John Weddup

Thanks yes those LAA stretches interest me as do their Thames waters. I totally agree with your last quote and something I practice all the time. Chasing monsters too impress others is not for me. John

I think this is actually my point. I can leave whats around me to discover when I don't want to travel too far as I get older. There are lots of rivers and stillwaters that I know of and some quite well. They will keep me entertained and searching for years. Just fancy trying something different. Not chasing fish like some do and tear off to catch loads of barbel from popular spots but a taste of what else there is out there so I can sit back and rememeber fishing those venues. John

Bait wise maggots will get you lots of fish but if keeping bait is a problem, and it would be in summer, then sweetcorn is a better option or bread. The bigger roach as elsewhere love sweetcorn. Just ordinary tins. For a family holiday sweetcorn in tins is more family friendly. John

For roach and skimmers off the back of the boat you can have some very enjoyable sessions trotting the flow. If you fancy after dark then a feeder rod or 2 would get you some good bream catches. If you want a 100lb bag of bream you might need to get serious but I often just go set up to enjoy an easy fun session and the stick float or waggler can be real good fun. Trouble with getting serious is it takes over your holiday just go and enjoy the simple pleasures of roach fishing on the float. There are some big ones in there. Let us know when and where you are going nearer the time and I will update you with prospects. I would take a longish float rod by choice. 15ft or more as parts can be deep. Off the boat length will not be a problem. I have trotted and really enjoyed fishing the thurne with a 20ft rod and writing this makes me want to try it again this year having had a few years break from broads fishing although I always keep up to date with how its fishing John

Thanks guys Its not really my area I am interested in its further afield. Infact wingham is within my range. 100 to 150 miles away. I think wingham is about 120 but its through the horrid tunnel. Across country is so much easier. I know the broads in Norfolk quite well and the Cambridgeshire fens pretty well too. They both have mysteries for me to target at some point but those slightly further away venues are what are interesting me at present. Not for a campaign but for a bit of pleasure fishing. I think the topic of plans for the new river season got me thinking. John

Well that's it I have to admit I am getting older. I am not quite dead yet but fancy trying a few different venues before I do not fancy travelling too far. I am happy to go about 100 miles for a weekends fishing. It can be a bivvy up for nights or just fish days. I have a converted van that I can wild camp in. I love rivers but also big still waters. I don't like heavily stocked waters they have to be natural. I am happy to pay day ticket or even join a club but am also a member of LAA and they have quite a few venues I have never seen espescially on the thames around oxford way. My base is north Essex south Suffolk so a 100 miles or so from there would be fine. Catching a few fish and maybe a few different species would interest me and just seeing a different area. I am not at all fed up with what I have local but just fancy trying a few other area's before I either don't fancy travelling or cannot afford it. John

Steve if wingham was a venue that guaranteed huge catches in numbers and size none of the anglers that attended, or indeed your syndicate members, or me certainly, would be very interested. Oh yes you would get many PB followers but to me, on one visit, but fishing similar waters and reading between the lines of all the anglers that fish there regularly you have something that is very special. I love hard venues because the rewards are immense. Even if its a few roach on a winters day. I dearly dearly Dearly wish Wingham was 40 miles away. Thank you for at least giving AN members a good post or two too read about with proper angling done on the bank and not internet angling. The weather does not deter me as I fish all year mostly all weekend for many species. I love the rainy dull days as the bright hot sunny ones are not so good but this year is so different to the previous 40 plus I have fished. It just means to me I have to adapt my expectations and keep at it with full confidence at the start of a session and when it doesn't go to plan think hard for the next few days to make it work next time. I have already formulated a plan for next weekend where I spotted the tench last weekend. I will be baiting Friday night and fishing for the little tincas from first light Saturday. If they don't feed I will be at it again sunday and Monday until they give in. John

I shouldn't really be replying to this as I wasn't there. But I was in mind. I thought about you all this weekend. I have to say the fishing in Suffolk has been poor as well. I have spoken to several others including match anglers and every where was poor this weekend other than the well stocked venues. Looking at the vegetation between swims its normally 4ft high by now but the nettles are still ankle grabbers. I spotted a few tench fizzing but only caught a few bream and roach. There is another forum member that thought about applying and reckons next year we might both apply. If he is still my friend (and me being a grumpy old git its not certain) then we might both be lucky and come. A few I have spoken too are looking forward to the rivers opening but not so sure they will start very well. Well done to those who caught and probably more espescially to those that did not but stuck it. John

Well said I quite agree John

Well I fish at night in many different venues and some of which I am told I am mad. Rudd told me that recently. That maybe true (I am mad). I think you are at more risk going to a cashpoint machine than fishing so I don't let it ruin my fishing. If its gonna happen it will don't dwell on it. The same thing has happened daytime aswell. At least in the dark they have little vision as you do maybe less so you may have a slight advantage. John

Thanks Steve Its been torturing me all day. You may remember I have my own business and I got in early as usual but after reading your last nights posts toyed with temptation. The work flowed well but then more came and my bookings have gone through the roof. Next week was already full so fishing Monday was not an option so a reduced session was the only hope. Cannot knock being busy as its a difficult time to earn any profit so it has to be done. I feel truly honoured to be welcomed by you and the members. I will be fishing somewhere both Friday night and Saturday night with probably most of the day sunday but may have to work Saturday daytime. I still writing this think can I make it how can I do it where can I get the bait etc. I think with the weather and what I learn't last year lots of red maggots maybe a few pints of caster and lots of lobs would be the answer. Thank Steve for letting me dream. John

Dave Like others have said some of the very best anglers are or have been match anglers but the very best match anglers think outside the normal any way. Looking at all other forms of our sport to gain new idea's and refine their tactics. Which is were Dales and others have said we can learn a bit from match tactics and tackle. As for fishing knowledge for the type of angling we do you will not learn a lot from your average match angler. Most are fishing for bites not size of fish. This is detrimental to catching quality fish in most situations. I even question their knowledge of waters they fish these days. Yes they know how to win a match between the hours of 10am and 3 pm but often do not have a clue about the potential of a given water beyond these times or in the hours of darkness. I was talking to a pike angler a few weeks ago who also fishes for other species. We were laughing about other anglers views on waters. He told me how he looked at and later fished a water he fancied for a big eel. On arrival there were a couple of carp anglers bivvied up and hidden away and a couple of match style seatbox pole anglers whom he spoke to. They had never caught an eel all the times they had fished there and said he was wasting his time. well you know the rest he had a fantastic night with many eels to 6lbs. I told him of many similar situations in waters I have fished for other species. They are also , on a local level, doom and gloom merchants. If they don't catch its because something has eaten all the fish. So a brief resume of why I said NO. John

Dave I could give you a huge reply to your question but the short answer is NO!! John

No Andrew I am not. Wingham is such an idyllic place and suits my fishing perfectly. It is everything I could want in a water. Because of this it dominated my thoughts for the whole of may last year and beyond. I really couldn't concentrate on my fishing for a while afterwards dreaming all the time of those lovely days and nights spent there. Long chats with Steve meeting the others and the wonderfull wildlife. It took me a while to recover it affected me that much. The sensible thing to do would be to apply to join but alas that would not suit either my work or finances. Also I do not enjoy the journey from here to there. Doing it regularly would drive me nuts. Its not the distance but the tunnel and traffic. So at present its the forbidden pleasure for me not daring to sip at its essence once again for fear it may take me over completely this time. One half of me seriously wishes I was there the other is scared. I am sure you dales and the other members will understand the feelings it evokes. John

Water temperature has dropped here in Suffolk quite a lot in the last week. Bream were spawning as it hit 15c last mid week but it has steadily dropped since. Worth bearing in mind John

Like Dales I tend to go hot and cold with my additives.For one winter I was well into my Archie Braddocks flavours. I thought they were brilliant and then stopped using them and found no difference. If they give you confidence then that is the important thing. Fishing with confidence out scores fishing with a defeatist attitude every time. John

Dales help me please Why are pallet trucks the best thing for fishing since sliced bread which incidentally I rate very highly. John

Not elitist Budgie but I am sorry that you find less to motivate you fishing wise. For a long time now I have been fairly serious about my fishing. Putting in lots of time effort and money into my hobby. Most of my non fishing time is spent thinking about my fishing and planning my next trips. Thinking and analising my last trips. When I am not working I am either fishing sleeping or working on local club waters for the benefit of others. I very much enjoy getting the chainsaw out or my tractor and doing a bit of maintenance on some local old gravel pits near me.These are actually LAA waters. I have lost count of the number of conversations I have had with other dedicated anglers on the bank,mostly carp anglers, about big bream tench roach etc. They normally tell me waters I should visit where I can easily catch specimens way above my personal best. I am also told by other specimen anglers that I talk too that I spread myself too thin. Fishing too many waters and never properly learning the ones I do fish. Well I love to fish the waters that I do. I love the variety that also leaves much to learn on each water in the future. as the seasons take me from one venue to another there are lots of mysteries for me to discover. Slowly and at my relaxed pace along with my increasing knowledge of angling I can have mysteries and things to learn about my favourite venues for a long time yet. Back to personal bests. These mean very little to me but if I was to jump in size from a small specimen to a huge one it would leave a void that I could only fill by searching for a water that held a bigger one. I much prefer to gradually increase the size of fish, I luckily catch, a little at a time. That way I have many more P.Bs to celebrate and don't end up with an unacheivable goal to try and beat. I can see many young carp anglers running out of fish to fish for quickly these days. Maybe then they will turn to other species and learn the many different ways and methods. I entered the hobby of fishing as a pleasurable pass time that allows me to relax in absolutely beautifull settings. To that end I still try and do exactly that. So not elitist at all. I have often gone fishing in conditions you would never expect to catch anything and had a cracking day. Converlsy I have gone in what looks like the best fishing day ever and blanked. When I go out I always expect too catch. Maybe its because I am not a good enough angler to realise I have no hope. John

Apology accepted Dave and all forgotten about John

Dave if anyone ever called me gay to my face they would be put on their a*se not something in it. John

before any one makes something rude up it would be the anglersnet mutual appreciation society

Dave would that be turn to the dark side or the pink side. Youngsters have got more money to spend than a lot of adults these days and wasting it on hyped up fishing gear is a lot better than wasting it on many other things that are popular amongst the young. I used to despair at how youngsters go to carp fishing without any experience of other species but of late have changed my opinion. Most carp anglers are taught how to respect carp and even to the point of treating their wounds. They wouldn't dream of going fishing without an unhooking mat. I have seen a few that have now progressed to other species and carry those practices of fish welfare with them. I also know of a few matchmen who believe all pike should be knocked on the head and shuvved down rabbit holes. Not a good example to the young. I think healthy wealthy companies that sell or produce fishing gear are great. Without them and their products money generated in the sport would be a lot less and tackle shops would be struggling even more. john

I think we should form ANMAPS and ban anyone from posting on AN who is not a member

I always like your posts Dales but on this issue i would like to say thats the best post that you have ever written. I totally and whole heartedly agree. John p.s. wish I could write like you

DaveH I think the answer to your question does not exist. Reading line bites is similar to reading bites in general. It all depends on what you are fishing for and when. What the conditions are. What the weather is like. How the fish are feeding. Where and what depth they are feeding at. What bait you are catching them on. There is not a single answer and if you do spend time proving a theory and deciding for a few weeks it is right I can gaurantee you that all of a sudden every thing will change and your theory is blown out. I am often asked can I help juniors or write bits for various publications or just help other anglers in general and I am very willing to encourage others but I don't feel qualified to do so. I am told thats silly as I am a "good angler". What makes me good is I am instinctive and work off of feelings and knowledge I could not write about. I could not instruct others in what I do because it is an instinct I have developed. I make decisions I could not analise afterwards that work time and time again. I think this is true of line bites or not. At least with self hooking rigs you don't have to worry as you can just sit back and decide how many turns of the baitrunner you allow before believing its a real hooked fish. John