ga-rat

Thanks for that budgie, I will keep an eye out for something like this.

Thanks for the advice, I think I will go for the landing net pole and a smaller net from my local tackle shop and then buy a larger net to fit the same pole. Think I have been a bit silly, I will need 2 poles, I can't go changing the net when I have a fish on the end of my line and waiting to see what size it is. I would rather support my local shop when making purchases. Sometimes it's hard though when you see such bargains online.

Once again I am just after a bit of buying advice, this time its for a landing net, I realise there are many net's for many situations and once again I am trying to find a cheap-ish solution, a net that would do for all types of fish upto 20lb (20lb may be wishful thinking, I don't want to catch one and not be able to get it out the water) I had bee advised that I would want a 36" at least. I have found a few cheapies in various stores, has anyone had any good or bad experiences with the ones below. Argos 14.99 Keenets http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/part...LANDING+NET.htm Argos 9.99 Keenets http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/part...LANDING+NET.htm Sportsdirect £8 Zebco http://www.sportsdirect.com/zebco-landing-net-791102 They are all brands I know. I have been looking on ebay at used ones, unless one comes up on ebay local to me its no good, postage is sometimes as much as the pole/net. I have seen a nice keepnet pole/handle in my local tackle shop for just under £10, so this may be an option and I could just buy the net on ebay as most of the nets in the shop are either to small or they're £25+.

I did find this website, dont know if you (watatoad) have come across it. I have looked at all the silstar and there are lots, but, no mention of the Silstar R710 Special Match Reel. I guess I will have to wait till it arrives through the post and see if there are any other numbers to identify it, I don't know if it would have been released as a different model number in a different country. I have tried various searches, e.g R-710, r 710, R710, R, 710... Still nothing. One good thing is they're not common, I always have liked to be a little different.

Thankyou very much! I have emailed the seller asking about the Silstar R710

My wife keeps tropical & marine fish, she has told me to try garlic before I had read any of these posts. She told me that if you introduce a new fish into an aquarium and its not eating, you should try and flavour the food with garlic, they just cant resist it.

Thanks for the link to the webcams, they are great. There are two literally a few miles from my house in cornwall. I may go and sit by one LOL.

I have tried doing a google search for any info on the Silstar reel, but as of yet I have found nothing! Do you have a particular website that you get your service details from, or, is it just that the reels you buy and use are more popular so turn up easier on google?

Oh dear, what have I done? Stuck in a moment of nostalgia whilst looking for a second hand reel on ebay, I bid on this.... Its a Silstar R710 special match reel, bought for a bargain price of £15.40 with postage. (link below) http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...T#ht_500wt_1156 I missed out on a nice ABU GARCIA CARDINAL 5BB COURSE FISHING REEL(link below). ah well. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...#ht_1379wt_1141 I always liked Silstar though, I could only ever afford a Silstar FX40 (ahhh ) reel which I still have along with my Silstar Ledger rod.

The spec of the Wychwood Rogue 50 is:- The Wychwood Rogue Freespin Carp reel is built using the latest RTx composite technology and with machined aluminium spool and over-sized main gears, the Wychwood Rogue Freespin is a serious piece of kit at an amazing price. Designed for the rigours of modern specimen fishing, the Wychwood Rogue Freespin series is ideally suited to carp pike and catfish applications. The Wychwood Rogue combines a rugged, solid build quality with five silky smooth bearings. The infinately adjustable front drag and rear freespin enables the reel to be fished from minimal resistance to 'locked-up' Perfect complement to Wychwood Rogue rods. Features 5+1 ball bearings Wychwood SMS reel balancing Spare spool Folding Handle M10 Alloy spool Line safe lins clip Mega bail arm roller 5.2:1 gear ratio I know it says its suited to carp, pike, catfish etc. but that means it should be ready for when my skills/knowledge/demands grow.. Doesn't it ??

Sorry, the reel will be going onto my Shakspeare Powerplay 12ft feeder rod, also an old Silstar rod, I will be doing a bit of float, feeder, ledgure fishing. so far I really fancy the WYCHWOOD ROGUE FREESPIN 50 FISHING REEL WITH BRAID, it comes with 12lb Wychwood braid on the spool, I have seen this for about £18 with P&P. It looks like a good solid reel. I have seen the braid for about £6 on its own... I may just go for it as I don't want to miss out. Doubt there's anyone up at this time of night to give me advice.. Ah well !!! What to do!!!

Most of the SHIMANO reels I had watched previously ended on a bit more money than I wanted to spend.

I am watching a few reels on ebay, if anyone has the time to take a look without buying them I would muchly appreciate it. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...T#ht_500wt_1156 I like the look of this one below:- (please don't buy it) http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...T#ht_551wt_1141 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...IT#ht_500wt_922 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...T#ht_500wt_1156 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...T#ht_500wt_1156 I know the first one is nearly ended, don't think I would bother with that anyway.

I was just looking at some reels online and found these, does anyone know if they're any good. http://www.dragoncarpdirect.com/products/A...Match-reel.html http://www.dragoncarpdirect.com/products/A...-Drag-Reel.html I was looking on ebay originally to spend £15 for a used on. I would like 2 spools, nearly bought a used shakespear mach 1 4000 for £14 on ebay last night.

You are right about the open ended and caged feeders, the caged feeder is for shallower water because to water will wash the bait out of the feeder faster than the standard open ended feeder, If you used a caged feeder on deeper water the bait would have been washed away well before your line hits the bottom so the bait could be washed quite a distance from your hook. The open ended feeder will hold the bait longer allowing it to be nearer to your hook. Block end feeders/swim feeders are for live bait, just fill it up with maggot and once casted the maggots will crawl out through the small holes in the feeder, you can pack a small amount of ground in with the maggots if you like. I have never used flat bed feeders/method feeders, but the flattened base eliminates roll when used on sloping bottoms and ensures they land ‘base down’, so that the bait that was tightly packed around the feeder is facing up and visible from passing fish. I have seen people use micro pellets that disperse once at the bottom of the lake.

Scuba Gear, with a harpoon... lol. Looks like a beautiful place though!

That make a whole lot of sense, thankyou Mat.

I was hoping to get feedback like this, I like the keep it simple idea. thankyou davedave for the link to a Running Leger Rig, I like the look of this, its very similar to the way I used to fish. I have just been watching a Matt Hayes dvd that came with "improve your coarse fishing magazine". The rigs he had were really for specific fish in lakes. I suppose most my fishing was river fishing and it was mainly ledgure, you never knew what you were going to catch, could be anything, Bleak, Perch, Trout, Gudgeon or Chub this was half the fun!

I am enjoying all the answers and advice I am getting from my other posts. Just as I think I am getting somewhere another question pops into this empty head of mine. This question is about the use of rigs, I have found lots of info about making them and why they work.....but..... what happened to sticking the bait straight onto the hook on just a main line from hook to reel, whether it be maggot, worm, sweetcorn, luncheon meat, boilies. I found a few diagrams about making rigs, some didn't seem to difficult but are they essential? Is this just going to be another one of those things down to personal taste? or do you really get better results. just an example I found. http://www.carp-fishing-tactics.com/carp-r...t-balanced.html I really do just want the knowledge to get the best possible results and have fun!

Please can you tell me if you still have the Kennets Striker telescopic landing net handle £5. If you do what length is it closed and fully extended, also any idea of the postage. Thaknyou Paul

I have found a newish website that offers free delivery on all uk orders. Just wondered if anyone had tried these cheap and cheerful alarms, thinking about giving one ago. http://www.hotcarp.co.uk/#/bite-alarms-indicators/4548076231 Its quite a good website, not a huge range but very good prices. I have created quite a shopping list from this website..

Just bought my new rod, I'm now almost ready for comback. I went to a great tackle shop at homeleigh garden centre in Launceston, I was having a good look round and good old feel of the many rods. I did see a Shimano Alivio 12' rod for £44, I was a bit tempted by this and kept going back to it. After a while I eventually went up to the counter and asked for some more advice, we got chatting and talking about what type of fishing I used to do. Anyway.... He eventually took me to the far end of the shop and showed me 3 rods still in bags. The one I went for was a Shakespear Powerplay 12' Feeder with 3 carbon tips. After a chat and me telling him about my budget he said he would do it for £20... I thought that sounded a bit of a bargain! I am a bit worried now that people on this forum are going to say otherwise.. Ah well it is done and it looks well made and its a great looking rod.

Hello and Welcome, to what has been a great forum and source of information, I've only been a member a few days! From 1 newbie to another welcome!

None of my 20 year old non lead shot have made any marks on there container so it is likely to be lead.

I would just like to get an idea of who uses a bite alarm, is it something that every angler needs. I don't want to keep repeating my introduction of my self to the forum, basically I've not been fishing for 20 years. I still have my very old bite alarm but the battery compartment was all rusty, so in th bin it will go. As most of my fishing back then was either float fishing or ledger fishing with a quiver-tip I didn't really use it. It seems it was much more of a luxury back then and expensive, where as nowadays the prices have dropped loads. Should it be something that I MUST buy and keep ready for action. Is it silly to use one if your using a rod with a quiver tip as I would expect the quiver tip to be much more sensitive.