chappers

Are you sure we're talking about the same bloke I was out with him last friday and we never stopped laughing all day, been the same every time we have fished with him.

I remember as a young boy, hearing about this voracious predetor called the zander, that had been introduced into the fens and the warickshire Avon. The stocking of this voracious predetor was going to be the start of the decimation of our fish stoicks right across the country unless every zander was killed. What rubbish 30 years on they have barely spread from the original places they were introduced and even there they have had virtually no ill effects on the resident fish population, in fact most anglers would consider them a welcome addition. With rgards to the Eastern Europeans, keep it to yourselves, but the zander is one of the tastiest fish in our fresh water

Think thats the japanese full stop, they built that indoor surf beach about 300m from one of the best surf beaches in Japan. The real beach is deserted whilst the indoor one is packed at $50 per head entrance.

You could try TC pit between the A40 and the A34 it is officially closed to fishing but I know a few guys who still fish it without too much problem. The only problem is that they are about to start work on the A34 bridge so there probably won't be anywhere to park. I personally haven't fished it for quite a few years but there is still a decent head of tench in there, some of them probably approaching double figures, there are a few carp in there but if you caught one of those you would be more than happy as they are of adecent size. In the past I have found the two banks running along the canal to be best for the tench, but as I said I haven't fished it for quite a while. With regards to Blenhiem I used to fish it a lot in the past as my mate used to live on the estate. Since they banned groundbait the large bags of tench and bream have been a lot more scarce but the fish are there and as someone else said it's more a case of locating afew fish and then loosefeeding to keep them interested. This time of year I would suggest the areas opposite the boat house and then down towards the waterfall end as the season progresses. Take sliding floats you will need them and maybe something with a drift beater top if it's a bit choppy, whether you choose to obey the groundbait ban or not take plenty of bait and think about including some scalded maggots or plenty of casters.

Dan, was involved in a similar project quite a few years ago, but on a bigger lake and we had the benefit of a small pond to temporarily house the fish. We built a retaining wall of hay bales in a reed bed at one end and used a mud cat to dredge all of the silt and dump it behind the bales, allowing the water to filter back through the bales. The lake was then dressed, with chalk and siltex we also removed tons and tons of weed In fact every bit of weed and lilly we could find.Don't worry you wont get all of it and within a couple of years your lillies will be back. The lake took a few years to settle down being crystal clear for the first summer and then the maddest algal bloom the next two summers(almost a flourescent green), but then settled down to being crystal clear most of the year with a bit of colour in the summer. With regards to stocking the guy in charge took advice from Bruno Broughton nearly 20 years on the lake is thriving although under new management. When we started it sounded similar to yours, totally overgrown with only about two fishable swims, with a small head of fish. This is it here http://www.kirtlingtonfisheries.co.uk/default.asp?pageRef=7 previously it was probably about a foot deep apart from in two places where it was about three foot. Good luck it is avery rewarding job especially when you see the newly stocked fish going in.

Think most of it's been said apart from do away with the clumpy battery operated float and if you haven't already got them get some drennan insert crystals the mini starlights, I think fit into the float in place of the tip and will last long enough for a summer night session. you can start off fishing in daylight with the normal float and then when it gets dark, whip out the tip and replace it with a starlight. Just get organised and as Chris said just take your time and you will be fine.

In fact they went a step further than that. Back in the eighties they were offered funding to incorporate them into the coastguards service, but they turned it down for the very reasons you mentioned

ditto

Think someone took a photo but it was 20 odd years ago when I was about 15 or 16.

Indeed particularly gilheads been caught for years in both estuaries, topknot always been resident just rarely caught.

Out from Swansea years ago my mate caught a thornie with one of those gold "Made in China" stickers stuck neatly in the corner of its wing, it wouldn't peel off so we sent it back with it on.

Indeed fished exactly the same way.

I use Les as well and the bait is top quality and he provides an excellant service. I did re wrap the last lot of blacks from him cant remember quite how many there were, about 80 I think

I always thought they were a gimick , but last year fishing with Davy Holt one evening Davy put one on(the plain sandeel type) , the rest of us were using normal artificials he hammered us that evening probably 8-1. The next day I was the only one fishing them with the same result everyone else struggled. Was fishing them really slow, there is definitely something in the coating that fish like, I just dropped one down the side of the slipway and it was soon swarmed by small coalies and pollack. As a static bait not sure how confident i would be but spun slowly for pollack they definitely work.

Wish I could persuade mine. Bear in mind Orkney has a tourist trade to tapp into as well as the fishing. Good luck