chubsta

the way i see it if you can get something for very little effort then eventually it becomes worthless - it is only the things we have to work for and acheive that actually mean anything to us..... sure, you can fish a commercial carp fishery and get loads of fish every time, but would you ever remember any of them? when i was about 13 years old i caught a 1lb roach from a small river, and i remember everything about that catch, even down to the way the float went under..... im not going to lump specimen carp fishing into the same boat because although it doesn't interest me i do respect people who can sit there for days without a bite, but I can relate to the McDonalds example that was used earlier - carp fishing on commercial waters is an easy fix, and its almost like fishing for people that cant be bothered to fish - the results may be nice, but they have no soul and eventually you will be sick to death of it all.... I am searching for a water where i can just sit there and hear no-one else fish, where i can acheive my romantic vision of what fishing is all about - i even have bought some porcupine-quill floats in case i eventually get to that water, but these days it seems as if that dream is getting further and further away....

thanks for the advice - i presume the canal will be closed for the close-season so have got a couple of months to get prepared and wor out how im going to approach this..... its good to know that the venue has some decent fish in it though, so at least i can be hopeful!

I am hoping to try catching a few larger eels this year, as i have never had anything more than a bootlace despite fishing for 30-odd years! My only venue is the Royal military canal at hythe in kent, so i was wondering if anyone had ever had any decent ones out? Also, some advice as to how to catch them (websites/books etc) would be really appreciated. Thanks

i would love to have easy access to a decent carp puddle near me - the thought of just sitting there and catching fish of a few pounds each cast is something that i never get a chance to do..... of course, like everything in life, if it is too easy we soon treat it with contempt and i still remember the day i caught a roach of over a pound from my local stream, and if i can get a perch of over 8oz from my local canal then i am ecstatic! for me it is nice once or twice a year to fish a pond full of starving carp, but you can't beat the feeling of not knowing what you will hook when the float slides under - sure, it is always a 2oz roach, but you never really know, and that is why i still fish...

Years ago, it was probably around 1979/80, i was fishing the Gloucester canal at Purton, which is near to Sharpness docks. Most of my catches were very small, usually just roach and gudgeon although I once caught a bream of about a pound. But once i was fishing in a swin just up from the pub, and i hooked a fish that no-one ever beleived i had had.... I was fishing a waggler about 2 rodlengths out on the shelf that drops on both sides of the canal and i hooked a fish that put up a pretty good fight - there was nothing too unusual but when it came to the surface it looked like a weird trout (I was used to getting rainbows and brownies from the Little Avon in Charfeild), but the spots were far too coloured and it looked just like a salmon parr to me..... Sods law, the hook pulled and it fell off, but when i went into the pub no-one would beleive me - just a silly kid who doesnt know what fish look like - but i swear to this day that it was a salmon parr that i had hooked - i caught loads of baby flounders in the canal so i know that fish swim in from the Severn, but has anyone else ever had a more 'out-of-place' fish than this?

web page damn those pike anglers and their campaign to ruin all our waters......

the pond opposite the hospital is still a pretty good place to fish if you dont mind the embarrassment of catching goldfish all day long - the public dont seem to mind you catching tench and carp but seem to think there is something wrong with lifting out a fat, bulgy eyed goldfish with a tail longer than its body! had a 2lb rudd out of there a few years back though, and there are loads of tench and nice size eels. Ive got to admit that i am very disappointed with the coarse fishing in the folkestone area though - all i want is a nice secluded lake with a few reeds and lilys where i can catch 3 inch rudd all day and ill be happy....

I fished a match on Thursday, and there were plenty of fish around - the method seemed to be the best, with the winning weight well over 100lbs. There were a hell of a lot of carp responding to caster on the surface, and a bait fished about 6 inches down worked wonders, and was very exciting. Good luck, although i doubt you will need it.......

I went out in a boat from Dover the other week and we caught plenty, decent sizes too! As a novice sea angler what really surprised me was that when i dropped a plaice, whiting or gurnard back over the side they all swam off really fast, but every single pouting just lay on the surface dying until the gulls got them. They also all seemed to have popped their eyes out even though we werent fishing very deep - anyone know whay this is?

i live near Folkestone which is only a few miles away from Wingham, and would love to give it a go as i really struggle to find anywhere locally that is worth fishing, but im working that weekend and am not allowed any time off! life sure sucks sometimes......

Id just love to catch a Gudgeon again - used to get loads in the Gloucester canal at Purton, but since Ive moved to Kent Im gudgeonless! Had a few from a small lake called 'Evegate' near Ashford, but I think the lake was knackered when they started building the high-speed rail link, so I havent had one for years now, and the little things are sooooooooooooooooooo cute! Any idea of any waters here in South East Kent that might have a few?