coxie

I've caught Chub on grasshoppers before, from the Kennet. It was a hot day and they were everywhere, so I tried one. Stubby waggler, all the shot round the float, three feet of greased line to the hook and cast it to far bank bushes. Not big fish, but good fun!

Fishebid, Sorry for the non-reply, I've not been here for a while. I'll try to figure out how to get you pictures asap. Thanks.

Well, back to the original question! I agree with Peter Sharpe. I have also had an article published, in Match Fishing Magazine, but that was in the days when they published work from "average anglers". I don't believe my article would be published now. As Peter says, the magazines seem to be full of the "How to" type articles, written by well known, sponsored professionals.

I have had mixed results in that respect. When I first started fishing it was on The Gade near Watford. I suspect that if I ever went back I should do better, although parts of it have changed completely (Dickinson's is now an industrial estate), because I knew nothing then and I know a bit more now. I used to fish The Rickmansworth Aquadrome with very limited success, but my last visit many years later was very successful. I remember being very disappointed to go back to the Royalty Fishery on the Avon many years after my first visits. It seemed to have changed drastically, hardly any flow, but I may have caught it on a bad day. However, most of the times I've returned to old venues I've done better, because I really knew nothing when I was a kid. The Thames, The Kennet, they look very similar after twenty, thirty years, maybe less flow these days. I think time does cloud things. Venues change, sometimes for the worst, but sometimes for the better.

Thanks for the replies. I could scan them, how do I show you though?

I agree with Budgie and your mate. The revolving roller is what's giving you twist. Glue it!

Hi people, any salmon fishers out there? Have any of you heard of "Celtic Lures"? I have just acquired a large quantity from an auction, lots of wobblers for Salmon, Grilse etc, plus some Devon Minnows. I was wondering what the retail price of these lures would be!

Hi people, Have any of you heard of "Celtic Lures"? I have just acquired a large quantity from an auction, lots of wobblers for Bass and Pollack, plus some Devon Minnows and Mackerel/Bass feathers etc. I was wondering what the retail price of these lures would be!

Chesters, If your club is anything like mine there is a reason the match fishermen seem to get their way more often. We have a membership of 750. A good match turn-out is 40. A good AGM turn-out is 50. I would guess that 75% of that figure is made up from the 40 matchmen. Similarly, work parties seem to have a high percentage of match anglers present! Does that seem a fair description Graham? It does seem that your improvements are a bit heavy-handed, but, again, seemingly being done by the matchmen. Getting back to the subject, commercial fisheries, I have limited experience, having lived in an area surrounded by running water for so long. But, Gold Valley, in Aldershot is a wonderful venue. Of course, carp figure highly in the matchmen's mind, because they weigh a lot and will win most matches, but the fishery is a truly mixed fishery, with fantastic specimens of most species. I've also fished Whiteacres a few times recently and, again, the lakes I've fished are true mixed fisheries. I witnessed a 30lb bag just the other day and not a carp in sight!!

I'd second the vote for Whiteacres, in Cornwall. I fished a small silver fish only match there on Saturday in awful conditions and came second from last with 17lb 1oz! Apart from two Crucians of a pound a piece, this was all Roach. Clint Elliot, the fishery manager won with 24lb and Simon Gould's 21lb included three perch for ten pounds, biggest 3lb 10oz. A fantastic fishery and a lovely area, Newquay's just up the road.

I see you did keep it alive for a while, but as I say, there were a couple of initial replies and then nothing for 4 or 5 days and I assumed no-one was interested. I do log on fairly regularly, but nearly always on the coarse fishing forum. I simply hadn't looked at the for sale and wanted forum until this evening. Stooopid I know. My e-mail address is on my profile, however. I know Gray said it wasn't, but I'm pretty sure I put it on when I placed the post. Could be wrong about that too. Anyway, I am sorry I seemed to be ignoring you, I wasn't. The whole point of advertising here was to get an angler, someone who cares about the environment, and hopefully would care for the place they lived too. The place was empty for over two months, I would have been quite happy for you to have rented it. Sorry.

Many and sincere apologies guys, especially you Dave (Ferret). I have only just looked at my post again. There had been no entries for several days and I assumed no one was interested. I had no idea you were all having such fun. I have, indeed, let the house for the next year and you are quite right I should have let you know. As I say, I thought the thread had died. Sorry again.

Couldn't hook them there and then walk them downstream to a more accessible spot to land them?

Come on guys, give old Craig the benefit of the doubt! You seem to doubt that he is unemployed. Anyone daft enough to think it's OK to fish without a licence, and then to confirm that stupidity by making it public, cannot possibly be intelligent enough to keep a job for very long. By the way, anyone had any valiable kois go missing? Think I've found them.

I fished a match on the Thames at Henley once. Set up in the usual way, everything set then removed the keep-net from net bag, attached the bank stick and threw out the net. The current stretched it out nicely and I was ready to go. We'd had some rain and the bream were feeding here and there. I had two up to 5lbs and some bits and was looking forward to the weigh-in. When the scales arrived I pulled the third from bottom ring of the keep-net through and slid my fish into the weigh sling. "Can't weigh that in, mate", said the scalesman. I peered into the weigh sling and saw two bream, three roach, a perch and a very wet, very dead house mouse. Poor little bugger had obviously got into my net bag, then into my net, only to be driven down to Henley and thrown in the river, inside my keep net