Peter Waller

Don't see why Octoplus or whoever couldn't produce adaptors in order to allow one of their seat boxes to be mounted on a paddleboard. It would be a great deal easier and more comfortable than fishing off a kayak.

Colour of groundbait is probably more critical than that of the hook bait, and that can relate to water depth as well. I generally fish in shallow water during the summer and I use white crumb as my basic mix. During the winter I fish deeper and use brown crumb. Works for me although its a very long time since I fished in competition so I have no one but myself to compare with. As for maggots, I fish with red and white during the summer and white and red during the winter. Got to admit that my choice of baits is catholic and as yet I haven't entered into the wonderful world of manmade baits, maybe I should.

I actually bought AT today, AM had sold out, miserly thin offering for £2.30, tempted by 'roach' on the front cover, well over a year since I last bought AT. I really don't know why I bothered. This afternoon I also picked up a hardly read copy of John Watson's A Pikers Progress for a mere fiver, now that is value, especially when compared with AT! Was a time that a daily visit to WH Smith was a must, now it's the book shelves in my local charity shops!

Nothing amazing, I'm privileged to live besides one of the Norfolk & Suffolk Broads, luck of birth! The local 'bream patrol route' runs past my garden and bream are notoriously easy to catch, especially when using molasses and garlic flavoured cloud bait. Okay, so the gear used clearly makes a difference. Depending on the tide I'm fishing in one to four feet of water and a size 18 under a self cocking float, no additional shot, one red and one white maggot or a knob of garlic flavoured bread paste on a size 10 fished 4 to 6 inches over depth normally does the business during summer and autumn. Some variations if it's windy and blowing onshore then I do add a shot or two, even a ledger. It can be all to easy! Bit harder for the rudd though, still a self cocking float but fishing up in the water and over the weed rather than on the gravel and silt that the bream appear to like. Come the winter normally it's pike and perch, most likely from a dory or a kayak although I'm finding that increasingly hard so I'm more likely to be fishing from the bank now and casting a swim feeder out into the deeper water of the main broad after roach or bream which I'm really enjoying. In truth Broads piking is in serious decline, as I am, so roach is now number one!

One reason I don't feel drawn to the carp industry: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/10/14/angler-catches-britains-biggest-carp-wont-claim-record-fears/ Sad, isn't it.

Back in the day there were reporting stations in angling shops across the country. We'd fish at the weekend & if we caught anything worthwhile we'd rush to our local shop in order to make our report, hoping that it would appear in our chosen paper the following weekend. Anglers would then rush to the newsagent on Friday to scour locations or check results before deciding where to fish at the weekend. Beyond that we had innovative writing from the likes of Richard Walker or perhaps more retrospective writing from from Bernard Venables. The 50's, 60's and 70's were truly the golden years of angling and especially angling writing, in my aged, biased opinion!

Sad, how long before AT follows? Also sad is that AM is not continuing as a standalone online magazine. Because of its poor value, obsession with carp and its pandering to the advertiser I won't be anything more than a very irregular AT reader so no change there then. How long before AT's price rises now there is no competition?

I worked up until I was 67, enjoying my piking with a passion, and building up my tackle with a view to retiring and fishing with absolute enthusiasm as I progressed through my dotage. What I hadn't bargained on was the health issues surrounding close family members and eventually myself, my mobility is now severely limited so like Dave I have had to wind down and find manageable alternatives, instead of thirty pound pike I now seek two pound roach with great pleasure! Thank goodness my garden runs down to the water's edge. Regretfully my wife is no longer able to fish with me and I need to be within her calling distance. The moral of this lament is obvious, don't leave it too late. I never bargained on a failing body, nor that of others. At least I am still fishing but am no longer able to roam my beloved Broads as I used to. Getting old is not what I expected but I am enjoying the change of discipline and interests. There is something hugely satisfying in flicking out a stick float and using my Angler's Net centre-pin although this summer has been the year of big bream and rudd rather than big roach.

John, regarding your question, is it okay to fish? Of course it is, if your conscience allows it! My wife and I are pretty much in the same boat as Cameraman so my fishing is now limited to a few hours in the morning. I would hate to bring Corona Virus 19 back home to me wife so whilst I still go fishing we remain in contact via a phone and hygiene and common sense rules. Mind you, I do fish from the end of our garden! I do wonder how I would cope if I did not have that privilege. The problem isn't fishing, it's other people

Give Plod a call. Many forces have a 'wild-life' officer. No harm in giving the EA a call too, better than telling us lot about it.

Martin, best bit of advice yet! Whilst I appreciate Philocalist's self imposed fast I rather suspect for many anglers it will be a case of 'where there is a will there is a way' and I for one won't blame them, provided that they keep heir distances and fish responsibly and legally. I have a footpath running down the side of my garden and likewise have seen a sizable increase in cyclist and walker numbers.

During the present lockdown is there an official ruling on angling? In my case I have the great good fortune to have a tidal water at the end of my garden, meaning that I don't have to travel, at least not far and then across my own land. From bed to swim is about 110 yards, lucky me. Seems to me that the formal restrictions are on travel rather than the activity itself. It would seem to me that there are many anglers who live near to fisheries and would be able to meet the social distancing rules with ease. I rather suspect that this year's June 16th will be a non event as we strive to survive but I am talking angling!

Never really comprehended why folk hoard old junk that never sees the light of day let alone the river bank. I was never really a Mitchell man although I still have, and occasionally use a CAP that I did like many years ago although I really don't know why I even bother to put line on it now!

Are carp indigenous to America? Not that it matters but I thought that people only fish for bass in America!

My rod really started to look its age, poor thing, so nothing ventured nothing gained I shortened the handle and mucked up a perfectly good rod, silly old bugger that I am! Still, what the hell, I picked up an absolutely mint replacement this morning, for a tenner would you believe! Still a perfectly viable rod, great to revert back to an unspoilt one, roll on the 16th! Over forty years old now, like new, looking forward to winkling out a few bream on it.

In days of old, during Chester's mid fifties, banks supplied perfect maggot bags by way of cloth money bags. Describe 'em as carp boilie bags, made in 'realtree' and he'd make ten times the dosh!

Try E.Bay, no open wounds. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/maggot-bags-for-fishing-bait/152780584612?hash=item23926eb6a4:g:nKcAAOSwNM9Zz3LN

http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/business/norwich-fishing-retailer-angling-direct-successfully-floats-on-the-london-stock-exchange-aim-list-1-5104354

I'd put my foot down in a true, manly style, cross Breydon, and head off up the River Yare. Moor up outside Surlingham Ferry, great food and drink but also truly excellent for bream! Far less crowding or the dreaded stag parties down South too.

http://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/countdown-is-on-as-the-broads-look-to-welcome-opening-day-in-style-1-5049905

Day late but happy birthday young man!

For the cost of a bait boat you can almost certainly buy a full sized inflatable dinghy which will allow access for you as an angler as well as bait placement. Indeed you can get second hand dinghies for a great deal less than a baitboat and a real boat will be a great deal more useful. For a pike angler a boat is a must, fishing at close quarters has a great deal to commend it. The only advantage of a baitboat is that when things get slow is that you can play with the thing!

I have what I reckon is the mutt's nutts for float fishing from a boat, a Preston Carbonactive Mini 11' pellet rod. It's happy with gudgeon on a size 22 or with large bream on a size 6 and everything in between. I never cease to be amazed at just how good a boat rod it is.

I've long wondered why more coarse don't use multiplier reels.

Plenty of them about, or so it seems. http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p3984.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.XABU+Record+reel.TRS0&_nkw=ABU+Record+reel&_sacat=0 Not sure how you can pay for them though, cash is just so last century!