Chris Plumb

Err - that's not strictly true - 99% of our DNA is identical to Bonobo Chimps (our nearest ape 'relatives'). To put that figure into context 50% of our DNA is identical to that of a banana!!! Chris

Well it's not the EA one!! Though we did get a visit from him on last year's fish-in. Chris

I guess you'd say the Car Park is 'reasonably safe' - next to the hut/ toilets/benches etc and in sight of the first carrier - so I'm guessing there'll be people around most of the time. The Bailiff spends a lot of time on site as well... Chris

Dave - just phoned the fishery - yes there are Pike - not a lot but there's been a 20lb fish residing in the mouth of the Primary Carrier where it joins the main river, all autumn!! Lures ARE allowed (deads aren't :confused: ) and coarse liveys caught on site are allowed. All pike to be returned. HTH Chris

Umm - interesting choice of topic for one of your first postings . This HAS been debated at great length (and HEAT!!) in the past. Search for barbel + stillwater and you'll find dozens of threads. Here is just one of them.... And you can read more in the articles section of this site. Chris

Well I always assumed they were the same - seems I'm wrong though... See here and Here! Live and Learn! Chris

You can get Elf Bowling and lots of other free stuff from nstorm Chris

Dave - I'll find out about the Piking - there may be some restrictions on lures due to the potential for Salmon in the river also I'm not sure what their policy is on Catch & Release as regards pike. As for B&B probably you're best bet is to look for somewhere in Romsey - 2 miles down the road. I've never stayed in the area so can't make any personal recommendations but you could try the local Tourist Info Office Details Here As it's out of season you make be able to get somewhere cheap. Timsbury however is less than an hours drive further for you than last year's venue.... ATB Chris

Yes - Well done Nick. Just printed it off and from the quick scan I had as the pages came off the printer I have to say I'm mightyly impressed with the document. Well done to everyone involved - a must read for ALL anglers. Chris

Well Eddie - I think you're right with Southampton for 78. Yes the ship did sail from there but I don't think that's the reason. I've discovered that one of the pieces of music in the film was also called Southampton. (Also features on the Soundtrack CD). So Southampton can be said to have been IN Titanic. Addicted to this? What? ME!!! Well done! Chris

I was pretty convinced it was ITV as well and a quick check on Google confirmed it. Southern TV 1963-69 & 72-78. Chris

One of you're most important bits of gear for Winter barbel is a water thermometer. When water temps are below 5ºC only the die-hards still target barbel. Having said that the direction of the water temperature is also important. 5ºC and rising, better than 8ºC and falling. I generally don't do a lot of barbelling in the winter but if the weather turns mild particulalrly after a cold snap then I'd feel condfident about having a shot at it. (Providing of course that the cold snap hadn't seen snow. Snow melt and in particular the salt from gritters will put the fish RIGHT off) As for where to find them - I'll generally look for slower, deeper reaches with a hard/gravel bottom in the winter. HTH Chris

Graham you must be pyschic!!! I've already got Chester as the answer for another question and the clue that gave me it WAS "Mr Dillon, Mr Dillon"!!! So alas our wooden legged clue is something else! As for the compiler being a bit sad - I've spent the best part of a rainy sunday on this so who is the sadder? Chris

Howard, Both carriers are actually quite near to the car park (which also has toilets, benches, barbecue area & hut - these trout anglers don't like to rough it!!!). So a good bet would be to trot in the morning - travelling light and then find a peg on the main river in the afternoon or vice versa. Chris

Well I've just Googled 93 Tears and Laughter is the Title of a Niel Sedaka CD. Features a track Titled 'Brighton' - which I think may be the answer!! Chris

And just to show I'm not shirking!!! I've 'googled' another one down ...57 is WITNEY AIRLINE - a 1980's TV drama - lead characters were Ruskin & Witney (Who were partners trying to set up there own airline)... 7 more... Chris

OK so we've got 8 to get - which as we're on a second page I'm re-posting below.... 44 THE WOODEN LEGGED FIDDLER REVEALED A CITY (10) 45 TERMINALIZATION WAS HIS TERM (10) 57 RUSKIN'S AIRLINE PARTNER(6) 64 SANDOWN CLASS MEMBER FROM THE BORDERS(7) 78 FOUND IN TITANIC (11) 86 LIES AND DREAMS FOLLOWED THESE DOGS(8) 93 LAUGHTER AND TEARS GETS YOU ON THE RIGHT TRACK(8) 97 THE PRINCIPLE OF THE INCOMPETENT QUEENS FOR EXAMPLE(12) Does 78 refer to the Film?? Is 93 alluding to a piece of music?? is 97 referring to social insects (ants and bees have queens)? Any other 'could be's' that you can think of that are worth investigating??? Chris

Water available as follows.... 1st carrier - nearest the carp park quite narrow, slowish and silty. Starts with a lovely little weirpool. NO (or VERY few) grayling in this but has other coarse species - particularly perch, (big) roach and has a shoal of carp. Very similar to the narrowest of the Denford carriers but with slower flow. 2nd Carrier. Very fast gravelly and streamy - can usually target fish by sight - has a couple of weir pools. Very similar to the road stretch at Denford though clearer, shallower and a bit faster. This stretch is PACKED with grayling and I suggest that eveyone (particularly those that have never caught a grayling) gets a turn on here and if you find fish you give it 20 minutes and give someone else a go (I caught 23 from one spot in a little over an hour back in October!!!) The River Test proper is very wide (Remember the short bit of the Kennet proper at Denford - very similar but even wider!). Average depth 3/4 feet plenty of grayling in the shallower bits - but not so easy to find as in the second carrier. The bottom beat is considerably slower with some deep (8ft+) holes under the bank you fish from. Meant to be some VERY big roach here - though I only managed trout. If you're after the roach or the chub - a feeder approach is probably best. The carriers are about ½mile each in length the river is 1¼ mile. So the majority of the water is on the Test proper which is why I think we should give the 'Grayling Virgins' 1st bite at the 2nd carrier which offers the easier fishing. Chris

And the beauty is it's not just carp it works with with AND the fish put on phenominal growth rates as well. A mate of mine once had a 10lb Pike with this method caught early in the morning by lunch time it was 15lbs and by the time we packed up it was a goer 20!!! Chris

BRILLIANT - well done Graham X- A real triumph when you get one aint it? Chris

Hooray!!I sure hope you can get along to it. As for tackle well 3lb T/C MAY be a bit OTT though I did see a shoal of carp in one of the carriers when I last went so perhaps not so extreme!!! (Boilies are banned however). I'll be taking match rod and centre pin and roving around. However some of the swims on the river proper are probably best tackled with a feeder - so I'd put in a feeder rod and appropriate tackle as well. There are some alledgedly decent chub and roach worth going for in addition to the grayling! Let me know as soon as possible if you can make it as I think I've now just about filled all the places.... See you in Jan? Chris

Well done Judy - my enquiry on the message board has come up trumps... Answer to 43 is Scarborough (Apparently his full name was Robert Andrew Scarborough Ferris) Chris

So have I - been tearing my hair out (or at least scratching my bald patch ) trying to find it. Wonder if these were ever released on video? Anyone got a copy? 10 to get..... Chris

So do Tench...I soak my cockles in it. Chris

Finest hour (so far - the best of the season is still to come in my book) this season would have to be 29 June. Float fishing a club lake for tench. Bait, cockle; fished tight to the margins over a raked swim. A slight ripple on the water can't disguise the the eruptions of bubbles as the tench move in to see what all the disturbance was about. The first hours of daybreak bring a flurry of activity and ratchet on the centre pin pierces the silence like a gleeful banshee with gratifying regularity. Over a dozen tench are landed - not one under 4lb and 5 are over 5¾. Things quieten down and the rake goes out again - within 20 minutes the fish are back and my PB is then broken twice in consecutive casts with fish a couple of ounces either side of 7lb. Looking back over the year as a whole this day competes with 22nd Feb. A day grayling and dace fishing on the Upper Kennet. The grayling are small ones but are dwarfed by half a dozen dace all over 10 oz. And topped off by a brace of whoppers and ounce either side of a pound. Can't wait to return later this winter (see earlier comment ) Chris