jack1432

I'm 17 and have been fishing since I was 5 and I'm still happy to catch lots of small fish....unless I can see big carp just under the surface . I've seen kids who can't be older than 12 years old fishing with buzzers and bollies, but I suppose if the person who taught them to fish is a specimen angler and the youngsters have seen the specimen sized fish I can understand they want to catch them. I have only targeted bigger fish I few times when I caught my biggest fish, a 9lb common. I have now caught 3 carp to 9lb and can't catch a double figure fish . I think if a youngster catches a bigger fish than they are expecting then they want to go bigger.

Good day all, I last fished the canal at Lapworth was about 4 years ago and I had some nice perch, but I remember a couple of blokes fishing with swimfeeders in the top pound for Bream. They caught a few roach but I didn't see them catch any bream. I was thinking of going soon and thought I might have a bash for the bream.... if there are any in there. Any knowledge would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance, Jack

Excuse me.

I was going on a early morning session on a Saturday a few years ago and the tackle shop does not open until 9AM, I was at school on Friday and my dad was at work until late, so my mum offered to get the maggots for me. Well I get home and the maggots were in the bait box at the side of the house as per usual. I woke up the next morning and the bait box was gone. So I asked my mum where they wore. She said the bloke in the tackle shop said she had to put them in the fridge because the humidity will cause them to sweat and crawl out. Yep you guessed it... A river of maggots fell out of the fridge as I opened the door. They were everywhere!!! But the stranger thing was that it was somehow my fault!

Thanks everyone gone with the Avon stuff:) Jack.

Good! Thank you, jack

If I'm close to the den will that upset/anger them because I don't want that. A family of foxes stalking me and attacking me with little notice if I get to close to the den without knowing, No thank you!

Thanks fellas, I could feel them biting me and I brushed them off me but three must have got lucky They were all over my landing net and as I picked it up to land a fish they all flu in my face, not very pleasant.

Thanks kirisute, I've never seen foxes around that stretch of river before and it turns out there's properly a whole family of them

I have three bites on my leg which i got while fishing on monday and they itch like hell. one of them is swollen and the red lump is about 2 inches long.There were hundreds of the little blighters! Is there a spray/cream anyone could recommend that would repel them from me and when will they start to die off? Thanks jack.

I thought about that later that day, but I thought the fox might have been a cub just leaving the family because it seemed smaller than the ones around my road and garden, it was also quite "fluffy". Will the cubs have left the family by now?

Thanks kirisute, I just thought it was bit odd that the fox would not have eaten all of the chub in one sitting.

Phone, It's hard to say how long it had been dead as the head was gone, only ribs left, but judging from the anal fin area not long as it was in-tacked. There are also buzzards in the area so maybe a buzzard had picked it up and then the fox saw it of?

Hi all, Yesterday I was fishing a stretch of the river Blythe in Birmingham and a young fox came trotting towards me and as it was about 20 yards from me I realised it properly hadn't seen me as I was in the undergrowth, so I stood up so it could see me, as I did so it ran of and dropped something in the tree line which was just out of view so I couldn't see what it had dropped. I thought it was a rabbit as there are a lot of them around that area. Anyway as I was packing up I went and had a look and it was a chub! The head was eaten and only the ribs remained, the tail and the anal fin were left and hadn't been touched. Am I right in thinking that otters only eat the head of fish and leave the tail end. I've haven't heard of otters in Brum before. I can't imagine a fox jumping in the river to pick up a dead fish, or do they. Is this sign of otters? Thanks , Jack.

I like the way the narrator said " it misses MOST of his vital organs"

Hi Richard, I live in Brum but dispite this I have never fished Alvechurch, however this website is good for having a lot of fisheries on it including Alvechurch. http://www.fisheries.co.uk/alvechurch/index.htm There are a few Brummy anglers on this forum so they might so up Hope the website helps, Jack.

My first session of the season yesterday on the river Blythe. Plenty of small roach, chublets, dace, and perch. Biggest fish were 2 perch around a pound. Nothing big but very enjoyable, back on Monday if all goes to plan. I saw 2 mayfly' s as well yesterday, they are very late this year.

Hi mate, First of all, are you targeting a certain species? There are. Some mixes which are aimed at certain species. There are a few different mixes you can make at home. http://www.anglersmail.co.uk/fishing-tips/great-bait-tips-how-to-make-paste-for-carp/ http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/coarse-fishing-articles/how-to-make-cheesepaste.html I've had great success with these two the past few years. Sorry I can't help you with the swim stim stuff you get in the packets, but advice which has been given to me in the past is ask in your local tackle shop, I would also recommend this. Hope this helps

You know what Tony, I might just buy it . I think I will buy the discount card for £5 a year then buy the pack so it's £65 instead of £80. I'm a tight one me

The tackle shop I go to doesn't sell fly fishing gear, just the odd fly or too. But it could be worth a shot.

Very interesting. A bit off topic but what are the A's with the arrows above them?

I know Mick Brown was at a pairs competition and he had no boat buddy, and the only person who was without one as well was Matt Hayes and Matt asked him if he wants to be on his TV show as they were fishing together. So a bit of luck will not go amiss.

I think the watercraft and "matching the hatch" is one of the most important things and this is what I will need help on, I think the mayfly season is coming to an end (correct me if I am wrong). I am at the age now where I am looking for a part time job to go along side exams and collage, so maybe when the money situation is looking better I will think about a guide/tutor.

I don't. I looked into it about 2 years ago but never got round to doing it. My casting is ok, I can't cast out a very long way but I am able to do the job. The bailiff at the fishery I will go to is very helpful and I will practice my casting when fly fishing for the carp. I just plan on asking the right questions to the right people such as this forum , reading books and practising while I'm on the bank.

Thanks a bunch Steve that's helped me a lot. I will have a look at the lines now.