Hopinc

Worms - for your information, I don't throw paddies. I am an adult and I reserve the right to question how my money is spent. Re your figures, you qoute the following: £25.8m received in licence duties. £38.6m spent on fisheries. Well, I have done the sums from the video, and they don't tally with your figures at all. There was nothing like £38.6M spent on fisheries: EA income 1.3M licenses sold = £23.0M Government grants = £ 9.5M Salmon & eel net licenses = £ 0.5M Total = £33M EA Expenditures EA staff of 500 employes wages bill = £ 6.0M Reasearh costs = £ 3.0M Fishery improvements = £ 9.0M Promoting angling = £ 9.0M Bailiffs & policing =£ 6.0M Total= £33.0M So, if as you say your figures come from the document you posted, and I haven't checked that yet, either you have misinterpreted them or there is something wrong with the video? This is a perfect illustration of what I am asking for, to be able to see clearly documented figures of EXACTLY where the money is going. What I do find interesting and slightly perturbing in these figures from the video is the £9M spent on "promoting angling"? That seems a bit OTT to me, when only £9M was spent on improving fisheries. What have the EA been doing - advertising in Vogue? Worms, that is a rhetorical question and doesn't require an answer, thanks. PS - I have just reviewed pages 41 & 42. Whilst I can see where you grabbed these figures from, I don't believe they are anything to do with what the EA spends our rod license fees on. I'll stick with the figures on the video thanks. Anyone else, please read the document, watch the video and form your own opinions.

- Worms, I think this comment was a little unnecessary! Like I have pointed out so many times, I just want to know how my money is spent. Is that so difficult a concept to grasp? BTW- You certainly did not get those figures from the document you highlighted. I haven't yet had time to asorb all the figures quoted in the video, but I will. Figures such as whilst undoubtedly of benefit to anglers and the general public in the long run, is more to do with effluent from sewage works, industrial polution and run off from farmers fields. Effluent that should not be going into our rivers in the first place. We already pay towards dealing with that in our taxes, should we really be expected to pay more because were are anglers?

I always think of Chris Yates AND Bob James together. A fishing duo, rather than two individuals. It seems a little odd to me that he has not been included in the line up as well.

Hi John, I will read the article when I have some spare time. Thanks for the video link, that was most informative and has helped to answer a lot of my questions. The one thing I did find surprising is the £6M spent on policing fishing. I must admit that I had not visualised the problem as being so extensive or expensive. In 40+ years of angling I have never so much as come across a water bailiff, and I think I have only been asked to produce my documents just once in that time. I feel somewhat better about my license fee now

Thanks Worms, I have just waded through that EA document , the question is have you? Regarding anything relating to fishing there is a lot of general "we have met our targets" and "we have done this, that and the other" but there are NO specific details of the financial expenditure on these "improvements" to our resources. Nor is their, as I have pointed out before, any information whatsoever about exactly how the rod license fees are being spent. There is one heck of a lot of vague rhetoric, but no susbstance. As the rod license is aimed only at people that fish, wouldn't you like to know that your money is being spent on improving your sport and not being used as a stealth tax for something else? Whilst I am not saying that this is the case, what I am asking for is transparency, so I can see that it is or isn't. You only have to consider examples like the old "road fund license" which had to be renamed because it was being used for anything but improving transport infrastructure.

Hi Guys, I have just experienced a totally different side of Dragon Carp Direct, for which I must hold my hands up in respect and say well done. As I reported earlier, I returned the faulty Cortesi reel for a full refund. I have just had a phone call saying they are transferring the money to my account. It was polite, quick and efficient. 10/10 for that Dragon Carp Direct.

Have you considered that you are paying a government department for a resource that does not belong to them, i.e. the rain that falls from the sky? Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying the that EA does not do some good. Quite the contrary, but what I want to see is where my license fees are actually being spent. How much is going on administration, how much (if any) is being syphoned off for other things, what projects it is being spent on, and how efficiently the money is being used. Currently you cannot do this, this information is kept from you as member of the public. Why is this? Anyone reading this from the U.S., please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe you have a right to this type of data under the freedom of information act. Yes? And just out of interest, how many of the waters that you fish do you also have to be a member of an angling club ?

Hi Bugie, I wondered if you would comment on the use of epoxy on a cane rod This is not a high end rod, it is not for sale, and I thought it was OK to take the liberty to bring it into the 21st century. Had this been a Hardy or Constable I would not have used epoxy. The finish on this rod is Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil. I am sure you are familiar with this - it is not an oil at all, but a varnish, and could also be used to seal the decal that Gary wants to protect. I guess it's a case of whatever works for you - then do it! Regarding the drying cabinet, I considered making one myself out of acrylic. The idea being that if you rub the outside with a cloth you generate a static charge which attracts all the dust particles to the sides. It definitely works for others that have tried it. I never got around to it though. It's been an interesting discussion. Tight lines.

Ah! - thanks for the support. Do you mind if I tell you a little story about the EA: I live in the mid Pennines and our valleys have always been subject to flooding from the local rivers. Every EA project that has ever been carried out to prevent this has just shifted the problem to somewhere else, never cured it. They came up with a fantastic plan to build a subterranean tank complex under the park about 4 miles from where I live. This meant that park was unusable for children to play in for years, the project over-running considerably in both time and money. It cost millions of pounds. They did not think to have automated sluice gates, no this was left to someone watching a camera focused on one of these large measuring sticks. He was supposed to have a key to open the gates. Well you've probably guessed it. The first time this flood defence was needed they couldn't find anyone with a key. They had to fetch a guy from over 28 miles away to open the gates. How damn stupid is that? Of course by the time he arrived it was too late! The river flooded and the tanks system was never used. To this day it is unknown if the system will work or not. Your license fee at work - a tiny key to a multi-million pound project that could not be found when it was needed. I despair.

Hi Denzil, I am not expecting anything for my license fee - and I am sure that's exactly what I'll get. What sticks in my throat is that an agency that is taking our money has killed fish needlessly. If you think about this in another light - we pay £27 for the license, but if we get caught without it we could get fined £1,000. Have you ever heard of a vehicle excise dodger ever being fined that sort of money for driving around unlicensed and uninsured? Food for thought perhaps! I guess what I really want to see is accountability.

Hi Guys, Am I the only one that thinks the price of a rod license is extortionate? I saw the "good news" in the Angler's Mail about rod license prices being held for two years, but is this enough, should we demand a reduction. At the very least we ought to be able to see the EA financial accounts as to where our money is being spent, dont you think? Whilst I am sure that the EA must do some good somewhere, from my personal experience I haven't seen any evidence of this. On the contrary I can think of at least one local anti-flood project and one where they restructured the river for canoeists that killed many a good fish. No thought of electro-fishing first, and putting the fish back after the work has been completed - no straight in with the diggers, result hundreds of dead fish. I can't rationalise this type of thing with the idea of an agency that is supposed to look after our water resources. I know that I am probably opening a large can of worms with this question, but I would be interested to hear what you think?

Sorry, but I definitely don't agree Budgie, the last thing you want to use is a hair dryer. This will suck in airborn dust particles and blow it all over the nice new epoxy coat. The lighter flame works superbly, don't be tempted to use a candle, matches or anything similar. When these burn the flame contains contaminant particles that you do not want in your epoxy. In retrospect I was a little liberal with rotating the rod 90 degress every five minutes, that is too long an interval, and I would go with Budgie on the 1 minute intervals. It would be even better if you could rotate it more often than that. I always use an electric rotator when I am building my custom rods so I just set mine up, apply the expoxy and the flame and leave it running until the following day. I then try to disturb the air in the room that the rod is in as little as possible. One tip I learnt many years ago, for times when airborn dust is a real problem, is to use one of the plant water sprayers set to a very fine mist. Spray towards the top of the room and as the water droplets fall the dust particles stick to them and are dragged to the ground. You would only need to do this in extreme cases. The picture shows a factory logo that I retained whilst refurbishing this Rudge split cane spinning rod. The larger the area to be coated the trickier it is to get a totally smooth and dust free surface. One final point - you made need to apply two coats of epoxy to get the very best finish possible. If you wish you can thin the first coat of expoxy using a drop or two of cellulose thinners to reduce build up.

Thanks for replying to my post. It's nice to hear of a rod that is made in the U.S., not China.

Hi Guys, This is purely out of curiosity - what does anyone think of these rods? They seem to be a very versatile solution to many coarse fishing situations, and at a remarkably good price.

Well - blow me down with a feather. I was wrong about the Excalibur hooks being obsolete, it seems they are alive and well in the U.S. For anyone interested, this is how they are described in the advertising info: Trust me, this is not just a gimmick, they do work. I can't understand why they have never really caught on in the U.K. There seems to be a little confusion about the name, some people quote them as "Excalibur" whilst others call them "Xcalibur"

I love it! Thanks for bringing these videos to my attention.

This was the last decal I applied to one of my rods. It came as a self-adhesive label. The thing you have to be careful with is the edges, they must not be raised or rough in anyway. Do not get any finger prints on the under side. Make sure the rod surface is totally grease free. Once applied, coat your logo with rod building clear expoxy (as used for whippings). You can buy makes such as "Thread Master" (American - and very good) or you can buy a kit, which your local tackle shop can order for you from "Gudebrod" (very good too). You will need a brush that does not shed bristles. Mask off the edges you want to work to so you get a nice sharp definition. Mix as per instructions (try not to get air bubbles in the mix) and apply evenly with the brush. If you get get an odd bubble you can prick it out with a needle. Remove the masking tape. To get the ultimate smooth finish waft the edge (not the tip) of a butane flame (cigarette lighter) along the side of the epoxy. DO NOT use too much heat as the epoxy will become very runny quite quickly. Just a few very quick flicks past as you rotate the rod is all you need. This will level the epoxy. Do not touch the epoxy again after this. If possible use a rotator to turn the rod (some battery operated fly dryers can double up for this purpose) whilst the expoxy goes off. If you haven't got one, rotate the rod through 90 degrees every 5 minutes for the first hour. Try to keep dust to a minimum until the surface has hardened. Leave at least 8 hours before touching. I hope this helps.

I have fished barbless for over 30 years. Where I can I prefer to use factory barbless hooks, but if these aren't available then the technique described above is the way to go. Remember to keep your hooks sharp - use a fine file or diamond hook sharpener. Sharpen towards the point. Test them by touching the point against your thumb nail, if it feels as though it wants to cling then they are sharp. Providing you keep a tight line (this is the key) you will not loose fish by going barbless. You might also consider removing some of the hooks. Quite often I remove a set of trebles from a plug, or snip off one of the hooks of a treble using a good pair of hardened cutters (see my comments in the thread headed "Perch lures / spinners"). Treble hooks can cause serious problems. I once remember years ago whilst fishing with barbed hooks, hooking a tiny jack pike - two of the hooks went through the lower jaw, the third threw the upper. I could not get at enough of any of the hooks to cut the points off. It was impossible to get the hooks out without causing severe damage and stress to the fish, so I had to despatch it. I hated doing that. I have never fished with barbs since that time.

Hi Guys, First of all let me address the idea that you have somehow hijacked this thread - moving on to drop shotting per se is absolutely fine by me. That was the way I had thought this discussion would progress anyway. Re the Power Pro - that is interesting. All my baitcaster reels are spooled with either 30lb or 50lb Power Pro, and I knew that they had changed the line recently (don't know what they have done to it though). It's nice that at last one line manufacturer is thinking about how their lines are spooled onto fishing reels. FYI- My problem with the old version of the 10lb Power Pro wasn't caused by wind. I am not sure what actually did cause it, whether it was the lower coils slacking off with time, or friction caused by the outgoing line grabbing the lower coils, or possibly a bit of both, I just don't know. It was an expensive event though. It's obvious that most of you are intending to fish the drop shot in still waters, and so will have slightly different requirements from your gear. I intend to be fishing rivers, where the current will add movement to the lure, and hopefully I won't have to work quite as hard as you guys to make them look natural . It is certainly going to be interesting comparing notes.

Bummer about the rod. Still, it gives you something to look forward to Let us know when it arrives. I spooled some braid onto two of the shallow spools supplied with the XT 035 yesterday. Even using shallow match spools I had to use 20lb b.s. fly line backing to reduce the depth. One spool I loaded with the pink coloured Zander Pro in 4lb b.s. and the other with Fox SoftSteel 10lb 4oz b.s. This is dark green in colour and spooled very nicely. Both lines measure about 0.08mm in diameter. One problem I have had previously with low breaking strain braided lines on fixed spool reels is that, as the top coil comes off the spool, it grabs coils from underneath causing a birds nest (that was with Power Pro 10lb). I am hoping that I don't experience that with these lines. Spooling lines onto fixed spool reels brings up one of my pet hates - why don't line manufacturer's use plastic spools that allow the line to come of cleanly and easily. Having lumps cut out of the edges, centre holes with flats or keyways cut in them, line strapped to the inside of the spool with tape are all bad news :nono:

Have a look at these: Shakespeare Mach 3 XT range Maver Abyss 10ft match rod - I know this is shorter than you specified, but it is outstanding for the price. J.W. Young's range (look on Ebay) Good luck with your choice.

There is one more avenue open to you that has not been mentioned so far - and that is making your own lures. It is possible to purchase individual parts and wire forming jigs for instance to make your own spinners, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. Or you could buy unpainted plug bodies, paint them yourself and fit hooks of your personal choice. Many commercial lures are outfitted with poor hooks in my opinion. Your could also purchase cheap spoons and do the same thing. Attached is a picture of the "Uto" lure that I mentioned earlier, which caught me the 22.75lb pike, and this I custom painted in the hope of it appearing to be a roach. A lot of pike have liked it - you only have to see all the teeth marks marring the paint finish The hook attached to this lure is an American pattern, which unfortunately I don't think is available anymore - another good idea gone by the way. This hook was designed to rotate as it penetrated the fishes mouth aiding hooking. It really worked too! Wish I could get hold of some more. I think they were sold under the brand name of Excalibur. Anyway, I mention this as an example of what you might do. Just a few final tips: If you decide to go plugging check your lures for true running. If they veer to one side on the retrieve adjust the nose ring with a pair of pliers. Bend it carefully in small increments, towards the direction of tracking. So if the lure goes right as it is coming towards you, bend the ring a little to the right with the plug facing you. If you get it wrong, the problem will be worse and you can just ease the ring in the opposite direction. I would like to reiterate Steve Burke's excellent advice about fishing depth being all important. If you ever go to a fishery and someone else is catching and you arent, the very first thing you should ascertain is not what lure he is using, but what depth he is hooking the fish at. If you know there are fish present but you aren't hooking in to any, try the lure at different depths - a 1 second countdown approximents to 1ft of depth, until you reach bottom. Try using different speeds of retrieve. Don't just bring the lure straight back (although this is sometimes best), use the rod tip so the lure undulates up and down as wounded fish would. After that move on, dont flog a dead horse. I will close by saying that I personally am not a great fan of treble hooks. Quite often I remove one of the the two on plugs, on spinners I cut one of the hook legs off with strong hardened cutters. Another method I employ is to change the treble for a single hook and a split ring. I always flatten barbs down. Providing you maintain a tight line you will not lose fish because of this. Tight lines all

Hi Guys, I went over to "Tackle2U" in Bradford this afternoon to "interview" some reels for drop shotting and float fishing. This is one impressively stocked tackle shop. Until today they had been temporarioy out of stock of the one reel I really wanted to see, the Shakespeare Mach3 XT 035 front drag. Of the other reels I looked at I would not hesitate to buy any of the following makes: Daiwa Whisker, Shakespeare Mach 3 XT 035 (front or rear drag), Preston PXR 5000 (very nice reel) and the Daiwa Procaster X. The reels on display were of course in several different sizes. I bought the Mach 3 XT 035 front drag because it offered great performance and by far the best package for the money. 10/10 Shakespeare.

Hello Rob Ward, Yes, please read my post #26 on this subject. I returned the reel this morning for a refund. Lets see what happens now.

Hi Guys, Thanks for all your comments. I haven't been put off the idea of a centre pin reel at all. But as suggested above, it has left a bad taste in my mouth. It was mostly the fact that they knew they had some bad ones but decided to send them out without checking them anyway that I can't live with. Of course, if I had been lucky enough to get a good one I too would be singing the reel's praises on this forum. C'est la vie! Tight lines all