Alan Stubbs

My first ever rod was a Shakespeare match rod....

At last commonsense prevails.... On the other hand, there was a bit in today's Angling Times, about a proposed exhibition of caged birds where they are traded amongst licenced pet shop dealers. A big affair held at B'ham NEC in the past. It was cancelled because 12 people protested to a council. So much for democracy - the opinions of 12 people outweighs the will of those who don't register an objection. Does the council concerned have a very small electoral roll - or are they just hard of thinking? As Keith Arthur rightly said - what would happen if an angling show was held in that borough?

Q) Why do you have to have the line behind the float? A) With the line behind the float, the flow of the river presents the bait more naturally, so I am told Q) When you strike do you trap the line and then strike ? A) I do... purely because it's less slack to take up Q) Do you have to use a stick float ? A) No... I use a variety of floats dependent upon the conditions, but a stick float is more direct in its indication, which is, after all, what the float is used for Q) Do you let line off of the spool when the float travels downstream ? A) I allow the flow of the water to take the line and I mend as necessary. I use a finger on the drum for control when I think I need to! As for the amount of line on a 'pin, I have about 50 yards of 4lb mono and either fish 'straight through' or a 2lb hook length. I have neen reasonably successful either way, and after the first couple of sessions seem to have lost the skill of tangling myself up! I am open to correction on any of these points, but they are based upon what I have read and practiced. All the best, Alan

Newt...given all the help you have given freely and humorously to anyone who asks, I find it totally offensive that someone should take such a negative attitude towards you purely on the basis of your nationality. It strikes me that anyone asking 'who let a Yank in?' must be seriously hard of thinking. Winter, a mod? Immoderator would be more realistic. I don't post here too often nowadays, purely because of the lieks of Winter.

Look in your local Yellow Pages or Thompsons under colour printers. Any litho printer can turn them out, but if the labels are of a non-standard size (try keeping to A5 format) the cost of a die for punching them out will be prohibitive. E-Mail me soonest and I can help.

Danzante.... this is a duller site without him posting regularly.

The very witty Humphrey Lyttleton described F1 thus: "Men in romper suits driving cigarette adverts around in circles for 200 miles at a speed too great to read the ads in the first place" It isn't sport, it's a marketing excercise.

Kent may be the garden of England, but in Gravesend they have given us the entire nation's compost heap.

A lesbian lass from Khartoum once invited a queer to her room. As she turned out the light, she said 'Let's get this right - Just who does what and to whom?' A hoary old monk from north china Once thought there was nothing diviner than to sit in his cell and let his mind dwell on the thoughts of a virgin vagina

Now someone tell me why a woman would want to fake an orgasm? They fake an orgasm and then moan about the bloke's performance. Weird.. she fakes it, he believes he's doing the right things and perpetuates her misery. Go figure.

It never ceases to amaze me that people expect a discount from the EA for buying their rod licence by direct debit.... A couple of weeks back I arranged Sarahs and my own licences by Direct Debit with the EA. A week later we recieved a letter of confirmation from them. So far so good, no discount offered though. buying licences online or by Direct Debit is as much a convenience for you as it is for the EA, and at the rates charged for the licence can hardly be said to be excessive. Frankly they are still having to pay for postage and you are spared the ballsache of having to queue at the Post Office. I can honestly say that I have only ever seen good work done by the EA and certainly don't begrudge the cost of a licence at current levels.

She was only a trawlerman's daughter but she certainly knew her plaice

Alan...it's so good to know you are out of hospital....I hope the operation has gone OK. I only hope that it is a total success. I see my how father has suffered as a result of smoking and it is enough to put any sentient person off the weed for life.

I would suggest that Leon ROskilly, Poledark and Blankedagain could all offer sound advice here. All are regulars here.

Everyone to Trevor Brooking: For GOd's sake get off the perch!

Give your mate my best wishes - if he shows the same bloodymindedness and determination as my father has over the last 2 years, he'll breeze it! Alan

This is definitely a question for Leon Roskilly... he runs the Medway Mullet Group.

Hi Alan, As you are aware, we have spoken and I will call you next week. Alan Stubbs