dogfish

I said Tench because they have always been common in the Thames around Oxford...especially upstream of Oxford in the Wolvercote to Cassington area.. Strangely, they always seemed to come out regularly during the winter during floods. I remember this happening over 40 years ago so they are obviously well established. I remember someone writing about targeting them under such conditions years ago....may have been John Cadd? I used to catch quite a few around Kennington and Sandford.

Oxford...Thames...flood...worm. I would go for Tench as well

I used to live in Moulsford...not too far away. A lovely area

Oi!!!!! That's uncalled for... ...I am neither fat nor ugly

Never knew, or met, the guy but from my time on this forum I know he will be sadly missed. My condolences to his family.

That's what a little bird told me

Power pro. 50 lbs. bs. would probably do.

The lake the fish came from is a gravel pit of over 40 acres and is available to anyone who buys a club ticket. The reason few fish it is because it is a very difficult water.

You will find that there are some very big Chub to be caught on the upper Severn and Vyrnwy. You will need to check out which permit covers what as I have not fished that area for a few years. You will probably find a Montgomery permit to be around £20 a year but best check in tackle shops in Newtown or Welshpool.

Try the Montgomeryshire angling ass. They have water on the Severn upstream from Welshpool, The Vyrnwy (I think) and the Banwy and some smaller waters. The BAA also have some water and Prince Albert. The Welsh Dee would be your next best. They are all a bit of a drive away.

Barbel will feed and will feed well throughout the winter but it very much depends on the temperature. The best conditions are during a warm flood but the feeding window will be limited. Unless you have local knowledge and are able to fish at short notice then the odds are against you. They will feed in cold weather but only if temperatures are stable and you are able to fish in the dark in a place where you know there are barbel. Unless you know the river well I would not even think about fishing in a flood. You really do not want to be on the banks of rivers like the Severn, after dark, in rising water....it is very dangerous and finding barbel would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. They are very pedictable and very catchable in the right conditions, at the right time and if you know they are likely to be in your swim. However the winter is not a good time to try and catch barbel unless you are very flexible and can fish at short notice and know the likely holding areas. They will certainly not feed in cold conditions like chub. The popularity of winter barbel is because they tend to be at their heaviest in the winter but bear in mind that many anglers stop fishing for them in November because of the difficulties mentioned.

November is not really the best time to try and catch your first barbel unless conditions are right. This year has been mild but there have usually been frosts by now and that makes barbel fishing a whole different proposition to summer. You are better off starting in summer unless you can fish a prolific venue in a flood. Big barbel are caught in the winter but big catches are rare unless there is a warm flood or you really know what you are doing and know where there are fish. You also need to be able to fish after dark if you really want to succeed

It's a brownie.....no parr markings to be seen.

For that money I would have a look at small 2 man tents. You will probably find one in a reasonable colour and it will be far better quality than an equivalently priced bivvy. Most bivvies are actually made by the tent comapanies anyway (Relum used to make Hutchy's bivvies) except the tackle 'manufacturers just add a hefty whack on the price and advertise them widely.

I am an angler, A voter, an EA licence holder (in fact I have two) and a taxpayer. Rants about immigrants are like water off a duck's back to me. I am not convinced. Fine you may say......but if you can't persuade people like me (and, I repeat. I am an Angler) then what chance do you stand of persuading Joe public that there is aproblem. Can't we just let the whole thing rest for a while? It is getting tedious.

I thought that when I saw this thread. I remember these from many years ago.

Fitting that today is the anniversary of the 'Battle of cable street' http://www.whatnextjournal.co.uk/Pages/History/Cable.html

It's good job carp don't read all the carp comics isn't it? Just shows what a farce it has all become.

Yes I must admit that I do not use my Purist enough although I have had it a few years. I need to persevere more....it was explained to me that it would 'run in'. just can be a bit of a pain in the meantime.

I've got a leeds and it runs nicely...Better than my Purist

They let me in

Ifv you want to try trotting: They do take a while to 'run in'...don't start adjusting it. Make sure you use a fairly heavy (properly shotted) float otherwise you will struggle.

Sorry...it is 25 years since I lived near there...things will have changed. I am sure your local tackle dealers will know. Good luck Edit: it is very different to most canals you will have seen. As it is not generally navigable it is very clear and overgrown in places.

Indeed ...and a lot of them retail for about $3 US at source http://www.alibaba.com/productsearch/Fishing_Rod.html Wonder where all the mark up goes?

You are not far from the Grantham canal. It is no longer navigable but is fishable in many places and is a good Tench fishery. Also specimens of other species. It runs from Nottingham to Grantham through the vale of Belvoir. Nearest place would be near to Bingham..about 15 miles from you.