AndyM

hence the "(or total lack of line)" in my reply

Peter a Brazilian is a type of bikini line wax (or total lack of line) named as such due to the size of bikinis worn in said country. If you've ever seen anything of the Rio carnival I think the penny might drop

Not sure who owns it now. I think Stockport AS owned a fair amount of the rights upto the Rochdale area (where Todmorden AS take over), but I now think Oldham AS took over the lengths they had earier this year. Stock wise, they've drained and refilled certain lengths that often (to remove can's/bottles/bikes/ the odd body etc. etc.) for the boats to pass though, that I wouldn't like to guess (the closer you go towards Castlefield basin the less often they've seemed to have drained). I've often wondered about the odd lunch time session up behind Piccadilly station (also have the Ashton Canal there), but I've now moved offices, although am now right next to the R.Irwell which is supposed to have a good head of roach.

didn't have time this weekend for a bait and wait aproach, but did throw a few lures around for a couple of hours last night. No Perch, although I did have one I guess would be in the 1 to 2lb range follow the lure to the bank before spotting me and turning off near the locks, but did land a 14lb pike so not a wasted trip

Thanks, There aren't many swims with trees on the near side, most are on the far bank, but there are the odd group of bushes on the nearside which over hang the water (have tried lures here), but where the trees do similar the water tends to be very shallow and void of other features. I have noticed perch in the 0.5lb bracket in these swims however. I have noticed fry jumping around the bridges and investigated it when on the near side. one occassion last summer when the water was clear, you could see a schoal of small perch herding a schoal of 2inch fry toward the bank, and crashing into them, must of spent a good 20mins just watching them. I'll give it a go anyway, as if I don't manage a perch, there are plenty of tench upto 5lb and bream getting upto double figures to keep me occupied

Hello all, One of my aims for this season is to catch a decent sized perch, with my PB being just under 1lb. The canal I fish on a regular basis is rumered to hold a head of decent fish in the 2lb+ range, which I can well believe, due to the volume of small silver fish. I’ve read all of Steve’s articals (One of the reasons why I’ve set myself this target) and found them useful, but with the stretch of water I’m targeting being around 1mile long between locks (due to it’s size it was never drained durring the restoration works 3 or 4 years ago) and having a variaty of swims, I don’t know which to plump for first. Swims which I’m guessing would be best to fish include beds of reeds on both near and far banks which get a fair amount of light, same again with sun light blocked for most of the day due to factorys, bridge swims and open swims with over hanging trees on the far bank. Tactics wise I was thinking of using a waggler on 4lb mainline to a 3lb bottom, baiting up with red pinkie, and fishing lobworm on the hook. I would try a small livebait, but with pike well into double figures, believe that using a wire trace will reduce the chances of a perch. I’m also trying plugs, spoons and spinners in the evening after work, but have only had pike so far. Any help appreciated.

Would have to be Bob Nudd, if only so I didn't have to hear "Is that a insert species of fish or what!" after every fish, which Mr Wilson has started saying on the last few series of Go fishing.

this was on a canal stretch around Birmingham if I remember right, and what the council were doing was electric fishing which stuns the fish allowing them to be removed from the water and to a different location, but doesn't kill them. It's offen employed when trying to clean up ponds/boating lakes etc.

I think I've bought nearly all my own pressies this year, well all of the ones I know about. My B'day was on the 20th, so managed to spread a couple as well, Pole plus roller off Dad, Luggage set off Mum, Fishing videos off sister, Seat box off wife, & seat box accessories off the in-laws. Job's a good un! Hopefully I managed to max out their budgets set aside for me, to minimise the "never to be worn or used" gifts

cheers

ok, new to pole fishing or will be after xmas, and was wondering about what the ratings of some pole floats mean. I understand when they are expressed in grams, but it's the 4x12, 4x14 etc. which has me confused, as looking at rig setups in the the weeklys etc. it doesn't appear to be as straight forward as the shotting capacity of the float as say a waggler or stick float, ie. not 4 number 12's.

Cheers for the help

Ok, I've now got myself my first pole and need alittle advice on how I'm going to rig up each of the kits. The pole came with 2 match top 3's and a power 2 rated upto 16 elastic. I was going to get a tackle shop to rig them up first time round (don't fancy chopping them up myself at this stage), so any advise as to what elastics to ask them to put in each kit etc. would be appreciated. The pole is 11.5m if it makes a difference. I've mainly been doing canal fishing since my return to the sport, with some stillwaters as well, fishing for roach/perch/rudd/skimmers upto 1lb, plus tench and bream upto 5lb (although I know there are bigger fish in there). I've not fished a carp pool yet (or not on the float anyway, used my feeder or carp rod with method feeder instead) but I suppose that's what the power kits for and I am likly to try one or two out in the new year so might try the pole on them. On a second note, are there any good videos/DVD's which would help me gain a grounding in pole fishing that you would recommend? Thanks. [ 26. November 2003, 02:11 PM: Message edited by: AndyM ]

the thing that conserns me more than the fact that Sport England are limiting their funding and the fact that fishing isn't one of the select few, is the fact that there is no mention of funding disabled sport, which is surely just as important. I might be wrong but I think one of Sport England's sloggans used to be "Sport for all" and fishing lends itself well to less able bodied ppl. I for one would not mind one bit if a case for Angling was put forward to them for a grant to improve access and factilities on a greater number of waters for this group in our community, as it would as a result benifit us all I feel.

That's them. Cartman, thanks. Like I said it looks and feels like a good pole, but having never used one I can't really have total confidence in myself more than anything It's almost a blank blank as it were, with just minimal graphics and not highly lacqered, so it wouldn't surprise me if it was imported gear. It was just the reduction which got me thinking really, RRP £700 with the shop price of just under £300 for the 13m, fine, the usual mark down, but to get it for £160 with just the extention missing. Then again I went in and said I wanted to start out pole fishing and gave them my budget for the pole, but with only a couple of worthwhile options in stock (both of which much under the the £160 I had available to spend on it) I think they marked it down to give me some options, make sure they got everyone of them £160's and create a happy customer. If so it's done that

Just wondering if anyone has heard/used/own any poles or rods made by a firm called Wayahead. I'm not sure if North West angling centre are the sole suppliers of them (can't find any other online shops which sell it), but I'd be interested in finding out what ppl experences (if there is anyone on here) of this equipment has been. The reason I ask is because I bought one of the "wildthing" poles in the 11.5m size http://www.nwac.co.uk/acatalog/Wayahead_Poles.html, at a very much reduced price, as it was much lighter and stiffer (or better balanced) than anything else around the price they were offering it to me at. The 13m pole on the website I think is the 11.5m pole I got, with a 1.5m extention. For info they sold it me for £160 but I did buy a number of other things as well, but having never bought a pole before, I wasn't 100% sure what I was looking for, but the staff were convinced it was the best option to go for. [ 24. November 2003, 04:02 PM: Message edited by: AndyM ]

lancslass - which stretch of the Rochdale canal are you fishing? as that's the canal which I fish most often. Certain lock stretches might not be fishing at all well due to the renovation work which has gone on over the last 5 to 10 yrs to allow boats to navigate it's total length, hence some parts were drained totally (even upto a couple of months ago when they had to replace a load of faulty gates), hence fish stocks could be fairly low, reducing the chances of catching at this time of year.

I had a bash on my local canal on Saturday, without a bite for the first hour, but by playing around with the shotting patterns found the roach were taking a slow sinking bait just off the bottom (bulk shot around the float with 4x no8's dotted down the line stopping 12in from hook). Single floro pinkie on a 22 hook was the most successful bait over the top of abit of groundbait/hemp/caster down the centre channel, (golfball size fed every 20-30mins). I did catch up against the farside reeds as well, but these were much smaller fish.

I think it was in AT to make ppl aware of the fact that local bylaws say it's illegal to return Zander to the River Seven, and to try and get this changed. The lad and his father did everything by the book, but by using the example of a 17.5lb fish, it gets ppl talking about it, like here. How many of us would bother discussing the issue if it was a few 2-3lb Zander removed from the river? I doubt it would hold enough punch for AT or any of the publications to bother with it, hence nothing changes.

Re. dead baits and parasites, this is very remote due to the fact that a) most parasites etc. are waterborn so die if taken out of water for a period of time, and most require a live host, and die off 24-48hrs later if they can't find one. Sea baits are also safe, or I'm unaware of anything which which could be a problem, which can survive in both freshwater and sea water for any length of time without drowning or dieing of thirst depending on which way you go (the changes in salt levels make it hard for the parasites to regulate their water levels properly). Viruses and other diesease are a different matter. This info is based purely on my knowledge and experience of keeping and breeding of tropical fish, plus attendance of lectures on aquatic parasites/disease and cures etc. as part of my duties as a member of management for the federation of northern aquarium societies. Wheither it's different in large fisheries compared to enclosed glass containers I cannot comment, but quanteen of new fish is an important aspect of the fish keeping hobby, as introduction of "nasties" is a real posiblity. I've lost fish, and some expensive ones at that due to introducing fish without quanteening properly when spare tanks have been short, I take this loss and cost, but personally I would never use live fish from one water to use as livebait in another, when the effects could harm someone elses livelyhood such as fishery managers etc., plus the enjoyment of sport for others, never mind the health of the fish themselves. The argument that the EA have no reported cases of livebait introducing diesease or parasites seems to me to be alittle mute. Ok I've only been fishing properly again for say 6mths after a +10year absences, and haven't a clue or experence as to what work the EA actually do, but over the past half year reading forums like this one, plus letters in the weeklys, the general consensus amongst anglers seem to be they don't do a very good job, or atleast not worth the funding they receive. Personally, I haven't the knowledge of their work to have a proper opinion, but do they really know what parasites etc. have or haven't been introduced into each and every water within the UK and how??? [ 12. November 2003, 12:21 PM: Message edited by: AndyM ]

a snail explosion can be caused by over feeding, so reducing this should help, but depending on the type of snail might mean they are a good addition. Trumpet snails burrow in the substrate and stop it compacting and don't eat plants, although Loaches will feed on them, and are a much better method than chemicals, which kill the snails which then decay and polute the water, if you are after removal. Others like the small round ones are good in breeding tanks, as they eat infertile eggs reducing the fungus which could attack health eggs. Another way to remove them is to place half a cut out mellon in the tank, black out the tank, then remove the mellon a few hours later along with the snails feeding on it. Regarding your stocking and future additions, I'm afraid to say but I think your already over stocked. The general rule is 1" of fish per gal of water, and some of the fish you have grow big like the golden sucking loaches which can reach 12" each (they also get nasty as they age), flying foxes and USD cats both grow to 6" each. Regarding the gobys, you really need to find out which type they are, as some are brackish and most will prey on smaller fish. Silver sharks can also grow to over 12" and are really an active schoaling fish, requiring much more space than you can provide. My advice would be to return or trade in the larger growing fish, and stick to smaller ones. For algae, try 4 or 5 otocinclus which are dwarf plecos growing no bigger than 4cm (but make sure they are healthy with good bellys on them, as they are often starved before export and are hard to bring back round) and perhaps an ancistrus (bristlenose plecos) which do grow to around 6" but are much better algae eaters than the fish you have at present (males to 6" but females usually no bigger than 4"). Also the CO2 unit, this will not have much effect if the lighting isn't high enough, around 2watts per gallon from good plant tubes is the point where it starts to improve growth (so you need at least 2 or better still 3 tubes), and match it up with a good aquatic fertiliser.

It's swan mussels that they use to reproduce, so wherever there is a good number of them, you have a chance of finding them. They are a rare fish, infact over the last few years you've needed to obtain a licence to even buy them (where available) from aquarium shops.

just don't go there alone, as I know of a few ppl who would have had tackle nicked if it wasn't for the fact they were in a group, plus weren't there a feature on it in one of the weeklys a few month back, so much for the secret If you have transport go up the M61 to the River Ribble Nr Preston, which always used to fish well for chub in the autumn/winter I belive.

DG - to increase the font size in IE, goto View>>Text size> then select something alittle larger, Netscape is very similar depending on the version.

compatables are ok for general printing, but for photographic work on good paper, I'd always stick to branded as the colour fastness usually lasts longer, plus the printer driver then knows what the colour of the ink is and how much it bleeds (size of resultant dots) for the given paper type. this might sound funny, but the yellow say, in one printer cart, is different to the yellow in a different cart ie. T007 and T027, likewise from one brand of ink to another. The printer driver knows how much of each colour is needed to achieve the required result with original carts, but the finalised results with compatables could be totally different if using the same paper and standard ICC profiles. Using different paper might solve these differences, as believe me it has a massive impact on final results (having spent well over £100 on different papers before deciding on a couple which produce good natural colours with my carts). One of the best places I've found for original carts is www.7dayshop.com , where the T026 are £15.90 each or £47.25 for 3, and the T027 £13.11 or £38.88 for 3.