Neil G

I think that's pretty good advice I've seen a few kids just cut line in the past when snagging up with birds and it did p** me off a bit as the birds will probably get tethered somewhere and starve to death or get attacked & eaten by predators. Anyway.....at least you will know what to do next time if it does happen.

Know how you feel I've spent quite a bit of money on licences to fish the river, some stretches 5mins walk from my house too yet I've hardly had a chance to fish them due to this weather

Agree with the above....really good setup Not actually too bad for distance casting coupled with some bait bands to take the weight off the hook or with a pop up trace threaded through the bait.

Same down here in Somerset....just rain, rain and more rain Blanked for the first time in months on Saturday and I'm sure it had something to do with the chocolate coloured water and the speed that it was coming through. I always seem to manage to winkle a pike out of most places but tried everything with not a single bite. Looks like it's back to the stillwaters at the weekend

I like the Daiwa reels I have and was getting a little annoyed at only being able to use the bigger reel on the Fox so have now oredered a Wychwood Riot rod which I know has reel seat which will fit ! I have always used 12 rods for all river fishing as that extra length can be useful when fishing paternosters etc over lilly pads/weed beds. I do own a 9ft, 2.5 tc spinning rod which I have contemplated using for bait fishing but the single ring guides on it put me off....it feels a little fragile !

I don't know too many 'ladies' that are happy to go out in the rain and roll about in the mud !

I see The only reel that comes close to fitting my Fox rod is my Dawia Regal and that's quite a heafty reel. Big pits are okay if your ledgering/drifting but if your moving around on rivers a lot holding a rod & reel setup like that can be a bit wearing after a while. Still a nice rod and can handle big mackerel baits along with a 2.5/3oz lead....finish is good for the money as well.

I can understand where you are coming from with the issue of recaptures....there's nothing worse than catching a pike that some numpty has left to swallow the bait and you have to remove their trace & hooks. I have a wide selection of venues to fish from stillwaters to miles of river so tend to move around and switch lots. One of my favourite spots is Cheddar reservoir, now at around 80/90acres there are plenty of pike and less chance of recaptures/pressure there....the fish are always in great condition. I'm not sure wether fishing in the summer produces more big fish but I think as you point out, the probabablity of catching larger fish is higher the more often you fish for them.

I'm no expert on rods but have always found Wychwood stuff to be good value for money....the 3.5tc pike rod I own casts a dream with big baits on reservoirs. I also own a 2.75tc Fox rod which I like action wise but was very dissapointed with the real seat which doesn't accomodate my reels very well at all....I may have just got a bad one though. I believe Fox do a heavy deadbait rod with a 3.25tc which should have a bt more backbone than the 2.5tc ones. 3.25tc model on their site http://www.foxint.com/catalogues-products....&section=33 Reckon I will bring a lure rod next month if I'm going to fish Argal and boost some massive lures & spoons out there.....can cover a lot of water that way.

Lets not get to technical here as at the end of the day we're talking about fishing which has so many variables. Sometimes the hooks strike free, sometimes they don't

Good point Does depend on what bait you are using though. Sprats and sardines are usually long gone when you come to unhook the pike...mackerel quiet often is still on the hook or in the pikes mouth. Bait bands are useful for holding the bait on the hook...I always use a single treble and a couple of bait bands and rarely loose baits on the cast.

I pike pretty much all year round but tend to fish rivers in the summer.....most of the ones I fish are fast flowing, well oxygenated stretches and the pike are anything but slugish! As always....you can only do your best to look after the fish.

All the walls and features were down the far end of the reservoir...come out of the car park at the top and looking up the reservoir choose the right hand bank and follow it along the shore till you get to the furthest point. Loads of cobbled walls there and big rocks etc for pike to rest up next to etc I'd be prepared to loose some kit though....apparently when the water drops the walls are festooned with loads of lures & spoons than have been lost !

Great fish Graham....double by any chance? Looks like a long fish

Nice fish there Very different proportion wise compared to my fish in the other thread....look at the length of the fish and shoulders as a reference.

Sounds good Definately like to give the place another crack as apparently there are some big ones in there. I love reservoir fishing.....all that mass of water and lots of peace and quiet unlike a lot of smaller commercial fisheries

Oh yes..... Can't beat a good scrap with river pike...they even 'get their own back' when you get your fingers scraped on the gill rakers, pronged by a treble or gashed by one of their teeth ! Seems all this wet/cool weather isn't doing the pike fishing too much harm apart from making the river a little quicker & more coloured than usual.

I'm not saying anything on the weight front (laughter) All I will say is that it looks like a lovely fish and you must be very happy with that catch

He is a lucky chap plus a good Barbel angler....really knows the swims well The stretch of water I fish is pretty gnarly but sure packs some great fish....I had a 18lb pike out last week within five minutes of casting my bait in! The Avon (Limpley Stoke & Avoncliff) does have a good reputation for Barbel..I think I'd be stupid not to fish for them every now and again !

Not at all mate...a friend has had 15 & 16lb Barbel out of the stretch and it attracts lots of Barbel anglers from around the country. I think the combination of weirs and good fast gravel runs etc make it perfect....also very good when it comes to pike fishing as well despite the very steep banks, lack of room and snags !

Sounds like it's just a question of continuing to use those methods until the big one turns up...Stay mobile and it'll happen. When I went the water level must have been pretty low...I could see all the old walls exposed down the far end, lots of snags and large expanses of silt. I blanked last time but am going to go down again next month or in september, be good to have something out !

That's a nice fish lyn......it's very different in proportions to the one I caught. I'm going to check my scales and weighing sack etc so I can get more accurate on that front....I may even invest in some digital Rapala ones for the future. I was chuffed to catch a Barbel as it was what I was after but for me my main passion lies with the toothy ones. All I can say is I've caught lots of pike in the region of 6-8lb and that Barbel felt way, way heavier than that when I lifted the net out of the water...maybe I'm 6oz/lb out but not 6lb Anyway....thanks for the comments and here's to enjoying the rest of the is wet summer fishing

I only fished Argal once last year when I went down to visit a mate....I found it to be pretty barren and also got stuck in the mud in the margins a few times.....was quite hairy ! I was float drifting sprats but knowing what I know now I would probably opt for the popped up mackerel method which seems to work everytime for me on reservoirs and gravel pits. When I was there some guys were saying that there are plenty of good pike around the submerged walls etc down the end furthest away from the dam. I also noticed quite a few 'bays' there which are definately worth a try.

Thanks for the comments I can except that the scales etc may have been out but there's not a chance in hell I'm going to accept that was a 6lb fish. I doubt I will be going for the challenge of any double figure Barbel as good a fight as they put up as the pike are hungry at the moment

Did I say you were jealous....er no Blow me my scales must be well f**ked to be out by 6lb....Would you like me to repost the picture with an re-estimated weight for you? Shall we start at 2lb so people can haggle up to 3 lol