Dick Dastardly

I thought leuciscus reffered to the higher classification? But agree that's what has been the generally accepted Latin name!

Nice one mate much appreciated. Going to have a hunt around and order some.

Many thanks Steve. Is it easy enough to get a good result? and do you know if it is easily brought from any suppliers rather than on line? (p&p a bit heavy!)

Ive got the Lumby mesh on both my 46" triangular bank net and my 30" round boat net. The mesh is good in that all though not rubberised it is very tightly woven and as such the trebles don't get caught in it. Only negative is that the mesh is a bit larges and you need to be carefull not to split fins. I recently bought the SG folding net to try it as a "roving" net for lure fishing/wobbling sessions along the Thames. The mesh is superb...but sadly the net itself wasn't for me. I needed a folding net I could erect single handed whilst playing a fish and also one I could reach the water with from embankments, sadly didn't fit any of these requirements! Recomended both though as only real options available (although I believe Fox does a rubberised mesh net, but its very expensive for what it is and like SG you cant just buy the mesh) "Plastidip" Steve? talk to me!

Either stick one of these on your existing frame or take a look at the Savage Gear rubberised net- http://dlstshop.co.uk/epages/ef306bf6-9000-48f9-adb4-f2d1c35cd9f5.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/ef306bf6-9000-48f9-adb4-f2d1c35cd9f5/Categories/9 http://www.harrissportsmail.com/en/Savage-Gear-Folding-Rubber-Mesh-Landing-Net/m-17542.aspx?gclid=CJON6ePo0sQCFVPMtAodc04Apw&utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=UnitedKingdom

Good idea mate. Will be well settled in at Horning by next Pike season so will have to see if we can persuade Newt and Bobby to come over for some proper fishing!

Glad to see your still alive Peter! soon be joining you in lovely Narfolk! will have to meet up as been to long.

Chris I don't have any spare 300's in truly collectable condition as I sprayed most of mine I had them so long! But MAY have a 300C in original state that's not to bad condition and will surely have a 300S (as I only stopped using them for my bream/tench fishing 5 or so seasons back!) I will dig out the best looking examples and you are more than welcome to them. I presume you are coming to Wingham so can sort them by then and have there for you.

Im loving it up here on the Thames Dave, So much variety and good quality fishing in such a relatively small area. Wished I had moved up ages ago and going to really miss it when we move. If I could afford property here and the business opportunity as good I would be cancelling the move to Norfolk! but afraid its not going to be viable

One of my regular haunts this season Dave. If we are still here come summer give me a yell and will arrange a few days there to catch up. Rivers very unpredictable at the moment.

I had a ten year period of bad health Bob that nearly saw me packing it all in but Ive been lucky and seem to be on the mend. Hope things improve for you as well. Angling is many things but above all has to be enjoyable, I hope you long continue to find it so. Best of luck.

I think its quite normal Bob and nothing to worry about! I treat it the same as others have said and just take my fishing a bit more "casual". A return to "pleasure fishing" with the old seat box and one rod does wonders! a few weeks doing this without are the hastle of multiple rods, inactivity and long sessions soon "re vitalises" me and I'm then back to "normal" I can certainly see the day coming when I give up "specimen hunting" for good but as I started "pleasure fishing" and will no doubt finish doing the same it strikes me as about right!

Nice one John! seems him upstairs definitely looks after his troops!

Yup not me Paul (Tinca tinca) was/is your man

Email me your address Rich bass-online@hotmail.com

Phone it varies a bit between match fishing and other types but I feel the matchmens rules are fair when applied by others as well. Basicly its really simple! in running water your swim is from your marked peg down to the guy below you's peg. If their are pegs (with anglers in the same competition) opposite you then an imaginary line is drawn down the middle of the river. In still water your peg is the centre of your swim with the left and right boundaries being again imaginary lines between you and your two neighbours.

All my Perch rigs are free running even my sunk float paternoster rigs. I very rarely deadbait for them as although the Burkester has had a lot of sucsess with deads I've allways struggled and found lives and worms better. My only experience with bolt rigs and Perch is the same as others have mentioned ie when maggot fishing with a method feeder for Tench. I found I was still deep hooking. So much so in fact that that particular year on that water I stopped using the set up due to the amount of accidental Perch I was killing. Circles Ive have mixed results with for Perch. Didn't think they were going to improve the hook up ratio (if anything a bit worse) but had hoped they would avoid deep hooking. Like I said mixed results yes not many were deep hooked (all though the hook can still "trip" on the gill rakers! ) but also fewer sucsessfull hook ups!

Thin Lipped Mullet for me. Thick Lips can be nigh on easy in comparison at times!

Think Im with Mathew in that the swim is the water in front of the peg on the bank.

Sorry to read this Andy. "The Poachmeister" had a deep love of fishing and although (like myself) he could be outspoken and controversial at times he at least cared enough and was strong enough in his conviction to post what he thought! and simply because he not only wanted to protect his beloved pike but also help others understand/learn. I "met him" through AN many years back but like a lot of others from here I went on to "know him" on other online media and through regular conversations. Like many I never got to meet him in person. I'm saddened by this and also feel for you Andy as I'm sure you will miss him. Yes very sad but I for one am glad to have had the chance to have known him (even though it was only in the "virtual" sense). I'm in no doubt he will be missed but like other great AN'rs who sadly passed will never be forgotten. Crying shame I never did get my "Absent friends" Bench project to fruition as Andy "Poachmeister" McFarlane would have definitely had a place on it. Cant say no more. RIP mate.

I can totally relate to that! lost nearly all my photos and the bulk of my book collection a short while ago when our garage flooded. Wish I had taken a few more recent ones (digital).

Now that's one carp that could have picked up one of my eel baits and I wouldn't have moaned!

I thought the original question was "what's the difference" Rusty! Same as you I had thought it all quite simple till recent purchases made me aware of them being available in both materials and in both tapers. I'm still not 100% sure why we need all these variations to be honest but in simple "Budgie World" I'm happy (until I do understand or find a situation that shows me) to stick to fast taper in both, using the carbon for drop backs on flowing water and glass for "pull arounds" if ever I quiver tip in still water or rivers to slow to enable "drop backs"! My choice of fast taper is that I feel these are more "stable" yet still sensitive as slow and parralell "bounce" around more (again why I can believe the "accentuates the bite theory") And the choice of material even more simple as due to carbons faster recovery rate it "springs back" more positively than glass and the glass being "softer" offers less resistance(?) when "pulled around"! A mystery! I wonder what Drennan would say? Might email Trev Brownlow if I get time and see what their take on it is.

Do we need to photograph/weigh every fish we catch? Interesting question with many (equally justified) answers. Down to the individual and situation really. Not something (that all though I personaly NOW chose not to photo or weigh a great deal) I would like to dictate to others. I would however ask all to consider "do I need to weigh/photograph this fish" rather than doing it automaticly. But surely the issue is that if people do decide to that it should be done with the least harm/potential harm to the fish? Not only does this mean having the correct equipment but using it correctly as well. My pet hate for some years now are the people "lecturing" us about welfare (be it cradles/mats/time out of water/rigs/Klinic or what ever!) and their trophy photos all show fish being held out at arms length! When I've challenged several of these people I've received some interesting replies- "Its ok its over a mat/cradle" or my favourite "I know when they are going to kick"! So it seems fish welfare is paramount..... as long as it doesn't interfere with an exagerated trophy shot! Im afraid that NO mat or cradle is going to save a dropped fish. Of course though we need to be realistic and accept that (like it or not) as fishermen we must always strike a compromise between fish welfare and our sport... simply as if welfare was our paramount concern we simply wouldn't fish and just leave them be!

It was only recently that I became aware of the fact that both materials were available in both tapers! I brought as pair of Drennan Big River feeder rods from the dreaded Ebay as I have never been that taken with the Blue Diamond twin tip specialist rods I have been using (caught plenty on them just have a rather stiff and strange action) and as Ive been doing so much more feeder fishing on a big river (Thames) than Ive done for many years could justify "up rating". Rods didn't have tips with them so I had to get some new ones. It was only then I saw that slow taper (both carbon and glass) were available.