bluerinse

Got to say , even though this is the course fishing section, a big rainbow on a light fly rod is a real treat.

I think you should

No, I was not saying that, I was saying we should not ignore the fact and object every time it is pointed out by a member of the public. We should have a code of practise that negates as much harm to wildlife as possible, we All know there are many anglers that don't give a toss, I have seen stones and other objects (even shot) thrown or catapulted at wild life, We should ban the irresponsible Anglers or at least have some way of educating anglers. Seems to me the governing body's of our sport has no way of reaching the participants. Is it no wonder kids who start fishing with there mates get into bad habits, some are so destructive that its ends up as a vandalion trip and not a fishing trip. Open your eyes folks, see the rubbish on the banks, see the discarded tackle, line etc.. in the trees. we are not a united sport like shooting, we are at the mercy of anyone who wants to have a pop. We bring it on our self's, the anglers on this website are not retrospective of the majority of anglers, they just go fishing and do as they please, they have no communication with angling other than outside their ring of friend, they may get a letter once a year from the EA when they get there licence (if they bother to get on at all) but that's about it. The answer to our problems, I don't know!!! but forums like this help if we could reach more people, How many on here have seen other anglers acting irresponsible and have done nothing about it! Well Me, I have seen things that have made me cringe but have walked away because I feared for my own safety if I had said something. On other occasions I have pointed out litter that people were about to leave and seen that they take it. Its hard but who does police our sport? The EA? I never see them on the rivers. Sorry I don't know the answers but I also acknowledge there is a problem of angling damaging wildlife.

Anglers do harm wildlife, Swans etc.. We have all seen it, we should not stick our heads in the sand We know anglers leave rubbish, we know anglers leave Line and hooks. I have caught a swan and removed line and a hook from its wing. I have seen ducks trailing line from there beak's I have seen a robin dead hanging from a piece of line up in a tree. Its embarrassing, but we have all mis-cast and left a baited hook in a tree out of reach. We should do every thing possible to avoid leaving tackle and rubbish that can be harmful to wild life I also pay a monthly donation to the Warwickshire wildlife trust as I feel it’s a contribution to balance the books a little. To say its not us is to say we have no impact on wildlife. Honestly ask your self if this is true

I suspect that the new generation are more interested in carp than roach though. Sure are, you get a bigger meal from a carp than a roach, Carp a'la mutard, any one?

My Fly fishing for chub used to be a hard days fishing, only catching the odd small chub, I then saw a TV show (I forget which one) were the chap used big black fly’s under the surface, I tied my own, it looks a bit like a tadpole when wet its is about the size of a ten pence piece when dry, this then fished up river in to holes and around the back of obstacles such as rocks, logs, roots etc.., you need to try and get it to hang (not easy on flowing water) when the current starts to move the line this is when you get the take, I have had some great chub on this method, you don't need to be able to see the fish, just look for likely spots. Its quite hard to get it right, but once you have it works, I normally shack the rod from left to right as I am at the end of the cast, this forms lots of bends in the line (like ~~~~~~) this then hangs the fly for a little longer before the current starts to move the fly, the takes are brutal and I catch all size of chub, the occasional perch and I even have had roach.

Designed in Coventry at the university, has the advantage of creating a cloud of bait near the bottom as opposed to a pva Bag which will just sit on the bottom, the bomb throws the bait out. The bands take 45 seconds to melt, for the carp guys I reckon the cloud burst will also attract fish. I have seen this used and was quite impressed, it comes to the surface very quickly on the retrieve and when playing a fish it seems not to hinder the fight, I would not us it in very weedy conditions but I can see it having some great advantages in certain situations. It’s not a big as it looks on the promotion leaflets. I like the idea that it is designed in the UK and is manufactured in Coventry as opposed to being made in china. It is available from the Polaris Guys (Ultra Floats) but is not made by them, It will sell and it has its applications. I will get one or two for the river season, I quite like the Idea of fishing deep runs with it as it will send the free offerings up in the water to leave a nice bait trail up to my hook bait.

As a kid we called that type of rod a “Whoppa Stopper" solid fibreglass with the action of a springy plank

make sure any bait is in air tight containers, don't leave ground bait, boiles etc.. open as you will have a visit from the night time Rats and other wildlife.

To float fish is no disgrace; Fishing is about what interests you, not what other people think. I avoid fisheries with bives and the like, its not that carp anglers are rude or any the less interested in angling than me, it’s just that it’s not my type of fun. I enjoy stalking, or ambushing fish, I like to target a species, sit at home working out my game plan and putting it into action. Currently I am on the trail of some very large perch (5lb+) That I have heard about, Now my PB is nothing like that and it might just be bad information (from a none angler) but I am Very excited about the hunt. I am still formulating my plan of attack, I can tell you it will defiantly be with the float. If I end up with a 2lb fish I will be over the moon. Its all relative to what you enjoy, Fish the rivers in season, plenty of float fishing to be had and not too many other anglers sat behind bite alarms. I do fish commercial lakes but not the type that have mainly carpers. I like mixed fisheries, and yes you can still find them, harder than 20 years ago but they do still exists. Good luck and Keep up the float fishing

I invested in a nokia N95 Camra Phone, this means that I don't have to carry a separate Camra, the other good point is that it has video as well, the camra is 5 megapixel and takes the best photos of any camra I have ever had, easy to use and easy to download. small and always to hand at the vital moment.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/videonation...l_cycling.shtml this is the link, but i can't get it to work

Hi the live baits were hooked top lip,and rested on the center bend. I Found that letting the fish run for about 30 seconds - 1 Minuet worked well, if the float shot under then I wound down, the bites were very tentative with the float not going under most times just moveing short distences stoping and moving off again, this was when I wound down.

It was also another first for me, 3 diffrent preditors when live baiting, (pike, zander and perch) I am a bit miffed that I have to wait till next season to give it another go on the Avon,

Forgot to thank the chap fishing along the bank for taking the photo of me and the fish and weighing the perch

I took all the advice from the members, I purchased all the bits and made up my trace, and today I finally got down on the Avon at Stratford, first weir at Lucy’s mill, I caught some bleak for live bait and started, I had four runs and could not connect, I wound on to the bites almost straight away, I felt the fish each time but did not hook up. I decided to let the fish run a bit longer on the next run, I wound into a fish, a Zander of about 3lb, I did not miss a fish again all day, I had 4 more Zander of about the same size the largest being about 4lb, The I had a very tentative bite (the Zander bites were also tentative but not like this) As I wound into the fish it went mad, and when it came to the net it was a fantastic perch, it was the only fish I weighed all day, 2.2lb a new PB for me :-) I then followed up next cast with a pike, the only one of the day, this was about 16lb, I fished on into the dark having 4 more Zander but ran out of live bait and could not see my stick float to catch more. the Circle hook is a revelation for me, un-hooking is so simple, no deep hooks, the hook holds were all light and I was surprised some fish weren’t lost., No trebles stuck in the landing net, no stress on the fish as they are in and out of the water before they new it. (Apart from the two photos) It has to be the way forward for predator fishing, I am sure I would not have got the perch if I was using trebles. Top class info from this site has made my season, thanks to all for the advice, what a day to finish on the rivers. Cheers All

I am off out to the Avon in 30 mins (have to see kids of to school) Roach, pike and Zander are the target. Already, lucnch packed, gear in car, new circle hook leaders made up, Itching to get started

Thanks For the info, some great stuff, I could not find any info by googling it. Its intresting in the 1949 artical it say thousands have been sold, indicating it was first sold at an earlier date.

Hi I have a 7 foot allcock "the light caster " spinning rod, made in hexaganal split cane, I picked this up at a boot fair last year for £2, I have not used it as yet but was thinking of taking it out with an old Hardy fixed spool. Anyone know any thing about this rod, age dates made etc... Looks to be a quality rod Cheers

the best advice I can give is hold the rod up as high as possible and make sure no line or as little as possible is in the current, if the swim allows walk the fish down stream, if not keep the rod high and wait for the fish to come to you by keeping the pressure on, if the fish runs you have to let it go, this means making sure your drag is set correct. Do not apply side strain as this will bow the line in the current, the fish can use the slack (even if it feels tight) to slip the hook. I am a keen fly fisher and this applies more due to the nature of the fly line, but it also holds true for normal line. If you can get the fishes head out of the water (the quicker the better) the fish will be much easier to bring to the net (or hand) Hope this helps

I also called the EA for my son who was 12 last July, I called in march and was told hr hsa to get a junior licence for the following season as his birthday fell after the begining of the season??? He has fished all this season as jumior. I had to pay for 4 months when he was underage? seems unfair

I think the main difference now for kids starting out fishing is that they can go to a put and take stew pond and catch a10lb carp with very little effort and very little skill, they do not go through the leaning curve we did. An 8oz perch was a fish to behold when I was a kid. If you ever caught a big fish it was news in the area for weeks if not months, I caught a 2lb Bream and was talk of my village for months. I was born 1963 and started fishing at 6, so I spent the whole of the 70's fishing, I had a small clay/sand pit close to my house that was full of small perch, I honed my skills on these fish, I also lived 1 mile from Earlswood lakes and as I got older I started to fish there, I learnt a lot from the anglers there who were mostly happy to pass on tips and bits of tackle to a mad keen young un. Happy memories

I received my book yesterday morning, and it was read by yesterday evening, I could not put it down, what a great book. It reminded me so much of my own childhood, even though I was a child in the 70's, catching newts, bullheads (millers thumbs were I come from) Making tackle. Muddy clay pits. Rafts the whole thing I loved the context it was set in, Second World War, etc.. I can only say it’s a fantastic read and if you have not got a copy get one now. I can’t wait for the next book as indicated at the end of this book You have a great righting style that draws you in to the story and keeps you hooked, I really could not put it down until it was finished, I wish you all the best of luck with the book and I am sure with the right promotion this will be a top selling childhood/angling book FANTASTIC

Hi Andrew, I have sent the club an e-mail as I didnt want to sign up for there forum. I wonder if I will get a reply? Cheers

Yesterday morning I was walking my dog on its usual walk, I go past the Cat fish conservation lake in Kings Coughton, No one has fished it over the winter so I was surprised to see two Anglers on the Water yesterday Morning, Parked next to the lake by the hedge ,A Red 4 wheel drive with the spare wheel on the back this was covered by a wheel cover proudly saying "Cat fish conservation Club" also was a West Brom car flag and England Car flag in the rear window. I though good luck to them and walked on. This Morning I was walking the dog and low and behold in the hedge were the car was parked was 3 beer cans and the plastic connector. This is a little bit of pristine Warwickshire country side, only used by Anglers and dog walkers, I was amazed that any one that is in a club that preachers conservation would be so small minded as to dump there litter. After crawling under the hedge I took the litter home as I know all the dog walkers and they would all know it was the Anglers who left it, and they all know I’m a keen angler, I was embarrassed for my sport. If it was you and you log on this forum, or you know who this is please tell them do not dump your litter, take it Home Mr. Anger Warwickshire