coarsefish-torbay

I've just returned from a trip to Thailand and Malaysia, where I travelled both long and short haul with three 'standard' rods, two landing net handles and a couple of banksticks. I had to pay extra for sports gear on the short haul, but the long haul carried my tube as part of my overall luggage allowance (30kg). No problems on any flight and the gear all survived intact. The only issue was in taxis, where the driver was unsure about fitting the tube in his car, but it always worked by putting it in the passeneger seat and me and the wife sat in the back. I used the cheaper version of 'bazuka' type from Pauls Angling Supplies in Worcestershire (Ken L-land). They have a website and sell on Ebay. I think mine was about £45 for the shortest model. Still plenty long enough to take a three-piece 13' float rod without extending the tube.

Agree with Matty, it is an offence to not be able to take immediate control of your rods. Perhaps a little word to say "did you know you're breaking the law?"

Thanks guys!

Fake baits can be brilliant, especially maggots and corn. I use fake maggots for tench to stop them getting battered by perch. Also, if you're interested in using bread, but want something that will stay on the hook better, try Mosella Magic Bread, it's great.

It won't take long, honest, it took me about two minutes. Yes, a questionnaire, about recreational angling. It will be used as part of a survey to give to groups in India fighting against a fishing ban, so please help, even if you've never fished in India... http://www.mahseertrust.org/researc...onservation/ Thanks

For the last eight months, I have been involved with The Mahseer Trust, a body set up five years ago to fight the decline in numbers of mahseer in India. We are now trying to protect habitat, set up scholarships for fishery scientists and learn more about all species of mahseer across Asia. I have been lucky enough to fish for mahseer in southern India many times, and have caught lots of them. Over the next year, I plan to fish for, and hopefully catch, other mahseer species in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. If you, or anyone you know is interested in this iconic sporting fish and the waters they live in, take a look at the Trust's website. Especially of interest will be the free articles I am posting here: Anglers' Section - Mahseer Trust Spare a minute and take a read, help us to help these stunning fish, because every visitor to the site helps us spread the word. Thanks.

Great stuff from Jon & Rosie and team

Ta Elton. If you need any help or advice when you're down this way John, drop me an email...

Not given my site a mention here for a while. I update the news page every month, which gives tips about fishing on the venues I frequent down here in Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset mainly. Many of those tips will work at venues all over the country. Feel free to take a look and feedback, or just enjoy... www.coarsefish-torbay.co.uk

Probably need to know how much fishing he has done so far Vicky. It will be quite different buying kit for a complete beginner from that needed for someone who has decided the type of fishing they want to do. The set-up you are suggesting is more for someone who will be looking to sit waiting for bigger fish. Your son may get bored doing that, and might be better if he is active and catching plenty of small fish. If I were taking him and teaching him (assuming he is pretty much a complete beginner), I would get him using a short, elasticated pole and maggots. There are lots of strong poles on the market in the £50-£100 region. These would let him fish for small fish, but still enable him to catch carp up to 3-5lb quite easily and given the correct instruction. If you can post a name of a fishery, some of the members on here may know it and be able to offer more in depth advice about the kind of fish it holds. Then you can start to plan a kit which will really suit both your son and the fisheries he will be visiting. Steve

Well Europe anyway! Called the World Club Champs, but I've never seen a team from outside of Europe fishing it. Shame the South Africans, USA and Aussies can't get teams to fish it like they do the World Nations. Hopefully Dorking will have a good chance to shine, but Barnsley showed this year that it's a very difficult event to win.

It is a day ticket water. Tiverton And District AC, tickets £5 from Exe Valley Angling or Minnows Caravan Park. Call 01884 242275 for more info.

Probably depends on which canal you will be fishing. Some, more likely to be roach and bream, others may be chub. Perhaps only smaller fish like gudgeon, or maybe it could be tench? Try putting the name of the canal, you will then get some very precise info...

Here's a bit of film of a most beautiful bit of the River Wye near Hereford. Dave is doing his thing on the float, catching some cracking dace. Take a look at the film here:

Hi, I recently did a test of handmade pole floats for Angler's Mail. You can see the tests I carried out, and a list of links to the manufacturers' websites on this free film clip: http://www.youtube.com/user/ANGLERSMAILTV?...u/0/MVSeqQn1iPA A lot of these independant float makers post regularly on the forums, so give them a try and support their work.

Hi, I am currently making a DVD for Dominic Garnett about catching coarse fish on the fly. Take a look at this film clip to see some of the fish he's been catching...

and... don't forget that the match is to take place in June on the Euro Champs dates due to water levels and temperature in the traditional September slot.

It is on Lake Viccario, a large embalse (reservoir) near Ciudad Real, south of Madrid. It has been home to the Sensas Challenge for a few years, held in early November with many top International anglers taking on local talent. Plenty of carassio in nets to 50-60lb on the pole. Fishing from platforms in most places with a new access road around the lake. Looks to be about 400kms from Marbella! Should be a really good match...

I suspect the Mach2 reel and Garbo rod combo would be ideal, if slightly under-gunned for the barbel. As long as you are fishing in open water for the barbel, it should be fine. The other problem you may be having when pulling out of carp at the net is that your hook is too thin in the wire. I imagine your rod is probably too strong in the middle as well, but try Fox Series 2 Extra Strong hooks. Since swapping to them, I've had no problems getting fish up quick at the net when using either my 13' Reactorlite No1s or the Shakespeare Micro 11'. Size 14 or 16 is perfect for pellets up to 10mm on a hair.

The Teme will certainly be on an itinerary at some point, but my next visit is fully booked! 7lb chub hey? But I will have to catch one on the float...

I was born in Hereford, so the Wye is close to my heart although I have only fished it on a handful of ocassions. Never tried the Teme, but my mates in Worcester fish it a lot. It's on the cards for some point in future. Rich and Jim fish for bream early season right in the middle of Worcester and that's what I'll be teaming up with them to do. Except they are serious speccy boys and I'll be fishing for them with the pole and 10g flat floats.

Hi Rabbit, didn't mean to ignore you before, just a bit pressed for time. I'll be fishing your way in a couple of weeks, on the River Lugg, the Severn in Worcester and Cob House fisheries near Martley. There are more carp in Racks nowadays, but still plenty of tench and quite a few big bream. The tench are not quite as big as they were, but there are more of them. Island pond is now open to day tickets and associate members, Wheel pond is open to all and Dores is now only for full members. Bry, Decoy is similar to the lakes at Racks, but probably a little harder because it gets less anglers on it. The tench in Decoy are probably a bigger average size, say around 7-8lb compared to 4-6lb at Racks, but you will catch less and have more blank sessions. The pole is very useful at Racks, but you will need to gear up as if you were fishing for carp. No16 elastic, 6lb line, strong size 14 hook and floats around 0.5g. Plumb up from close in, out to 8m, looking for 6-7' of water. You may have to fish along the side a little or to the edge of bushes but not too far out. Feed hemp and casters and fish double or triple red maggot slightly overdepth. The secret is to feed quite aggressively and work the bait by lifting and dropping the float very regularly. The tench will often take the bait on the drop. Make sure the float is dotted right down as bites are usually a single dink. So many people miss tench bites because they are just not concentrating hard enough and expect the float to sail away and stay buried. Those types of bites will be few and far between. There is a lot of weed, so you will need to play the fish hard, hence the strong gear.

Meant to say: the type of fishing you want to do will have a bearing on which fisheries you should visit, or which clubs you should join, so let me know what you want to catch and how you prefer to fish. There are 2 clubs in Brixham: Three Elms and Castoffs, also a club at Marldon called Butterlake and then as well as Newton Abbot FA, Exeter & District AA have a range of fisheries and will be the best bet if you like river fishing.

Town Parks and New Barn are the closest venues to you, followed by Rocombe (on the Newton Abbot ticket) just outside Torquay, then Rackerhayes and probably Hatchlands or East Moor out past Totnes.

Been mullet in and around tidal areas down here since at least mid-April (when I got back from India!), but as for being able to catch them...