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Cheers mate much appreciated. If you fancy it you can always subscribe by clicking "follow blog via email" button then you'll be notified of anything I do, if you want that it. Thanks again. Richard

Does anyone know of any good waters in the midlands for crucians, looking for some specimen fish. Thanks in advance. Ricky

My new Monthly Adventures Diary is up on my blog if anyone is interested, check it out here: http://myquestforbarbel.wordpress.com/2012...hly-adventures/

No mate I haven't it will be my first time, what about you? Will let you know how I do. Cheers guys, Richard

I haven't posted in a while because I haven't been out but I thought I'd share my last sessions with you on the Trent. A full review will be on my blog very soon and I'll pull up this thread again for those of you who are interested in reading it. Well that's it I have finished my sessions for the week, it's been eventful, I made one bad decision at the start of the week by changing spots when I shouldn't have on an over night session and only caught a bream in new spot. But since then it's been one good decision after the other for me, picking up a 12lbs 1oz barbel (pics coming soon) on Monday and bagging another double yesterday at 11lbs 13oz as shown in picture, well happy with that as I also caught some fun barbel with fish up to 8Lbs 4oz and numerous chub and bream, it all ends well for me for another season. It doesn't end here of course, I will be tench fishing in April and early May and then late May/June cat fishing at Cudmore, those moggies are callin' me. Anyway check my full review of my week very soon. Thanks for reading... I hope you enjoyed your last day of the river season as I certainly did...

I must admit I do have a soft spot for Jezza

Lol, well he wanted me to contribute to the forum and understand the method mate, no?

Hi Rusty, Mark my words learning (it is a learning process) the art of Cralusso Surf fishing is a must as it will give you a massive edge in waters where the fish are usually used to seeing a feeder in the river etc. There really isn't a scenario in terms of river flow that you can't use them although it is important to get the right gram of float for the right flow of the river. For instance pick one to heavy and you'll see the float pulling away from you diagonally, too light and you can see it go the other way. The trick is to get it looking vertical. For shotting, look at any lollipop floats and the way they're shotted it's the same principal. An olivette a foot or two above the bottom of the river followed by one or two droppers, increasing the hook length for longer flows is paramount and placing a number six or so at the top of this hook length which should be laying on the bottom is what your looking for. A 15ft rod is ideal, I use a 20ft one myself and find that the longer the rod the more control you have over the float. Yes it's very important to have all the line out of the water when using this method, the 'surf' action is only really achieved when angles are put on the rod, put once you do this and the float is out there, that's it, stick your rod on the rest and it stays there, amazing! The float isn't made to trot, although it is made to search and find in a way, I myself inch the bait along the river bottom downstream by paying out line every couple of minutes to find the fish, once achieved I surf the float out and get to the same spot, although you can still inch it along if you like, it doesn't trot, it's not made for this really however the 'bolo' is made for this and using a centrepin is ideal for this method. For the method to work there is always a taught line between your rod tip and float, trotting the float in a conventional way is not the way in which it works, static float fishing with the option of inching it along every couple of minutes is the way this method works, and works very well. Letting the float go with the speed of the flow makes the float lean to the right and subsequently looks unnatural. If you wish to trot a float the 'bolo' is what you need, the benefits are far better than any stick float in my opinion, plus it isn't a case of getting used to it as it works like a stick float, it can also be shotted as such but again I have found that using the same shotting as the 'surf' works best, the float comes into it's own when held back in the flow, no matter how far out you cast the float stays there and doesn't get dragged under your own bank. It's something I will be featuring on my new video section of my blog, along with the 'surf'. I am working with Cralusso to make the method more popular in the UK and due to a lot of people that just want plug and play type floats it has been overlooked by many, I can send you a couple of 'surfs' and 'bolo' floats if you like, to try? If so give me your name and address via PM and I'll sort something out. Once you have learnt the art of using the 'surfs' it will definitely give you an edge, it will also catch you fish where your thought no float could cope with the current they're that good. You need uniform depth to surf the float from rod tip to 40 yds out but you can cast the float like a normal stick and then surf it so that's not really an issue. The wind is the only thing that will stop you using the floats as it creates a bow and makes the float look unnatural so if the wind is more than 10mph it can be a problem unless your sheltered. However saying all that they're worth the price tag and I rarely use conventional stick floats anymore. Hope that helps and don't forget to PM if your interested. Regards, Ricky

Cheers all good advice guys, need to invest in a new camera what is the best in your opinion, I don't want to spend the earth but I want something that will take the photos to a very good level. I looked at the Canon and it looks good but what does everyone else recommend?

Cheers Rob I really appreciate your support. Ricky

Really good advice and will take that mate thanks. Going to look at the Canon you just advised me to take a look at now. I have been using my 12 megapixel camera phone so yeah you and Budgie are right. Thanks also regarding the advice on pictures to take, I am not a good photographer so that definitely helps as I have never thought about doing that. Really appreciate your help. Ricky

Sorry I was directing people to old site, corrected it now.

Cheers mate and thanks for comment.

I haven't got many friends on here so to try to help with that I have just finished my new blog. There will be changes to the site but this is my new look blog here: http://myquestforbarbel.wordpress.com/ please let me know what you think of it. If you like it, click the "like" button.

Thanks Newt much appreciated but the rod made it easier, a lovely piece of rod building, Dave has put a great rod together there. Thanks again mate it's much appreciated.

Read here: http://ricky2912-myquestforbarbel.blogspot.../p/reviews.html thanks guys, Ricky

Some great advice here that you would do well to listen to mate. Unlucky mate I'm sure you will turn it around.

Hey guys just updated my blog with a "Watercraft - barbel" section, enjoy! Here: http://ricky2912-myquestforbarbel.blogspot...aft-barbel.html

Thanks guys much appreciated!

Report now on my blog for anyone interested here: http://ricky2912-myquestforbarbel.blogspot...y-on-trent.html

First day using my "Rubby Dubby" boilies and whilst everyone else on the stretch blanked I had a real beautifully conditioned 10Lbs 2oz barbel. It looked bigger and felt bigger I reckon my scales are off, need to invest in some new ones, me thinks. I'm sending them to a few guys on various forums to field test them for me and I seriously hope they catch them like this to give me the clarification I need that the Rubby Dubby and the boilies used in conjunction will be BIG one day for barbel. I hope to bring this forward during a feature for IYCF in the Summer for more people to try. Full report on my blog later....

I won't mate don't worry. I joined and lost my details and never came back until I wanted to join again and forgot I joined back then and couldn't use my e-mail so that's when I realised, lol.

Fantastic mate I really appreciate your kind words, it makes a difference to get someone say such positive things as oppose to the minority of 'haters' that can be a bit of a pain and very colourful in their language sometimes. I am grateful and really appreciate your comments. Well done on your 12.14 I'm sure a bigger one is just around the corner mate. Fishing the Teme myself in March as part of the Society's fish-in. I know what you mean about it taking up all your bank time, it's all in the bite, buzz and fight you get that keeps you there and brings you back time and time again. Thanks again mate I really appreciate your comments and we'll speak again on another subject. Cheers.

Bump!

At last I have just finished my "Where To Fish For Barbel On The Trent" page on my blog. I will adding more venues to this in due course but for now I just wanted to get this out there. I move on now to "Watercraft", "Features" which will include illustration photographs and instructional dialogue and pictures also of a new method incorporating the use of a rubby dubby within barbel fishing, so looking forward to this in particular. I am also doing a review section of baits or anything I else I buy. For now here is the where to fish guide: http://ricky2912-myquestforbarbel.blogspot...l-on-trent.html thanks Ricky