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Hey Alan, I've never sea fished from a boat, rarely fish the sea at all except with a fly rod, but I read and enjoyed the post... keep 'em coming mate ;-) Cheers,

Why's that DB and what will Peter Christmas do from around the corner? ;-D

Of course, there are also GOT's - Grumpy Old ****** - but I don't think Newt falls into that category. Cheers ;-)

...at least, not without having a quarter of a mile of good backing and a fast boat... you might make it then. Having watched Steve Starling (Rex Hunt's buddy) land a few GT's, Tuna and the like on 8 and 9 weight fly gear, it's certainly far from impossible - best to have the back-up afforded by a boat, or be really sure that your backing knots are stronger than your leader! ;-) Cheers,

I know what you're all thinking... oh yes... I know...

(mmmm i will just make an edit here, i was refering to kerrys hairband ok )[/QB] It STILL sounds rude!

Errmm... which local is that precisely?

Jump in my boat and I will save you Alan(nl) It's a boat?! I thought it was a grasshopper sitting on a frog!

Of course, depending on the fluff chuckers, it can also start a gun fight... best avoided unless it's a legal technique ;-)

Peche au toc is the French 'translation' for Czech nymphing - I've no idea how this would relate to a reel though. Worth bearing in mind that Mitchel is a French company - so the name might be misleading and actually not much to do with what the reel is designed for - it could just be a novelty fly reel. I'll ask a few people I know - it's tackle shop and vino night tonight so there's bound to be some opinions if not some useful info. Cheers,

There's a diference between photos of hands that have been painted on and paintings of hands that have been painted... If you magnify the images, I seriously doubt that they're actual hands with paint on them... but that doesn't mean they're not good. To be honest, I think it takes more talent to give the illusion that something is real, thn it does to create something 'real' - but then I do tie my own flies as well ;-) Cheers,

>Lyn >What kind of Bait do you use to catch >A "CUTE " barbel >david I had an 8-12oz barbel out of the Kennet a few years back on trotted maggot, bounced along the bottom under a 2 swan loafer. Cheers,

Do bear in mind that brown trout are now out of season in the UK - so it's illegal to intentionally fish for them and illegal to take them home with you. Stocked rainbows are a different matter, but I think you're probably out of luck on almost all rivers until next season (March) Cheers,

Like Terry, much more of a ratter than mouser - took around 60 in four hours from some land adjacent to a rubbish tip, using a .22 BSA Airsporter, when I was a kid. We had to stop using 4/10's with 3inch magnums as they weren't gutsy enough for some of the bigger rats and 12 bores made such a racket you'd probably only shoot two an hour. Not done any shooting for a while now though, worseluck. I once lived in a old manor house, we took 16 mice in an evening with an old spring loaded trap baited with bacon rind. Don't believe everything that's written about the 'cute and cuddly' mouse - they're just the same as any other wild animal, great opportunists too. Another good way to stop them, is to stop encouraging them by leaving edible stuff out for them to eat. Pack it away where they'll not be able to get at it, bearing in mind how far they'll chew their way through stuff if they're hungry enough, that means metal boxes/tins - biscuit tins are great for mouseproof bait storage. Of course... that might encourage them to come into the house instead of the garden/shed. You win some... you lose some ;-D Cheers,

ROFL! A plastic bucket Elton? THAT won't keep him too long... if he doesn't climb out (sharp claws, light weight and soft plastic = climbing wall) he'll chew his way out in about 10 minutes. You need a tin mop bucket with a lip around the top to stop them climbing back out. Make sure the 'ramp' doesn't protrude over the lip too as mice can jump a heck of a long way up! You need to put a few miles between your house and the mouse to stop them coming back - so it's a long walk or a short car ride at the very least. Between you and me though, most of them will die when relocated anyway, either through predation or competion with the resident rodent population where they're relocated to. It's actually more humane to kill a few of them where they're infesting - before long the rest of them get the idea they're not welcome and steer clear. Cheers,

Could be something to do with the devices you've got plugged in... although with only two phones it's unlikely. Each line has a maximum REN (stands for Ringer Equivalence Number) of 5 - each device has a REN rating, usualy shown on a sticker underneath it. If you get close to 5 or exceed it when you add up the total REN of all the phone devices - remember ansa phones count too - then that's likely to be the problem. Either use less devices or use ones that have lower REN. The ADSL modem doesn't have any affect on the REN rating of the line though, so if this is a 'new phenomenon' then definitely get back to your ADSL supplier. Mind you... it only takes a few minutes to check the REN ratings and add them up, so if you're bored, give it a whirl. Cheers,

There's a few stillwaters - Robinswood, Powder Mills and Halliford Mere spring to mind, although I'm not sure if they're all still there or not. These days it's pretty rare to find somewhere that doesn't allow C&R.

Liam, I'm in IT... I used to enjoy it, but with the current regulation on earnings and taxation (name another industry where that happens please?) and the slow rate of the market meaning I'm living in Kent and working in Reading... I'm genuinely struggling to make ends meet. Painting and decorating here I come! (at least I can write my own advertising website though ;-) Alternatively any IT exec's in Kent who want help with their .exe or .bat creation - I'm the puppies privates - hire me so I don't have to keep leaving the house at 6.30am and arriving home past 8.30pm everyday! Cheers,

Graiglywdd is an excellent place and Huw, the manager, is one of the better fishery managers I've met. It's an odd shaped place though, as it's square (kid you not) and very deep in the middle - a bit like an inverted pyramid. Fish quality is reputed to be better than it used to be, some of the old stock fish were a little 'ugly' although very sizeable - definitely worth a go and very good value for money. Lures of all descriptions will work, corixa and midge in abundance so buzzers, Diawl Bachs and beetle imitations will all work well too. I've only fished Brenig once - cracking countryside, but a huge water by N. Wales standards - well worth having some local knowledge along with you if you're going there. Try contacting a bloke called Dave (goes by the name of 'Haulagwynt' on the http://www.wheretoflyfish.com forum) - he fishes Brenig a heck of a lot and really know's his onions. If it's fishing well though, you can have a lot of action - like all reservoirs though, if it's fishing slowly you'd swear there's not a fish in the place! Other places I've been to or heard of - Pen-y-ffrith Fly Fishing Centre in Mold. Tan-y-Mynydd Trout Fishery in Abergele (reputed to be an excellent place!) Hope that helps,

Reckon I'd still be running if I'd heard a bang like that up close!

Things to bear in mind about Crayfish: EA bylaws make the following illegal: 1. Using 'fixed engines' to trap or catch crayfish, including crayfish traps or fyke nets, without prior written consent from EA fisheries. 2. Re-releasing any non native crayfish once caught, this includes Signal (pacificastacus leniusculus), Noble (astacus astacus), Red Swamp (procambarus clarkii), spiny cheeked crayfish(oronectus limosus ) and narrow clawed or 'Turkish' (astacus leptodactylus) 3. Taking of native, white clawed crayfish (austropotamobius pallipes) without a licence from EA fisheries. 4. Any trapping or fixed engines within Water Vole habitat I'm still getting clarification on whether it's illegal to remove any species of crayfish without the prior written consent of the EA - it's worth noting though that if you catch one accidentally - e.g. hooked on luncheon meat while barbel fishing - it's illegal to put them back in the water. Take it home and eat it, they're damn tasty! I've got the forms at home for a licence to use traps for crayfish. It's a bit of a complicated process on the face of it. It looks like you're required to give a date range for when you'll be trapping, exactly (OS grid ref) where you'll be trapping etc. so it's not exactly an 'out for an afternoon with the kids' type activity. As far as I know, the only place where trapping is likely to be licensed is in the Thames region as this is the only area deemed to have a 'problem' population of signals. The other non native species you're not likely to encounter except in very specific locations anyway - certainly not in Lincolnshire ;-) Your best resource is your local EA office fisheries department. Give 'em a ring on 0845 933 3111 Or have a look here: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subje...c=&area=&month= Hope that helps,

I can correct the name for a start... he means Green Heart not green art. It's a solid wood rod, quite often just the tip was green heart with the rest of the rod being made out of built cane. From heredsay, the value is generally fairly low - you may, or may not, depending on condition get something for them (I've heard figures in the region of £50 or so for average to good condition) but finding someone who actually wants one is, in itself, a work of art. Best bet would be to throw this open on a fly only forum - try the following (Elton, delete the links if they're 'not allowed') http://www.flyfishing-and-flytying.co.uk http://www.fishandfly.co.uk Cheers,

Do I spot a typo there Alan? Surely, 'hours' should read 'minutes' Not to mention the missing "several times over" from the end

Also available from any large WHSmiths. Best to subscribe though as more money goes to Waterlog and they're not with one of the big publishing houses - AFAIK they do it all themselves and it is truly brilliant. Cheers,