A Worm OOE

I havent used one of these things so maybe I am wrong but the way the pole is being held in that picture is all wrong. Even if the claw is taking some of the weight, holding a pole that way results in poor posture and does not allow the angler to feed or move the pole to accomodate wind or to move/follow floats etc. Learn to hold the pole comfortably then position a spray bar so that it helps take the some of the weight of the pole whilst in the correct position.

The only type of pole support to use are the "spray bar type" these types of rest allow you to hold the pole as normal but for some of the weight to be taken for you, if you have a seat that allows you to sit on the pole but then this can allow more of the weight too be taken by the rest.. The hook type supports are fine to hold the pole when balling in but I would never put a pole in one whilst actualy fishing. I would however say that the most important aspect of avoiding aches and pains in pole fishing is gettiing a level position and the box at the right hight. I have never found the need to use a pole support of any type except when balling in as over the years I have learned the right angles to allow me to comfortably support the pole between my forearm and thigh. When i need to use a catapult or feed or even tie a new hook length I can still do so without putting the pole down. I want my thigh to have a very slight incline up to my knee. thats my way but you would need to experiment to find the exact positions for yo. To achieve this you need not just adjustable legs but also a foot plate (unless on a totaly flat platform or towpath) this to me is a much more important piece of kit than any pole rest.

Yes. Its the skin that floats and it doesnt matter if you crush them they will still float.

Am I going blind all I could see was some un identifiable fish/dolphins jumping about. Where was the shark?

If memory serves me right the dink dink was a feeder rig devised for catching lots of small tackle shy fish on the Trent in the 80s. The basis of the rig was that the hook was above the feeder and that the hooklength was very short. Efectively we are talking about a sort of self hooking rig to catch fish interested in the feeder itself.

As others have sugested Match fishing is about making the best of your situation, it can be an overstocked lake where all the fish have their own view on how they should decorate the inside of a keepnet or on a venue where the fish have never seen a hook, it dosent matter. The sense of achievement however is the same when you get a result as that of catching a PB. Personally I have won a National championship and for a while I had the largest ever catch in a National. That was a day to remember but in terms of satisfaction not far above the day when I won a 10man section in a SE Super League at West Drayton. I had Will Raison one side Dickie Carr the other one of the Vincent Twins in the section and Pete Vasey and Paul Uddel .... That day I had about 2.5lbs. The challenge was in the situation I found myself in not in how much I caught. That said I have now given up match fishing and a large part of the reason is the lack of variety. So many of the matches in my part of the world are now focused ona small number of artificial waters of which I am bored. Personally I long for the times when I might fish a match on saturday on a London canal followed by Sunday on the Thames or Wey Nav or Moat Park or ..... In those days match anglers had to be more of an allround angler than now, however the current comercial specialists could all still adapt to a range of venues if they had to. Will raison is supreme on comercial venues but when England calls he can compete on bloodworm or whatever method he needs. As for the origional contention that the match anglers would strugle on a " neutral club water" that is pure rubish, the whole point of match fishing is to be able to adapt to the situation that you are put in. The best match guys do that better than any other disciplin. The only suprise would be by how much the "comercial Matchmen" would win.

I was also going to sugest the Sensas Bernard I use little else for trotting in heavy flows be it a flooded Medway, Thames or the Tidal Stour (Kentish). They are without doubt the best pole float I have ever used on flowing water. Something I have had a lot of success with is fishing relatively light floats 2-3 grammes but overshotting them heavily. By adding up to 2 swan it is possible to get these light floats to go through a swim very steadily but without resorting to big floats. It is not for the lazy as the bristle has to be constantly heald out of the water but bites are better than when holding a bigger float and you should connect with more of them due to the lighter float. They work a bit like the lolipop being eased through but as a tide increases or decreases rather than changing float you can add or remove the extra shot. I used this tactic long before the Lolipop floats turned up and would still prefer it to the lolipop in a situation with variable flow such as a tide or the Medways ever changing automatic sluices. Now I would only use a lolipop in extreme conditions and when I want to hold a float dead still. The same technique also works with running line but again its ahrd work. A general point about fishing strong flows (and in general) is to constantly keep adjusting untill you hit on a winning formula. I am constantly adding and subtracting shot moving the Oli up and down alltering the depth that the float is set........ Dont just set the float at or abit over the depth of the swim.Very often the depth at which the float is set has little to do with the depth at which you fish. I won a round of the kent League on the Stour with 38lbs of Roach and Skimmers a seson ago, the swim was five to eight feet deep(average tide), the float a 2.5 gram set at between 8 and 11 feet deep held back to less than half the speed of the surface flow with up to 4bb over shotted. I arrived at this after much experimenting, the flat float produced very little a 5 gram float the same but the small overshotted float got the bites in the end.

Personally carp stuffed comercials arent my cup of tea but I would sugest that maybe you take a visit to one where a lot of fish can be guaranteed just to give yourself an intensive practice session in playing carp. This is especially true if you want to try the "non confrontational" method of playing fish, as it does go a bit against your natural inclinations.

In my experience, in anything but snagy water ten elastic will do for any fish up to 5/6/7lbs and I have regularly landed them up to twice that size. The big problem is, as you have spotted, stopping them bottoming the elastic. Whilst doubling up some elastic will help if a carp is bottoming out the elastic the best tips I can offer are: Firstly always have some spare sections ready to add or better still have them attached to the pole ready to come into play when you hook a fish. If you are fishing close to the bank still fish a long pole just go along the bank. Second if you are at the limit and the elastic is about to bottom out lay the pole on the water(dont let go though!!). The change in preasure or whatever it is will often/usually slow the beast down, dont know why but it works. When you strike try not to do so too hard. Lift into the fish gently and as a rule the fish will not charge off. My whole approach to playing carp on the pole (and to a degree with running line) no matter how big, is only to pull when they dont. If a carp goes charging off I will take preasure off and point the pole at the fish rather than add preasure and as a rule the fish will stop pulling. When the fish stops pulling I will add preasure, eventually the fish will charge off again so I cut the preasure and point the pole at the fish and the fish will slow down. I then start applying preasure again. And so on untill eventually the fish is ready to net. Obviously there are times for hook and hold but most of the time the gentle aproach will land far more fish

Are dendrobenas just another name for Brandlings. If so then they are a very grood bait, however if Iwas offered a kilo of dendra's or a Kilo of Reds it would be reds every time.

I will just add that Ihave fished against him and next to him and have not a bad word to say of the experience other than mild ear ache. With regard his allround angling Knowledge I can think of no one that compares in the breadth of his knowledge and contacts throughout the angling world. As for his list of achievements, ask people who remember match fishing in the 70's and 80's he was awesome . His record on the Thames when it was a mecca for match anglers is second to none, he was involved in the evolution of match fishing when thuings started to get serious. I am sorry but I really dont know why we are having a debate about the guy, yes if we disagree with something in particular he says fine but this I cant understand.

The only thing I would use in this instance is a loop to loop conection. I have never liked tying mono on to a mono loop. That said when I use hook to nylon I dispence with the loop and use a simple 3 turn water knot.

I holiday on the West Coast every year and whilst I have caught them on every conceivable type of lure all my best(to 8lbs) fish have been taken spinning a Frozen sandeal behin a small weight .

Ive got the rod youmention and would hapily use it for the purpose you describe, it is fairly beefy when used at 13ft but use it at 11ft and it is good "bomb rod" which I often use on the upper Medway for Roach and Chub. The fast feeder would not be a good choice they are aimed at big river big feeder work. Good rod though.

To be honest I wouldnt set them up at all. They are fixed rigs and on many waters they will be banned and even where allowed they should be discouraged. I think the dangers of fixed rigs are overplayed but why take the chance unnecisarily.