shop opp the police station in Hunstanton, which is about 20mins' drive from Deepdale.

More info/ story archive here

Link to story

I've got several spools of line, braid etc with a few yards left on I was going to junk if anyone wants them for tests. I think the tucked thing is because you twist the line both ways to tie a grinner (?) if that makes any sense. I use uni knots and never have a problem, though I do fish a bit on the heavy side.

I lobbed a few suggestions in (see above...) mostly within a few miles.

Favourite lures are Shad Raps, Jtd Rapalas, mag grubs, Curlies, copper spoons. My son has a battled-scarred Big S permanently on his rod and frequently out-catches me with it. Deads-wise mackerel, sardine, trout and lamprey, usually 8 - 10".

Long range carp rods tend to be fast-actioned. Pike rods are more progressive for a similar test curve. The rods I use a lot of the time are 3.25lbs test curve and will cope with chucking big baits about but being fairly slow taper, they don't rip the hooks out of the bait on the cast like fast-actioned rods to.

You'll cast baits off using rods which are too tippy, so pike rods tend to have more progressive actions.

BBC News 24 today reports on pike anglers' concerns over a mystery tagger festooning fish with cable ties on their local canal. BBC story Original PAC News report

John I've sent you a PM with the secretary's phone number.

This is how we've responded to a couple of the papers which have contacted us about it today: "We're shocked and appalled that people calling themselves pike anglers can behave like this in the 21st Century - let alone show off how ignorant they are by filming it and posting it on the internet. > "Our message to them is you're letting the whole of angling down with your behaviour."

Shame we didn't get the chance to say hello. Several people were talking about having a get-together to remember Gerry today, expect Vidar or Barry will post details when something's firmed up.

I think we drove past you in the navy blue Galaxy as you were walking up the hill to the chapel. The service was short and simple, the truth was most of us knew very little about Gerry and his life away from fishing, even those who lived a lot closer and saw a lot more of him like Vidar and Fay, Trev and Josie, Barry and Linda, Harold etc. He certainly was a unique character, he was also a very private sort of guy and some of us have found out a lot more about him in the few short weeks since he died than we ever got to know from our occasional bankside meetings over the years. Both Trevor Salmon and Minister Joan Drury highlighted friendships forged through fishing. The way people have rallied round to support his dad and help him sort out all the dreadful things which need to be done at a time like this really proves the point.

Today was a sad day, only made better by seeing the incredible way a few of Gerry's fishing friends have pulled round to support Jeremiah, his dad. Your kindness made me feel very humble today. Gerry's funeral

In view of some of the fish killing antics going on up there the people who fish the river for them would probably rather their stretches weren't posted up on the net. Anyone see the Matt Hayes piece in Angling Times a few weeks back..? Publicise waters and you risk this kind of thing happening.

When we going pike fishing Bob. Guarantee we'll get on better debating the issues with a few baits out and the stove on mate.

The story was in one or two newspapers this March, suggesting it had just happened. But there was no proof of these elusive un-marked vaccuum-packed bags of frozen baits, no-one bought one or took a picture of it. So how can you believe it..? It's always un-named shops selling these things, no-one who complains about it ever seems able to make the very simple step of going out and buying one to stand the story up. Angling Direct seemed to have a different view at the time, they were quoted as saying their baits came from legitimate sources. When you look at what other shops quoted in stories said, they said their customers were upset about the story, which is different to being offered unmarked vaccuum packs of bait. More than happy to adjourn this to the riverbank for a pike fishing trip, come up here for the day, I'll pop down your way or meet in the middle. I'll give you a ring, take care CB

Ask the match secretary and the Chairman of Stalham angling club about the huge amount of fish scales covering the boardwalks inside the wetsheds three winters back, So just to clarify matters this was now three winters back - not this March. I'm not questioning your honesty Bob, it's just the story seems to change every other time it does the rounds. I think I explained this and I'm as happy to meet up for a chat as ever. I've no axe to grind with anyone but as people try to keep injecting new life into this story it would be good to get to the bottom of what did go on. You now say that the fish weren't netted, for example. Yet all the way along the line that's what people have maintained happened, accusing deadbait suppliers of being behind it. I haven't ignored what you told me, as I say the story just seems to take on a life of its own without anyone ever getting to the bottom of it. The best thing about it is it's enabled the PAC to build a stronger working relationship with some of the country's biggest bait suppliers, because they're as fed up with being smeared by association as pike anglers in Norfolk are.

For full wording of the bill as it stands (inc ammendment) click here.