MikeyP

Hi all, I'm fishing at Clawford Vineyard at begining of June and according to their rules, you can only use a braided hooklink if there is a six inch piece of tubing at the hook! Been there a couple of times before and this is a new one one me. What I'm after is a a decent flurocarbon rig for fishing bottom baits. Also, I've been trying a few knots out with my fluoro and have found that a palomar knot is the best for tying to hooks/swivels. Is this knot the most reliable? Thanks

Hi all. Just a quick question. I'm fishing a week at 2.5 acre pond in June which is stocked with carp to 30lb and Tench to 9lb. The trouble is there is a lead limit of 1oz and all leads must be totally free running with no back stops, so this rules out using the normal lead-clip and tail rubber set up. As I will have to use a running rig set-up, is there anything I can do to ensure a better hook-up which would probably occur with a clipped-up lead? Thanks

Cheers scoop, thanks for the advice, I'll guard it with my life!

Hi, I've decided to give making my own boilies a try. I know I want to make around 5 kilos finished and I want to have some belachan powder and crushed aquatic insects (shrimp, etc.) in them, but I need to know what else I should have in them and what base mix would work best with the ingredients.

Hi all, just wondering if anybody has fished Indo Pond in Bovey Tracey, Devon and if so, how did you get on? I'm off there for a week in June and have heard good things about the place, cheers.

Hi, I'm off to the New Forest in a couple of weeks camping and fancied doing a bit of carping at Sway Lakes. Is it day-ticket still at the moment as I heard it was going syndicate. Also, anyone know favourable swims, methods etc.

A couple of weeks ago, I fished a pond near me called Abrook on Thursday night. I was using a bunch of about 12 dead maggots hair-rigged after some of the carp and had four casts between 10-12midnight and caught 4 eels. 3 of them were about 8-10oz but the last one I had at about 11.15am webnt 5lb 8oz and like the majority of big eels I've ever caught, was hooked perfectly in the top lip!

Hi all. I'm just wondering if anyone can help me regarding my lantern. I took it on a night session recently and as I was pumping it (saucy) the pump handle came off! By looking at the end of it I can see that it has a hole through the side of it, for a pin or such to hold it in place but it now won't pump. Any ideas how I can fit it back in to make it pump?

My girlfriend is a class act as well, even though I probably don't tell her as often as I should. I don't drive (pure lazyness by the way!) and she takes me and whoever my fishing partner is, anywhere we want. She doesn't profess to know anything about fishing but, bless her, she always compliments me on any decent fish I've caught and always prints off copies of fish I've caught and puts them down in my fishing room, so I guess I'm pretty lucky really!

I agree. I think the problem is lack of pike knowledge for some anglers who believe that because pike are predatory fish with large teeth, that you can do anything with them and they'll be fine. Too many anglers believe that it's just a case of chucking half a mackerel in and hauling out a pike. I also feel that some people who fish for pike are far too scared of the fish itself - I know I was the first time I caught one. All it needs is for people to become slightly more educated in pike welfare and handling. At the end of the day, a pike should be respected and treated with as much care as a 2oz gudgeon

Peter, would you class now as summer and do you think it is down to a lot of pikers just chucking a fish back in after capture and not ensuring they're adequately revived and fighting fit? I remember I caught my very first pike back at an estate lake in Norfolk called Blickling Hall and their pike season was only from October. Are there other regions in the UK that have this policy or just Norfolk?

You can get crayfish in Sainsburys and they taste pretty good

I think it is more down to the anglers than the alcohol itself. When I do a couple of nights with my mate, wherever it is, we always take a few beers, especially now the warmer weather is with us. There's nothing better than sitting outside the bivvy and having a couple of beers as the sun sets (hope that doesn't sound too camp!). We never start shouting etc. and make sure that the tinnies go straight into the bin liner, not leaving them strwen around the bank until morning. Unfortunately I have witnessed the other side of it, where some people find it necessary to make as much noise as possible with portable CD players etc. blaring out and generally making themselves look like a bunch of t**ts who've just had their first pint. I think it would be a shame for the majority of decent-minded anglers who like a couple of beers on the bankside if this was banned because of a minority of inconsiderate anglers but I wouldn't criticise the fisheries because at the end of the day, fish, fishery and fisherman safety is paramount.

Just got back from a reservoir down here in Devon where I managed to catch my PB pike which went 27lb 4oz. Had it on float-fished garfish section and it was the first cast of the day into a shallow, weedy bay. The float had hardly settled before I saw it gliding away. I knew it was half decent as it started taking line and as I saw it flash under the water I thought it was probably a mid double. It was only when it rolled into the net that I saw just how thick it was across its back - god knows what a 40lber looks like. [ 14. June 2005, 01:41 PM: Message edited by: MikeyP ]

I've had best success from early March to September so the time should be spot on for you

Thanks Anthony!!!!!!!!

This may sound like a stupid question, but I've just bought a 10" diameter CampinGaz heater head that you screw onto a gas cannister. The only problem is, unlike the gas cannisters I have, which all screw onto my cooker etc. this heater head has a male screw thread whereas my cooker et.c has a female screw thread and the heater head is (oo...er) male to male as they say. What cannister should I be using?

I've never fished slack lines up there Christian and have always used backleads with success. I've had as much success with hair-rigged red corn as I have had with any other baits so perhaps start off with this on one road. My advice would be to keep your rigs simple and don't ignore the banks, either your own or across the other side of the lake. As I said before, I've never really favoured one swim as they all seem to produce. Good luck

I normally cast to where I want it and then tie a small piece of power gum on the line just after the rod tip so each time I cast if the power gum's just after the tip, you know you're hitting the spot each time.

I'm going to be fishing a lake that doesn't allow leadcore and I was wondering which tubing was the best alternative.

Live locally and fish it quite a lot. It's an excellent water with no night fishing, which is probably why the fish are in such excellent condition. Your best bet is to fish a bottom bait in conjunction with a small pva bag of pellets, no need for chucking a load of bait in. The boilie that does the business is the Billett boilie which is made by a regular at Creedy. Give the number on the website creedylakes.co.uk a ring and she'll have some ready for you when you arrive. Fishing starts from 5am and finishes a few hours after sunset. You'll have to be there at the gate for 5am if you want to choose your swim as there's always a queue of people waiting at the gate. All areas of the lake fishes well but most of them tend to fish towards features, espeially the island.

I've just bought the ProLogic bib and brace for £60 from my local tackle shop and they're great. Very comfortable and extremely warm.

No probs at all, surprisingly. I had the mags on slow so I could really leather it without getting an over-run

Does anybody know where I can buy live sandeels around the Torquay/Brixham area?