bluerinse

The fly only thinking is really only prevalent in the UK, Bait and lure fishing for game fish is the norm in Scandinavia, also some methods not seen in the UK are used, for example Fly Spinning, they use a lead weight encased in plastic that leaves a bubble of air this has the effect of bouncing along the bottom with out holding bottom, a leader is fished of the weight with a fly attached, this is all fished on a rod and multiplier reel. The fly is bounced through heavy flow rivers and you can search quite well all swims, behind boulders etc..., very effective and totally acceptable. Lures and prawn fishing are also common for game fish. My only concession to fly fishing only would be southern chalk streams and rivers like the windrush in Oxfordshire. Using bait and a lure would be wrong, a lure or spinner in such rivers would be ridicules and you would catch every fish in the river very quickly. Big lakes, large rivers and spate rivers are fair game in my book (local rules being observed)

In my copy of "EARL OF LONSDALE AND ERIC PARKER Fine Angling For Coarse Fish (The Lonsdale Library Volume IV) 1930 first edition" on pag 124 it quite clearly shows a pearshaped pasteroster lead with a swivel. the rig is set up for live baiting for perch, this is to all intents is an arsley bomb. so 1930 is the earliest refrence I have in a book, but I am sure its much earlier.

Chester let me ask you one question; would you be prepared to back a UK Government that was involved in the ethnic cleansing of the UK population?

polaris floats are made by ultrafloats, coventry and are sold online on behalf of Untra floats by http://www.mullarkeys.co.uk/fishing/Coarse...laris-products/ They carry the full range of polaris. Top bit of kit by the way.

I have eaten most type’s pf course fish. I have no problem with taking one or two home to eat. I have not done so for about 6 years but might do at some time in the future. Having said that I was in Dorset last week and enjoyed some nice mackerel and Pollack that I caught. It is perhaps a question of wear you were raised I am a Warwickshire country boy and fish do get eaten around these parts. Always have always will. I guess if you live in the center of Birmingham you might not have the same local culture or habits, the fish out of gas street basin in Birmingham would not seem quite so Appling!! I know guys who regularly take a pike, perch or Zander for the pot, they are very good fishermen with the utmost respect for there rivers and fish welfare. It’s a question of balance. For each fish removed another fish will benefit and if you take a predator the silver fish etc also benefit to a small degree. (only in the fact that there will be some silver fish that do not get eaten by said dispacted preditor, I am not saying remove preditors for the sake of other fish, I am not a match angler) The natural predators of fish in the UK are far less than say in Sweden, were mans impact on the environment is minimal. Wolvine, bear, otter and the hunting birds all take pike, perch, Zander (and all other types of fish) here in uk we have lost the natural balance as most of the fish predators have been eliminated by man. I think getting upset over a few fish being taken by a small minority of people is un necessary. What I think is that those that eat fish should just carry on and those that don't should also carry on. We never had any issues before the internet and chat rooms, the ones that did not take fish lived in ignorance and those that did enjoyed a nice fish supper form time to time. It’s the same as rabbiting. The people that like to think of them as fluffy bunny’s don't want to see them killed and eaten, those that see a rabbit and think rabbit in mustard sauce have seen them that way all there life and won’t change. I suggest both camps agreed to disagree I know what ever is said will not change my view and I am sure that is Visa versa. This Live baiting topic seems to have got out of control.

well I got my reel today, anyone own one of these and what do you use it for? cheers

I fish for Zander with live bait, I have to say it’s by far the best method, far better than deads, wobbled or lures. I catch a lot of good sized perch also. I always use a float rig slider with a single circle hook on a wire trace. I find the best live baits are bleak about 4 to 5 inches long. I always catch my live bait as required, i.e. I catch one and fish it and perhaps catch one in reserve. I don’t stock pile live baits. I can tell you I have fished a swim for hours with a dead, wobbled or float fished and not had a take, then I have put on a live and have had instant action and repeatedly, perch wont touch a dead bait in my experience, lure fish can work but if your fishing for a 10 hour session, its to tiring and defiantly not as good as lives. perch and Zander sometimes want to eye up there bait before striking, if you are lure fishing the lure is past them before they have decided to strike. I never deep hook any fish as circle hooks don't. You don't strike you just wait for the float to go under count to 10 and wind the line tight. Un hooking is fast and the fish is back in the water before it knows what has happened, I will never use a treble again. I always lip hook. I don't go with the anti live bait feeling, I fish openly with live bait and have never had any comments from the public, most that ask are interested and seem to accept that you can use a small fish to catch a big fish. I think there is very little anti live baiting feeling among the general population. most aren’t aware that it happens and when they do see it is not something that makes them angry or anti, in fact just the opposite, I find there interest is intensified and they wont to know more about the fish you catch. We should not hide our sport in any form, its how we fish and have fished for years, its nothing to be ashamed of. I think the none anglers of this world have little or no options on fishing methods nearly all have tried some sort of fishing, even if it’s in rock pools at the seaside or catching minnows with a net in a small stream. And most think fishing is a good past time and a healthy way to spend a day, many express a wish to take up angling at sometime in the future, I really think we should not worry about antis, I have been fishing for 39 years and have never meet an anti or had a negative comment from the general public, only interest and positive comments. I have taught both my son and daughter how to live bait; both are competent at 10 and 13 to fish for predators. Neither has expressed an opinion that they don’t like live baiting, it comes naturally.

Im pleased it worked well for you, now my secret ground bait is no longer secret It reaqly is good, I find that the spicey ones work best in the colder months, the custard one works will in the summer and coco also has its days in the summer, plus your hands smell nice after

I think the ban should go ahead with the following proviso No Swan will be permitted to leave the area, if seen on other parts of the river it can be shot and eaten. (without asking HRM) All canoes and small boats must remain in this area otherwise the above applies to them too. All dog walkers must insure there dog **** only in the area were the fishing ban applies All users of this stretch of water will be charged a fee similar to the fisherman’s rod licence and or must pay a fee each time they use the water All Local industries (management and staff) in the area that have used lead in there processing over the past 100 years or so Are banned from using this area or any other public amenities in the area I think that’s a fair exchange for anglers to have to give up a stretch of water that they have happily fished for hundreds of years without any previous problems.

I seen to currently have most of my tackle in the car!! There is no room for anyone else. I have to unload the car and pack everything away in the raffters of the roof of the garage when we go out as a family. I like having it in the car it means I am always ready for the off and have been know to stop and have a fish when it was not planned. Car is now a mobil fishing tackle storgae area.

Hear is my reciept for ground bait for bream, roach and tench Stale bread, white or brown or mixed. (seeded breads are really good) ask your local bakery. I use a food processor (robcop) grind the bread to a powder. peanuts (from the garden center, sold as wild bird food) These are also ground up not as fine as the bread, this lets out a nice oil slick when throw in the water. I then use diffrent flavorings depending on thet ime of year, venue or fish targeted Custard Powder Chilli powder Curry powder Tandori spice mix coco powder (or drinking choclate) I then mix these indrdients dry. Then I grind up a tin of sweetcorn and its liquid. This is then mixed on the bank with the dry ingrdients. I find this works really well.

Ive been catching a lot of eels from the warwickshire Avon, all good sized fish but I have not caught a bootlace eel for over 10 years now, you used to catch them all the time on maggots or worm. It seems there is a genaration gap.

I would have said, I work for the EA and could you please show me your licence for moving fish. I would have asked "is this an official action being taken by the club and can I have the club sectaries contact details" I think you might have found him back peddling rather fast. He might think again before giving out such instruction

A few points Firstly I was fishing for Zander, I caught a pike about 6lb, as I was returning it an angler who was barbel fishing further up the bank came over and told me it is Illegal to fish for pike before september1, I told him that this was not the case and that some club water have this as a bylaw but it is not illegal, I also pointed out I was fishing for Zander. H e was very arsey and rude; I felt there was no need for his aggressive manner. The session was quite good a couple of good size perch around the 1.5lb mark were caught during the hotter part of the day and a few small jacks biggest being the 6lb pike. As darkness fell I kept getting runs but could not hook up the fish, I was using a size 6 circle hook, I was sure It was small Zander, after about 6 or so runs I decided to let the fish run a bit longer before winding on to the fish. This time I made contact and boy was I into a fish, the fight was hard and dogged, it was dark by now so I could not really see what I was playing. Anyway I was in for a surprise, to the net came a 4lb4oz eel, hooked perfectly in the top lip, now the interesting thing here is I was fishing at about 3 foot deep in about 8 foot of water, this means the eel must have come up in the water to take my live bait. The unhooking of the eel was the easiest eel I have ever unhooked. I returned the fish and then packed up as it was about 11pm. On a side note a chap came over at about 3pm for a chat, he was a retired HGV driver, he was not a fisherman but sat with me right through to 9pm, he was enthralled, and was talking about taking up fishing, I hope he got the bug. At around 9.30pm a polish chap and his girl friend approached me for some information, they had recently moved to the UK and he wanted to fish, he asked about how to get a licence and what the rules were for fishing in the UK, I told him that he should return the fish he catches as many Pols and other migrant workers were taking a lot of fish out of the rivers and lakes. he said he was aware that this was a problem as it had been widely reported in the polish press, he said it was the same in Poland, and that it was bad for there fishing, he said he could understand taking one decent size fish for the kitchen but many Pols took all fish they caught regardless of size. He was I felt a very responsible angler and a nice chap as well. (His misses was also very very nice) The other strange thing is that I have only caught 1 Zander in 4 trips so far this season. I wonder if the area has been elector fished by the EA and the Zander removed, this area for the last 3 seasons has produced good catches of Zander. It could be other factors such as the fish are spawning late or that they have simply moved. Anyway I will give the area a couple more goes before moving onto a few other areas of the Avon that I know well and are good Zander hot spots. Overall a very eventful day, I much prefer to be left alone when fishing but yesterday it was not to be, but overall my visitors were pleasant to be with.

As someone who is currently in the process of being separating from my wife Fishing has been given as one of the reasons our relationship no longer works!. I have always fished before marrage during marrage and it will be after i am single. I am deeply upset about the pending seperation but I am a fisherman, I can't stop being thats just who I am. I am married for 14 years and in all that time it was never mentioned a a problem, I felt like a lucky guy that my wife seemed happy for me to wonder off fishing, I did limit myself to one or twice a week. So guys you just don't know perhaps some of you who belive you are ok should ask, you might be surprissed at the Answer!!

"I always considered them to be the true British variety" Reading my 1930 "fine Angling for Coarse fish" by Alban F L Bacon, The Lonsdale Library He says all carp varieties are not indigenous to this country but were introduced to the UK during the fourteenth and fifteenth century with the first known reference to crucain being 1496. I wonder if the different variations are the same species but differing under local conditions, i.e. food available, water temperature, body of water etc… It could be that there were differences when they were introduced from France or Belgium or which ever country then depending on how many fish were added to ponds and if they add fish from different location in the same pond that they then cross bread and different fish took on different aspects. God it gets complicated It could be the case that there are many different variations around the UK (and I am sure in Europe) If you look at King Carp, many are different in shape colour appearance, even from the same water, we seem to manage to band them all together as a species but get very worried when we talk about crucain.

I have nearly always found that if you keep feeding maggots and caster into you swim, the bigger fish will move in and push the smaller fish out, The only question is how long before the bigger fish move in. Sometimes it takes Half an hour other times 4 hours or more!!

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM Pike Nice made into a mousaline then quennneled and served poached with a lobster sauce Perch are very tasty as are eels (smoked are the best) Carp is reasonable, better if smoked Tench Blaaaaaaa, just don't do it Roach and Rudd dried and salted believe it or not are not bad, served as a snack to eat with beer Bream, just don't do it terrible Gudgen are good, dipped in flour and fried. Cat fish steaks are unbelievably Good, firm flesh and very very tasty Zander are fantastic better than Bass Lamprey jelled is to die for Smelt grilled is amazing Bleak roe is a Secret Swedish delicacy, absolutely fantastic, Just for the record before I get crucified, I lived in Latvia for seven years and Sweden for 2 years and have eaten the fish their were it is common practise. I am sure this was common practise in the not to distant past in the UK!!

I arrived at the Avon in Stratford at 2pm, most of the barbel swims were taken, And there were quite a few match type fisherman using the pole or waggler set ups. (I have not seen these types of anglers on this stretch for a long time) It did seem to be more anglers than normal on opening day Someone had taken out two of the best swims by sinking there narrow boat, it was half in and half out the water with the end in the water sunk. It had broken a mooring in last week’s high water. Anyway I was after Zander, so I made my way to a swim I have had success on before. First problem was there were no bleak, were have they gone, this swim is normally full of bleak so catching a few live bait is normally easy. Someone suggested they had gone up the small brook that feeds into the river to spawn!! Well after 2 hours I had managed to scrap together a few small roach and chublet as lives, you can’t believe how hard this was, normally you can catch live bait with out any effort, I was down to a size 22 hook with 1lb bottom line. I fished for 3 hours without any interest, the sun was full on and conditions were not ideal. That added to the fact that the bleak were missing seemed to mean the Zander were also missing. Then I had a take, and I stuck, forgetting I was using a circle hook, no contact, I could have kicked myself. An hour later I had a take again this time I felt the fish and a nice 2lb perch came to the net. the picture does not show this fish to well The sun was starting to go down now and most of the other fisherman had departed. I fished into the dark and then it happened I had a take, I wound into the fish and it ripped off, not a big fish but a fish, as It came to the net I saw it a fine Perch, when weighed it went 2lb 5 oz a new PB for me and from the same swim I got my PB last season (2lb 2oz), I wonder if it’s the same fish! I took a photo but it was to dark to show. It was a frustrating opening day but in the end I was happy Even though I did not catch my target species, I believe the key to this swim is to wait for the bleak to return, I will be taking a walk with some maggots and sun glasses today to try and locate the bleak.

You could join the Stratford angling club or the BAA (Birmingham Angling Association) Also there is plently of day ticket water on the Avon. What fish are you targetting? if you let me know I could give you some better info.

well the avon is looking ok, we had a little rain last night and today but nothing like early last week, lets hope it stays that way as the river will be perfect. Really can't wait now, I have sunday planed as tackle sorting day, with a trip to the local tackle shop on satuaday to top up on some bits and bobs. Its like a count down, need to get friday out the way and then each day I will do somthing to contribute to the first day.

Hi I would recommend using a waggler float with the shot fished shirt button style; make sure your float is as small as possible. Depending on the depth of water, I would fish no deeper than 6 feet in deep water and even as shallow as 3 feet in shallower water when you cast feather the line so the whole rig lands in a straight line, fire out 12 maggots before each cast land your rig in the area, your bait will fall slowly throw the maggots you fired out and hopefully be taken on the drop, let the float settle if its not taken, leave for a few minuets, if no bite, retrieve and repeat. You will need a few pints of maggots and will have to be prepared to move if you don't find the fish. I sometimes take some bread to throw out to float, if there are Rudd about they will start to pluck at the bread, this can be a good way of finding were the Rudd are, note of caution, be careful that the wind can not blow the bread out of casting range as it can take the fish with it! Size 14-18 hook depending how big the Rudd go in your water, I prefer fishing single maggot as I find they will take it more confidently than double (most of the time) 3lb main line will be ok I would use 2lb hook link and a match rod. once you have them feeding you can really bag up, it is also worth trying larger baits once they are on the feed, you can sometimes pick up a bigger fish, also leave it a bit longer in the swim before retrieving , Sweet corn can be good or bread or even worm. One other thing bites can be lightening fast so be ready, they can hit your bait almost as soon as it hits the water, it is also for this reason I recommend you put your feed in before each cast and not after the cast. Hope this helps, please let us know how you get on.

wow I have never seen a barbel that coluor, are they all like that were you caught it?

Is your key board sticky, you seem to be repeating letters!!! Sorry I don't live in your area so can't recommend anywere.