Mikench

I still cannot believe that Cameron( where is he now) capitulated to this twerp on the referendum issue. If you were not confused before just listen to the conflicting things he has said over the years. I've failed! I said I wouldn't comment further on Brexit. It is so divisive though and I am powerless to do anything about it and that is the frustrating factor. At least if I was on a bus hurtling to the cliff edge , i could jump off.

Good luck Ian. I hate stop start, keyless ignition and self locking on cars to such an extent I won't have a car so equipped. I will visit my local on Saturday or might even go back to Chernobyl for the day. If you fancy it let me know. I will leave the carp gear at home or sell it. Parental duties today so I may pass you on the M6. It was closed for hours on Wednesday because of the crash and the leaking of gin on the road. Drivers were all in the sloe lane and just had to gin and bear it. Mind you it's reopening was a tonic. I'll get my coat.

Probably but like the whole Brexit debacle one cannot remember how we got here. I am heartily sick of the whole thing. My final comment on the subject pending the final outcome is that nobody imo voted to leave the EU without a deal ie a sensible agreement for our future relationship and those of the millions living and working here from Europe and vice versa. One cannot leave anything without consequences of some sort. The Buffoon has even been abandoned by his own brother. He will surely have the shortest reign as PM in history. By the way Macron is largely despised in France and will be gone when the next presidential elections take place.

Nice barbel and nice pic Ian. It went very quiet after we spoke and even the other anglers moaned so it wasnt necessarily my incompetence. It was a really lively tench though; made my day.

We will never agree. If you like Cummings you must be deluded. He was assessed as unfit to hold public office yet here he is effectively in charge of No 10. He is peripheral. What is currently happening is beyond my experience. John I don't see remaining in Europe as any form of utopia just as leaving isn't . I can disagree with many aspects of Europe and the way it's run . It's guiding principles may have worked for 6 countries but do not for 28. The Euro was a good idea and the financial standards required were capable of being met by Germany, France and maybe Holland but not by Eire, Greece, Portugal and Italy. Their admission was a political decision to ensure that the euro had enough impetus to make it work. We never joined. However I felt and still do that we should remain and to be crude p*** out of the tent rather than in it. I was appalled at the lies and deceit made and shown by both sides in the run up to the referendum but considered the Tory brexiteers to be worse . The EU has many good points and on balance I would rather remain than leave particularly without a deal. As I seem to remember saying earlier in this thread you cannot really get divorced and move on without a deal of some kind. There has to be a continued working relationship. We can only be a Island geographically. I have many continental friends, french mainly, who feel the same as I do and would like reform to be from within. People are entitled to their opinions and the reasons for voting to leave but I doubt many thought we would crash out without a deal some years later having spent the billions we might have saved trying to do so . Brexit has brought division, disunity, enmity and likely economic hardships. Far right views are prevalent and this nasty party is indicative of many. It has no endearing qualities again imo.We could well see a breakup of the UK who knows. It's a gigantic gamble and not one I was and remain unwilling to make. Poiliticians should be admirable, selfless individuals not liars and seekers of self agrandissement . Were they ever; mmm a matter for further debate.

I hadn't noticed. The weather is horrible today and the cricket has been badly affected. Might go fishing at the weekend if the weather improves.

S** The fishing!

Nice fish Ian.

It looks like you've been fishing in a goldfish tank.

The NRA have a lot to answer for imo. The right to bear arms I get, the right to bear automatic weapons, military assault rifles and high calibre sniper rifles I don't.

I tend to agree John. I last used one on a windless day on a local water and caught roach and skimmers. Two guys walked past with carp gear and one looked at me pityingly and remarked to his mate that I was fishing with a broken tip. His mate explained all in colourful language. I’ll have another look at he spring tip for any adjustment. I only started fishing about 4 years ago and hav3 been keen to try tackle, methods and techniques no longer used or available just in case I’d missed something significant.

I can’t rem3mber what I used but it wasn’t silly gear but they are difficul5 to avoid and to unhook.

Oh I have but I doubt our country will quite so easily. All is not yet lost and I live in hope and that's why I go fishing.

I broke the tip on a rod a couple of years ago and obtained a new section. Rather than scrap the broken tip I attached a new eye with a screw thread and bought a few swing tips. I recently inherited from a chap a couple of spring tips . Apart from the novelty of them I cannot see in actual use that they improve upon a quiver tip. Certainly casting is a little awkward with a swing tip and as a result I rarely use them. Does anyone and in what circumstances and do you prefer them to a quiver tip?

What's the water no Ian I might give it a go and top up the tan.

Catching dogfish almost put me off sea fishing; horrible things. The flesh is sold as rock salmon I believe and whilst I've tried it I wasn't impressed.

If I was the lone voice in the wilderness I would accept the perhaps inevitable and shut up but I'm not. The current position is undemocratic against the backdrop of the Brexit shenanigans . Those named in my earlier post were not on my Xmas card list before the referendum and I hold them in even higher contempt now. We shall see what happens when it could be too late. I hope the brexiteers are right about a wonderful, bright and indépendant future free from the EU for all of us and our children and children's children. I fear that will not be the case and jobs will be lost, the United Kingdom will be a broken and disunited kingdom and troubles could return to Ireland. I see a general election coming and who knows what the outcome maybe. If I live to see the new Utopia i will apologise for all by bellicose comments and admit I was wrong. Oh was that a flying pig?

A guy in the next swim to me last Monday caught well and when I asked him what bait he was using he said smoked salmon. The venue was near Alderley Edge but that is the limit.

How did you get to Chernobyl and back in the day Ian. Sounds weird. I think you had a lucky escape lol.

I'm sure it does!

Not one of the advisors you mentioned had the authority and audacity of Cummings. They were decidedly less odious as well. Can you name someone they sacked? I like Alastair Campbell as he talks sense and I've never voted labour in my life. I find the main proponents of Brexit to be two faced and unpleasant. I have no idea what will happen on Brexit but I doubt it will be a wondrous event. I have been ambivalent about every PM I can recall except for the Buffoon and his useless predecessor . I just hope we have an election and the thoroughly nasty and incompetent tories are consigned to the political wilderness for a very long time. The Buffoon, Rees Mogg, Duncan Smith and non entities such as Raab, Javid, Patel and the other cohorts are a disgrace to politics and sadly when it all goes t*** up they will not be affected at all. I just wish there was a viable opposition. Like football there will be a few surprises to come.

We get more rain than most places particularly in the north and have failed to devise a way to transport it south despite having a huge network of canals and being able to pump water to my part of England from the Lake District. In addition we have Victorian pipes which leak ; a legacy of being ahead of the known world 150 years ago but doing b***** all since.

I must try this method. How do you post a YouTube link? I tried the one featuring Russ Abbot swinging a loudspeaker into the river playing Des O'Connor.

Now I know you're crackers Ian!

Oh what irony. The leavers refer to regaining our sovereignty and not being run by unelected officials and the Buffoon appoints Dominic Cummings who is precisely that . You couldn't make it up.