BRPS

Sorry to have to say Darren that I'm inclined to agree with Dave .. In my opinion none of the perch in your pictures is remotely approaching 2lbs in weight . Your scales either need recalibrating or replacing ..

Two in particular that annoy me are : Pushing the envelope .....are they alluding to a postman? Inserting "you know " every few words into a conversation ... No I don.'t bloody know otherwise I would not have asked!.

£25 !!!! . I hope you had the good grace to wear a mask when you robbed the bloke who " sold " it to you...

Absolutely superb rod .You can comfortably hold it all day long without enduring wrist ache . Even an 8oz roach feels wonderful such is the transmission of feel through the blank."..

http://www.sportfish.co.uk/fly-fishing/fishing-nets Try here : You'll probably also need a lanyard to secure it to your person.... It's by far the most enjoyable way to trot a float.

Don't overload the reel with too much line. 50/75 yards is normally sufficient.

Drake manufacture a nice range of Avon style floats . Theses can be purchased online from : www.benwicksports.co.uk They're well made , durable and reasonably priced.. Benwick do a superb mail order service..

My preferred line for trotting with the pin is Daiwa TDR reel line . Although it's reasonably expensive it is durable and floats very well after application of a fly fishers line floatant spray. It's also clear which I prefer in a floating line , has moderate stretch and good abrasion resistance.

I have a Titan 3000 13'-15' float rod . A lovely piece of kit . If memory serves it cost a tad under £500 when new but has been worth every penny. It's light , responsive and ideal for silver fish but easily handles lumps up to 10lbs or so including demented rainbow trout over 6lbs. Highly recommended.

Budgie , I can highly recommend Daiwa DPLS low dia. flurocarbon. It's imported from Japan and expensive but well worth the investment.

If you're looking for something suitable " off the shelf " then might I suggest that you look at the Benwick Sports website under the floats section. Those manufactured by Drake and Tamas Walter seem particularly appropriate..

Daiwa TDR reel line. Soft , supple , clear , good abrasion resistance. Maybe a little more expensive than the norm but excellent stuff..

Hardy Marksman Specialist , expensive , but superb bit of kit . Available in 13' , 14' , and 15' , lengths.

Two pairs of latex surgical gloves will keep your hands dry but , due to their thinness will not provide much protection from the cold. A pocket size handwarmer seems to do the trick.

Preston Innovations sell a range of 3 mini-match swivels in sizes 20 , 22 , and 24. For all my float fishing I connect my mainline to my hooklength via a size 24 using Palomar knots. I've never had one let me down and I've landed ( unwanted ) carp over 11.5lbs without any problem. Use balanced tackle and you should be OK.

Chris is correct . The average life expectancy for a grayling is 8 years. Probably the last true wild game fish swimming in our rivers.

Perhaps " Stickymag " might be the answer to your problem if applied around a small stone which could be catapulted the required distance . Fish your waggler rig over the top . I believe anglers in Italy fish this way on their large deep fast flowing rivers. PS: If you can't find Stickymag use Horlicks...

I've never actually considered the Avenger believing it to be just a tad too beefy . For heavy float work I've got Leslie's 14' Insight and a Normark 12' Richie McDonald River Specialist ( bloody marvelous rod with 2 tips ) .

Hi Tigger , thanks for the info. I too am the proud owner of a Normark Titan 3000 13'/15' float rod . A superb bit of kit but it doesn't quite have the backbone of the Titan MK11 13'/14' float rod. Since much of my fishing is on the rivers Test and Itchen for grayling ( and roach if I am lucky ) I'm not unaccustomed to hooking into the odd " spotty herbert " or "silver tourist " . Therefore I need a rod which is just a smidgeon beefier than a standard match float rod. The Titan MK11 was ideal. I guess that I'll just have to have a solid tip spliced into the top joint and pray that the rods action isn't impaired too much....

Yes I've phoned them 3 times only to be given a different story on every occasion. Really hopeless , one person tells me that they're no longer distributing Normark rods , haven't got any spares left etc. the next that they will be distributing a rebranded version... Quite what the truth is I just don't know... I'm inclined to get the tip repaired but am waiting for confimation that this will not invalidate the guarantee.. No one at Masterline will reply to my e-mails so...............................

I've got nothing but the very highest regard for Normark rods , indeed I've got 4 of them. However, I was unfortunate enough to break the tip off of my Titan MK11 float rod which is still under warranty. Upon contacting the UK distributor Masterline I was told that they had ceased being the distributor and couldn't help me. Further investigations proved this statement to be incorrect. However , I've sent them 3 e-mails pleading for a response but not had the courtessy of a reply. A guarantee is supposed to be just that and I'm somewhat reluctant to invest in another Normark if there's no backup... Hence the question re Hardy's who at least seem to be a reputable company!.

as their media hype would lead us to believe ?. I've always been a fan of Normark rods which sadly seem to be extinct . Looking for something in the same bracket and the Marksman range seem to be up there with the best. Has anyone got one and if so are they worth the cash?.

It sounds like you've got your pin set up just fine if 1 x no.6 will set it spinning.

My solution to this problem is to use a shooters cartridge bag manuf. by Jack Pyke. Cost was roughly £20 but it's ideal for roving and holds 2 pints of maggots comfortably. Has an adjustable shoulder strap so can be worn in waist deep water without risk of the buggers getting wet.

Would pipecleaners work ?.