chavender

safest tape to use is ptfe plumbers tape ,masking tape is too sticky and stiff ,its better at conforming to shape .do you have a drill (veriable speed are better) set to the lowest speed you can ,then with a suitably loaded artist brush and make contact near the bottom of the float (the floats body as it lays flat .if you have a bench or table (other than kitchen table) take a 5mm+ drill hold it against the edge of the table and give it several twists ,this should create a dimple ,you can then push the floats tip into the dimple and resting your hand on the table to steady it ,apply a loaded paint brush as you rotate the float . i tend to do mine by eye ,don't always get a dead strait line ,but its quicker .and no one notices once the float is in the water .but i've also used most of the above at one time or another .just remember the golden rule is : the end justifies the means .

it was probably a salmon sized flywheel or as you say a american built centrepin ,as most of the american/canadian reels are styled very simular to flyreel designs and quite ornate/decorative in comparison to british centrepins which tend to be more subtle and quite plain looking .

or a preditor fish has them cornered under the ice

To start with you want to keep it simple ,and try to avoid the pitfalls ,the first being some people try to fish too light when they first get a centrepin .it doesn't really matter when your starting out wether you use mono or braid ,its much better to get the basic's right ,so you might as well save a few pounds and use mono (just avoid sinking mono) and start with say 4-6lbs b/s mainline and 2-3lbs hooklength (leader) try ready tied hook-2-line to start with a nice 2-5 ssg chubba/loather (float) .casting is another pitfall for beginner centrepinists ,if you can get someone to give you a quick lesson ,it'll pay dividends .but if not theres plenty of casting video's on youtube ,and nothing helps more than practice . nows a great time to practice ,get out in the yard/garden and pratice some casting ,while the weather might be keeping you from the rivers .once you've caght a few fish trotting and got the hang of things ,then start to fish lighter and then think about braid .

yes , but there is a but ,these are true centrepins that use bushes (rather than bearings) ,and being brand new will take a little time to run in ,they'll get smoother the more you use them .they're pretty free running out the box ,and will only get better with time . start with the heavier floats ,they'll have no problems ,the lighter ones should be ok with the occational helping hand for a while . the reels are light ,because of their caged construction and high grade of alloy used .i'll way mine later .I can tell you though that the narrow version weighed 289.2g {10.2oz} . i don't think the wide spoolled ones will be much more .less than a little perch.

there is a browning aerial on that well known site this week ,but has a silly high price ,should anyone be intrested in the ultimate red aerial . red is best

well my new reel is the latest generation of fred crouch true trotters ,basically the fred crough aerial have had a revamp .new manufacturing process (more cnc work) which has improoved them no end ,the true trotter has the side lever ,the basic jet has a rear knobb ,there was more differences ,like the true trotters didn't come with drags ,on the spokes ,but now both models are basically the same you get the choice of side lever or not and colour and size 3⅝" or 4½" narrow or wide drum .a waiting period of a week to ten days from ordering to recieving ,not bad for £160 (+£5 for optional express /recorded delivery) the only thing is the guys who make them arn't exactly with the 21st century comunications/payment methods ,but their service is brilliant . http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/usnabbotts/fish_sales.htm contact :for ordering details

my general perpose reel should cover that ,but i might need another reel just too be sure . mean while my new reel (for special occations/choice) has arrived the twirling & twizzling has begun just checking its arrived ok ,you understand

i'm afraid so ,steven is ancient mercian for Hoarder (obsessive compulsive)

yes you'll definatly need another one ,or the one you have will get lonely ,before you know it you'll have a general perpose centrepin a special centrepin for days when only the best will do a alternative special centrepin so you have a choice of reel ,for those special days a centrepin for ledgering a centrepin for slow rivers a vintage centrepin for when you go all retro a centrepin for small rivers a centrepin just for minnow and gudgeon hunting a centrepin that runs on bearings when all your others run on bushings a centrepin that your prepaired to let others use (rather than your precious) i think that about covers everything

the roadside pond is the best ,as it got easy access (you'll need a key) ,theres another great carp pool at kirkhallam but its restricted .the other pond is out of the way hidedden by tree's at the back end of kirkhallam (near stanton) which is also good for tench .but access is by foot .the canal also has a few carp in. most people go for the roadside pond (quarryhill road) as you don't need too book and theres usually plenty of space's . i cant help with tactic's as i don't /havent fished for the carp .i didn't have a ticket for this year (this year i had a ripley ticket to fish shipley pond) ,as i rotate my local clubs and the comming season i'll be having a earl of harrington ticket . welcome to the forums

phil welcome to group therapy ,meetings every day at 6pm ,right here .hopefully i'll be twizzling a new aerial soon as i'm expecting a new widespool fred crouch 4½" true trotter ,in burgandy red which will of course need to be spun copiously ,when spinning your reel ,just remember dont look at it for more than 3sec. or you may become mesmerised .

ok ,hard as nails should be ok to use ,i know lots of people who use it as a hard coat for their pole floats (it helps stop line cutting in) and as a repair coating ,as it does as it says on the label. it sets hard & clear and if you only want to do a few floats its ideal .there is a but though like any varnish it can react to some paints .so test it first

looks good ,nice solution the hook goes in the peg/carriage (green bit) then it clips into the casing (white bit) and should the hook fowl on something and be stck fast ,the peg/carriage (green bit) should pull out of the outer casing then the green bit falls of the hook .you get your expensive lure back minus the green peg/carriage ,the white casing would be firmly attached too the lure via a splitring. a bit limited in its application maybe ,and you could get the same breakaway function by using micro sizes paperclips covered with a bit of silicone tubing ,the hook gets stuck the paperclip straitens out releasing the hook . now if they could make a range small enough for a size 16's - 4's single hook's they'ed be onto a winner ,maybe not.

http://www.netknots.com/knot-apps/i'm a uni ( don't confuse a grinner with a uni ) man myself ,uni for eyed hooks and swivels etc ,double uni for connecting two lines (even if they're different dia) ,i used to use a uni knot type knot for spadeed hooks but i don't do spaded hooks anymore ,i mostly use hook-2-line ready tied from the shops (although i can if needbe use a hook tyer & make my own) and then use eyed hooks as back up .the only other knots i use is 3 granny knots to tie line to spools.overhand loop to make errr loops and a knotless knot for making hair rigs.just remembered i occationally use a windknot (not by choice) to tangle things up on a cast or two the uni is easy to tie and as never let me down. single uni (wrongly described as being the same as a grinner ,but its not ) http://www.netknots.com/fishing_knots/uni-knot/ double uni ,for tying two lines together http://www.netknots.com/fishing_knots/double-uni-knot/ double overhand loop knot (Surgeon’s End Loop) http://www.netknots.com/fishing_knots/surgeons-end-loop/ knotts site http://www.netknots.com/fishing_knots/ knot apps (paid for) http://www.netknots.com/knot-apps/ theres plenty of free knott apps on itunes for the i phone

christmas is over ,& its january 2013 time to think about grayling and this LIF fish-in.

Looks ok on my iPhone too

looking good so far ,i've had a bit of a play with a few settings and profile ,and it all seems easy enough .

i use 3-6m poles (or sections of longer poles) on the canals ,as i find the perch close in or down the middle on my local stretches .admittedly its been rather weedy this year as though the early drought conditions boat movements was prohibited ,the cabbages and weed went mental ,the canal is mostly filled with perch and pike thesedays as its neglected by the matchmen and theres other reasons for its decline ,but it does mean the perch sport is good though. i sometimes use a special "bobber" type float for perch ,i designed myself ,just for the job . i have a nice little 4m pole with a bamboo effect on it i like to use dont ignor bridges ,perch love the cover of darkness to mug other fish (but remember to stick sideways) having elastic is essential for perch over a few onces ,as it absorbes al the lunges & head skaing of the perces fight. some of the days captures but be aware ,where's theres perch ,there be pike perch fishing on canals can be great fun with a short pole .

i use facebook ,its how i keep in touch with my family ,problem is most of them live less than three streets away ,i like facebook because i have it set to view the news feeds ,which is basically a rolling summery of what people on my friends lists are upto ,i don't always communicate with them ,but its nice to see what they're upto ,some share other interests besides fishing (though its mostly dominated by fishing related posts ) like old rallying ,trains ,cars ,well hotrods/street cars mostly fords ,i have a liking for model "T's" "model A's & B's" ,my favourites are mk1/2 escorts and mk1 capri's and mini's ,landrovers .having built a few in the early eighties and having a re-kindled desire to build another mk1 capri but with a modern z-tec engine implant as a project car .this was partly due to a certain person ,who's been sharing his build of a hotrod & long running saga of his landrover on facebook .i also have a few funny picture pages i follow and i'm a member of a few facebook fishing groups like the centrepin group and the silver fish group etc ,you can follow what people in your friends list ,join groups (chat rooms) subscribe to pages (blogs) send messages and share pictures etc facebook is esentially a distraction ,and a valid way to waste time ,some people play online games etc (and you get inundated by game requests) ,but i don't play games and sick to death of the requests filling up my timeline thingy .bit of a bug bear.facebook is what you make of it .i now have a iphone so its easy (fairly easy) to check facebook when not at home. if someone wants my facebook id : chavender.stevendevereux .but don't spam me with game requests upon pain of disembowelment with a rusty 18's fishing hook .

you have several options ,depending on wether its full telescopic or wether its part telescopic & has the last three sections that have a push over joint,and wether you intend on using ready made rigs . you could connect a snap link to the tip ring and attach the rig line loop to this .tie a small dacron/braid crows foot onto the loop (crows foot= special knotted end) to hang your rigs on ,you could remove the tip ring & glue a stonfo connector to the end of the pole ,for easy rig attachment .or use a old fashioned twisted line system ,where the rig line is twisted around the tip of the pole and anchored by short rubber tubing.but personally & especially if fishing for perch ,on a 9m pole i'd go for internal elastication .you could get a local tackle shop to do it ,or you could do it yourself you'd need the following file &/or junior hacksaw bung ,preferably with built in winder stonfo connector internal or external bush(ing) suitably rated elastic (5/6) the elastic i'd set on the soft side ,for perch (thats where a adjustable winder bung comes in) & maybe a mini waggler rig .but any general rig will do ,or you could make up your own to suit.

seen it but ,beyond my pocket money ,the seller is bob singleton a man who knows his aerials ,So its going too be a good one .its noware near its value yet .it may become a victom of bad timming though .end of jan early feb might of been a better time .

yes ,there maybe better rods ,but theres a hell of a lot of worse rods too.not seen the 13ft but have seen a couple of others in the range and i'd have one with such things its always best if you can get a look at one in person ,and see how it feels (preferably with a reel on) & the balance of it ,too see if it suites you.before you commit to buying.

i agree its not on the same level as getting a actual driving licence & that fish are just fish ,not just pike are in danger of being killed by incompitant anglers all fish are in danger.and a test would be a minimal safeguard not just for the fishes safty but the anglers by the way we have a two part driving test ,the first is the competency/theory test .a multi choice question test ,get this wrong and your not allowed too do the practical actual driving test .which is why i used it as a example ,if a angling test was a precurser to a licence ,fail the test no licence no chance to kill any fish .a test might not completely save all fish from being murded ,but it might make a angler think about what they're doing when handling fish and hopefully have a bit more sense of what dangers we all take for granted when we go fishing .

as someone who as killed his share of pike ,perch & gudgeon in my time ,i estimate i killed around 12 pike ,11 of which was for food ,i murded (my first a jack pike) it with my ineptitude & ignorance ,it leaves its mark on a 10 year old ,and it still my biggest failure as a angler ,it wasn't something i wanted to repeat ,i had to teach myself how to do it right ,and would of loved to do a quick course (i think all my local clubs had but one pike rule back then ,kill it & toss it) ,even then i didn't fish for pike again until i knew i had someone there as back up . i believe a course or test would be good thing not just for predator fishing but all angling ,even if it was just a set of on line masterclasses and question session ,where by prospective anglers (junior anglers under 12yrs olds {although i think this should be raised to 16} ,only allowed with licensed adult angler) sit through a set of masterclasses that demostrate all fish handling and other important aspects ,then answer random questions (multi choice) based on a unified rules/codes of conduct (including bylaws) and then be issued with a pass number {or not) which they would need to apply for their first license (which the authorities could verify before issuing the license) ,this might not be a perfect solution ,but it would be better than the free for all ,we have now .i don't even mind having to take such a test retrospectively theres plenty of things we have to take a competancy test for , you can't take your driving test without a theory test first ,in work we often take tests to proove competency to do a task .so why not fishing.