Peter Waller

Hi John, The River Yare in the middle reaches, Beauchamp Arms to Rockland Broad for example. The River Waveney, once again the middle reaches, Burgh St Peter up to Beccles. River Thurne, St Bennet's Abbey up to Martham, you really can't go wrong! Broads bream, a good shoal of three to five pounds is not uncommon, five to seven pounds shouldn't be a surprise and ten to twelve is not impossible. I've had several biggies recently off the Waveney but these have all been individual fish, either that or I spooked the others! There are some nice riverside bungalows for hire along the river at Potter Heigham. The Abbey at St Bennet's is no longer active but it is till a very special place, especially on an early morning session as the sun lifts over the marshes, maybe a bittern booming, a large crucifix rising out of the mist, your rod tip nodding to an obliging bream, there are times like that when life can't be much better. I can wholly recommend it! http://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/news-and-publications/publications-and-reports/conservation-publications-and-reports/water-conservation-reports/50.-Angle-on-the-Broads.pdf

Stuart, thank you, it all makes perfect sense and I like the simplicity of it.

Stuart, just curious, you mention using split shot, do you nip it directly to your main line or in the form of a link leger? For me this looks to be a technique well worth exploring.

Tigger, I'm an absolute novice when it comes to feeder fishing. Far too many years as a few tricks pony I'm afraid. Pike fishing has collapsed on the Broads and bream bashing is just too easy! Float fishing has become my great love but feeder fishing clearly has possibilities that are worth mastering. Stuart, enlightening stuff, thank you, looking forward to trying what you are preaching. The basics of feeder fishing are pretty obvious but the finesse and detail is what I'm after.

Thanks folks, useful. Any more please?

After far too long I have bought myself a decent, Maver quiver tip. Bit of a new challenge for me. Read numerous books on the subject, none seem to agree! Any advice on good titles please. Anyway, immediate problem, which tip? Rod came with 1, 2 & 3 oz tips but so far I have yet to understand how this relates to practical angling. Tide flow and feeder weight I understand but there does seem to be a lot more to it than that. Any advice & help would be much appreciated. Float fishing is just so easy in comparison, or so it seems! Whole new world is this feeder fishing lark.

In sixty years of piking. I started when I was nine, I have had several, well, quite a few really, large pike on lures up to six inches. However, ALL my thirties have been on smaller lures such as Muggers, Big S and Manns +1 'alphabet' style lures. I can only theorise as to why, might be coincidence, but I have never caught a thirty on a large lure. Okay, so big pike are female and, as we all know, women can be wholly cussed creatures.

I watched more than one self proclaimed 'experienced', expert piker at work, best seek out someone who knows what they are doing! Not always an easy task.

I rate the rod, it looks good. The reel, not convinced, for pike spinning I don't see a use for a free spool facility. However, I'd go for a 30lb breaking strain braid, you'll save a fortune on lures! You are new to buying fishing tackle, that suggests that you are new to angling. That worries me, pike are undoubtedly in serious decline across the country, too many inexperienced anglers chasing them. Seen by many as a 'macho' fish A spot of googling to find the Pike Anglers of Gt Britain website will be worthwhile, especially seeking details on handling and unhooking pike won't go amiss.

I was just about to recommend the JW Avon rod as a good all rounder!

You really shouldn't be fishing the Irish Water Skiing lake!

I'm a great fan of the 1044, much liking its ability to backwind.

Not quite in the same league as the front cover of Mr Crabtree goes fishing, not with all those synthetics!

Both reels have their strengths and their weaknesses, just that I prefer using a pin both for practicalities and pleasure. Being able to hold my rod in my right hand and using my thumb for reel control whilst using my left hand to hold my wine glass has a lot to commend it!

I walked past a house the other day where the probable owner & his son had laid all their carp gear out on the front lawn prior to packing it all into and onto their small van, more gear than a Fox catalogue. The other day we were at a car boot sale, a trader was selling 'must have carp gear; including camouflage nets to cover cars & vans, possibly even lorries, that had been used to lug all the 'necessary' gear to the waterside. Personally I saw it as both ludicrous and a tad amusing. The carp industry is an incredible animal! Each to their own, just not for me.

Ralph, indeed we do. As for 'sleeper' rods, especially for pike, an abominable practice that has, I'm convinced, caused the deaths of countless fish due to a callous lack of attention and appalling bite indication.

Is it any good? Can it be used as a reel line? I googled for reviews but nothing convincing one way or the other so I thought I'd ask those most likely to know! Just that I got a spool being offered by Anglers Mail, last time I take 'advantage' of such an offer, free, just pay the exorbitant postage & packing and don't receive the breaking strain that you ask for! Anyway, do I cut my losses or use it? 9 lb b.s. line must have a use, only I'm not sure what!

Must be an age thing, my first 'proper' reel was also an Intrepid Standard, a reel I loved and literally wore up when I then bought an ABU 505. At one point I had an Adapter-Cast so I could turn my crappy Strikeright Junior-Flow 90 degrees. Looking back I never had enough line on it for casting so pretty soon abandoned it, never to be seen again, waste of hard-earned pocket money..

Hi Chester, thanks for the link, interesting. Still none the wiser as to the differences between many of their reels, other than the name and knob size. Like you I have Sea Jectas for boat fishing, I still use them for downtiding on the rare occasions that I now go to sea. Not so sure that they are just like any other centre pins though, do seem to be incredibly durable. Performance wise they aren't in the same league as a modern pin on a ball race but hey, do I really need a pin that spins not only whilst I boil the kettle but also drink the tea? Long enough to boil the kettle does me just fine!

Grice & Young reel, cost me a fiver at a car boot sale. Seemingly seized and looked to be in a fearful state. Got it home, soaked it overnight in paraffin, what a transformation! A previous owner had caked it in grease and that had attracted dirt and gone hard. Got it apart, dug the grease out of the works and then changed over to WD40 and a toothbrush. Wow, perfect mechanics, spins flawlessly, a delight to handle. First impression is that I have a very fine pike reel but having now used it I realize that I also have a very free spinning, trotting reel albeit with unusually large handles. I really am rather pleased with my new 'old' reel. Built to last that's for sure, must be near bomb proof, Seems that the only difference between a Grice & Young sea and a river reel is the size of the handles. Anyone familiar with the Jecta reels?

Time for an update then Chesters, this cover just has to be all the inducement you need. Afraid it's no longer two bob though! http://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2016/06/AM-COVER-JUNE-28-for-web-300x424.jpg

Ho ho ho, could help prevent a further degeneration of the gene pool!

Had another browse today, genuinely hard to differentiate between the two titles now. However, with the Mail's cover shot of three overgrown 'lads' snogging a bewildered, obese carp that didn't deserve the experience, I settled on a copy of the Times. Whatever persuaded the Mail to use such a vomit inducing image? Wonder what came next, deep throat, Cameron piggy style?

Had a browse today, reminds me of my old school reports: 'Must try harder'. At least they weren't offering the seemingly traditional season starter, a 100m spool of 4 or 9lb line, destined never to be used!

At two quid I tend to browse rather than buy but if I do lash out then it tends to be AM. AT is definitely copying AM, shame.