AddictedToScopex

I got out for the first time since late last year yesterday. Just to a local pit as we didn't fancy a trudge down the river with it being so cold. Did ok and was nice to sit by the water again. Enjoyed a lovely hot shower afterwards though. The wind was biting.

I can highly recommend the Sonubaits Carp & Barbel pellets. Spicy sausage are dynamite

Great stuff as always. I am going to have to follow you one day to find these spot I am planning on getting a load of trotting done this season after a long time away with work etc.

Hi Anderoo. It has been an awfully long time since I was on here due to starting a business etc etc but now I have more free time again as things aren't as manic and the dusty rods have come back out. While the rivers were closed I decided to head down to the canal after perch. I had a lot of success a few years back for big perch using soft shads on jogheads and tried them again this year. They have not disappointed and have caught both pike and perch on every outing. Confidence for me seems to be a big thing in lure choice when on the bank. I seem to have lost confidence in hard lures with the exception of tandem spinners for pike and small spinners for perch. I have found the more natural colours most productive and smaller shads have outfished larger ones even for pike. I have actually just purchased some crayfish soft rubber lures to try and it is good to see you have had some success with them. I have been well and truly bitten by the lure angling bug again and can't wait to get out on the river when it reopens. I am not sure we have any zander around these parts. I have never seen any anway. Would like to catch one at some point.

I am suffering the same fate at the moment hence my lack of posting on here but mine is down to having too many other hobbies to focus my time on. I know that angling will always be there waiting for me when my focus shifts again. I got a new club ticket this year and feel like I have wasted it and it wasnt cheap but there is a long waiting list so I had to take the opportunity to get it as you never know when the passion will sweep back in again.

Why not?

Hehe damn it.

Looks like you have been having a cracking time on the old river there Ian. Not been able to get out there for a while but seeing those pics is making me crave to be there. Think I am going to have to stalk you down there to see where these magical spots are though!!!

I do see a lot of carp anglers fishing a float so it cant be all their fault i think there has definitely been a shift toward a certain type of angler fishing ledger tactics as it allows them to sit and drink lager or roll a fat one without having to watch a float but I would say it is actually the attitude of the angler rather than the species they choose to fish for that dictates the method they use.

Dales, I dont think so far anyone has looked down on ledgering as an inferior tactic. I for one simply expressed my opinion of fishing the method myself. I just find it really boring. Thats not to say I wont do it but I think I would prefer float tactics unless of course as you say it is a very long session in which case a float is more difficult to fish with in terms of concentration.

I cant think of anything more boring than sitting behind inactive rods. I have tried it a few times in the last 2 years and at no point did I get in the car afterwards and say to myself that I had a great time, with the exception of night fishing for barbel on the river.

And a few of us younger adults lol

I almost exclusively float fish as I find it far more involved and enjoyable compared to sitting behind buzzers watching dvd's etc like some do. I do think though that as usual it comes down to the accepted 'norm' these days where those new to angling see ledger tactics all over the press and an abundance of ledger tackle pushed left right and centre. I definitely think there has been a shift towards sitting behind alarms etc. Its not for me though.

I always have to have it coming of the bottom as I find it easier to wallis cast with it coming off the bottom. Just feels much more natural.

£2.60 a pint up here but if I bought a few pints I would get a little knocked off for being a regular. They dont sell lobs though unfortunately.

^^ Agreed. The card tells you the places to go so you cant go far wrong. Most will come with a seperate map book. The wigan ticket is pretty decent for about £28 a year but there are plenty of others. Maybe check out a few of their sites to see what waters they have to see which suits you best.

Some great places but depends what your after. Some very nice river stretches on both big and small rivers, good spinning and pole fishing on various bits of canal and of course loads of commercials. Really just depends what you want.

Did he sayh he was wobbling? If so he could be 'wobbling' dead baits. Quite a good technique where you basically flutter a dead bait through the water. Kind of a hybrid between deadbaiting and lure fishing.

Quite surprising to see how they did it. I half expected to just see a few explosions but they were very thorough. Impressive.

Leeda's budget poles are pretty decent. I have one myself. For a budget pole I was quite impressed with it. Obviously it is no £600 maver deal but you get what you pay for.

Phone, I believe we are now discussing feeder tactics for other species.

The only rods I have had with full coloured tips have been barbel ones. I have no doubt that there are others around though, I just haven't seen them. When I want to extend the coloured part of my quiver tips I use float paint.

Dave, My first choice on the river these days is always to trot a float down but if the river is not accessible for float fishing I would definitely give feeder fishing a go. I have had some very good days fishing the feeder. I would tend to go for hemp and groundbait in the feeder (or maggots of course) with a few free offerings but dont worry too much about packing the bait in too hard. The idea is to get it out of the feeder and onto the river bed so you dont really want it stuck in the feeder. A medium consistency is fine. If there is somewhere that you can drop the feeder into the margin then you can make up a test batch to see what consistency you need to get it out of the feeder. As you seem to have done a fair amount of still water fishing, one thing I would say is be prepared to use a very long hooklength if you need to in order to get bites. In the past I have used anything from 2 foot right up to 6 foot. I have always found the longer hooklength catches me more fish.

Shame you didnt catch but you have to be in it to win it. Theres always next time

I still use my Klobba vest for when I am travelling light and in particular trotting. Very cheap and perfect for the job. I also use it when lure fishing. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fly-Fishing-Vest-Waistcoat-XP-WAISTCOAT-CHEST-PACK-Trout-Salmon-KFWXP-/370772010307?pt=UK_Sporting_Goods_Sports_Clothing_LE&hash=item5653bbe543