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Vitalin is good and cheap, but it can be a nightmare to mix right, it really does clog up and bind like cement, it comes with large flakes with a high feed value so I would not use it this time of year. I found it more effective on venues where a lot of anglers fish dog biscuits, also effective in the floating feeder.

Sorry Rich, will not recommend a one-piece, it is too restrictive, bib & brace with jacket is far better.

Firstly, I don't fish the method, much..... Choice of feeder is personal, the flat type with the lead on one side is more popular as you know which side it sits on the bottom, many fisheries have banned the fixed and/or elasticated, so go for the line-through type. If you are thinking of making your own, try a few different types to see what you prefer first. There are a lot of good mixes on the market now, they come in larger packs as you tend to get through a lot during the day. It is not so effective this time of year, if you do intend to try it, a small size is what you should go for. Baits? you play the lottery? Sweetcorn or maggot are the main catchers during the winter, but do not ignore a selection of boilies, worm and various pellets, each one will have their day. Time for casting? hard one this, normally you mix the gb quite dryist so it breaks down quickly and recast, getting the dampness correct can be trial and error, in the winter you are not going to get many bites so continuous recasting will overfeed the swim. May I suggest looking at teabags or pellet cone for this time of year.

A lot of regulars fish the method on a long pole, no float, just wait until the elastic pulls out. Not sure if the method is still working now the weather has cooled off.

duelling

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/template...rset=ISO-8859-1

When you have a lot of continuous rain, it takes a long time to run off, something to do with the soaked soil and water tables.

I have also heard that, also heard that vasaline keeps the water out and provides another barrier, but, I never found any neoprene that were comfortable. Got some woolen gloves with hard bobbles for the wet, they are golfing gloves and are spot on, some super dupa thinsulate goretex fingerless for really cold

I see Drennan have brought out some new reels that are at a competitive price, it may be worth having a look at them. As for carp puddle rods, the series seven are very good for the money.

Don't think there is a best colour, just what is better at the time. In a local club we fish a small river, there are a number of swims where the river flows under trees, then into the open, under trees etc. no matter what colour you have, it is difficult to see the float, the dark colours vanish under the trees and the light colours in the open. All to often your float can disappear when the sun comes out, or the sun goes in, it starts raining, it gets windy etc. Your favourite has got to be one you can see You just have to take a selection,

Nice fish blockhead

Thanks Tony for getting this meet going, and to all that turned up and braved the weather, a big thanks to Lyn for the grub and drink. My day was little to shout about, got there a little late, and found that all the early birds had gone upstream. As no one was near where the entrance to the venue was, this was where I started. Sat the first half of the day trying to get something out of a deep part of the main river, not a bite, with lots of rubbish coming downstream, it made a very frustrating morning. Later on I moved up to the fast carrier, however, with the river out of sorts and the limited slow carrier access, the fast carrier was getting quite crowded. Within a few trots I had my fist fingerling trout (not a blank then ) followed by a few more than a trout, a white spotted thing (not really up with the trout types), then a grayling mission accomplished, a brown spotted thing, a grayling that I managed to mess up on the landing, and a minnow, how on earth could it live in there with all them trout about? It was good to see some new faces, and the mulled apple juice was top notch.

Shame to get them wet and muddy

What to take? Boots, wellies or flippers

Yes please

That reminds me, We had an elderly chap come on a clubbie, think he was in his eighties, fished a narrow but deep bit of water called Leasbrook. Got to his swim, put in the rod rest and went head over into the river. Luckily a chap downstream saw his flask float by and went to check on the old 'un and saw him at the side of the river and managed to fish him out On the way home the old fella mentioned he liked to look at his swim, check the depth, and flow

Got to have a bit of colour http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/11?...amp;area=Romsey Gonna be a bit muddy

Not quite a fall-in, however, remember as a youngster, I was fishing a shallow swim and some of the club “elders” walked up, these were the waxed jacket tie wearing committee members, that called all the youngsters “boy”. We got into a respectful conversation, when I lost balance, quickly stuck my foot out over the water to stop myself falling and managed to stay upright in a strange position, one leg on the bank one in the water, swim was shallow but it still went over my wellies. Carried on with the polite conversation, but could tell by the wide eyes of the elders that everything was not as it should, eventually they walked off and I got out of the water and emptied my boot, as they walked away I’m sure they muttered “something wrong with that one”.

I don't actually make floats, but any shop bought, mass produced floats always get a coating of varnish, I get a length of cardboard cut from a box, and lay it flat on a shelf, after giving the float a thin coating, place the base/stem in the corrogated holes of the cardboard, do another float and turn the previously done to stop any bulges. Use a quick drying varnish helps.

With Shimanos wide range to choose from, I would expect to get what you pay for, personally I would look at the more expensive reels, it may be fine for infrequent light work but would not expect longevity.

Been in many times, one time I visited Felmersham on the Great Ouse, got to my peg and it was overgrown with nettles, completely covered, no-one had fished this for a long time. So with my wellies I started to flatten down the horrible stingers, which were waist high, getting stung a few times, eventually I got near the edge of the river. Now I should explain that nettles on the edge can grow sideways then up, the growth was so thick that it looked like they were on solid ground, something I was not thinking about when stamping on the horrid weeds, got to the edge stamped down passed the edge and found out the swim was about six foot deep at the side. One minute I was stamping the next I saw the water surface above my head. I had to get out quick, the water was clear and cold and the swim was on the outside of a bend with a strong current, so I quickly grabbed the bank to pull myself out, straight onto the flattened nettles. Very slowly I pulled myself out each move of the hand was met by more stingers getting their revenge for being trampled on. The hands and arms were covered with little white spots, cold miserable and sore I was thinking of trying to get warm and dry when other anglers arrived at my peg and burst out laughing, I had bits of water plants in my beard and hair, was called Neptune for a few weeks.

Nice one, I would suggest that if you add some of these powerful flavourings, put on some latex gloves or similar, it can take a long time to get rid of the smell

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I only fish organised events, have been member of local clubs, but never used the facilities.

Can't do it, everthing changes, if you do the same thing for a few weeks running you then get the urge to do something else, I will be fishing a mainly carp pool on Sunday, the following Sunday a flowing river, looking forward to both. Have tried in the past to concentrate on a particular venue/ style, soon need to go out and do someting else, that is the beauty of the sport, so many things to do/ try, and you never stop learning. At the moment I am getting an irrational urge to go punch fishing, maybe I should get help