John Weddup

Hi Andrew I had thought of making some and easily could but its quite a lot of fiddling around. The most important thing for me on the rollover is the ball bearing. If you watch the youtube video or look at pictures of them you will see the long tubular stem. This has a ball bearing in it that rolls back and forwards. When you set the rollover up you have it nose down at front and bearing rolls forward. You can then counterbalance it if required with the movable weight to lessen weight at front end . I often fish without weight on at all. This is actually more resistance albeit still light. As the fish pulls the front up as it goes past the level point the bearing runs back and lifts it clear of line. This is the bit that makes it more than just a rear indicator. Darrell had been using an ordinary front swinger adapted and mounted at the rear. He had removed clip device and bent the end rod to work very similar to rollover but of course without the ball inside and without the amount of adjustment. This was his standard zander indicator having tried many others previously and before buying rollovers. John

Hi Steve I use them for eels perch and zander and Darrell , a friend of mine and very prolific zander angler, has also bought 3. We both love them after giving time to get used to them. I actually experimented overnight with bream aswell and it resulted in some very nice long slow takes. If you are not into self hooking rigs, as I am not, the less resistance a fish feels whatever species is a good thing. The rollovers are so versatile. You can change resistance to counteract flow, wind, or tow easily and have them set so lightly a fly could move them if you wanted. The reel advabntage is the ball bearing inside. As they go beyond horizontal it rolls from front to back lifting the rollover off your line and with open bail arm there's nothing left resistance wise. It also does it so smoothly there is little change in resistance. I have used them a lot and can see no disadvantages. John

Zandavan rollovers and open bail arm John

Nice pics Steve Just what a proper angling forum should show real up to date info. John

Oh and don't moan about a small jack smiling at you in the morning it won't always happen.

Been texting Darrell and we both think we should try the lagoon soon. He has walked around there a few times. Would be great to meet up soon. We think we will come up before end of river season. John

Quote I also find it hard to stomach when people net the fish, carry it yards up the bank, transfer it from net to unhooking mat, transfer to weighing sling, lift it up in weigh sling, transfer back to mat, wipe it a couple of times, lift it up for the photo, clutch it to their chest and wipe it up and down the front of their clothing when it struggles, takes a couple of dozen photos, drop it, transfer it back to the mat, Carefully put some antiseptic on its sore lip, carry it back to water water's edge, drop it again and finally release it. They could have just unhooked it in the landing net and let it swim away. I think most fish survive despite the "care" they get rather than because of it. I do hope Sportsman you do not still have me on ignore as I think that the above is the most sensible thing you have ever posted. I know I am working class and probably a bit thick but you are spot on with this. If anglers do not want to harm fish then don't go fishing but the trout I had for tea is harmed beyond all recognition for ever. Before anti's think this is a submission then I love birds aswell. Pheasant tastes nearly as good as partridge. john

oh and just before first light is still good wherever you are for zander and perch. John

Rosswell at ely is similar being joined to ouse and the zeds do seem to come in and out whatever the condition of river or weather. I don't even think they follow prey fish particularly but just cruise their good hotspots just as we do. I sometimes think we credit fish with too much intelligence but they actually have lots of natural instinct which is something lacking in many anglers these days. Of course that makes the fish seem so much more intelligent. Patrol routes at rosswell and no doubt wyboston are well documented but I am beginning to think outside the accepted norm and doing well. Anglers are like sheep. Baaaaa John

have to say dales I really really really wish I was there with you. Good luck John

Well gave up a while ago today on my zander trip on the ouse below littleport. The flow was high but that I can cope with. The problem was the rubbish coming down and wiping lines out. there were even branches and twigs and tree's are rare on the fens. I could not keep a line in the water for 10 mins without it being pulled out. Bought a lovely fresh trout for zander bait on my way there this morning and kept it in my cold box. The zander don't know what they missed as I have just eaten it and am washing it down with a rather nice wine. Have to say I would rather be without alchohol and watching my rods but thats the way of it at present. Dales I am going to have to come to wyboston with you. John

Thanks Dave and Blackrabbit I think I must have been going through a grumpy old man phase. Feeling better now John

Couldn't go yesterday. Running my own business is challenging at present with the economic climate. I am basically having to work longer and longer to earn less money and that tires you out.( espescially when your old ) However I am refreshed this morning and am off to my pack my old disco and then to the fens for a night session. It was 6.3c here this morning at 6am. Thats warmer than a lot of april/may nights. That often happens in winter with a mild airstream so its not all ice and snow. I will zander fish tonight and then daytime tomorrow for roach and perch. Good luck Dales may we both be blessed with some z's and I don't mean a long sleep. John

Hi where have you moved too?. I think the fear of crime is often greater than the threat but it pays to be carefull and depends where you are. The wild fens are as dangerous as some inner city area's at present and no one will hear cries for help. However I have not felt too intimidated so far and mostly fish alone. I do however sleep a lot better when accompanied. Fishing clublakes with others around is generally pretty safe. John

Well having felt compelled to reply to bivvy heater thread it would be rude of me not to reply to your thread Dales. You probably already know that I bivvy up all year round. I love long stay sessions you learn and see so much more. I love seeing the last and first light on any water. Its a magical time of day whatever month it is. However when I fish local rivers for either chub roach dace etc then its not the case. I just do the days and go home for a beer and hot bed. When I travel a bit further for similar fishing I can sleep in my old disco. Dales is familiar with the old girl. But even this time of year I bivvy up a lot and its been very worthwhile over the last couple of years. My main target species have been Zander winter time but I have had good success with bream roach and tench. Near the end of last season on rivers I was near Ely and the silver fish were hard to find. The skimmers and small bream had a feeding spell from 11pm until 2am. The day anglers all had blanks. Another area on ten mile bank had a winter hotspot last year for tench and bream and everyone tried to get on about 4 pegs daytime as either side of this and no bites were had the fish were shoaled that tight. I was night fishing 200 yards away and left out one rod for bream. A shoal moved through in the middle of the night and I caught several. In hindsight I should have put a bed of bait down and held them. Something I did not dream of doing in the middle of winter. This year will be different. I have never been cold, of late, night fishing in quite extreme conditions. I have gathered the right equipment to keep me warm. I have read posts about ex army sleeping bags etc but To be comfortable you need a little more room. You need a good bed with a thermal mattress and a good base layer to retain heat when you get out for a fish.Of course I always have the back up of being able to abandon bivvy and get in my disco after warming it if I get wet or too uncomfortable. I always keep spare clothes and thermals in the car in case of getting soaked. On really wet nights summer or winter I have often pulled in rods thrown off wet clothes and zipped myself in to sleep whilst still dry enough in body. A common sense approach to safety and your health along with being properly equipped you can fish and bivvy up all year round. If you enjoy it or not is down to the person. Since I have now done this for a couple of years I actually love the longer nights whereas for the previous 30 plus years I hated them. I never get bored, never take a telly although a smart phone is good company and do keep a small radio. So am I mad or just keen. Its certainly not a waste of time and fish caught in challenging conditions are very rewarding. Steved once posted here about winter bream fishing for the bigger fish. I an certainly starting my big res fishing for them as soon as river season ends and maybe before. John

Hi Blackrabbit I rarely post here these days but occasionally still read the interesting posts. One of the reasons I stopped posting was because some ask for help or opinions and don't have the decency to reply and take little notice of anyone elses posts. So I assumed my, and others, veiws are worthless and not worth the time typing. However your post is a genuine request and one which I have strong veiws on. Its your safety and life and death so worth breaking my silence for. I bivvy up all year round in some very cold situations. I have been on the fens in minus 4c when everything around is solid. I have had to pull in lines during evening as they started to freeze. I fish in these conditions very often fishing all year as I do. With the right sleeping bag, bedchair and thermal base layer you do not need a heater. I always fish with bivvy open fronted unless wind turns and blows in or it rains really heavy and drives in. If you fall asleep in a tent/bivvy with inflammable items all around you and something burning such as a heater you are asking for trouble. remember carbon monoxide poisining sends you to sleep and you do not wake up. I am sure, by your post you understand that already. If you need advice on what equipment I use and have found works really well after a lot of trials of equipment please ask. By the way I sometimes get cold feet or hands when night fishing winter time and if I do a hot water bottle is briliant. It works espescially well in a high performance sleeping bag as the heat is retained for longer. John

Thankyou Steve a most interesting read John

Hi Mate Rudds description is spot on with the molasses. As for mixing it a day or two early be carefull if it gets warm after making it with water. The molasses and often other additives will start to ferment quite quickly. You could start a whole new post about if its better fermenting or not but on holiday in an enclosed area you don't want that. Take everything dry and mix as you use including the molasses powder. You do need some white crumb otherwise your brown will not bind enough to get it down. Mix 75% brown 25% white should do it. I would add a sachet of brasem or vannilla powder from a tackle shop. Mix this in dry and it smells lovely. Even the wife will think so. Definately take maggots as the bream are not always in a strong feeding mode as it gets cooler. Also bread flake or my preffered crust can be very good and easy to keep. But my no 1 broads bait is sweetcorn. I use plain tinned easy and no waste and also flavoured either scopex or tutti fruiti. Both can out fish plain on their day. One bought tin of each and keep them in a tupperware type box will last for a few days. Just use them as hookbait. Hope this helps John

Hi Rich The small rudd seem too dissapear in winter which is generally a good thing apart from in your case. I would stock up on a few in the freezer as watching one of Steve's youtube videos he does very well on deads. On the other hand there must be roach in there and they can generally be relied apon all winter. You may not have found them yet as rudd in feeding form are ravenous. John

If you zip yourself in when its minus 5 and a howling gale and want to get out quick you just pull the bag apart. No need to pull on the zip. Remember winter time you dont always want to get in the bag too sleep its nice to have somewhere any time of day to get too warm up. John I see my link to bag is missing in my previous post. http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_trksid=p...ex&_sacat=0

The very best bag equal to those at £150. I have used mine zandering last winter to minus 6 and through the summer seperating the 2 skins. as A bonus it has a waterproof outer. Carp forums rave about them and I found out why. They are brilliant with the best crash zips I have used. John

Hi Steve I have also wondered whats best and am unsure. I have been tail hooking with a size 4 and have caught lots of small perch. I assume catching small ones the hooking ability is fine. If the presentation is Ok I don,t know but I did catch a 12 lb common carp on the same rig sunken pat dyson style recently. John

yep thats it

Well came home from a weekends fishing and hoped to read at least one or two fishing posts but no. Guess what the title is short for. John

Hi Anderoo been a bit tied up with work last couple of weekends but will keep you updated as promised. Getting all excited about autumn prospects for both perch and zander. John