tiddlertamer

I fish rivers not too far from London – the Rivers Lee, Roding, Wey, Kennet and the Ouse in Sussex are the only rivers I have fished so far. Given the choice, I'd be happy catching anything! (Believe me: I know how to blank…) Realistically, though, I love catching Roach. Perch too. I'm sure that chub would also be great. Barbel are just a dream and I imagine it will be a few years before I target them though... So in conclusion, roach plus perch. Long trotting out in the countryside somewhere on a river that isn't too huge. I think the Thames, especially downstream stretches, would be a bit daunting for me. I’m happy to spend up to £300/400 maximum but that is for both the rod and reel. I love the idea that people still use split cane rods but, within my price range, I suspect a modern carbon fibre rod would be better. I’d also love a centre pin but as a beginner, I have enough problems casting and with tangles with my Mitchell fixed spool reel. I know a shop could provide advice but I’ve yet to build up a really trusting relationship with any particular salesman/shop owner. Views from users here would be really appreciated if you have bought something that really was very good.

I'm new to angling. I enjoy float fishing on rivers. I'm using a borrowed fibre glass legering quiver tip rod and mitchell reel. However, I want to get something new. What are the best gerneral purpose rods and reels on the market at the moment? What are the best specialist trotting rod and reels? Should I get a fixed spool reel or centrepin? I don't focus on any particular fish. It would just be great to catch soemthing regularly! I don't want to spend a ridiculous amount of money but neither do i want something cheap. I want something I'd be proud of, which works well and feels great.

I recently fished the River Wey at Farnham. The river was in flood and was a dirty tea stained colour. I have never legered so I tried trotting the river. I aslo tried putting a lot of maggots into a quieter pool and putting the float and hook into this quieter area. Nothing worked. When I trotted the river the float sped away at a very fast speed. At times it disappeared but no fish were on ther end of the line... I didn't get a bite all day... What tactics should I have adopted? Why was the float disappearing too? Apologies for the dumb questions but I am new to this angling lark... I don't mind blanking but a few fish, even small ones, would do wonders for my confidence.

Which stretch of the river Roding near Buckhurst Hill station is best. The part north of Roding Lane behind the David Lloyd Lesiure Centre or the part south of Roding Lane. What sort of fish doea the River Roding hold and what tactics are best to catch them at this time of year? (Winter)

Always good to know about free river fishing, especially near a station not too far from London. Methinks Horton Kirby is perhaps not quite the scenic countryside experience that I was looking for though. I just came across Chris Yates 'Falling in Again." (A splendid read...). He talks of the semi-urban surroundings of north-west Kent. According to Chris: "After a particularly dodgy night at Horton Kirby, which may have been a well-known carp water but was also, after dark, the setting for all kinds of other dubious activites, we felt we must make more effort to track down our own ideal pool." I am fascinated by the river Darent though. I believe it virtually ran dry in the early 1990s due to too much water extraction. I believe a lot of work has been done to bring the river back to life. How is it now? Much water? And of course, are there many fish? Are these fish the origianal wild fish of the river or have the Environment Agency restocked the river?

Am off fishing over the weekend on a wonderful chalk river. Will spend most of my trotting the stream. I have a couple of queries though... What float and shot is best used for casting long distances? I want to get involved in stret pegging the crease of the river where the flow dies down. Should I buy a rod rest or can I do this by holding the rod which I normally prefer? What size hook is best for catching decent roach? Spade hooks or eyed hooks? Should I use a hook length or tie direct to the line? What strength line is best? Should I abandon my Mitchell fixed rool speel and buy a centrepin? I was thinking of buying a JW Young centrepin (£250) and trotting rod (£125). Good value? Apologies for so many question! But, please let me know your views... Much appreciated... One day the tiddlertamer might well get the moniker of specimenangler... actually, the odd fish or two would suffice...

Thank you to everybody who has responded to this thread. I hope to fish each and everyone of these rivers over the next few months. I'll aim to post a report on each visit with details of how successful my tiddler taming has been... There's something about trotting a river which is magical as there is a real sense of movement. I'm wondering if fixed reel spools are the way forward though? Centrepins seem to be popular. However as someone who has only recently taken up angling, I am seriously bad at casting and tangle will surely become my nickname. Any views anybody on which reel I should be using? Keep those suggestions for beautiful spots to go river fishing near a station, not much more than an hour from London, rolling in. Many thanks Tiddler Tamer

I live in London and don't currently own a car - which restricts my options when going out fishing. I've only just dicovered angling but I have fallen in love with coarse fishing on small rivers. I'm learning to trot a float and occasionally freeline. My main problem is finding a spot on a beatiful stretch of river in the heart of the scenic countryside without having a car to get me there. Can anyone recommend a spot on a river not too far from London but also within reasonable walking distance of a station?