Dick Dastardly

Good explanation Steve. Your often put at a disadvantage here Phone as our style of fishing and most of our species arev so different to you. Its good that people like Steve remember that and try to explain as your input is always valued.

Top idea Steve! Strange as I was going to suggest that maybe at the right time of year/tide etc course guys could do the same at Samphire. Unless big tide pulls are present its amazing how many sea venues can be tackled with freshwater gear...and how much fun it is! Im 100% up for iot so if you do and Im not about on AN please let me know

Tony if all the gear festering in the shed was doing the business two years ago then why replace it other than just for your personal pleasure? and if it wasn't doing the business back then whys it still in your shed and not down the dump?

Do you know what Tony even though its not a million miles from me Ive never fished of Samphire! Not been there since I was working for TML and it was the Tunnel marshalling area! I very rarely sea fish these days a not much gear left but yes I would be up for a get together there.

My worry as well Steve as even if the rain stops now there is just so much water to run off. But we will have to wait and see.

Not on much these days due to one thing and another but has there been any talk/news of a LIF "fish in" for this year?

Yes "CLASSIC AN" Don't see so much (if any) of this sort of thing now and hence why I am so rarely on so much these days. Sorry to hear you dropped out of the syndicate as well Andrew but quite understandable.

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/coarse-fishing-articles/pike-fishing-rivers.html Might be of some help mate.

At the weekends British Carp and Angling show there were a LOT of people moaning about both the big companies and the show itself! Quite normal amongst us small time companies!!! but this year it was the anglers them selves. In the old days "Tackle shows" were an opportunity for companies (both big and small) to showcase themselves and more importantly their new products. Gave anglers a chance to see what was available,what was new, chat to the guys who design/make/sell gear.... You couldn't buy (in general) at the shows. Many anglers started to complain about this and said how daft it was that you could see a new product but not buy it. For us in the trade the shows were all about promoting our companies and products. We initially would actually lose money attending them.As such the prices to exhibit reflected this so most could afford to come along,show their gear and treat the expence (cost of stand,staff,travel,accommodation etc etc) as a necessary expense. When the show organisers heard anglers complaining about not being able to buy so not coming anymore they lifted the no selling "rule"......this resulted in the shows becoming massive "tackle shops" Kind of good as anglers could buy discounted gear and get good deals.......but the downside was this appealed to the big retailers and they now attend all these shows! they take a LOT of dough and the organisers see this and the prices now reflect this!! so much so that many companies just cant afford to attend. My own company still does but we have to buy and sell a lot of items that we don't really class as "ours" to cover our costs to "promote" ourselves. The result of this is that most shows now resemble giant tackle boot fairs! Loads of bargains loads of big RETAILERS still the BIG manufacturers (who still incidently don't sell direct) BUT ALL THE SAME! nothing much new and in fact lots of cheap tat to just shift! This weekend I had lots of anglers actually saying this to me as well! So my question is who would prefer to go back to seeing the new gear and new companies and who is quite happy just to go along and see Eric's Angling ,Angling Direct, Fox Vale etc etc selling all the same gear and at much the same price?

Shimano 4010's Rich. Still hold quite a high price but if your in no hurry you will be able to get them at £35-£40 each on Ebay.

Spot on mate and because of this we fall right in to these companies marketing ploys! like lambs to the slaughter. Im supprised that the "sheep" haven't already leaped to these companies defence!

Often hear British "manufacturers" bleating about the extra cost they allow for in their pricing is to cover "development costs" I ask one question......what development? This is especially in regard to rods. I've seen nothing "new" for many many years! AND as Steve quite rightly says in his last sentence....... Morally? Well I agree buying a "fake" item is not right as you are stealing the "intellectual property" (or more accurately supporting the seller of the fake in doing so) but how do we define fake? A fake is surely a "copy" (regardless of quality) but in many cases the unbranded item and branded item are one and the same! same materials, same manufacture, same quality...THE SAME ITEM (again as Steve says a "generic item" just that some are brought buy a company that puts their sticker on them (In fact the Chinese manufacturer will do this for them!) So who is morally wrong here? for my money its the company who tries to hide the Chinese origin of their product, slap an extortionate mark up on. then have the neck to deride any one elses (identical item from the same production run often) as inferior Cheap Chinese Crap! BUT it can be argued this is simply "business" MY REAL issue I suppose is the fact that so many anglers are "mug punters" and not only swallow all this rubbish but preach it as well! Why? why do people want to believe this stuff? why are we so blinded by "labels" / "names" why are we pepared to be ripped off so we can brag that "I use Brand A, not cheap stuff"?

This whole knocking of "Chinese" manufactured goods makes me laugh! I hear it all the time and then have to listen to some "Mug Punter" waxing lyrical over some British (or indeed other "reputable" company) based brands superior quality.........when they are made in China as well! Often in the same factory and to the SAME specs (minus the badge) as the product they are slagging off as an inferior "copy". Ive said it before but people either don't believe it or should I say don't want to!

As usual BASS-ONLINE have a stand at the Norwich show so if your going pop over and say hello.

Not made any since the mammoth batch of Crow Quill Avons I made up several years ago from the box of quills you kindly sent me Brian! So busy with work fishing gear these days I just don't get the time for my own tackle! I even (for the first time ever!) brought some replacement drift float vanes rather than making them a month ago!

Sorry but in my experience heavy predation ALLWAYS HELPS a boom in BIG fish!

All fish need "a certain food at certain times" or more accurately a certain SIZE of food. Without this they end up being left in the size range the last size of available food dictates. This can be for just a few seasons (as long as there is an abundance of that particular size) or until a food source of that size becomes available or simply forever! The basic reason behind many "stunted" fish (species) population problems.

Three simple factors (or kind of four but as you will see the first two are kind of linked) 1 AVAILABILITY OF FOOD 2 LACK OF COMPETITION FOR FOOD 3 WATER QUALITY (also kind of linked with the first two as this can dictate them) 4 LACK OF ANGLING PRESSURE

THIN Lipped Mullet any where and on 99% of ocaisions....but the real reason they are so frustrating IMO is that on that 1% they are so easy!

Rod why not just put your nail on the line with two "float rubbers" totally adjustable then. Re the swivels with the "line gripping loop" I don't like them as its just another thing that can tangle/snag. Great for casting into your own leads but pants if added to existing ones and come on even with shipping from the US the "proper" thing is cheap as chips! Maybe next time I get stock shipped over I will ask you lads and get a bulk order put in?

This is what I allways loved about AN and sadly don't see enough of these days! Great shout John and although I wont be using them for Drop Shot weights they will make great weights for plastic worms as I will be able to thread them on "in line" through the bore!

Re wire I personally have never caught a perch while drop shotting or bait fishing with a wire trace. (I have conventional) lure fishing. On a couple of waters I tried the method (for Perch) I just gave up as all I did was get pike after pike with many many bite offs as well....and very few Perch! Once the wire was put on I was just pike fishing!

What I class as a "Drop Shot" lead has the advantage of the special eye allowing attachment of the lead without a knot so there being adjustable without cutting and retying the link.

The "normal" salt flushes are a bit different to what has happened now though. Yes Im sure the system will recover but quite how much damage has been done and therefore how long it takes to recover remains to be seen.

Ive quite enjoyed them so far.Nice variety