Fordy

That would make me very proud Steve! LOL Only another month to go...then after than, three months of commercials... (

Hi chaps Promised a report after the Total Fishing visit to Timsbury Manor at the weekend.... Well - it fished hard! Not that many grayling came out although everyone caught - but we were lucky enough to witness something a little bit special!!!! One of our number, Mark Hathaway, caught a roach that weighed in at 3lb8oz. That, in case you don't know, is the biggest roach caught anywhere in the UK this year. I weighed and photographed it. One of the best fish I've ever seen - it was stunning. It's going in all the fishing mags next week as you'd expect. Other highlights - several nice chub (2 over 4lb). I caught one of 3lb 8oz which was fin and scale perfect and a fantastic gold/bronze colour. Jaw-dropping! Someone even had a 3lb 6oz salmon on trotted maggot. And as I say - it fished 'ard!!! What a top venue!!

We're on the Timsbury Manor stretch. Awesome bit of river. We fished it in November and had a brilliant day. Happy to give you an update if I get a chance....

Thanks chaps. Think we'll take on the entire fishery anyway and pay a bit extra each.....

You pin fishers....see the post above about a graylimng fishing day on the River Test......

Hello all..... Visiting from Total Fishing (Boooooo!!!!!) Just wondered if any of you lot fancy a day on on Feb 12th (Sunday) with about a dozen of us, fishing for grayling on the Test. Cost for the day is £22.95 (£15 day ticket plus £7.95 for a great brekki from the local pub). (Hooray!!!!) I realise it's shortish notice. If interested - please e-mail me on andy.ford@itv.com I need to know final numbers by Wednesday of this week. Cheers Fordy

John There used to be a couple of hotspots. (1) Last swim where the canal meets the sidestream between the fast and slow flow (by the metal bridge) (2) At the other end of the river stretch by the weir (not the weir pool - the other end) (3) First swim under the weir on the concrete ledge. (also some cracking bream and chub there). The best swim has been ruined forever though....opposite the mill cottages in front of an old willow tree. There used to be a warm water outfall from the old paper mill which was totally AWESOME. Hemp and tares ruled!!! Mill and outflow now gone......

Not sure how he would have got the hammerhead to settle on an unhooking mat though. It looked pretty lively......

Problem is the people who take leave litter on the bankside are the self same people who ignore tin bans when they are in force. Some are probably still using lead shot and barbed hooks on waters where they are not supposed too as well......

Very true Pete. The man is a legend. It's just the continued yibiddia yibbida and fish kissing that does it for me. He has his own unique language and style. The hammerhead thing was jaw-droppingly awesome whichis why I posted in the first place really. What flavour boilie do you reckon he got it on?

Mashed bread in a cage feeder and flake on the hook is hard to beat for roachies. The old Colthrop stretch of the Kennett (where it meets the canal) used to be good but not sure who runs it now???

As I was leaving home this morning, that Aussie tw*t Rex *unt was on a beach somewhere winding in his latest yabada yabada capture. When he eventually pulled it out of the surf it was a fecking huge hammerhead shark!!About ten feet long, thrashing around and extremely annoyed....It was eventuyally wrestled back into the sea, having been kissed on it's stalky eye by the aforementioned t*at. Makes you think really. You don't tend to get many hammerheads in the Avon but I live in hope. May have to up my gear though......

I thought the results may favour fishing and not shopping somehow. Looking forward to it. Just hope the wind's not so strong it blows out the burner on my stove. Otherwise no cuppa!!

Weekend weather forecast - rain, more rain, wind, rain and wind. With precipitation. Question: Fishing, the possibility of blanking, getting soaked and blown away.... or....shopping with the brood and the motherin law????

I've found there are still days in the winter when all waters (still/commercial and rivers) will fish their heads off and you will wish you had more loose feed to keep the little blighters in your swim......

Fish with cold wind at your back - warm South Westerley in your face. Feeder fishing is a good option using crumb in the feeder. Make sure you;ve got a few options for hook bait but don't mix and match too much. Traditionally lots of anglers (myself included) will use smaller baits and cut down on loose feed. But I've found using a big (occasionally STUPIDLY big like a large chunk of luncheon meat) hook bait will get you bites. The theory is that in winter, fish conserve their energy and have to have a good reason to move onto a bait - it has to be worth their while so they don't use up more calories than they are getting. Also, buy a camping stove and make loads of cups of tea and stew!! (have just done this myself....luverleeeeeee!!!)

Like a sweetie shop really....all those brightly coloured boilies.....lots of toys.......and a Visa card.....

So I went out at lunchtime to buy some bait for the weekend's trip to the River Wye. And then I spotted a bargain......Shimano Powerloop quiver rod for £44. Then bought a Wychwood quiver carryall for £20 (another bargain)...and saw a nice rod rest arm to attach to my chair for the new rod (£14)...plus various halibut-flavoured barbel treats and some hemp......oops....£100 lunch. Best not tell the missus!!

Greetings all Heading off to stay with the mother in law at the weekend - and planning a fishing trip to the Wye. (Helps me and my lad escape the dreaded hell of shopping.......!!) I've done a net search and the Wye Valley fishery looks favourite as a day ticket water. Used to fishing the Avon/Stour/Kennet. What's working there/any methods succesful??Any tips very gratefully received. Cheers...

Greetings all Heading off to stay with the mother in law at the weekend - and planning a fishing trip to the Wye. (Helps me and my lad escape the dreaded hell of shopping.......!!) I've done a net search and the Wye Valley fishery looks favourite as a day ticket water. Used to fishing the Avon/Stour/Kennet. What's working there/any methods succesful??Any tips very gratefully received. Cheers...

Posted a while back after breaking my Ikon waggler rod while landing a carp in France. Second time it's happened......Went into my local tackle dealer (Allens Marine in Portsmouth) this weekend ...and he replaced it without a second thought. Paid him an extra £20 for an equivalent but slightly upgraded Abu rod instead as all confidence was lost in the Ikon. Thought he deserved an AN round of applause for good customer service.....

Interesting Rudd. Both breaks weren't splintered at all. Probably a bad batch as you say. It's a shame because until the breakage, as you say, the rod was the dog's undercarriage.

No mate - no extra sections worst luck - this one is purely a waggler rod although I have used it succesfully in the past for float-ledgering (with a small feeder and a Polaris). As for playing the fish, can't really remember putting it up high on either occasion. I didn't do anything you would consider excessive. I just think these rods may not be up to the job they're sold for. They even have an additional rubbery grip half way up the first section to give you extra leverage when playing a big fish., Havbe never broken a rod before in over 20 years fishing and then have snapped two in 8 months. Seems like a bit of a coincidence to me....

Caught numerous doubles on my 13' Abu float rod for years including a few big barbel float fishing in the River Kennet with no problems. I realise if I'm specifically targetting big fish I need a big fish rod - but a 15lb carp shouldn't really be a problem should it.......???????

Hi all A while back, having snapped my ageing Abu float rod in an unfortunate argument with an overhanging tree (!!), I bought a Leeda Ikon carp waggler rod as a replacement. First chuck (honestly - very first cast!) I hooked and landed a 15lb carp on corn. However, as I was netting the beast, the tip of the rod snapped off (top three inches including the two tip rings. One cast, one fish...gonner!! Local tackler dealers (Allens in Portsmouth) were good as gold and replaced the broken one with a new one FOC. Have used the new one on approx three sessions heaving large bags of carp (some good doubles) out of Gold Valley and other venues. However....during recent French hols, hooked a double on floating crust - got it into the net....and the top three inches of the rod snapped off. A touch of deja vu or what! The rod's billed as a big fish waggler rod so I'm sure it should be able to cope - and I don't bully fish - prefer to let the tools to the work. Has anyone else had similar experience with an Ikon? Now looking for a replacement - if poss for under £100 if anyone's got any suggestions.....