Toady

Off to a good start myself...Went trotting with maggot on opening day and had a belter of a day - biggest fish a perch of nearly 2 pounds, some smashing grayling to 1.25 pounds, some small chub and shed-loads of dace to respectable size, two trout plus a couple of roach for good measure. Also got the best sun tan this side of the Med'. Out last night to use up the grubs and had another enjoyable mixed session (nowt big) on the stick float from the lower river. I must say guys, I find polaroids next to useless in most of my local rivers due to the heavy peat staining of the water. Looks black mostly, even when low and 'clear'! Oh well...

Yep, you can count me as one of the "thousands of anglers reeling in shock"...shocked that people give a fish a pet name then trick it into taking a hook into it's mouth and drag it onto the bank for a trophy shot so that the press can report that Old Floppy's been caught a thousand of times etc. etc. Talk about ammo for the antis!!

Rubbish!! It's all of two pounds. That's what I'd tell everyone anyway. Whatever the size I think roach are a real jewel of a fish. May you have many more (and bigger too).

After a lot of thought it has to be a grayling. I'd been lost to fishing for some years (sidecar racing and climbing/potholing) when a friend asked me out for 'old times sake' for a day after grayling on the fly. That first half-pounder still seems the most wonderous fish of all. The next day I exchanged my one day licence for a yearly one and went up into the loft and dug out all my old gear. I've never looked back and my sidecar is just for transport now!

Journalists and any fish with a pet name.

Graylinging!?! Is that English? Anyway, chub session for me.

The rain-fed rivers up here are up and down like a yo yo at the moment - went to the Tees on Tuesday and had the river in perfect nick at the start and my mate had five grayling (to my one!) in the first half hour. It was snowing like hell and the river came up nearly two feet in a hour and a half and scuppered the rest of the day. Looks like some more rain coming soon so they will be roaring through again. Doh.

Nice one Worms. I'm out after the ladies myself tomorrow. You've wetted my appetite. I think I'll strap the old Rapidex to the corks rather than the shiny Sheffield!!

I'm not sure what they arethere seems to different types of them too. They have no mouths and usually come from muddy stillwaters...

No apologies needed. Lovely. Nice rod too!

Thing to do fellas, is to get down the Tees and try them out quick while it's in good nick. My 6BB balsa version scored very well today. Some of the nicest ladies I've had for a while. Damn cold in that water though! Might try some pith....

Thanks Brian - love it!!

I know there are a few river Tees anglers out there so, just out of interest...Are there any barbel present in the system above the weir at Broken Scar?

I agree with the heat treatment too. However, I had a fly rod tip ring that just would not budge once (I was NOT going to heat it up till it was red and glowing). I eventually got it off by getly holding the 'tube' part in a vice with the surface parralel to the top of the vice and just proud of it (the blank needs to be supported by the wife or other means). I then CAREFULLY files the tube with a small file ontill it split and opened this out with a jewelers screwdriver. It worked but care is needed. Good luck.

7 degrees!! Blimey, there might even have been a hatch of fly at that (didn't feel like seven degrees after a couple of hours fettling the bikes in the big shed thios afternoon!!).