H.A.

Don't want to detract from a half serious thread; but you wouldn't have a hope in hell anywhere in the world. Bermuda will suit me ..... but you have to do your own set-ups and hook your own fish. Sometimes, I think these rather useless conversations would be better settled on the water. Unfortunately some of you talk more than you fish.

So let's examine your salvation package, OK? Listening/watching? - Wurz So what you going to do? If we live within the democratic process, you do get what you deserve. There are no prima donnas (female operatic singers?) .... you work with what you have got, unless your surname is Trotsky or Guevara ..... and some of you are too spineless to get involved.

I read what you write, Stevie. And to be honest (and I have been), I'm sick of it. If you really believe the krap you write, you'd stop writing it (relevant information?????). Surely anglers ('proper' or not), are quite capable of making up their minds about whether they wish to support or criticise that which which Brussels and Defra put out. Not forgetting, of course, that most 'want to be left alone'. But that's what the civil servants do. So, let them be and take what they give you? I didn't want the poll tax, nor the VAT thing; and I let my MP know that ..... and in a small way, that must affect something. Your continued ducking, diving, ostrich-stance cuts no ice with me. Why the hell Barham continues with your copy is beyond me. Perhaps you need a good sorting out with your angling abilities .... shore or boat? I reckon DB could sort us a venue and boat/beach .... you'll be on to a hiding there too! You're a cynical and hopeless case. Shame.

Argue amongst yourselves . It makes no odds. There are a dozen or so folks concerned enough here to insult each other; so that's a step on apathy, at least. The 'ostrich thing' sums most anglers nicely. You won't actually get involved in the real politics (and who can blame Mr Average Angler for that?). So, I'm afraid whatever Steve or Bob want, matters for nothing. You will get more regulations (and licensing) and you'll still be flapping in the wind; bickering and completely ineffective. It'll be alright on the night though, eh?

Yer havin' a larf, Wurz. Stick to yer bloody gill nets and trammels. Is Jaffa a 'commercial' too .... or just spouts off? The couple of you + Coppalot are not at all representative (and it's funny that the 'r' word is the one which Stevie wants to condemn); it's actually he who writes 'pseudo-political' stuff for us (boat anglers?) to inwardly digest Well mateys, prepare to meet your makers; Defra will do what Defra and Brussels do and you couple of lads will count for nowt! After all, they have a mission statement till 2020! I've never met such a bunch of losers as the 'hybrid' commercial/'sometimes I dangle too' brigade. Grow up, talk sense and support or contribute to the process of change. Stop the whinging, OK? Get behind people with your ideas; rather than throw sand at the sky!

Ahhh ... you see, there are no famous five (your imagination or just Wilson and Arthur.co.uk?). The guys and girls who want angling to continue and fish extraction to cease are the blokes (and goyles) who partake every weekend; keep the odd fish and enjoy seeing their kids use a crab-line off the local pier. There are hundreds of thousands of them (yes, I mean that; and in the UK). Now, I'm sorry, but the 'Gov' is not going to put paid to this, because they can't. Kids will fish with bacon rind and bent pins .... it's a cultural thingy which began some while ago. You can't stop that. I hate to buy licences and pay landowners for the privilege, but common-sense rules where basic human rights are concerned and there are no restrictions on sea anglers, are there? The Cappolots are winding you up. This dreadful whining by commercials and Coppalots are grating my nerves.

Come on you 'commercials' .... is that the best you can muster with Coppalot onside? RSAs, for want of a better descriptor, have nothing in common with them. Argue your points of view, even if that means (as it does) to get in bed with the civil servants, and get rid of obscene methods of fish-extraction. I'm glad that some forms of commercial workings will be rid of in 5, 10, 20 years time; while fishermen (subsistence and hobbyists) will be able to go about their 'business'. I'm afraid Coppalot and my viewpoints are miles apart. Use whatever means (even to talk to the ladies and blokes at DEFRA) and you will get some regulation in favour of the conservation of fishes. That's my aim; and I'll use all the corridors to achieve it. Licences/bag limits? Not if it can be helped; but then anything is better if the dreadful waste/destruction (not too strong a word) is to be stopped.

don't know; don't really care .... too many back-passages involved at all levels.

Quite right Barry. The problem is well known to the SFC and the EA. Mullet and Sea Trout are regularly targetted by rod and line 'anglers' armed with sets of trebles. If an Environment Officer was called, they got off with a warning. Two years ago, when I was a committee member on SSFDC, it was getting very close to a prosecution with certain regulars. I don't know if they proceeded with a test case.

That's quite correct. The Lower Avon and Stour have always been protected and 'policed' by local (mainly freshwater) angling clubs and the regulations are set up by their committees. There was an uncomfortable few years when nobody knew (inc SFC) whether or not the harbour required a Freshwater licence since bream and roach had been caught by 'mulleteers' as far down as Stanpit Marches, almost to Mudeford Harbour. I quote from an article I wrote a while back -

Aahhhh ... like Barry, I must find out where this place is. You see, fishing off the SW and Central Solent (beaches don't get a mention any more), has deteriorated drastically over the past 20 years. Turbot, plaice, spurdog and bass over 5 lbs and (consistent) cod have either taken a vacation (commercials, scurrying for cover call it 'climate change'), or they've run out of sandeels (puffins too?)/mackerel or ....... the breeding stocks have been hammered by someone, somewhere. And it ain't me! Every day there are the same big boats from Cornwall/C.I. to Dover; U-10s all along, as well (Selsey, Hayling Bay, Rye, Hastings, Dengemarsh, Dungie and THEY complain there are too few fish. I confess, 'I must have done it with me big hatchet'! It were me!

Bit like your negative commentaries .... I'd join AT rather than Scops.com Some people are hopeless and have no idea.

Why????? For God's sake why don't folks who spend money and time to fish, bother to get good fresh bait. I do confess that when I lived in the heartland of Essex, I thought nothing of heading (off course) to West Mersea to dig lug for 2hrs. Then, travel to Walton on Naze (or Dover on the neaps) and fish from Friday night till Sunday morn. Loadsa effort; loadsa fish. Dehydrated dried what??????? Blah! Quadruple your catches by making the effort! It's all about bait and timing. By the way, December is one of the best months on the S Coast, Sam.

You do make me laugh, Steve. Arse-talking again!

Accurately measure the OD of the tip and try a zzippy/cono etc butt from your local shop and which also has a parallel butt. If you find one that fits contact those companies direct and they'll supply a butt to fit (even if you have to finely rub it down a bit). Usually they will be 25mm/23mm/21mm etc.

Agreed, but that will take another 50 years of painful evolution. Right now the only recognised 'voices' we have are AT, BASS and SACN. That's fact; no one else is recognised. That's why it's so important for individuals to respond to the post-Bill consultations in numbers. Everyone seems to recognise the 'greenies' powerful lobby, not to mention the Soc. for the Prevention of Birds (!), and we'll get what we deserve as long as apathy reigns and the Fifth columnists encourage everyone to abstain on the issues. I badger Steviecopout only in the vain hope he might write something constructive , which his minions might respond to, instead of the rather strange tactic of 'duckin' and divin'.

Is it a parallel or tapered butt? I can probably make you a butt if it's a push fit into the tip (tapered, not parallel). Ada

Absoluto; which is why I added a last line to my post.

Which MPA restrictions are you referring to, Sam? Not the ones where I am precluded from fishing in my backyard because there's 2km of static nets laid across the beach and only 70m out?

now, there was a 'special blank' made for F/S with a 'throughy action' (I'm not thinking of the 'Spooler') at around the early 80s. I thought it might have been called an 8500 or something equally meaningless; but come to think of it, I think it had a nasty 9' tip section. Yeh, 8' + 4' was probably the standard DM and it would have been rated at 4-6oz, although 6oz was 'top of the scale'. With a lot of use even 'S' class glass fibre/carbon mix will soften.

From Tony's early 80s leaflet ... "DREAM MACHINE A FAST TAPER carbon/glass blank suitable for F/S use as well as coupling well with a multiplier comes in the form of a Dream Machine. It is suggested to be used with longer carbon and high carbon butts." Dream Machine + Carbon Butt £70 (blanks only) Dream Machine + High Carbon Butt £129.63 Dream Machine 'S' + 5' Carbon Butt £118.95 Dream Machine 'S' + 5' High C Butt £147.16 (Complete with rings etc ... add £35)." There is no mention of lengths or diameters, although 13' was considered a long (fishing) rod in those days. Most were 11'6" - 12'6". I'd guess that the tip was 7' long. 3.5mm was a standard tip dia and 26mm was a standard C-butt. (28mm was common for aircraft-grade aluminium tubing which was much cheaper (and heavier!). You might be interested in this link - http://www.zziplexrods.com/about/

Strange isn't it ..... many of the members of this forum advised non-participation in the consultation process which led to The Marine Bill and all its Clauses. So, coupled with the characteristic apathy of anglers, in general, towards their hobby, very few individual responses were made by RSAs during the early years. Now, for better or worse, this is the way our grand Parliamentary democracy works. Now we have the legislation in place, then we have more consultation as to how it will be applied and structured ........ yeh, well ......... learned non-participators (and we seem to have a few) - what's the strategy now?

This is worth a read (whether you agree or not) ..... http://www.henry-gilbey.com/blog.html

Angling? Angling ..... you don't have a clue do you! That single piece of video puts trawling on the verge of extinction. Look out greedy, law-breaking bass'turds! (I'm referring to this weeks latest court cases, of course.)

GREED!