Dave Lumb

To the first point, the info is there, some regions distribute it, some do not. Having worked in a tackle shop I can tell you that, except in rare cases, the last thing a tackle dealer wants cluttering up his counter is something that doesn't sell product. Harsh but true. Some dealers do promote PAC with posters for regional contacts and the membership/guideline leaflets. But it needs someone to physically go and put the material in the shop. Simply mailing stuff out won't work. I would suggest the non-appearance of the info is not the fault of the PAC. On the second point. It's a nice idea, but think it through carefully, Peter. How many firms produce some good stuff and some bad? Would they accept the PAC endorsing only certain of their products? No. Would they change products on the say so of the PAC? No, they don't even all listen to their consultants. If PAC were to endorse one firm's products would a competitor of that firm then also wish to gain PAC endorsement? Doubtful. It sounds great in tehory, but it's not practical, so I don't think PAC should be involved in commercial activities in that way. The way things are nowadays I think it is the angling press that does more to encourage people to take up pike fishing than does the PAC. And as Mark says the PAC should be there to help direct these newcomers in the right direction. They're going to go pike fishing anyway.

I didn't really expect you to start posting there again, Peter, I just thought I'd let you know that somebody likes you! I quite understand why anyone would want avoid the place. There is, indeed, a lot to be said for "quietly getting on with it". Probably why I 'quietly get on with' fishing for a barbel, chub, tench and things rather than pike these days...

I'd reckon it's a good thirty, too. Be careful, though, Peter. You'll be posting there again next! You have been missed....

[Pic on the P+P site - they get all the pike scoops, you know!

I don't believe it.

Morgan's fish was claimed at 47lb 11oz. I'm not one who accepts it as a record though. As I know the water where the 50lb 12oz is supposed to have come from I'll believe it when I see a picture of it... or not, as the case may be.

http://anglingsites.com/saa/pressreleases/fact1.htm

And witholding your licence money for two weeks (while not going fishing) achieves what, exactly, when you are still going to pay it at the end of that period? It's pathetic.

I thought feeding live mice to snakes had been outlawed.

If fish are hitting on the drop, low down in deep water, let the lure sink on a slack line (open bail, disengaged spool) to half depth and then engage the reel. This stops the lure swinging too far towards you as it would on a tight line, and gives you direct contact in the strike zone. Watch the line for unusual movement as the lure sinks as you'll see that before you will feel a take.

Isn't the obvious thing to try it without a trace first, and if the blade does get attacked start using a trace then?

The server's down. No idea when it'll be back up. Sorry.

The server's crashed.

I always thought the sideways strike was deemed more efficient because it pulls the line through the water along its axis resulting in little water resistance. While an upward strike is lifting the line vertically along its length causing more water resistance and lessening the power transmitted to the hooks. I always try to strike sideways if I can.

I've never got the 'find the prey, find the pike' mantra to work on a regular basis either. When I have found a correlation has been when the prey fish have been congregated for spawning (stillwaters, obviously) and when large concentrations of fry have been evident. The rest of the time pike seem to hang around in places they like hanging around in. The original Webb/Rickards hotspot theory wasn't based around food fish location. Totally agree that some pike are nomadic and some are not.

I did ask, but I'm sure you never mentioned it being a four section blank.

I've been wondering which Harrison blank you've been using for ages, Gerry. Now you mention it's a four piece it becomes obvious! Harrisons also do some three piece spinning blanks in a couple of casting weights. Best bet is to give them a ring as they don't list all the blanks they have available.

As far as I know it's still there but not responding. Then again, this site has been a pain to get on the last couple of days - took me five minutes just now. Thanks for alerting me to the problem. I'd somehow managed to accidentally delete it . Should be back now!

It'll never catch on.......

Very interesting. But what the hell is IP TV?

Thanks for the praise guys. But I'm just an average angler who can write a bit! I think my book/CDROM is a bit out of date now - it doesn't do justice to soft plastics for instance (although I did predict they would be 'the next big thing!). It covers all the other major lure types and how to use them, putting the emphasis on using larger lures as a means of sorting out larger pike.

I have to say I find the EA site difficult to navigate. I can't always find stuff I know I have seen before at times. Not a user friendly site in my opinion, although there is a lot of useful stuff on it. The reliance on downloading pdf versions of their paper publications is either laziness or cost driven - they have the publication as a file in some publishing format and all it takes is one click to turn it into a pdf, whereas a web page would require a little more work. That's my take on it.

Now there's a worthy foe which fights summer AND winter..... But never for more than a minute on the gear I use. I should post on the skulldragging thread methinks!

I've read some nonsense on the web...

I really rate garfish - but can't get a regular supply of them. A 'well known bait supplier' said they were rubbish because he couldn't get a good supply of them and would rather sell stuff he could obtain easily... I know because I asked him if he could get me some! I have found, though, that they appear to work really well on some waters, but not on others. There have been days when they have outfished other baits for me. Launce, on the other hand, have never done me any favours.