BoldBear

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I also find this hard to answer; as it depends on the time of year and the fish I'm after at that time. Should it be the Diawa Amorpherous Whisker float rods that I've had for donkies years and still find a joy to use for float fishing?. Or should it be the Diawa Powermesh 2lb carp rods that Ive also had for donkies years and still use for Flood work for Barbel and Floater fishing for Carp and fishing at range for Tench? Or should it be my new Greys Prodigy Barbel rods that look and feel like they will be my latest all rounders for Tench, Chub, Carp, Barbel and even big river Roach. I think I will plump for the latter (Greys Barbel rods) as they feel like they would be suitable for almost everything that I fish for.

Because non anglers saved a couple of waters doesn't make it the norm. Where were the non-anglers when we had to save thousands of fish on the Grand Union Canal when a stretch of it was accidentally drained when all the locks were left open? NO-WHERE even though it was caused by non-anglers (but the EA was there with us), where were the non-anglers when we had the fish in our lake completely wiped out for the third time by pullution from a goverment blood products company? NOWHERE (but the EA was there with us), where were all these concerned non-anglers when the fish where wiped out on the Parrot, the Colne and the Lea? etc. etc. etc. If it has an impact on their sport (canoeing, sailing, bird watching etc.) then they would help but the average person who cares about the wildlife would not even know (or care) if the fish were absent because they would not normally see them (being below the water it is normally out of sight and out of mind). NB. Funny how you never see any anti-anglers trying to save the fish in these cases either. I agree that the payment could be collected differently although having people dealing with dishing out cash for water preservation working under the same boss as the people who are dealing with consenting for companies who wish to extract water or put their outlets into rivers seems a bit contradictary with a conflict of interests. Also maybe the environment costs should be shared by other water sports as well?. But to the question of whether we should pay (regardless of the method of payment) then in my view the answer is a definite yes; as I can't see it being high on the priority list for a goverment who is strapped for cash if it was included in a general water charge for everyone. Whenever we have needed air pumps, boats etc. after a pollution we have usually had them supplied when we asked the EA (including the personel to help man them if needed). Although we also get the ACA involved to deal with taking tests and taking the offending polluters to court. NB. Why dont you carry the licence in your fishing jacket? if you use different tackle bags? or even in the car if you wear different jackets?

Size 20 is a bit small for normal sized corn but if you are only after the Roach and are currently catching with it then fine, However if the corn is the smaller stuff I would use size 16 hooks but if it is normal sized corn I would use either a size 14 or even try 2 grains on a size 12 if there was a good chance of a Carp picking it up. If the roach are very finicky in the colder weather, try a pinkie on a size 20 hook, they are like normal maggots but are half the size and it can be a great bait on waters where they are only used to seeing maggots. They last a lot longer before turning to casters too. you can also try a 1lb to 2lb hooklength as well which could give you more bites. NB. Its not only small fish that like them either so you may need to step up to 3lb line and use double pinkie on a size 18 hook once you get them feeding well. dont forget to catapult out a few (half a dozen) every minute or so, especially once they start feeding. NB. in the summer you may need to increase the loose feed.

Hi Miroku, Welcome, where do you live and what kinds of fishing do you like? BB

Hi Andy, If there was a hooklength that was suitable for catching both small roach and 15lb carp then it would be terrific; however; If you want to catch silvers (roach, Rudd etc.) then you will need to be fishing with a light hooklength (from 1 to 4lb) or else your bites will drop off very dramatically; likewise if you want to catch 15lb Carp then you will need to step up your Hooklength (approx 5 to 10lb) to be able to handle them particularly in waters with lillies and other snags where you may even need to go heavier. So you will have to fish one or the other if you want to have a decent chance of catching them. Yes I know that you can occasionally catch big carp on fine lines but that is the exception to the rule and it is not in the carps best interests to be swimming around with broken line hanging from its mouth. Why don't you get a cheap carp rod and 8lb or 10lb line and fish for the carp on the carp rod while you float fish for roach with the normal rod?. or if there are some decent Tench and Bream in the water why don't you fish for them instead of the roach with 5 or 6lb line and still give yourself a fighting chance to land a 15lb Carp when one comes along? Tight Lines BB

Just a small point: The Salmon does not normally feed in fresh water and only snatches at shrimps/lures etc that are fluttered in front of its nose out of instinct. Salmon do not actively search/hunt for food fish in fresh water. (well thats what I read anyway). The books are full of examples of disastrous effects on native fish/animals that have been introduced in the past by well meaning people who have introduced non-native species into the country. If you want to fish for LargeMouth Bass then take a fishing holiday to America. So there would be automatically more sick/wounded fish for this extra population of fish would there? or are you expecting the new species to just push the existing species out of the picture (eg. as the Signal crayfish and Turkish crayfish did to our native crayfish which as been virtually wiped out??) No keep it to our Native fish and don't be tempted to add Non-Native fish which could change the eco-system and put existing fish at danger. Its bad enough with the existing foreign fish species that have been illegally or legally introduced already.

You have forgotten one of the most important items: The Landing net. Sounds like you do the match fishing style of fishing so you will also need a good soft-wheeled trolly to get your tackle/tacklebox to your swim without scaring all the fish for miles, plus two good Carp friendly keepnets (If you are going to fish matches). BB

Nice one Darren! Cracking fish. If you can be hooked at this time of year then just wait till the spring arrives; there is nothing like being at a water on an early spring or summers morning while the rest of the world is still in bed. You have chosen one of the best hobbies there is. BB

How long does it take to show your licence to someone? When I was a committe member/bailif; I used to check everyone regularly for an EA licence as well as for a Club licence/Day ticket (Unless I remembered them showing me it on a recent check). Likewise I would have expected them to check me if they didn't recognise me or I fished another clubs waters. After all we are all too quick to start moaning when we never see an EA bailif arent we?. The EA do quite a few things that are not readilly known, and they are certainly better than they used to be. Also see this link which shows Graham Marsdens Interview with the EA BB

I usually use 1.7lb TC Greys Prodigys or 2lb Diawa Powermeshs when fishing close to medium range; both on which I have caught Carp up to around the 20lb mark on and they have both handled fish of this size admirably. I think that unless you are casting heavy leads/PVA bags etc. to the horizon and also need to pull hooks home at distance then the new trend to use high test curve rods when fishing the smaller waters is usually un-necessary. Also the lower test curve rods don't tend to rip the hooks out through the rod being too stiff close in; as there is always a bit of extra give. The lighter test curve rods are also excellent rods for floater fishing where you want a gentle cast to the pads etc. But if I am fishing at range with PVA bags etc. or for larger Carp (25lb plus) then I will step up the TC of my rods. So I think it depends on where and what you generally use them for mostly.

The lack of brain power of these people always amazes me. If they are caught lock them up for years and throw away the keys; don't just fine them. as they probably don't have enough sense to hold down a regular paying job anyway and wouldn't pay it. Stupid prats!! Lets hope they catch them/him/her soon!

"Is there any reason why after months of going to this pond and not really seeing many carp all of a sudden i was catching them .cheers any way for reading my drivel has any one got any more tips i love catching fish but i really only like float fishing any more tips on catching carp on the float it was brilliant" Hi Andy, Glad you had such a good day. I also sometimes like catching Carp on the float. But don't fall into the trap of thinking that only novices fish for smaller fish on the float as you can learn more about the fish in your lake and their feeding habits in different water conditions (plus a host of other watercraft skills) than someone who just fishes for Carp with a couple of rods sitting on buzzers all day. and you can therefore be a much better angler in the long term. I am not saying that Carp fishing isn't enjoyable or skillful, because it can be. I also enjoy Carp fishing, but there are thousands of new anglers out there who have just bought a couple of carp rods and some boilies and just spent their time sitting behind buzzers thinking that Carp are the only fish worth fishing for; without even knowing how to catch other fish; then when they have got fedup with it they have just given it up. So top marks to you. Perhaps the carp were not being spooked by the casting of large weights into the pond, or it may have been a combination of rising water temperatures, less boilies being catapulted in, wind from the southwest or west? air presure had risen? who knows, but I'm glad you had a great day. I sometimes float fish for the carp in our estate lake and I usually fish with 6lb or 8lb line, size 6 or 8 hook and use the lift method where you fish over depth with a large shot about 3 to 6 inches above the hook; after casting you wind down on the float untill it cocks correctly; when the carp sucks in the bait the shot comes up off the bottom and the float usually rises and falls flat on the surface, or just sails away. Its a great method in the summer both for Carp and Tench (and other sizeable fish). However because the weight near the hook makes the hooklength fly ahead of the float on the cast; you cannot really fish to the nearside of lilies (only to the side of them) and if I want to fish in front of lillies or up against an island I use a loaded bodied waggler called an 'onion waggler' with 80% of the shot up against the float which has the effect of makng the hooklength fly behind the float on the cast making it easy to fish the float tight to obstructions. Anyway good luck and tight lines. If you get fedup with Carp you can try for the really good fighters (size for size) like Barbel in rivers; which is Chris yates favourite fish (and mine) even though he's caught Carp over 50lb. BB

Quote from Pangolin: Whether rods are designed for a specific species or method, they are usually also excellent tools for other fish and methods too. I get away with using the following six rods for 95% of my fishing over the year: 1 x 12' Diawa Poweresh 2lb tc Carp - Used regularly for Barbel, Tench and surface feeding Carp 1 x 12' Greys Prodigy 1.7lb Barbel Rod - Used regularly for Barbel, Tench, Crucians, Bream, Chub and Carp. 2 x 11' John Wilson Avon/Quivers - Used regularly for small stream Barbel Chub & Roach & stillwater Tench, Crucians, Bream and small Carp. 1 x Diawa 14' Multimesh Heavy Float Rod - Used regularly for float fishing for Tench, Crucians, Bream, Chub and small Carp. 1 x Diawa 13' Multimesh Light Float Rod - Used regularly for light float work with fine lines for Roach, Rudd, Dace and other silver fish. Plus another four rods that I use a few times each year: 2 x Carp Rods (2.75lb) - Used half a dozen times a year for Carping or Piking. 1 x Shakespeare 50g Spinning/plugging rod - Used half a dozen times a year for Pike. B.James R.Walker MKV avon split cane - Use 2 or 3 times a year for trotting with the Pin just for pleasure. All the other rods just sit in my fishing tackle room gathering dust waiting for the day when I just might get round to using them again if ever. As a registered fishing looney I (like many others of my age) have upwards of 25 carbon rods, 3 Whips plus a Pole but normally only ever use a few favourites. BB.

I agree, not much of a deterrent is it! (£18,000 ). We got £22,000 about 15 years ago plus £2,000 per year to pay for getting the water tested each year by Bernice Brewster etc. when our small estate lake was polluted by 'Blood Products' in Elstree; after we threatened to bring it to the publics attention and get it raised in parliament by our local MP as well as receiving help from the ACA. 'Blood Products' had done it several times in the previous years. It was far cheaper for them to regularly pay out that sort of money to us than it would cost them to take their waste away via tankers etc. Fortunately we no longer have pollution from them since they re-directed their outlet pipe around our lake several years ago; instead of into the inlet stream, and they also dug a settling pond on their land. So £18,000 is peanuts and not much of a deterrent at all these days; from a company like Anglian Water. The only problem is that as chesters1 says; they would just pass it on to their customers, so perhaps there should be personal liability insurance which would be denyed to them if they continued to do it? then the directors would be personally liable to pay fines and compensation?.

A bit off track maybe but Pedigree Chum Mixers used to be made so that if you soaked them over night in water you could get them to be of a soft jelly consistancy which still floated. We used to use them on our shallow estate lake floating at any depth over a small leger weight (sometimes at half depth or less). we used to have trouble making them stay on the hook when casting more than three rod lengths out but we used to catch lots of fish on them and not only carp but Bream, Tench, Rudd etc. I think that they are now made differently but if you find a type that still turns to jelly when they've been over soaked it may be worth trying in this manner, you may be surprised how good they can be even for the slightly smaller species. BB

Nice fish, My appetite is duly whetted. Im hoping to try out a few new lures this sunday so I hope I also have a good session like you did. Nice one.

Thanks for all the excellent advice, I'm looking forward to trying some of the lures and methods that you have mentioned. I also have a couple of smaller spinning rods (5g & 30g) so I can also try some of the lighter lures for other fish as well. I will be spending a few quid on some new lures this weekend. Although I won't giveup on the the Big S ones completely. Thanks again tight lines Quote from Puzzled: I'm a bit wary of giving the exact location online in-case I turn up and find dozens of Pike anglers there already; before I've even had a chance at them; but it is between Odell and Milton Ernest . Quote from ModelCitizen: See link--> Big S Plugs Thanks again for all your help. BB

Thanks jeff Ill give it a go. I've also thought about using some of those rubber fish-like lures with paddle tails or soft curley tails to impart a fish like movement but I thought I would ask for advice first. Thanks again for your advice. BB

In the past I have caught lots of Pike on deadbaits, livebaits and even on sink and draw, but not very many at all on spinning baits. I have a nice 50g spinning rod which Ive used for plugging with the old 'Big S' type plugs and I've got approximately 25 different ones; however; I have never had much luck on them. I've tried fast and slow retrieves, sink and draw tactics near to snags, high in the water and near the bottom but apart from the odd one; I still seem to have only the occasional pike following the lure without taking it. Perhaps the plugs/lures that I am using are not the best ones or I am not presenting them properly?. What do you suggest (other than giving up lure fishing)? What are the most productive types of lures, and what sizes should I be using for small Lakes, Gravel Pits and rivers like the upper Great Ouse? NB. I fish part of the upper Great Ouse where some big pike (20 pounders approx) are often seen attacking shoals of silverfish but hardly anyone fishes for them so I would love to have a go after them. BB

I usually manage to tempt a few Tench around March when the water has warmed a little more consistantly. I usually use two rods with a 4" to 5" link leger and around 18" hooklength with 4lb line and a size 8 or 10 hook with 'Active X' or similar pellets or lobworm cast out near where the Pads will be coming up from soon. Our estate lake has a closed season from April 1st till May 31st to give the bankside vegetation a chance to recover but in June the Tench really start to get their heads down and catching them on the float is what I enjoy most. Anyway; Good luck and tight lines BB

Team Man describes it exactly for me: The things that I will remember most of all are the really early summer mornings when the mist is drifting on the river and the church bells are ringing and the woodpidgeons are cooing in the background, together with the anticipation of catching some of those lovely brassy scaled chub; before most people have got out of bed. Those are the really magic moments that I remember. Or an early morning watching a heron moving silently around, sometimes being followed by a magpie (hoping to snatch some fish from the heron) amidst the early morning bird chorus. together with the anticipation of the first Barbel bite on a nice quiet river, or of the float quietly being pulled away by a nice red-eyed Tench amongst the lilly pads on a nice picturesc estate lake. Its these atmospheric moments which I find are some of my most favourite moments in fishing.

Even though I used to be in the Royal Navy; I am not so keen on fishing for game fish from a boat at sea. I have always wanted to catch a mahseer from a river in India. they look so powerful and it always looks so exciting.

Surely thats the same with Coarse fishing not everyone catches fish but we still need to pay for a NRA licence if we catch or not. But at least the NRA licence fee pays towards the upkeep of the waters and stocking plans, not all anglers see this but it does goes on. I haven't seen the details but what will it be spent on if the sea anglers have to pay for a licence even if they fish in estuaries?

Sad G*ts. Sounds like theres a lot of ignorant anoracks in the Green party in Germany!