Peter Sharpe

I've seen many of those bags used as camera bags, in fact I'm currently using one myself. They're so cheap that it's worth buying two or three and filling them up as grab bags, for various types of fishing at a moment's notice.

The Trent, if nobody else was allowed to fish it.

To be honest, that mill pool looks completely silted up and might only have six inches of water over six feet of mud.

Thanks to those who remembered the title of Screaming Reels. Now I'm wondering what Strike was. Was it that horribly contrived match fishing series? I don't think anybody has mentioned The Fishing Race - so there, I've mentioned it. I thought Catching The Impossible was kind of okay, but I rarely want to watch it again, whereas Passion For Angling stands the test of time. Chris Yates annoyed me at times and nobody now likes to mention B*b J**mes, but I've actually become rather fond of Bernard Cribbins' softly spoken commentary. I'll admit to enjoying one or two of Robson Green's programme's, but mostly I'm appalled at the primitive attitudes of some of the contributors and of the appalling treatment dished out to the fish. River Monsters is much better because it manages to be completely original. I've kept my recording of the fascinating one about giant freshwater eels.

I remember getting a letter published in Angling Times many, many years ago, which I felt obliged to write praising The Secret Lake. Funnily enough, when it was repeated years later it didn't seem to have the same magic. I've been trying to remember a program on Channel 4, which was a real mixed bag of fishing interludes. Parts of it were really irritating and many people didn't like it at all, but I have a feeling that it might now be looked upon a little more kindly. One on its sections featured Neville Fickling and Dave Moore fishing on the Middle Level for zander. They were there for two days and absolutely nothing happened whatsoever. Another segment featured mullet fishing at a sewage outfall. One of the least liked set pieces was the appearance of a be-tweeded old duffer, who I assume was attempting to take off Terry Thomas. I'm sure that the production company is still producing programmes for Channel 4, because their style of punctuating scenes with graphis is very distinctive. Could the programme possibly have been called Strike, or is that another that has been lost in the mists of time?

I was looking forward to this and had recorded it. I really don't like to be critical, but I quickly found myself forwarding by 30 seconds and then quickly gave up. John Bailey just wouldn't shut up and started to get on my nerves. I would genuinely rather have had the more laid back Bernard Cribbins as Crabtree - they must have had to carry the script in a wheelbarrow. I suppose you have to make allowances for the low budget, but this came across like one of those cheap angling videos that you might pick up in Tescos. I know they could hardly afford Hugh Miles, but it was very poorly produced, so that just for once, it would have been far better to have been made by the production company that used to make those rather gimmicky angling shows on Channel 4 (I forget the name, but they used quirky animations between the different segments). Those programmes weren't to everyone's taste, but they knew how to mix up the visuals. A few more of Bernard Venables' original illustrations would have helped to break up the monotony and some underwater shots would have helped. Anything to lessen Bailey's non-stop, condescending patter. The worst crime was that it totally failed to capture the atmosphere in the way that Passion For Angling carried off so successfully. The budget was obviously a big constraint here, but I couldn't help thinking it was an opportunity wasted. The subject is simply crying out for the Chris Yates and Hugh Miles treatment. This seemed more like Bailey's own pet project and I'm afraid he blew it.

Where do you fish for dinks?

On returning after a long absence, it seems as if the site has lost all of its original character and has become absolutely obliterated with product placement and obtrusive advertising. In other words, it reminds me of why I gave up buying fishing magazines.

Many years ago, there were letters in the local Stamford Mercury, complaining about the aggressive behaviour of the drakes on the Welland at Stamford Meadows, which were aggressively raping the female ducks while holding their heads under the water. They demanded that something should be done to protect them, so I felt obliged to write in and led my support. " SIR - I thoroughly sympathise with last weeks correspondent's distress at witnessing the barbaric behaviour of the drakes on Stamford Meadows. Although this is clearly criminal behaviour, the police say their hands are tied, as potential witnesses feel too intimidated to come forward. On the one occasion that an attempt was made to prosecute, the case was eventually dropped when the victim failed to pick out any of the accused in an identity parade. An attempt was made to proceed with the lesser charge of lewd behaviour in a public place, but the Crown Prosecution Service decided that it wasn't in the public interest to continue, so that all charges were eventually dropped. Personally, I blame it on their exposure to rap music and demand that all radios and such-like, should be banned from The Meadows with immediate effect."

Probably a boat going past, trailing countless yards of braid and accumulated debris in its wake, then tangling around the legs of the goose. I've been snagged by boats countless times on the Trent, often when the boat has gone well past me.

I seem to remember seeing a photo several years ago, of two anglers holding a catfish that was estimated at 200 pounds. It was published in several national newspapers as well as the angling press and I'm sure it looked considerably bigger than that.

The ET also printed a "Factfile" on several reported poaching incidents over the last month, where the culprits were almost certainly foreign nationals. These people were setting longlines as well as using nets, so the fish were obviously being caught to eat (one group was even caught setting up a barbecue). On the other hand, there was a group of English crooks from Boston, who were setting nets in local pits and stealing the fish to sell for re-stocking purposes.

Classic. This really ought to go into a special section all of its own Thanks for that. After a crappy week that's really cheered me up

Nice dace.

Small hands... those were the words I was looking for