Toady

I've used more waders than I care to think about of all grades/ranges over my forty plus years of, erm, wading. One thing is now clear - for the types of fishing I do they all get holes in very quickly whatever they are made of!! I repair my waders about once a month on average, I would say. In my experience breathables don't work for me as I sweat exessively (everybody sweats at different intensities so, if you're a sweaty type, think hard about the expense) and they won't breathe when they are submerged anyway. My solution has been to use cheap chesties and repair them as needed. This I do with patches cut from old inner tubes and glue them on with super glue. I summer I wear a belt around the middle and can then roll them down to cool off a bit. This way I can get 2-3 years out of 35-40 quid. Just a word of caution, the soles on cheapo's are not but if you use a staff and care you'll be ok.

For the use you're going to put it to I would sugest an Okuma Aventa Pro or an Okuma Sheffield. Both are well made and bombproof. The Trent has the drag thingy which is a bit OTT if you ask me, I think its because the reels are used a lot by American steelhead anglers. A friend of mine has the Youngs Aerodex and both he and myself prefer my Okuma Sheffield (although the Aerodex is a bit lighter). Not tried the AN 'pin but it looks good...

but how do you get a message across to those who want someone else to do things for them and then turn up at the river and whine because the swim has not been cut out for them? Or worse still: you turn up to a well publicised work party at a club lake and people moan because you are disturbing their fishing and then moan next week at the weed problem (or whatever) you were trying to sort out...Sheesh!!

I currently 'seal' the balsa bodies I make with two coats of Har As Nails nail varnish (it's what I had lying about because I use it for fly tying) then two coats of Jap lac polyurethane varnish and I get a very durable and attractive finish. I also sometimes stipple them in black if I feel in the mood but the fish don't care one way or the other!!

I did join the AT in the hope that all the pain, mis-management and bickering would resolve and we would eventually have a strong and united organisation to lobby and kick a$$ etc. With all the threat to angling in this country I feel we need such a body. I see now that even one of the "Magnificent Seven" has binned it. I fear my hopes will be dashed and I think it will be a sad day when/if the dream dies. Unless there is a real climate change and the AT are able to get their act together and relate to Anglers as a whole (otters for example) then they are doomed. Interesting that in a recent news letter I recieved from the AT there was no mention (that I could find) of the well documented difficulties or the "Magnificent Seven" issue. Not good, smacks of a dfferent agenda to me. Will I re-join? Mmmmmm, there's the rub!

All the hi-tech gear is available now and some at a price most can afford but the one thing that really makes that much difference to your catch still isn't available vacuum packed from the tackle shop at any price.............................and that's watercraft! My daughter plays Watercraft all the time on her PC, she says the graphics ar brill!! Oh, I think I meant Warcraft, apologies.

I'm looking to join Thornaby next season/year. If you see a black sidecar outfit parked up on any association or club water that'll be me. If there's an idiot stood in the middle of the river with a centrepin just say Hi!!!

Who, me? Stockton

Thanks Brian, cleared that up for me!

So, are Yarm, Stockton, Thornaby and DBT also members of the Lower Tees Amalgamation?

As above - just do your own thing and you will catch like you used to. Story time...last year a pal of mine went to a commercial fishery and was bagging-up, oh, so sorry, I mean catching lots of fish. Lots of techno-wiz fishers surrounding him were not doing so well. One approached him as his eyes were locked onto his peacock waggler and asked him what bait he was using. "Oh it's a secret", said my mate as he missed a bite then wound in his baitless hook. He then opened his plastic bag and squeezed annother pinch of Mother's Pride onto his hook and gave the other angler a slice!

Hi bbamboo. If you fish Winston and Ovington I guess you're a member of Stockton like myself. When was the last time you were out trotting for grayling and how was the river? I went last Thursday in the sunshine to Gainford area with a pal and we found the river about a foot up and slightly murky. Didn't do too well I'm afraid, I blame the bright sun. Well, a bloke needs an excuse. I was thinking of going out tomorrow (weather permitting as I only have a sidecar-outfit for transport unless a mate takes me!) but the river came up again last night according to EA Rivercall. It can be a bit of an epic sidecarring home twenty miles in winter after a day wading so I like to have a decent chance of a good day out in nice frosty weather if possible...I know, I'm a wimp!! PS. Love your rods...have you made yourself a nice cane trotting rod to go with your new 'pin and handmade floats?

Hi bbamboo - I'm from Middlesbrough!! And chavender, I'm definately going to check out the Revell paints!! Thanks.

I have a tin of humbrol Dayglo orange/red that I bought for this. It is not ideal as it takes days (up to a couple of weeks!) to cure enough so you can use the float and needs at least two coats over white to give a good colour. Once cured it seems fine and I do use the other Humbrol paints and varnishes without problems. I like the lightish orange/red shade as it stands out on the very dark peat stained water of the Tees (which can appear almost black at times) where I fish for grayling very well.

Just rain, rain, rain and...more rain up here in nrorth east England. Hoping for frost tonight.

I absolubtly love frosty days on the bank. When it gets very cold I tend to concentrate on trotting for grayling and fishing bread for chub. However, if the rivers are flooded and the stillwaters are frozen I usually get on with restoring that old motorcycle in the shed or tying up some flies while thinking of summer!!

Also on the Hardy Conquest...can anybody explain to me what the hell "designed around the Gyroscopic Inertia principle" means? Alan? Anyone?

Thanks George. Now it makes sense. I guess the jobs I make are somewhere between and Avon and a Topper then.

Good info George. In your post above can you explain if there are any differences between the crowquill Toppers and the rowquill Avon (appart from tyhe painted body) as they look identical to me. I paint the bodies of tye Avons I make in tyhe same mottled black - it helps to diguise my less than perfect technique!!

I think you'll find they are mostly all balsa (appart from the blown plastic variety). If I was going to make 'em I'd incorporate a short cane stem for durability though.

I want one of those. Lovely!!

Is there a live webcam anywhere on the river? There's one on the Tyne at Hexam Bridge (currently not working!) which can give a good idea of levels in my neck of the woods. I couple it with rivercall and it really is quite useful...

Definately use a wading staff. No need to buy one a nice piece of hazel modified to your requirements works fine. Beware of telescopic anything!!! If you want a really posh staff buy a stout alloy landing net handle and cut to length. Stick a rubber walking-stick button on the end and you can have a landingnet /staff all in one. I have a metal ring sliding on the shaft (trapped twixt rubber and net to which a sling is fixed) You can weight the end if you wish but I have'nt found th need to. Also beware the most dangerous of situations - a sloping gravel bottom. It can all slide away eith you and you're in. Don't ask!!! Enjoy...

Just a word of caution - my Sheffield fits some of my rods but not all. Take the reel along when you go to purchase one just to be sure... The Sheffield is a fine bit of kit mind!