hermes

ah Winfield tackle was the bread and butter of my youth, I can still se ethe tackle now with it's ancient glass partions in Woolworths! Yes I remember it well and have a few things, mainly the floats, and some other odds and ends. Winfield stuff does appear on Ebay sometimes but as everything has attracted a little too much attention so the prices have started to increase out of hand sometimes....

Are there any pics of this centrepin, I'm not sure if I have missed them? thanks!

Dave used to own a tackle shop in Tottenham, I know he doesnt now but perhaps it's worth googling Tottenham tackle shops to trace him through them, maybe he is still in the area.

You have some great fishing in your area mate, the Lea itself is a massive fishable area. I fish at Fishers Green under the Cemex ticket I dont know what sort of fishing you are into, the Lea system has so many lakes and clubs it's hard to list them all but here are some Cemex venues close to you.... Hooks Marsh Fishers Green

No problem Billy, if you want to know the depth then use a plummet, simple as that, fix up a waggler and attach a plummet onto your hook, go ahead and guess the depth to start, cast out and if the float dives right under then raise the float up till it's just showing the tip or lower it down if it's shallower as well. As for how to catch, well I would feed the so called inside line called the shelf which is from your feet right out to perhaps twenty feet or so, again use the plummet to get a picture of the canal ahspe in your head, that will help a lot. Feed the inside line like I suggested using some fine cloud type groundbait, something to attract fish and not too heavy, you could try a pole if you have one or a small waggler with pinkies or squats. You could catch Gudgeon, Roach, Perch or Carp on the inside line. Try the beggining of the main boat channel, just after the shelf as it drops away, again a good spot or if possible cast right to the far side if you have a feature that could be a fish holding area like an overhanging tree or bush, the far side can be a notorious place for the better fish to hang out. Good luck mate.

A size 18 hook is far too big for a single caster for sure, use something like a 20 and below and bury the hook right into the caster. If you are using two casters then obviously you have to pass the hook tip through the first caster into the secon.

Glad you like him too Steve. He is a good bloke and like a walking angling encyclopedia, always keen to share his knowledge with fellow anglers! I can't think of anything negative to say about the poor guy.....

Whats poor Keith done wrong eh? I used to know him a bit when I used to fish in a winter league against him in the good old days before electricity... He always seemed like a fine chap to me, bit of a geezer, bit of a lad but really good guy who was a very worthy opponent and a good laugh. Keith was always great for a chat, trouble was stopping him! There's no comparasion or similarity between Keith and Richard Littlejohn, Keith's a real gent a dn Richard's just a complete tw@t!

Like him or not John Wilson is somewhat of a legend isn't he, not quite Jack Hargreaves but..... I think overall he is a highly respected angler but if I see him 'beach' or 'hand out' another specimen fish I'll go nuts, quite why he feels compelled not to use a landing net is quite beyond me. Oh and I hate the continous 'oops' 'oops' 'lovely' lovely'....... apart from that he's sort of ok. I wish Matt Hayes would cut his finger nails.........

Excellent help ginger, thanks very much mate.

A friend of mine is staying in a cottage on the Wensum at North Elmham, does anyone know what it's like there please?

My son caught this Stone Loach or is it a Bullhead/Millers thumb fishing on the river Lea on a maggot feeder, I haven't seen one of these for years and don't think I have ever caught one myself.

The poachers that frequent the Lea system don't seem to care if it's close season or not, in fact they don't seem to care for any rules

The only B James rod that I know of is the Avocete, that rod is should be something like 11ft and three sections and is classed as an Avon style rod. I also think there are two styles within that name, each with a different style of handle. How many sections are there to this rod mate?

ah forget the split cane rods it's great to see everyone using unhooking mates!

So The Grand Union Canal is open close season, maybe old news but it's new to me. Is that correct then?

Leave your Carp gear at home and invest in something like this rod that seems to be a snip at £26! http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/Affiliate-Offe..._match_rod.html All you need for lighter fishing on most canals is something like 1.5lb/2.6lb mainline, 1lb/1.5lb hooklength with small wagglers and hooks from 22-16, that should handle most species you will come across, and if not get the Carp rod out !

Hi mate, no problem we will get you going on a canal, I've had decades of canal experience so... It sounds like you only have a Carp rod, not totaly ideal on all canal venues but depends on where you intend to fish. If I were you this is what I would do, I would fish with the lightest line and waggler combo you can on your Carp rod which really isn't ideal for most canals but I guess something like a 2.6lb main line and a 1.5lb hook length should sort of be ok but be prepared to go easy on the fish you hook. Try to find a swim with a feature like a tree or overhanging bush on the other bank and catapult maggots as close as you can, then cast as far as you can to the far bank where more often than not the better fish will be. Second attach is the far shelf as it drops into the so called boat channel, again do the same thing, feed and fish that line too. You could also feed the inside line with a little soft groundbait which will work well but again your Carp rod is really too heavy for most normal canals that don't have Carp. If you don't want the expense of a pole the consider a nice 12ft light canal rod, then you could fish 1.5 line and 1lb hook length, and finer hok too, you will be able to hit more bites and land anything from a Gudgeon to a canal Carp using one. Hope this info is of some help mate, please let us know where you intend to fish.

I know about the pod casts but was wondering if they included this programme in the podcast lineup.

I'm looking forward to hearing this mini series but I need to know one thing, I'm working Monday and Tuesday so will miss two of the series. I know you can listen to some radio programmes again but is that the case with the programme, anyone know whether I will be able to listen afterwards?

Yes I bought a Whichwood Pike and reel combo last year, it was a featured rod combo and offered to the public. It turned out to be a good deal and I'm happy with it. What are you thinking of buying then?

These rods sure sound great, to be honest I haven't seen them before but now I need one! I saw a Shimano 6ft Tribal rod in TCF last month that sound similar to these Greys robs but the Shimano was something like £100... Are there any similarities betwen these two rods?

Sure remember Fred Taylor, another legend from the sixties, I have a couple of copies of his famous book Angling in Earnest.

I will start one Bill but at the mo don't really have that many pics to fill it...yet

Yes mate, a sort of mix of what seemed like employees but at the same time almost family members too They were always so clean looking, making up groundbait and handling maggots never seemed so clinical to me! The pole rigs well, the pole rigs went on for ever..... I will post some Milo pics as and when I dig them back up if you want.