Del_R

Timely and always appropriate advice, Peter. Not that I know anything about boats. When I watch the few piking videos that I have I can't believe some of those boats haven't capsized the way those folks are leaning out over the side. I presume there are rules and regulations for boats - registration, insurance, and so on. But is it a bit like road vehicles inasmuch as if you have a small boat (say a canoe or a dinghy) you just drop it in the water and away you go? Or do you need paperwork/authorisation/etc for any size of boat? Regards, Derek [ 05. November 2004, 09:44 AM: Message edited by: Del_R ]

Agreed, it looks lovely. Could be tempted by a day ticket, myself. Regards Derek

That would be great, klein. It would be cool to meet someone off here in person and it would be great to go fishing together. I usually go on my own or with my GF's lad (and I don't always get to do too much fishing myself on such occasions). I could steal lots of tips and advice from you, too, as since returning to fishing last year I feel very unknowledgeable. My PB actually came from Staunton earlier in the year. We went out there again last week and the lad caught a nice 8lb-er but it was hard going compared to earlier in the summer (and it was very muddy too! Memo to self to save up for a 4x4). Regards, Derek

I just took advantage of the last opportunity before the clocks go back to do a spot of apres-work spinning. No joy (my excuse is the water was too coloured) but I did successfully lose yet another lure (my one and only spinnerbait). This is getting expensive. As far as what gives - it was the clip on the end of the Drennan 20lb trace that straightened out. I had 15lb line on the reel so it doesn't say much for the strength of the clip. Okay, so I've clipped it up and unclipped it a dozen or so times but what's the point of a design that gets weakened by the very function it's designed to do? The worrying thing is I've got five more such traces in my box. Derek

Cheers Budgie, good explanation.

My PB carp stands at a mere stone and half under 28lb... Derek

I was watching a video t'other day when the presenter, one Mr Hayes, says words to the effect of "I've had no joy on the stick so I've changed to a waggler." What would change presentation-wise (below the water) in simply swapping-over floats? Or would it be safe to assume that it's the sensitivity of the bite indication that's now different as opposed to things being different own below? Cheers, Derek [ 29. October 2004, 09:28 AM: Message edited by: Del_R ]

Cheers Jeepster. Much appreciated. I wasn't on the cadge, though - just wanted to make sure I ordered the right back-issue. But if you've got no further use for it... :-) Regards, Derek [ 27. October 2004, 09:00 PM: Message edited by: Del_R ]

According to the October issue of CF there was an article a few editions previously about barbel fishing on the Severn (probably in the "Great British Barbel Rivers" series). I know it's probably in either the July, August or September magazine. If anyone's got copies lying around could they have a quick shuftie and let me know which month it was in? Ta muchly, Derek

Thanks guys - some excellent links. Just what I was after. Great article, too Leon. I read a few of your others as well. Top stuff! Regards, Derek

I quite fancy having a bash at making my own lures and spinners. I think there'll be a greater level of satisfaction in failing to catch on something that I've made myself. Anyone got any contacts for places where I might be able to buy the wires and the beads and the blades and so on. I've had a look around the normal suspects but haven't found what I'm looking for. Many thanks in advance. Derek

Chevin, this is what it says on the Harris site: "Absent from the market for ages, due to the collapse of the Rublex company when the DAM group folded. We are now able to get hold of stock again, supplies are starting to come through albeit slowly as production at the factory restarts." Regards, Derek [ 25. October 2004, 09:24 AM: Message edited by: Del_R ]

I'm with Matthew - I can understand why unsafe bolt rigs should be banned - tether rigs, I believe. But why ban method feeders or bolt rigs that are safe(*)? Furthermore, how are such rules policed? (*) Is it because it's so easy?!! Even I caught a carp on a method rig last week - so it must make fishing easy... but is that any reason to ban it? They'll be after those pesky hooks next! Puzzled Del

I had a pike after work today on the Gloucester canal using something very similar to a mepps minnow. It was pretty dusky (the light, not the pike. The pike was pretty small). As I caught pike last winter using the same lure at this time of day, I'm thinking of investing in another couple of these because this one's now looking a little worse for wear. Regards, Derek

I think, Leeds, that the answer is twofold. Firstly, in the summertime the pike tend use up more energy in the fight and, being fragile, this can result in a lot more fatalities when they fail to recover from the capture. Thus a lot of pike fisherman leave them be until the autumn and winter when the fish have a better chance of survival after being caught. Obviously a lot of people do fish for them all year round, and I'm sure with care and attention fatalities can be avoided. Secondly, until recently, it was more difficult to fish for a lot of other species in winter and so your summer carpers and so on might have a bash at pike in the cold months, not for reason number one, but simply because pike fishing was better than no fishing. With the advent of the commercials a lot of other species are catchable all year. I'm not sure if these are the only reasons - but added together they created the winter pike fishing season in years gone by. I'm sure more knowledgable folk will be able to add to this. I've had my first two pike fishing sessions of the season this week. Caught nowt. :-( Cheers, Del

Might have to get me one of those Rublex Ondex then - not had any joy on my two trips out so far this month. :-( I had a perch follow my Chubby Shad Monday evening and that was it. I thought I'd try again this lunchtime - found a very interesting looking area on the canal, a very ancient mini-side bay that was overgrown with trees and bushes and partly boomed off. If I was pike I'd have certainly waited for Del's plugs right there. Alas, first cast my Chubby Shad attaches itself to something so solid that's the last I see of it, and the wire trace, and a good proportion of my line. I try again with another soft bait a little further out. Exactly the same result. What's down there? A sunken boat? This is the Gloucester & Sharpness so it's plenty deep enough to hide an old oil tanker. I retreat to a more user friendly area where I know there are Zander but there's not time to fully explore before I have to come back here to work (well, to post this story anyway!). Hey ho. It's early in the season and last year it took several trips before I had any success. Cheers, Derek [ 13. October 2004, 02:46 PM: Message edited by: Del_R ]

MrMatthew, I've been pondering on exactly the same question. Except for a few spectacularly bad attempts at dead-baiting (when my rapidly thawing roach consistantly detached themselves from my trebles in mid-air) I've always been lure fishing for pike and consequently haven't had to worry about when to strike. This winter I'm hoping to have a proper crack at dead-baiting yet when I watch a few videos I see guys sat ten fifteen yards away from their rods, even having a cuppa in their cars, saying "Yep, looks like I've got a run on the smelt," then casually putting down their drink, ambling over to the rod, winding down and striking. To be fair, they always seem to get the hooks in the scissors, but from where I'm sat their actions seem very slow and relaxed and the total opposite of the quick strikes to prevent deep hooking that I've read about here. Also to be fair, they're the pro's and I'm the amateur who can't even attach a deadbait properly, so I'm not criticising, just looking for clarificiation of the whys and wherefores. Derek

I've had a non-fishing summer so I can't wait for October to roll around! Derek

Done!

Took the gf's lad out carping at a local commercial today. Having never ever caught a carp myself (never actually tried until today, to be honest) I held out little hope of a successful day. Still, the guy in the shop gave me a few pointers on bait, location and tactics so off we went (all of which proved spot on). The young lad loved it! He caught his first carp before me. A nice 4lb one. Then I caught a four and half pounder just to maintain my superiority :-)) and he followed this up with a four more, while I had to make do with the best of the day (6.5 lb). Okay nothing earth shattering here but they were certainly big compared to the roach and small perch that I've been weaning him on so far. Also gave me chance to show him how to play fish for the first time. All in all a thoroughly good day. The lad's keener than ever and I get to add carp to the pike and zander as species that I've caught for the first time since my return to the sport last autumn. Cheers, Del

Excellent! I still recall my first pike with affection. Twas nothing like a 15 pounder though. Top work!

I'm sure this is another of my foolish questions but here goes anyway... Is there a reason why drop-back bite indicators are attached to the front rod-rest when fishing for carp and the rear rest when fishing for pike? Cheers, Del

I've taken the lad to a couple of commercials - neither had reduced prices for kids, though I did sweet talk one owner into letting me off a couple of quid. That said, he's caught plenty of fish at these venues and it's perked his interest. I've also signed him up for the BAA (for a pound!) so come next season we'll be trying a few rivers... Regards, Del

In my case it was bad observation rather than bad access. Once I'd realised the correct way to get to the pools I felt a right fool. There's a field with a well worn trail right across it, but instead of following the obvious off sets Del over a gate and battles through thirty yards of thorn bushes that would have sent triffids running away with fear and then clambours over a barbed wire fence. It was a nice peaceful setting though, and to start with totally deserted so I was able to fish every swim that I chose to. I also fished the BAA Eckington stretch earlier this year and the access there was fine, too. Alas, it was not long after the floods and I almost lost a welly in the mud - it was actually more like quicksand than mud and it was pretty scary. Oh I blanked that day, too. But that day was colder than a welldigger's ass! And fighter planes kept shrieking overhead. Regards, Derek

I tried lure fishing Apperley a while back and didn't get any joy from either pond. Did lose my favourite spinnerbait on an underwater snag though and did get scratched to buggery when I took the "via thorns" path to the ponds instead of the "cross field" path. I must go back. Regards, Derek