grayson

I did indeed fish with Janet on the Ribble as a guest of Martin James. I'm glad people are enjoying my rantings - if anybody wants a copy signing just send me a pm

Interesting; I started to try dropshotting in last fortnight of river season. Following what seemed to be received wisdom I used a nylon hook link of about 10lb bs,I was targetting perch and again. what I read was that pike were rarely a problem on this method and that if caught bite offs were v rare because of way that hook stood proud on the Palomar knot- or something like that. I loved the method and caught several pike and lost several more- falling off and not bite offs. No bloody perch mind- they obviously can't read..I was starting to believe the stuff about no bite offs - which seemed counter intuitive-when I hooked a pike of about 5lbs in a small stream and guess what ? It bit me off. Now I am not going to get all Pike Nazi but I am sure as hell going to try to avoid a reoccurence because my own conscience doesn't like using a technique with this risk when it should be avoidable easily .So..I need some wire - and i'd like to use same Palomar rig. I suspect my usual cable type pike wire- Fox I think- is far too heavy and inflexible. Any suggestions for a good brand- preferably born out by your own experience when dropshotting rather than 'normal' lure fishing ?

Leave him be; he was a bloody star; smart, articulate and destined to be a damn good fisherman.

I can catch my own barbel. thanks all the same. . I look forward to watching your film... on youtube is it ? Or do we have to wait for the network premierere? And presumably all ghillies should 'hang their head ' too?

Bloke makes TV programme about our sport. Hold the front page - it isn't perfect. JB also guilty of being a guide who - the cheek of it- charges money. .He should hang his head in shame.And - crikey- he fishes the same river as Bob James too; obviously dodgy. What a sour bunch of whiners-bet the kids involved enjoyed it a lot more than the armchair critics.

Well.... I thoroughly enjoyed it; I have a great deal of time for JB and the programme was just fine. I sort of expected there would be some hairtrigger outrage about how he should have done this, not have done that etc and I wasn't wrong. Look- it was a cold and horrible January evening and watching big tench being caught on a summer dawn by a young lad who was having the time of his life was lovely viewing I thought . I 'm sure I could have found something to chelp about if I'd really concentrated but why should I? .But I am obviously surrounded by people who are natural and gifted TV presenters here so what do I know eh ?

If my line got damaged by putting the rod on top of it I would change the brand .... FWIW I find it far more effective to fish one rod rest fairly low and slightly downstream of me with rod resting on my knee. Or touch legering of course.

Just recalling an idiotic comment by John Bailey in Anglers Mail to the effect that breathbale waders aren't just for stuck up elitist game fishermen. Maybe I should say that polaroids aren't just for working class oik carPers..? But seriously..like many on here I game and coarse fish and enjoy both just as much.- no need to perpetuate ancient stereotypes in 2013 Mr Bailey.

You haven't fished for the big wild browns I fish for then...spooky and picky to a ridiculous degree- on fly. Probably climb up the bank to steal your sandwiches tholugh...,

I have caught most coarse species on fly; only opne carp however but intend to spend some time on them this year. Fly will catch you a huge number of fish in the right conditions- chub and dace especially.Perch are easy to catch on fly - small lures work well. Location is the key skill in all flyfshing obviously as you can't attract the fish to you by feeding etc. Best advice I can give is - assuming you are river fishing- buy decent breathble chest waders and open your mind to where you fish. Do not stick to the places which might look good to leger or floatfish; look at very shallow water- you will be amazed waht it can hold.

The only reason I have contributed to th thread is to mention that I find livebaiting unacceptable- and to take lessons in fish welfare from people who do livebait is a little ironic. IT is what is referred to - tethering a live fish for bait by impaling it through the back etc. I do use maggots and lobworms- just shows what a moral minefiled we sometimes create for ourselves. And of course I am not anti angling- having done it for 50 years I'd be lost without it. Do understand that I respect other people's right to livebait and I'd defend their right to do so.

It is an emotive subject and one which polarises views.I don't want to get into that whole debate again but quite simply the difference to me is this- nature is red in tooth and claw so predators atack prey in ways which sometimes are pretty ugly. If the results of predator attack were replicated by angling activity we'd be appalled. We learn to treat our 'prey' with respect- we do stick(usually barbless) hooks in them but we care for fish welfare so we unhook and return fish carefully. We fish for fun- it may be the remnants of our hunting gene but nearly all fish - including salmonids - are now returned. Pike anglers are very concerned for pike welfare- they may get a bit messianic sometimes but thank God we have moved away from gags and gaffs eh ? The first problem is hypocrisy- I won't be lectured about fish welfare by somebody who mollycoddles pike but livebaits with roach. Do fish only deserve respect if we fish for them ? Because I don't see much respect for bait fish in livebaiting... The problem for me is therefore reconciling welfare and respect for fish by using a living fish as a tethered bait for pike- it can be left in the water for many times longer than we would ever play a fish , impaled by hooks often stuck in the fish's back. I can't and won't do that- I find it morally unacceptable. But it isn't illegal and if you want to do it that is up to you and your conscience- I won't criticise you for doing it but respect my choice not to do it ok ?

Private water irrelevant for the purpose of the close season- EA laws apply everywhere, and rightly so. He should've fished a pond- no close season there...

Late response to this thread -this is a difficult one; whilst I have no problem in people looking after their catch (and being helped in technique by fellow anglers) I have a very big problem with self appointed expets telling me what I should do. Some pike anglers believe fervently that no fishing should take place until October(I'll fish in the legal season thanks very much-nearly all of my piking is on rivers anyway ) , others tell me I should be shot because I don't always use an unhooking mat (reason- some of my piking involves wading whilst plug fishing and fish are simply unhooked in the water )(reason 2- some of my waters have very soft mossy banks- what is the point of a mat ?). As for antiseptic and post capture trauma counselling- FFS it's a bloody fish... Personally I do not livebait- it's legal but I find it abhorrent. Never more so than when I get the pike police setting me a moral code whilst being apparently quite OK about doing something which is as far removed from care or respect for the fish as it is possible to imagine according to my own views. Livebaiting is your choice- but do not presume to lecture me about fish care... The last thing I need is some joyless drongo imposing their own moral code on me- I know how to unhook pike but f**ed if I have to prove it to the Esox Taliban ....

I am happy to use baitrunner for piking and if some bloke on the internet tells me it's wrong I won't lose too much sleep; doubt if the pike notice any different- mine don't seem to. But pike haven't got wi fi so what do they know eh ?

From the angler's perspective the issue can quickly end up revolving around whether one likes Bob James or not; along with most people I have never met him and my only view is based on his TV persona - which I did not like at all. But evrybody puts on a show for the camera - I mean , Robson Green isn't really like that is he ?- so he may well be an all round good egg, if tainted by some ..ermm.....alleged.....irregularities ? - in Angling Trust matters. But in court he's just another angler who broke the law- and whether he's that bloke on the telly or not is irrelevant. He was fishing the day before the season opens- I mean it's not crime of the century is it ? Especailly when one can fish ponds at the same time for some of the same species. So..the fine was about right, move on , nothing to see , just the faint whiff of schadenfreude to savour.

I have a Skoda Yeti 4x4 diesel and it is the PERFECT fishing car- best I have had anyway. Goes anywhere, especially on winter tyres, comfy, room for my pike gear and nearly 50mpg.

Well. to add a bit of balance this doesn't help at all - not so far as my own experience is concerned. I bought an item this week- by phone. Staff were friendly and helpful, item arrived when promised and quality excellent.Trading standards not needed - nor the suggestion that anglers should 'STAY AWAY'.....

On recent seasons' experience I would say lamprey outfishes everything; mackerel good, herring less so. Grayling is outstanding- used to use it years ago to great effect(on a bit of river which was paved with them by the way ). Also like smelt- but have never found sprats to be much good at all . The one problem with lamprey is that bloody chub love them too - even good size whole ones.

Yeah-that's why I had a knackered disc obviously.Oh how we roared...

Helpful advice needed; I am recovering from a disc operation and am looking for a new chair.I have a so called lightweight Korum chair which I find excellent for stillwater fishing but for my river fishing I need something lighter and far more portable. I currently have a tired old Fox chair which has given great service but is tired and suffers what I term soggy arse syndrome- the seat itself, rather than backrest is droopy and awful for my back. Price immaterial within reason. What I need is - light weight but robust(am 15 stone). Easily portable- my chub trips cover several miles on many days.Highish seat- good for back. And firm covering- ditto. Must have adjustable legs and mud feet; and must not have arm rests nor thick padding (unless light and 100% waterproof). Chub (the brand ) looks good- but what do you recommend?

For various reasons - mainly a health problem- I have been reading a lot of the type of magazine I wouldnt normally buy-in a strictly angling context.....I have actually learned some useful stuff but the standard of writing is shockingly low in many cases(maybe it always was ?),the amount of product placement is laughable and the gullibility of some fishermen is shocking if they reallly believe they have to buy the latest snake oil to have even a chance of a fish- or is it credibility on the bankside innit ?

No sh**t Sherlock...If you ever write a book you too will resort to any means to publicise it !

I think value for money is about right- extremely high production values, virtually no advertising and a LOT to read; some may be borderline bonkers but that is part of the appeal. My Anglers Mail (which this week had an utterly crass 'funny ' piece about a toilet incident at Redmire which 11 year olds might enjoy ) cost £1.80 for primarily adverts and self promotion- nobody seems able to write an article in the weeklies without boring us to tears with an endless list of tackle specifications.

Hello- the season ends in most places at end of September for wild brown trout; others may be able to advise on still waters situation with stocked browns. There will certainly be some rainbow stocked still waters open. But river fly fishermen- me included - tend to fish for trout 1April - 30 Sept; there are some minor local variations. Your licence to fish (from Environment Agency will cost very little for a day or weekly licence- google EA and you can find out. Stillwater day tickets(ie from fishery owner ) can be pricey - typically £20- 50 per day. We have very little free access public water like you have in USA ..You have picked a crappy time of year to flyfish for brownies - BUT grayling fishing on fly available on rivers like the Itchen.