Houseplant

Great result! Well done. I'm thrilled to hear that the circle hooks worked out. And to think I bottled it today! Giving the fish a little time to take the bait is counter intuitive and nerve racking at first, but as I said on the other thread, I've never had a deep hooked fish. As I've gained more experience, I've concluded that circle hooks aren't ideal for all circumstances, but they're my first choice for small baits when the fish aren't being too tentative.

Was planning to get out tomorrow for pike and chub, but guess what? The river is in flood!!! Sums up the whole season really. Think I'll call it a day, sort out my kit and save the anticipation for the new season*. *I reserve the right to fish a commercial for carp, but it's not proper fishing is it

Good point, when I was a teenager intent on catching monster carp and pike (it never happened btw , well not with any consistency), this was a major pre-occupation of mine. Baitrunners (and later copies) have certainly changed all that and fishing is so much easier now.

that's good to hear . i'm sure you know how fragile shark populations can be. i hope the chinese longliners don't find their way down to namibia.

I got a nice Wychwood rucksack/carryall from Poingdestres in Southampton when I lived there. It was only 17 quid and it's been great. They have a good range of kit, so worth the trip.

Just out of interest, do the sharks get returned on these trips or are they boshed on the head and taken to market?

Title says it all really and I don't think the importance of this needs explaining. I'm sceptical of e-petitions, but it can't do any harm. http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/cuttlefish/

http://www.daiwasports.co.uk/products/?id=262&sec=4 I now own three of these rods, 1 x 9 feet and 2 x 10 feet, all in 4 piece. Despite being spinning rods, I use the 10 footers for heavy end coarse fishing (and the 9 footer for spinning). So sweet to use and great for travel.

Thanks Mark.

PS. This is directed at those who would like to make circle hooks work. If it all sounds like too much trouble and wouldn't suit your style of fishing, then I'm not about to disagree

For Mark and Bluerinse: Got out again today. Been having a good think about this business and trying lots of things. Success with the circle hooks again, but some learning points (for me at least!): 1. If the fish aren't really having it and only hanging on to the tail of the bait, then circle hooks are obviously going to be useless. I realised I'd hammered one swim on the first visit using circles and on the next couple of visits, I was getting takes, but not hooking up. Reverting to trebles got a few fish on the bank and I recognised the fish as those I'd caught a few days earlier. For such situations, I'll use trebles, but may tie-up a few 'stingers' that I can add to the circle hook trace for convieniance. 2. I would now limit my bait size to 4 inches. I bit the bullet and got some frozen roach from a mail order company of this size. It works! 3. If you'll still not hitting the fish, consider these things! (my first bait caught zander )

It would be OK, but a bit heavy. If you already have one, then fine. If looking to buy and you're sure that you wouldn't want to do other kinds of carp fishing with it, then an avon rod or a carp/barbel rod with a 1.5 - 1.75 lb TC would be a lot more fun.

i use tackle appropriate to conditions. if you get that bit wrong, it's unlikely you're going to catch anyway. in the situation you describe, you'd be no worse off fishing with a heavier tip or a standard top section. as for the magasine article, i don't always believe what i read

not exactly standard kit, but why not.

that will be it then, most carpers will be aiming to fish the 'far bank' regardless of whether there are are fish in front of them or there is someone sat there

is it right? that is an open and philosophical question. no more right/wrong/unnatural than stocking venues with artificially high numbers of fish so that they can be caught over and over again and fish becoming reliant on anglers baits for sustenance rather than foraging for natural food stuffs.

Because most of our fish are mud-sucking, scum eating bottom dwellers Not that I'm knocking it, I love the variation in fishing and species, but a few more sporty type fish wouldn't go amiss.

As I said in a previous post, tighten up and keep the pressure on. Please let us know how you get on. Cheers, Andrew.

Got out again this afternoon. Somewhere in the region of 12 runs and only 3 fish on the bank! Just when you think you have it sorted, the rules change. Ignore everything I say from now on

i had a similar experience with a couple of matchmen when i caught a nice zander on a lure. for f*** sake, what is wrong with people in this country? we have precious few sport fish (as my american friends would call them) and all these guys want to do is chuck them in the bushes!

yes it does. i have killed plenty of fish (mainly stocked trout), so have no problem with the killing per se, but to rob other anglers of a fish like that is pure selfishness.

Will be travelling around Tanzania and Mozambique in the summer, anyone had any experience of fishing over there? Is it worth carrying a rod? Anything interests me, saltwater or freshwater, but not big game fishing. Cheers Andrew

thanks for that. the smaller sizes are harder to come by on eBay (buy it now option). had ruled out the xta on the basis of cost, but looking at the online stores, not much in it, so maybe

Following on from my other thread, would I be throwing away more good money by going for the BAITRUNNER AERO GTE C: http://fish.shimano-eu.com/catalog/fish/pr...D=1203883651358 or go for the more basic BAITRUNNER AERO RE: http://fish.shimano-eu.com/catalog/fish/pr...D=1203883651358 or think about a different manufacturer? Opinions/advice appreciated?

My Shimano GTE-B Baitrunner gave up the ghost today ruining my chub fishing trip and destroying about £15 worth of braid. I'm not happy Fortunately, I hade my pike rod to keep me entertained. Anyway, the reel is just under 2.5 years old and while I admit it's had some heavy use, I've taken good care of it. The spool doesn't move with the turn of the handle causing the line to be laid in one place. I've never been happy with the reel. The glitzy cosmetics started to come off on its first few outings and it's never been as smooth as my 10 year old Shimano reels. Ironically, I didn't want this reel when it was first released and specifically ordered from a store that had its forerunner left in stock. They surprised me by sending the GTE-B at no extra cost! http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/forums/Baitrun...-GTE-t3974.html Is it worth writing to Shimano to see if they can offer a free repair this far down the line or shall I stick it in the bin? I certainly wouldn't want to pay anything for a repair.