Bradford Angler

Not that this has anything to do with it, but Horton Bank top is a domestic reservoir and fishing is not allowed. Maybe if he had been to one of the waters which are regularly balifed he might have been a bit safer.

Harold park is a quite a difficult water to fish. It is a well established park lake, but depths plummet well below those normally found in a park lake. Around 22 feet is the deepest it goes. However, this lake is not without it's fine head of Roach (800lb stock in the last 4 years), Bream to 6lb, Carp to 15lb and perch . . plus it's famous big Gudgeon. Best method is fishing up in the water in summer and fishing bread punch in the winter .. there is a hard old boy brigade that fish this water regular. Major weights don't come out often, 4 - 10 pounds is an excellent days fishing there. Day tickets are available from the local news agent too at around 75p ! plus I hear that later this year there are some more roach, perch and carp going in

I thought that the Ide was a native to the UK ? some would say it has been around longer than the rainbow trout )

Ahh yes, the good old close season. Time for that old debate . . sooner they open everything all year round the better . . anyone else got comments demon long time since I have been around, just got out of the betty ford Ebay clinic (serious addiction ) - and for therapy they have told me to go out and find something more productive to do with my time , , hey I see a few more graemlins have appeared . . how is everyone ?

not wanting to spark off old threads here chaps - leeds, I would recommend you get hold of an angling times and look for an advert for an angling fair - becareful of what is on offer, but keep your eyes out for the luggage, they do some good unbranded gear . . not sure where you are, there is one this weekend in manchester, one soon in leeds and others all over the country upto xmas

how can you spin in a recliner chair ? and can you spin with 15lb line ? what on earth are you after ? and where ??

The angler in question - is famous on this middle length of this River. Also a tackle shop owner and winning captain of many winter leagues. He is a veteran of matches and a gent from the hey days of mega roach bags, requiring gallons of casters when the cooling stations were running. He is a brilliant angler on the waggie. I guess he will have fished from the start for the snappers - he most probably was pleasantly suprised to amassed such a bag - but would definately have known they were there or there abouts. Maybe I will bring up the topic of worms and slow retrieves and see if he "twitches and gives the game away". I have caught pike before on large worms when river fishing but would never have put it into practive in a match . . as I thought it was mostly a fluke catch . . thanks all for this . . . . you have taught me a thing or two again and made the old grey matter work a bit.

trebles were not allowed, so that really rules out catching on lures or a spoon I would think. Otherwise I am sure there would ahve been storied of 8 caught and at least that amount lost off. So one deadbait/roach in that area could amass so many fish without anything else to draw the pike in ?

Last week I took part in one of the norths largest matches and probably one of the best winning purses to boot. The winner walked away with 1,300 pounds for his winning 29lb which consisted of 8 pike. Whether pike in matches is right or wrong - is another matter which I am not debating here (of course as ever not wanting to cause controversy ). My question is - how do you catch 8 pike in 6 hours from only 30yds of river - which is the distance to the next guy. Obviously, we will never know this guys exact tactic . . but I woundered if any of the pike guys could help me out. Can you glean anthing from what I have given so far . . would it be chuck out a dead/roach bait and sit on it, or would it be place a roach bait in mid water and keep firing maggots over it to draw the others - bring in the pike and let it root out the individual baited fish ? obviously the water would have to be pretty well populated with pike (it is actually, over the years there has been an explosion of trout to feed on) but wondered if you could enlighten me to the method you might think could make up this weight.

and some wait until they catch something worth keeping throw that in the dry net and use it as balast to get it out to full stretch . . :mad: now that does anoy me . . pole stamping time

made it . . 500 posts . . sorry if it's a bit off topic ..

I fish a local dam which is packed with fish of all sizes and species - it is a literal aquarium of fish .. we get the same issue too, when match fishing . . however, we do not dip. I think alot of fish in commercial dug and engineered ponds rely greatly on the outer periphery of the lakes and when a net enters this it causes uncertainty in the fish's behaviour. I wonder if the same number of nets were placed around the centre of an Island etc if the same result would happen . . and not just directly in front of your feet

can anyone give me a jist of this please . . followed the link but it is now dead . . saying the EA have scaled down the website to improve services .. is it that bad ? to embarassed to publish ?? been off line for while any thing on this appreciated .. I had some barbel and Chub ordered from them from the winter.. .

have you tried a junkie . . ? you will need a large worm (lob preferably) and a hyperdermic (sp?) hook the worm through the saddle or nip off the head and place the hook through the cut end. Then inject a small amount of air into the worm. This will counter balance the weight of the hook and makes it sit proud of the bottom (not too much air mind. If the tench have been in a long time (they grow really slow) and if it is well visited, they probably can tell every pattern of hook that a bait is present on . . not just know that a hook is in it . . try fishing it over chopped worm as well that will get the interested . . a very light float . . I would not bother with the lift float bite indicationif they are that shy either . . and remember you may only get one bite so don't miss it . .

I see several anglers having the odd good days on the Irwell from the back of our office in st marys parsonage . . right behind Kendals . the same two or three faces seem to attend (off the steps of the new hotels) I do not know about rights exactly but I understand it is free fishing . . on an evening there are lots of fish topping and the odd larger swirl .