Peter Waller

Seems to me that those who use three rods are to be subsidised by those who use just one rod.

Hands off the Sirens, very useful when the fish aren't biting, better than sheep anytime!

Get round to it sooner or later, June 15th I expect!

Having googled the Greys rod, and its lowest price, I reckon that you are asking too much. No vat on a second hand rod for one thing. £30.00, maybe £35.00 tops.

That 7lb chub especially, my money is on Photoshop.

That 7lb chub especially, my money is on Photoshop.

I'm with Phone on this one, groundbait for the prey fish What I really do think helps, and it doesn't fill a pike's stomach, is the use of fish oils. Whether lure or static I use an oblong of foam rubber soaked in fish oil on the trace.

Perhaps a single rod licence and a three rod licence? Perhaps one could buy a single & three rod licence if one wishes to fish with four rods. The hand of the Angling Trust is apparent. I no longer belong.

Out of curiosity I googled for details of Rusty's obviously superb reel, as at £850.00 it should be! http://www.barder-rod.co.uk/reels/reels%20details.aspx

I bought a 4 1/4" Ron Thompson the other day, other end of the spectrum I do appreciate, but a smaller than the more usual 4 1/2" reel has a lot to recommend it. So much more tactile than a larger reel. Mr Barder's creation looks to be the woofer's wotsits in the simplicity stakes. I never did get on with the aerials that I have had.

Ralph, some old waffle here but you might find some of it of interest: http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/articles/coarse-fishing/finesse_angling/

Ralph, we used to have a member from London, a Gerry Castles. Like you he enjoyed lure fishing and was very successful at it, having had good pike from the Broads and excellent perch from the Thames. He was very much into finesse styles, eventually buying a boat that he kept at Penton Hook. Gerry's enthusiasm and successes, for a London based angler, were a great credit to him. He also proved quite conclusively that fishing in London was well worth while.

If an angler has two licenses will this then mean that they can fish with up to six rods?

Put some thought to this one. Once again, is the 'carp industry' setting the agenda?. If an angler has two licences then does that mean they can fish with six rods? Who is going to control the idiots who fish irresponsibly using three or four rods on public waters? Perhaps, like the close season, there should be a two rod limit on public waters and the limit on private waters should be at the discretion of the owner? Once again, a rush to appease the carp industry without sufficient though to other species. The thought of two licences and six rods by pike and barbel anglers on our rivers fills me with dread.

A discount for the one rod anglers would be good!

Fair point, Newt, but why would anyone want to use such a small hook? I reckon that 'most US anglers' are right on this one. Our perch have massive mouths for example, like most predators.

Google BassPro & Cabellas in the US, both excellent when it comes to posting to the UK. Cabellas is my preferred choice but nothing wrong with BassPro. Re barbless jig hooks, agree, a file is good, after a good squeeze of your pliers!

I often wonder what Walker would think of today's carp industry? Would he approve? Maybe, maybe not.

Steve, eight years, I stand corrected, how time flies. However, see your own comment, and I bet that they all have names!!

Thanks, Tigger, probably the best answer.

But at least Walker found that fish, developed the tackle, even designed the rod, credit where it's due. There are several certainties in life, one being that Christmas comes but once a year, bit like the carp record, and that we will all eventually die. There can be few coarse fish records that are as predictable as the carp one, hence it's possibly the most devalued and least interesting record, outside carp circles, in our sport!

Waste of effort was that! Sold as being 130mm wide and it wasn't, it was a 125mm. It is also measured flat, it's something like an envelope so no way on earth will it fit the 125mm reel I wanted it for. Tried it on a smallish fly reel, no good for that either. Very disappointing as, in principle, it looks to be a good idea. I feel a project coming on!

It's not that it's a fat, ugly, mug fish, which maybe it isn't, it's the carp industry as a whole that devalues such fish.

Strange that carp don't die in matching pairs.

For whatever reason I can't get excited by this one!