Russell Fitzpatrick

i make all my own traces,depending what trace material i use is what decide whether i crimp or twist,with normal 7 strand wire i twist it,with carboflex or coated wire i like to crimp it,as said before done properly either works,follow the links posted mate you wont go far wrong. fox traces are actaully pretty good,i've landed a twenty on a shop bought fox trace

jack pike, what brand you on? i havent fished for barbel since last year but i used ESP ghost in 10lb,not had any probs with it,it is a bit springy and thick diameter but it does the job mate and has never let me down,could try vanish as reco by gerry.

joso for baits i would choose mackeral,smelt and sardines.maybe a few roach in there too. i would pick a quite swim away from any others fishing,pick a nice margin,fairly deep say from 4ft to 15ft,try to find a spot where theres some cover too ie overhanging trees sunken branches lilys etc,DO not bait up the snags tho,bait up at least twice a week( monday n friday for example) for three to four weeks,put in around a 1lb or 2 of pre-bait everytime. always try to do it morning or afternoon. now when you come to fish it,fish float legered deads,same as what you have used to pre-bait.make sure you srat fishing it at teh same times you have been putting teh bait in,you could even bait up a little while fishing it. dont write it off if at first it doesnt produce,try to go back a couple of days in a row. theres one more thing,i have PM'ed you.

nice session joso, finding the forgotten places are where its at,stick with it mate. nice to see a proper mat and sling in use good advice joso try bigger baits mate,or you could try pre-baiting it.

He has unlimited time for those with a considerably lower profile than his own, and spends an awful lot of time nowadays fishing with all and sundry. He's a top bloke and thoroughly good company. never a truer word slodger, met dave a few times now,he is a top bloke.

cheers for the replies guys, i have aqquired some flies, i have a black gnat,daddy long legs,mayflY,and some other one! i have already thought about carp on mixesr with fly gear,plus a freind of mine is a rudd genius,and unkbeknown to me is a bit of a fluff chucker(hes had lessons and coaching ya know!) so next year we are giving them ago two pounders are very possible. chub i fancy a crack at with ny daddys! i love chub,getting one on a fly would be great. so what do i need for chub rudd and carp what lines hooks etc a guide for each would be lovely if a little cheeky! [ 09. October 2005, 02:41 PM: Message edited by: Ratty Fitzpatrick46 ]

hi all i have just been given a 10 ft abu fly rod,rated 7/8? and a shakespear zenith reel. what coarse species could i target with this? pike? carp? chub? any ideas chaps? i have never fly fished before either!

hi all i have just been given a 10 ft abu fly rod,rated 7/8? and a shakespear zenith reel. what coarse species could i target with this? pike? carp? chub? any ideas chaps? i have never fly fished before either! [ 26. September 2005, 10:41 PM: Message edited by: Ratty Fitzpatrick46 ]

dave, i have it set to give around an inch of line under direct pressure from the reel(pulled by hand),sometimes you do need to give,so yes i do adjust while playing as i do with a rear drag.i only adjust it slightly to much and it will whiz round and tangle so go easy,you could of course backwind i do do thid,but recently had my knuckles wrapped while playing a good pike,bugger took my livebait aimed at zander!lost the fish too,hooks dropped.

hi dave i have the abu fr,i use it for pike and zander etc,its a good reel for the money,i have had some very hard fighting fish using it and i cant really fault it.i find the front drag a bit fiddly,but am getting used to it now,i keep it set to give only under alot of pressure,useing braid on the metal spool and mono on the plastic(plastic spools can shatter and explode under pressure with braid). if you look at the reel and compare it to teh okuma's you will find theer pretty much the same. i just prefer a make i know.(other reels a shimano baitrunner RE) i think you got a good match there with your choice of rod and reel. fill the reels with 15lb mono(big game by berkley,reccommended) or 30-40lb braid(shimano antares). you will probably find mono easier to get on with at first. i take it your mate is going to show you safe rigs and handling/unhooking techniques? [ 25. September 2005, 07:05 PM: Message edited by: Ratty Fitzpatrick46 ]

fishing by design klienboet as pionerred by the great walker himself i beilve,we call it..specimen hunting.i love it,knowing i intentionally went out after a certain species.

fed a big shaol of weirpool chub some left over hemp the other day,there in full view was a stripey(only one about 1lb+) fedding on it amongst em,and my mate say's they dont eat hemp...-bowlocks! [ 20. September 2005, 06:27 PM: Message edited by: Ratty Fitzpatrick46 ]

hehe i'd like to see some of you lot attempt to catch two tone,and she didnt look overwieght to me....conningbrooks a little muddy hole in teh ground aint it....no it isnt is it! lads just because its not your cup of tea you shouldnt criticise,i dont fish for carp,but i understand what drives the boys to stay out after em all the time,soemtimes fishing is about effort and time,not how good ya lastest bait or rig is. until a huge unkonwn fish is caught,two tone is the biggest and if you ask me i think she looks mightly impressive.

danny, chub indeed alot of fish feed at dawn and dusk in summer,at either end its usualy alot cooler than during the day,you may have just found when they feed. if i were you i'd go down at dawn fish till they stop feeding,then quitely bait up that spot,and phrahps one or two thers to fall back on. then bugger off! go look for fish or go back to bed whatever,just leae teh swim well alone,go back an hour before dark, get a bait back in postion and await... chub are naturally wary mate,the best thing to remember is if they cant see you and dont know your there,they are alot eaiser to catch, even on quite crude/strong tackle. however pre-baiting as andy has said is a very very effective tatic and should not be ignored,i would however stay on one or two baits only.(in effect i am telling you to pre-bait above in my post!)

jeepster i aint got time to sit here an argue i have to go to work. your entilted to your opinions mate but in my'n you are wrong. the nag isnt that bad the repro quality isnt that good(i should know i'm a mac operator and make very well known mags).but its there and avaible...more than anyother pred mag,thet articles are decnet enough,thought provoking,you cant knock dave lumbs little series on rigs nor can you knock other unknown writers that make the effort to put a good article togather,and get it in the mag. i always thought teh target audience was predator anglers not whos on teh bloody forum! anyway matter closed im off...bye bye..

zedhead i hear your cry, i fished as place poplauted with a lot of inexperienced anglers,i am going to fish it again,only at night when they aint there! i also have found myself looking at out of the way spots,the classic negelected rivers and lakes all overgrown etc beleive me there are a few about and at least one will be worth the effort.

hello dave, welcome to the forum!

'ark at you,you can bloody talk! ???? why you knocking it? nothing wrong with pike and predators mag...how many other pred mags are ther aout there????? alot on the forum buy the mag, alot dont, shows how much you know mate....very little...i have seen you sign in on there now and again pop up and make silly comments..no wonder you dont go on there anymore jeepster. there is alot of messing about on theer but wait until the season starts,it will get a little more serious then. for beginners its probably one of the best introductiuons,apart from joining the PAC and checking out there website of course,new blood should be encourgaed and maybe teh succesfull anglers can show the beginners the way and install the secrte of keeping your productive spots quite. [ 13. September 2005, 06:25 PM: Message edited by: Ratty Fitzpatrick46 ]

'ark at you,you can bloody talk! [ 13. September 2005, 05:07 PM: Message edited by: Ratty Fitzpatrick46 ]

cheers lads i do try to get it right,its nice to know i am doing them no harm. i shall try the stroking way. nice eel warren,looks a right snake! heres my beastie

hi lads had my first( 1st ever!) eel by design last night,1.5lb-2lb lovely little predator,fascinated me!...and well confused me too!i tried the stroking the chin-belly,worked for a few seconds then he wanted a fight again!i was very confused as to how to handle these fish,i have the upmost respect for anyfish i catch,as i intend to target them somemore i thought best to seek advice on handling them,i am fine unhooking,its trying to hold one up for the camera i find hard!i had a second swallow the hook,so i cut the trace as close to hook as possible,i have read this is the best way,rather than poke around. and cause them damage.I was zandering,missed runs,wich i knew was eels, switched to a single hook n a roach head-improvisation! i know theres some very knowledgeable eel anglers on here,help would be much appreciated. [ 11. September 2005, 04:08 PM: Message edited by: Ratty Fitzpatrick46 ]

yes!! 1) its about relaxing getting away from the missus or work! if fishing were easy,it would be called catching!i agree with steve,if they was all specimens you would get bored,it would cease to be a special fish..specimen hunting would be no more....

my favourite rod is my cheapest one! seriously,my pike rods are cheap carp rods really,glass-carbon mix,but they have a fantastic through action and take all the abuse i throw at them!landed twenty plus carp and pike on them. my hyperloop barbel is quite a fave to,light,strong and forever bending,had some barbel and carp give it a good work out- a top rod for 60 quid. when i finally get round to it some of dave lumbs BB2.75;s are coming my way! and i might actaully get round to getting them drennans off mr waller.( if hes still got them!) if there is one rod i would die for... it has to the drennan super specialist....very, very nice...bit of me for perching and chubbing that is...

cheap lure rods are good for stalking, leeda rimspins for example,long as its not too light a casting rating and has a throught action it should be ok,go heavy on teh line,carp really bolt off when hooked close in,no lower than 12lb. avon rods are kool too as brian has said,but some are a bit l.ong,not easy to get in them tight swims with.

sounds harsh but as a very caring predator angler,i would rather see a zed or pike that has been deep hooked,unable to remove trace at allfor example, knocked on the head taken home and eaten rather than slung in a bush or worse put back WITH a trace in its mouth.