Houseplant

no crays as far as i know. shame, they're very tasty would not be adverse to catching chub or whatever else comes along, so that isn't going to bother me too much.

Cheers Neil. I think you're right about oil dispersion. I only use singles when bait fishing for pike and I'm sure a fillet would be better for hooking up over a whol/half fish.

Cheers, just needed a rough guide. Good luck with your 16 June endevours.

I'm intrigued, I can see a lot of advantages in using fillets over whole/half fish, but it doesn't seem to be quite coarse fisherman like if you understand what I mean. Anymore info? Anyone else use fillets?

I've decided to start off the season trying to bag a river carp. I've never had one, so thought it would be a nice idea. Other than carp on the fly, it's the only aspect of carp fishing that really interests me. I will be fishing a small, deep river which is about 25 feet across and very slow moving, static more often than not. I've spotted a few mid-doubles and as far as I know, no ones goes after them, so don't think I'll be wasting my time. From what I've read, prebaiting seems to be the way forward. I really can't be arsed with soaking/boiling particles, so have decided to prebait with pellets. This really isn't the kind of fishing I do normally, so my questions are: 1. Are pellets OK for prebaiting? Any alternatives that don't involve preparation? 2. What's the minimum length of time I should prebait for? 3. How much prebait should I use on each visit? 4. What size of pellet? Cheers guys. Andrew

we're a diverse lot, almost as many different answers as replies!

Better still, learn to SCUBA dive, it's an eye opener for the angler to see fish in their natural environment. Here's some of my pics. Forgive the quality, underwater photography is not easy

Pike fishing on a river with livebaits.

yes! this would be the nearest thing to a genuine reason for getting rid of them. i got myself some stainless steel polo thingies about 15 years ago, but that didn't entirely solve the problem.

no good reason i rarely spend money on tackle these days, probably just one major purchase in 5 years. bite alarms are so cheap now, i thought i'd replace my antiques

I've decided to update my Optonic Magnetronics (!) to something a little more up-to-date for no other reason than I feel like a change. The bottom end Fox alarms would suit my needs - any good?

well, here's a non-expert view. it's thin, but probably not as thin as other braids. to give you a crude idea, berkeley say 20lb fireline has the diameter of 8lb mono. this seems about right. it's pretty stiff, about the same as equivalent diameter mono when it's new, but it becomes less stiff with usage and i've had no problem with line lay (although i slightly underfill my spools). knot strength is reliable with the right knots. it floats. the clear stuff won't compete with fluorocarbon and the like, but i'm certainly more confident when using it than the older smokey grey or hi-viz yellow lines. not enough time to make an objective comparison of catch rates yet, though i'm not sure this is possible with any terminal tackle. the one thing i don't like is that it looks like it's fraying when it's not. this can be quite disconcerting. i've never had a problem though and abrasion resistance seems reasonable.

i use fireline for virtually everything these days, it's fantastic and now comes in a clear version (fireline crystal). it floats, but i've never understood why this is a problem for most types of fishing (maybe someone can explain). the only time i resort to a sinking line is when waggler fishing.

think you should be OK, but who knows, they seem to make up the rules as they go along

Nope and I even saw someone take a guitar on with strings. I think guitar string would be better to garot someone with than my ultralight braid.

Just got back from a long haul trip. Despite getting on a plane in Auckland with a fishing reel in hand luggage without a problem, it was picked up by security in Sydney in the transit area and I was made to strip and discard two spools of expensive braid. Apparently 'string' and the like is no longer allowed as it could be used to strangle someone or tie them up. Apparently the rule only came into effect within the last 24 hours. Not happy

I standby the comment about the rod being a little bit heavy, but it's probably a balance issue and I can identify with the "see-saw" comment made by Davy. Overall a good rod for the price though.

would avoid telescopics, i have had too many smashed by fish (seriously!). i'd recommend the daiwa exceller rods. i've also had a play with a nielsen rod and was very impressed, they're causing quite a stir in game circles.

I just got one, 1.75lb TC 3 piece. Had one outing with it so far. Well built and finished. Perhaps a little on the heavy side, but I don't have much experience of this kind of rod. As odd as it sounds, I've fished most of my life with light float rods and specimen rods, avoiding the middle ground. Also, not convinced that the balance is great, but again this might just be me. You seem to get an awful lot of rod for the money - one standard tip and a push in quiver with 3 tips.

I was fishing the other day and got chatting to a nice chap. He was knowledgeable about the local area and looked like he knew what he was doing. He had some nice bream which he treated with up most care and suggested I move into his swim when he left. I did and filled a carrier bag with the litter he had left . I just don't understand it. Sad thing was he had his little lad with him, guess he'll grow up just like daddy.

This site is very useful: http://fishing.agrino.org/index.html It has a Cypriot flavour, but has up-to-date info and the author is very passionate about his fishing and the environment. And another... http://www.smiley.cy.net/basspro/ Gotta love this roach pic : http://www.smiley.cy.net/basspro/yerm_may2...ach_andreas.jpg

Arraddipou Dam, just outside Larnaca. It took a small Mepps spinner as I remember. I was aware that they are there and think I may have seen a couple, but not sure. Can't catch the buggers in the sea, so not something I'm seriously contemplating.

yep, this is a cypriot fish

Good morning Newt. Nice article, think I learnt something. Here's my thoughts. I don't disagree with the sentiment, but you've already raised one set of hackles and presumably you don't want to do that. Anyway, if this article is directed at UK anglers, then the situation isn't unusual for us. Also, the term shore angling (rather illogically) means sea fishing from the beach in the UK. Bank fshing is the term you are looking for, but bear in mind that very few UK coarse anglers fish from a boat anyway. If you say "oval drilled lead or bullet", we'll all know what you're on about. Please NO probably. Must would make us happier. Personally, I would extend this to all waters where pike or zander(!) are present. Really? If you can get a decent 4 (or more) piece dry fly rod, I find it hard to believe that you need a one piece rod for tossing a lure. I'd maybe mention Fireline Crystal. Although I admit to being a BIG fan of the stuff, it's fairly revolutionary. ********************************************** You might want to think about mentioning pre-rigged shad-type lures. It's a half way house between what some British anglers have become accustomed to seeing in tackle shops and the methods you describe. http://www.swiftys-fishing-tackle.co.uk/ca...roducts_id=4289 Finally, it would be an easier read if you had the sections on each of the rigs combined with the bits on how to fish them.

i'd agree with that, but only if we could have some murray cod