Rusty

Nice to meet up Chris. I had a similar perch return just around the corner from you in a shaded swim and just one dace from the canal lower down. Boat traffic was heavier than I thought it would be with hire boats having to get back to the mooring sharpish. Witnessed some hapless boaters trying to fill a lock with a downstream paddle wide open, it was so amusing I had to watch for a couple of minutes before I told them.

Well done Chris, nice to see the crucians coming out, pretty little things aren't they. I tried that swim early season but blanked, there are quite a few lilies in the lake but in most swims the tape stops you fishing to them. If I remember correctly that’s one of the few spots where you can. Did you do that or was it MF tactics?

They can't be that old;

That's the one I bought but with a TFG logo. I don't find it to be very light at all, I think the frame is made of steel.

If I’m going to be mobile (which is most of the time) I use a wicker basket for my float fishing trips. Provided it isn’t built around a metal frame they can be surprisingly light and if constructed properly very robust. Mine supports my 15st of finely honed torso although I don’t sit on it all day. The downside is that most will not have compartments and I’ve yet to see a waterproof wicker basket but if you are travelling light putting your tackle into separate containers wouldn’t be too inconvenient, that’s what I do. I also have a TFG ultralight seat box which I bought before the basket, it has two trays with compartments and loads of pockets but is anything but light even when empty. I much prefer the basket.

I'm surprised that Chris Plumb hasn't replied yet......I'll do so on his behalf - I can hear everybody groaning because they know what's coming. You need look no further than the Harrison GTi, a bit old now and so not as light as say the Drennan Acolyte but in my opinion a superb all round float rod, budget around £200 for a new one. I use the 15' hollow tip version for trotting but it's equally at home on stillwater, shorter versions are available I think. It's landed 10lb carp and more recently an 8lb barbel in a fastish flow but it's versatile enough to deal with silvers without bumping them off. I've looked at Acolytes and been tempted (they weigh next to nothing) but I always reach the conclusion that for all round float fishing the GTi is very hard to beat. It's robust as well, a lot of my fishing involves roaming around overgrown venues and inevitably there are a few tree prodding mishaps, it's survived so far.

I use those too, I've had them for a couple of years now and they're still going strong.

A centrepin is the best reel for float fishing flowing water, in my opinion that's the only time where it's better than a fixed spool reel. Its greatest strength is in the control you have over the speed/direction of the float and hence bait presentation. My casting distance with a 4g float is limited to about 20 yards if the wind is behind me, half that if it's in my face. A lot of people say that the direct connection to the hook (rather than going through loads of gears) provides much better feel when playing fish but I'm not totally convinced by that. Trotting a float is a very enjoyable way to fish, I spend most of my time doing that so have become comfortable using a centrepin. If I'm going to fish another method, say ledgering flake for chub then I'll use a fixed spool reel because it's a better tool for that particular job.

Let's call it a crucian John. Congratulations, you are the British record holder, I will personally endorse your s'tifcate. I'm no night fisherman either, even when I have managed to set everything up correctly and caught something it's not been an enjoyable experience. I need to see what's going on.

This is the best I've got, doesn't show all of the pool but does give an idea of the view from the bridge. Imagine the carnage if the hydro scheme gets built;

Nice catch Ian but I’m afraid without photographic verification it’s not eligible for the ‘AnglersNet Largest Float Caught Barbel Competition’. Shame really because it was larger than mine but rules are rules. By my reckoning I’m still in the lead .

I used to but not now. If I take much more than this it's because I can park the car right next to where I'm fishing...which isn't very often.

Bugger! I’d forgotten about this trip and would’ve popped along for a cup of tea had I remembered. My Thames Lock and Weirpool ticket only allows me to fish my favourite Thames section from the bank after October so it’s no surprise that I’ve had my best sessions later in the season. Having said that I’ve fished off JV44’s boat (which is within the rules) during the summer months and in my opinion it’s not the best time of year, I was with him a couple of weeks ago and trotting did produce a string of silvers but nothing of any size. I tried lobs float fished right next to the boat which has been very effective for decent sized perch but no sign of even the tiddlers on that occasion. JV44 fishes the Thames during summer far more frequently than I do so may have a different view but I suspect he’ll share mine, it’s better fishing from autumn onwards.

Took my car in for a 60k mile service yesterday and was pleased to find that Mr Volvo estimates my brake pads to be only 40% worn. Not bad and particularly good when you consider that at the last service 12k miles ago they were estimated to be 50% worn I could be a wealthy man if I can find the secret.

And me please! Sod the boat and sod the fishing can we just go to Rick PadStein's for lunch?

It's been a really shitty year so far...and we're only half way through it.

I'd like to agree with that but I can't. If you don't believe in a cause you can't lead towards it, at some point your conscience will be compromised (if MPs have a conscience). I see the Labour resignations as a good thing, get rid of the dead wood and get people in who believe in what needs to happen....a coalition right now might be a good idea.

Thank you, it got better. I popped into my local for a celebratory pint of ale this evening only to find that I'd won the pub's weekly bonus ball draw prize of sixty quid. Dinner was nice.

Would you believe it? The times I’ve spent the opening week of the season off work standing mid-river trickling maggots in for hours all to no avail, my barbel catching ability is mediocre at best and that’s being generous. This season I couldn’t get the time off work so have been limited to short sessions at weekends. Yesterday’s pleasant trotting session got rained off early (in spectacular fashion) so today I went back to the same swim just to finish off the ½ pint of maggots I had left. Seeing the float go under very first trot wasn’t unusual, it often happens here but what was completely unexpected was the resistance I felt when I lifted the rod. The river was full, and quite fast, I had a 4lb hooklength tied to a 16 hook which in turn was attached to something very large and angry! Once I’d got over the initial shock tactics were to hold firm and hope, if I’d let it go downstream I’d never have got it back. Luckily the barbel seemed happy to kite from side to side and after 10 minutes it’d tired sufficiently for me to gain line and land it. Eight pounds and six ounces, I’m really chuffed with this and have only just calmed down;

That's a bold statement, would be interested in your sources. There's a real risk here that resentment caused by the result could be more harmful than the actual effect. It's done and we can either sit back, do nothing and wait for regression or we can grasp the opportunity.

I think those 'remainers' who thought it was a foregone conclusion and so didn't vote are regretting it more, might be a fair few among these petitioners; http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36629324

Here you go Chesters;

I have them Chesters but don't have a scanner at home so I'll scan them at work tomorrow and either PM them to you or post them up here.

What a nice pic Chris and thank you for organising the day. Which one of those two anglers doesn't own an umbrella.

I also had a very enjoyable day at Marsh Farm with Mat and the IAC, a 2-08 PB crucian was enough for joint first place in the informal 'match', and thinking back it might well be my first of this species. What a great venue it is, though the advice that night time was the best time to fish certainly proved to be true. I arrived at 06:30 to find the gates open and Mat already there so we setup and stated fishing. Most bites came in the morning, I had a tench of 4lb 'ish and then the crucian both on float fished red maggot. There was hardly any action during the afternoon rain showers and my ledgered corn was ignored all day. I left at 18:00 completely forgetting about Royal Ascot and the disruption it would cause on my route, three hours later I got home having picked up a doner kebab, from a van in Sainsburys car park (no ill effects so far). It won't be long before I go back but next time it will be with bivvy for an overnight session;