Tigger

Yes but it's still a very poor second to their natural home, they can't exactly swim for miles, hundreds of yards or even more than several feet. The reason you keep them is because you want them, so if people want barbel in still waters .......leave them to it. Well that's my opinion any how. At the end of the day fisheries are going to try and keep the fish in good health (just as you do) otherwise they've just thrown away their money.

TT, I also use nash bullet and it's very tough and abrsion resistant but it coils like buggery m8. If you don't like springy line steer clear ! Sensor does pretty good in the line tests .....eh....what ...lol.

All those rods are good un's but I'm a fan of Normarks stable and the Avenger is a class act and my favourite.

Steve shouldn't your cardinal tetras be back in the river amazon then ? Budgies should be back in Australia etc, etc the list is pretty endless.

I usually just stick to brown crumb, sweetcorn, maggots and hemp as my tench groundbait.

I don't think there's anything wrong with a sack or keepnet come to that. If there used for a short spell then there shouldn't be any damage done to a fish, infact in some circumstances it's benificial for the fish keeping it stable etc while it get's it's senses and it's breath back. Having said that I can't remember the last time I used one. I do take a sack with me though just incase of something exceptional and it's small and light enough to carry long distances.

Mmm, not quite right barbel often live in still waters of their own choice being stuck there after floods . It's a known fact that chub thrive and grow to specimine size in still waters, usually outgrowing their river brothers and sisters. At the end of the day if there's enough people want to fish for barbel in still waters then the owners will oblige to keep their customers happy. Personally I haven't got a problem with it if that's what the fish have been farmed for.

Unlike this time last year when I was really baggin up with chub whilst trotting, this year the fish are nothing like as abundant due to the pollution at the back end of last summer decimating the river. I only managed 5 today the biggest being just over 3 lb so no record breakers. I suppose I can't complain too much though as I was there less than an hour but it's pretty sickening knowing less than twelve months back the river was teaming with life.

I love to fish still waters but only or mostly during the warmer spring and summer months. There are some lovely clean still waters where I've no doubt barbel would and do thrive ...I know chub do as I 've fished some still waters for chub since I was a small nuisance. In fact the chub in a particular water I fished even back then where over 5lb and they where breeding quite prolifically every year! Funny enough I've just had a chub this afternoon from a small still water next to the small river I fish and it was pristein. I had another 5 fish from the river after whilst trotting which weren't in any better nick. I know one of the bailiffs told me that a chap had a chub weighing in at 9lb in the still water several months back. He didn't see the fish but reckons the chap who caught it doesn't lie about his catches.

Trouble is TT it seems all lines get the spring coil effect as you go up in strength. If i have a problem with it doing the springy coil thing then just before a session I thread the line through the rod rings and attach it end to a post or heavy object walk away 30 to 40 yards and put a almighty bend in the rod and hold it for 20/30 seconds before releasing the pressure, sometimes repeating this process several times. After that my line is nice and limp and the coils are no more ! Oh forgot to say another line I like to use in 10/12lb strains is Fox soft steel and fox camo but you still get the springing coils, the baitrunner doesn't help though. Have you thought about getting one of the line de twisting leads from gardner?

Bloody hell all that malarky over bobbins for tow or three sessions I reckon stocking still waters with barbel and chub would be a good thing. It would keep the carpers seeking the barb's away from the rivers and chub are known to do very well in still waters and grow larger than in the river systems. I've never actually been fishing for barbel in still waters but if they thrive and keep condition (as they seem to according to people who catch them) I can't see a problem.

Curious TT, what don't you like about sensor ? It's cheap, it's got great abrasive quality, it has decent stretch giving a good cusion effect close in, it breaks over it's stated breaking strain and it's a lower diameter than stated !

Snap !

I alternate between winding in with a finger, using the handles, batting the drum and flicking the handle to wind in. You can bat the reel with the line coming off the bottom no prob's.

I always have my line coming off the top of my pin so I wind in forwards rather than the wierd backwind style. I can't see the point in making it alkward by winding in backwards and also stopping you from doing a propper cast.

I'm gonna part with my Mitchell 300a which is in as near to brand new condition as you'll most likely find. It has it's spare alloy spool in plastic protector case. I am looking for £40 inclusive of postage. I'll try and add photo's later.

You should have picked the one with the chunky engine attached in the stone boat house

Thank's everyone for the replys. Thank's Alan for answering my question

The thing is, it says specialist on the blank and not avon quiver so I don't know if the specialist has the quiver section as well as the avon top. I'm wondering if anyone on the board has one or has ever seen one and knows if it does/should have two top sections with it.

No TT it's not that one bud, it's the old Ryobi masterline (green blank). It still has the plastic on the cork ...as new that was why i bought it. I haven't got it yet but have started to wonder if it should have a quiver section with it. I have some older drennan specialist rods in 1 1/4lbb test and they just have the one avon top.

I recently purchased a wilson specialist rod, described as a barbel rod on the bay. It's 11ft 1 1/4 test 4-8lb lines and has a screw in tip for swing tips/quiver tips if desired. I know the avon quiver has the two tops but am curious if the specialist should have a seperate quiver section also or just the one avon top......I'd be gratefull for any help

Wouldn't the 1.5 test series 7 rod cover your float work ? If not the series 7 1.25 is a lighter version and the same price

I think the reason it's worth so much is only because of Fred Taylor who's name is on it. I was tempted to get one which was for auction on ebay 2 yr'ish back but I prefered the look of the Youngs John Wilson Heritage and plonked for that instead.

What's Bob gtot to do with it They usually do up to 300 nicker so it will be interesting if it goes over.