Peter M

Of course one remembers Georgina Ballintine and her record Salmon that is still the record at 64 pounds. Even then there was a spurious assertion that the female pheromones given off by female anglers caused them to catch the bigger male salmon. It’s a shame as I think it is the patronising attitude of some male anglers that puts lots of women off fishing.

seeing as the place is full of carp anglers then it might be that the perch and roach are left alone. Maybe only the carp are in bad condition but the roach and perch are ok. i would be tempted to leave it alone until later in the year when the fair weather anglers have gone, say after October or in to november. then fish it during the week during the working day. you never know it might be ok.

I stayed there three years running and like matt says its very short and weedy but i caught a clonking big dace one year. the odd barble does come out (although i did not get one but i am not a proper barbel angler like you) its better last thing at night or very early in the morning and that can be difficult if your on a family holiday to get there at those times. Down at neaby Fordingbridge there is a day ticket streach if you get a chance to get away. Its not very peacful as there are lots of other activivties going on by the river during the day at sandy balls. The river is faster than anything i usually see and very clear hence the weed growth. I caught chub on floating bread and that can be a good option to get over the weed. Good luck and have fun and don't expect great results although i am sure you will catch something.

i have got a grice and young which is nice for ledgering or using float fishing on ponds but it does not turn very freely so is a bit difficult for trotting which is what i want a centre pin for in the first place.

I agree that sharks should not be killed. i got some funny looks for putting back a smoothhound i had caught the other day but thats just me i think they are too beautiful to end up in on the table, i am not like that with other sea fish and like the occasioanl one for the pot but not sharks including hounds.

welcome mate.

i have only caught one on a lure and that was when going for pike but it was on a big S type of shallow diver in a weir pool early in the morning.

i caught a jack pike on lob worms when fishing for perch last winter. i know this is not that uncommon but it was news to me so i started to target the pike with lobs using a wire trace and had a few more jacks.

what a nice fish i love it when a plan comes together.

The three spine stickleback was the first actual fish I ever caught albeit with a net when I was a kid. The most recent rare capture I had was a shad in the Thames estuary a couple of years back off a boat. Well done to you and to answer your question any fish that you are targeting and eventually catch is as good no matter what the size.

it sounds like a lovely river. i suppoes i would fish it in exactly the same way as here in the uk. whch is probabaly wait till the autum then fish lob worms.

It might be good to get a copy of improve your coarse fishing magazine its out every month and its quiet good for the lapsed angler. I don't get it any more as it does get a bit repetitive after you have read a few issues.

i got out this evening on the river stort and had some tiny perch on worm, not much to write about but you did ask.

There is nothing wrong in starting an organisation representing one particular group or another, particularly if you feel that a group is being discriminated against. The BNP though believe that a certain section is in fact superior to others and should dominate at the expense of other groups. Mostly its the insidious way that these groups attempt to push what is in fact out and out facisim that i really hate. Britain has a tradition of being a tolerant society but it can't be so tolerant as to allow the BNP or Al Queda or any other like group to be able to spread their poison.

No you cannot tolerate those who want to end our freedoms, you cannot tolerate those who want to persecute certain sections of society and you cannot tolerate those mealy mouthed snakes who want to use the democratic process to end our ability to be democratic. What is wrong with a law that says political parties must accept as members all sections of the community without reference to race culture religion or colour of skin? It will show the BNP up as exactly what they are because they don’t allow non whites to be members. Well that’s racist and racism is illegal and this extension to the law on equalities is actually in keeping with all previous equalities law. They want the votes of BME communities, Griffin said so, but they won’t allow them to be members? Well they should not therefore allow them to be a political party.

just to let you know on most lakes you won't be able to drive up to the lakes as there are gates that are locked. when you become a memeber you get given the combination so you can open the gate. this does mean that your car is relativly safe in the car parks. the whole streach of the chelmer looks very fishey and i don't really get time to have a go at it much but if you go you can park near the river. the Chelmer is ok for day ticket as well. good luck. BTW i notice you are in Southend and a good few years ago i used to fish Stambridge lakes and they used to be good and its near you.

Why don't you consider joining Chelmsford Angling Assocaition, some nice waters of differing types and loads of river chlemer to have a go at. my fav lake on the ticket is broads green as many anglers like to go to the lunker waters and the swims are far apart and tree lined. on the Day ticket side i used to go to the Warren at stanford le hope where you can find some quiet spots although i have not fished it for years. have a look at CAA website here: http://www.chelmsfordaa.co.uk/

its become a bit of a rat infested hovel and mat is right is very overstocked and not very nice but oseirs lake i have never fished

actually i bought a bike a couple of years ago so as to take the kids out for long rides. Decided to do the same thing as you and rode to my local river that has a path and found it a great way of covering more swims when keeping on the move than if i had drove, parked then walked the river. might try to do the same soon.

To be honest i think that every time Griffin turns up he should have eggs thrown at him. remember Hitler used the democratic process to gain power then abolished elections as soon as he got it. The BNP are the same as Nazis and cannot be tolerated in a supposedly civilized society. Also the new equalities bill going through parliament could make the BNP illegal as they don't allow non whites to be members so hopefully they can be suspended from being MEP's.

Well my local river was fishing its head off in the middle of march but bang in comes the close season. So went to lakes through April where due to bright days and still cold night the fish didn't really want it. Early may had a good day carp fishing on a club water, then the weather warmed up and the carp started spawning and tench and bream couldn't be bothered either. Went to look round a local lake on Sunday and all the bream are basking in the upper layers. to be honest next year i might just have the three months off from coarse fishing and go sea fishing instead.

When he gets the medal from the queen will he say "what a clonker its bigger than i first thought" and then laugh long and loud like some victorian mad man. Seriously though well done JW you have bought fishing to the masses over many years and the honour is well deserved

despite the fact that we have done well against the Windies in recent months i expect Chris Gayle to bat his team to victory, still we still have the Ashes to look forward to.

I was planning an after work session but now i have been told by her who must be obeyed that we have to go to the kids school re a trip they are organising so am now planning to go out afterwork on friday instead.

It used to refer to small mirror carp that would have a row of scales along the back which made them look a cornish pasty, now refers to any small carp.