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!!).

That's cheating Gary - you are now disqualified! My guess Pith 9BB, Balsa 7BB. Bother, I think I've overestimated now...

Just arranged to go Lady Bashing on Tuesday so fingers crossed!!

Shes no good to me unless she can trot a sick float on line and make a decent brew in the kelly when I'm grayling fishing on a frosty morning!!

And there are no holes in it that will enable it to keep the 'Finger Winders' happy!! By the way did anyone out there buy the old version of the TFG pin because they are being discounted at silly prices apparrently - if they are any good might be worth pop...

They're nice Gary. How do you fit the cane to the balsa - do you just glue it on or drill out the balsa body to fit it in, or what?

Tigger, don't Drennan do something like that called "The Driftbeater"?

Budgie, they work really well too - I particularly like the long sight tips you can put on them. I find I use them all the time for my winter grayling fishing and they are well suited to various swims. I used to use Drennan Loafers mostly but find I can see my crow quills more easily now. And I feel good 'cos I made 'em! George, do you run the quills through the whole length of the body? It looks like you sometimes use a 'top and tail' technique. This would seem to be easier to do but I've never even thought about doing it that way. Doh! How durable is Pith in the knockabout world of the riverbank compared to balsa?

Bbamboo, I've nearly killed myself on the Tees many times! All the usual wading horrors etc. but my fondest 'near death' memory is from years ago when I was but a kid. I had just bought a nice new fishing stool and was perched proudly above the river at Yarm. It was tidal down there in those days and the tide came in. On the ebb, the bank I was sitting on (severely undercut) collapsed with me, tackle and all, cast into about 12 feet of fast flowing water heading out to sea. How I got out is a mystery to this day. I managed to save my rod and stool but the rest was lost to the salty maine I'm afraid.

Who's got the oldest? My antique is an 1887 copy of Pike and Other Corse Fish by H.C. Pennell. Got it from the old book shop in Hawes (now sadly gone) many years ago. I was out for a thrash on the bike with my mates and walked in to 'browse' in full motorcycle regalia. The shop owner didn't want to sell me it. I quess he thought I was going to burn it while biting heads off chickens or something! It made the jurney home stuffed up the front of my leathers and he been treasured ever since (not a rare book though).

Yep, I can't get enough of them!! My best 'blag' was a very nice copy of Fishing in Eden by Willam Nelson. Got it from Helmsley old book shop for 12.50 last year. By the way, for you northerners there's an old book shop in Bolton Abbey and he kind of specialises in fishing stuff. Was in there last year and he had a whole wall full. A nice first edition of Skues or Pritt for £175 anybody?