Angly

Hmm, an interesting idea. In deep water and/or water with a particularly nasty undertow, your idea does seem to make sense to me (not that that's much of endorsement mind you!).

Super, thanks.

That's too funny!

My thoughts exactly, was going to post but didn't want to come across as Mr. Anti Shakespeare.

Be really great if all of us could meet up at one of the BBQs for a posed group photo for the AN wall.

The old 5000 series Baitrunner is comparable in size to the 4000 normals reels, in fact the spool is actually smaller in diameter (see pic). I wouldn't call the baitrunner loud though. 2500, 4000, 5000

It's never fails to amaze me how companies can spend large sums on advertising, yet the simplest things, e.g. keeping the website up and running (and Shakespeare are by no means the only tackle manufacturers to stumble here, Shimano did the same last year) are beyond them.

I was fishing a commercial with the family this past weekend, and whilst I supervised their margin whip fishing I chucked out a bite-alarmed ledger set up to some fish movement mid-lake. The lake was empty my end, but I guess I compromised a fair few swims fishing where I was. During the coarse of the morning and early afternoon I managed to catch a few tench and carp, which prompted some anglers from further down the lake to move and set up position opposite me. Even though it didn't look like they'd cross my lines, to be safe, and as I'd had a good run for my money, I wound in and changed to floater tactics for the final couple of hours of our session. It didn't kill me.

I think I recall this being discussed in the not too distant past here Rich. I think the end result after lengthy debate was that there was no consensus of opinion, different people valued different qualities in an angler. Is an angler who cannot travel far, and therefore can't fish for certain species necessarily a poor angler? Ditto specimen sized fish. Is an angler who has caught near record weight fish of all UK species, mainly through hours on bank, but has no affinity with nature a good angler? Does an angler have to be an expert at all methods and techniques, or master or some? Just some random thoughts off the top of my head before bed.

Obviously I know where a fishes shoulder is (for scale removal)...but I um, err, forgot (yes that's it, I forgot), so could someone remind me?

Lovely write-up as usual Janet, your lake sounds wonderful. Is it just me, the angle of that picture, or does that tench have an odd nose?

Perhaps they have too many customers in the UK and are looking to offload some to other tackle companies that actually give a damn?

..or Sad Naffs as we like to call them.

Probably because I'm thick, and certainly not because I'm an expert at either spodding or marking (actually, never done either!), but I wasn't sure what your method was trying to achieve anyway.

Great. Thanks Steve.

Will, thank you for the info and possible rod loan offer, but I think I'm covered now. Steve, thanks for the info. Terry, if I could borrow just one of your 2lb rods please? I'm OK for alarms and reels. I was going to partner my 1.5lb TC 'barbel' rod up with my old '80s 1.75lb TC 'carp' rod that I handed down to my eldest, but the logistics of picking it up before Wingham proved impossible. Does everyone attending, even those not partaking of the BBQ, intend to up rods and socialise at lunch time? Hope so. What time is the BBQ anyway? I'm trying to schedule my weekend.

Oh gawd, the excitement's killing me! As 'carpers' often catch large bream and tench whilst 'carping', i.e. casting out 2oz method feeders loaded with 4oz of bait, and of course in doing so they require a substantial test-curve rod (2.5lb or more usually), long winded but we're getting there, would it be OK to fish with a rod of this test-curve specifically for tench and bream at Wingham? In my arsenal I have a 1.5lb TC rod which of course will be pressed into service, but really want to fish a two rod attack, and my medium feeder rod is neither suited to the bite alarm/bobbin style of fishing or the heavy casting weights, my 2.75lb medium fast action rod however...

Now that's inventive. But either your mat is a lot larger than mine, or you're only 3' tall!

You'd need a pretty hefty rod to cast the 2-3 oz marker weight and a full spod (3oz just for the mini size) I would have thought.

Shy lot us anglers.

Hmmm, the shop boughts I have bought all sink, but my own sometimes float.

Welcome to Angler's Net Gordon, might help if you filled out your profile so that others can see where you are from. Have you applied for your Fishing Licence yet? Apply Online Here It's actually the closed season for fishing just now, although thankfully many non-river venues are still fishable.

Oh to have the time to fish two rods in the same swim, same bait, one with all the fancy mod-cons, and one with Sensor straight through to a plain hair-rigged cheapo Super Specialist. Be an interesting experiment.

What colour is the bottom of the coarse lake?