big gus

I know there are a number of cheese paste experts on here so here goes: I made up a lovely ball roughly four weeks ago (short crust pastry, same amount of danish blue, cheddar, garlic paste). Seemed to be perfect. Put it in the fridge overnight for the next day's chubbing but when I came to use it, it felt too thin/sloppy. Stuck to my fingers etc, although one in every three pinches stayed on the hook. 1) I'm fishing on Friday. Shall I add more shortcrust pastry to stiffen it. Or something else? 2) How's best to use it (moulded round a hair-rigged boilie? Straight on a size 6 hook??) 3) Would you store it in the fridge, in the freezer, or just in the shed to get smellier and smellier. With the latter option I'm slightly concerned about mould. So far its been in the shed, has got WONDERFULLY smelly, but is showing signs of mould/hard skin. 4) OFF TOPIC - our fishing on Friday is on a river tagetting roach. (I'm taking a bonus rod for the chub/cheesepaste). Would you guys use liquidised bread (feeder) OR mashed bread (feeder, or fed by hand?)? Bread flake on hook. Maggots back-up. Sorry for the long post. Help appreciated. Regards, Gus

Thanks for the reply. I got my areas mixed up - of course Shitterton/Bere Regis is in DORSET not the New Forest. I'll look into your suggestion...funnily enough i've fished Muscliffe once before. The Frome seems close-ish. Any other suggestions welcome. Thanks again.

Well, web searches haven't helped me a great deal so hoping for some advice here. I'm off to a cottage in Shitterton (New Forest) for a week and am sneaking a rod with me. Thinking of roaming around with some lobworms and meat and trying to nick a chub/barbel. Can anybody help with free stretches of river (or day ticket) and whether my planned tactics should be changed. Open to suggestions! Regards, Gus Edit: I should add that Shitterton is near to Bere Regis, in case my search needs to be widened??

Hi Phone, Daytime is tricky on the Broads (due to the boat traffic) butalso past experience has taught me that early morning and dusk are the two best times. That's not to say I won't be fishing in the day (!). I'll be float fishing/trotting for roach/silvers for as many hours as my other half allows. Maggots/casters on the float. The dream is that she'll entertain herself at the shops or somesuch - the reality is I'll have to do family stuff... with a few snatched hours here and there. Night time and early morning I'll have to myself.

Thanks for replying, phone. 70-odd views and no help, I was getting worried!! Not really sure what to do. I may end up just adding water to it and see how much it takes to get a liquidy-type result. Guessing?!!

Chaps, google brings up nothing so I'm in your hands. Long story short, I'm on the Broads next week. Happened to mention to the missus that I needed to find a petshop to get some molasses. Without me knowing (she thought she was doing me a favour) she'd picked up three packets of Billingtons molasses from Tesco which is in sticky powder/sticky sugar form. Can someone tell me the best way to prepare this for groundbait. Ive got 20kg of brown crumb, 3kg of cheap frozen sweetcorn and I'll add a packet or two of casters nearer the time (maybe some 3mm pellets??). Oh, and three packets of this molasses (3 x 500g bags). These are the ingredients, can I make up the mix a couple of days before leaving home as the boat with family will be tricky!! Not sure how to make the mix so any help or pointers would be great. Presumably just a bit of water added to the crumb until stodgy (stodgy enough to ball up and throw out?) Final question for the broads...using this groundbait, should I just use corn as hookbait? Bream is obviously the dominant fish at nights...I have some larger pellets - or should I stick to corn/worm?? Sorry for the long post. Gus

Can you turn a normal 7ft rod upside down (ring pointing skywards) if you want to use with a multiplier? Was thinking of giving the Spinflex 1.5tc a go with one of my abu's. I realise it's not a sturdy enough rod for continual use in this fashion...but was just thinking of giving it a go until I buy a proper baitcasting rod. Cheers, Gus.

Chaps, I'm off to the broads on Monday for a week's fishing, minus the wife .... but need some advice. I'll be doing the usual trotting in the day and legering for anything that comes along at night. However it's the pike aspect I'm having a little trouble with. I'll be taking my usual Warrior rod (2.75tc) for float-fishing dead-baits...probably twinned with my battered old shimano 4000 (braid loaded up)...targetting the bigger pike on that set-up. It's the lighter rod (Esox Spinflex 7ft 1.5tc) I'm a bit worried about. Obviously, I'm not planning on latching into any monsters (would I be right in guessing any jacks or small pike up to about 5-6lbs will be ok....as well as any perch or chub in the vicinity??). Stupidly, I haven't thought about which reel to use. I have several multipliers (abu garcia 5501 and 6501) as well as a load of fixed spool reels (shimano GTE-B's, shinamo 4000) etc....I also have a tiny little shimano 2000 (I think it is) and an Okuma Epix Pro. The majority of these are obviously 'supposed' to be used for heavier fishing and with a more sturdy rod. Can anyone advise as to what's one to go with? I've resigned myself to not being able to chuck any of my big lures around as the 1.5tc isn't up to the job....which is very annoying. Sorry for rambling, any advice appreciated. Gus

Thanks Chappers. Mods: can you please move this thread to Fly Fishing.....oops. Thanks.

Mods, pleaes delete......

Much appreciated, Norrie....thanks for taking the time to reply. I've persuaded the missus it's a good idea to pack up and leave our current home in the midlands.... Now I just have to persuade myself... Cheers, Gus

Chaps, A bit out of the blue (and a bit bizarre) but I'm thinking of buying and running a Guest House in Orkney....literally, surrounded by wild brownie-filled lochs. Apparently it is some of the best fishing imaginable, minutes from Harray, Swanney, Hundland and Boardhouse lochs. My question is, how popular would it be...would groups of anglers make the trip up, seeing as its so far away? I have a good deal, if I want to proceed....but we would obviously rely heavily on rooms being filled... I guess I'm asking how many people you know of or hear of who go to Orkney to fish? Thanks in advance (and any feedback welcome) Gus

I think someone should clear this up, who knows for sure?? I am fairly certain neither Bob nor Chris was involved with the other's wife!! The way i heard it: Bob left his wife and this led to a huge fallout between Bob and Chris because Chris was good friends with the wife. Bob later married his now-wife, the lady at the ACA. (they were then accused of a number of things, unproven I think, including using company postage stamps and Bob printing leaflets for his own use, using company equipment/supplies etc...and were forced to leave the ACA) If Chris did fall out with Bob because of the latter leaving his wife it is ironic. Chris later split with his own wife. I am happy to be corrected by anyone who knows better, although I'm fairly sure tihs is the version of events. Gus

Hmmmm....nobody ever fished this canal - or are you all keeping your secrets from little ol' me

Afternoon chaps, Does anybody fish this part of the canal, right by the Bishopton bridge? I have been told the bigger carp are further up by the DCS Europe site and at the back of the football ground....but that's a bit of a trek so wondered if you lovely people had any experience of the canal at Bishopton. Not particularly bothered about carp, would be nice to winkle out a few nice perch/roach or even the chub that I know are there. Cheers fellas.