Steve Walker

Yeah, that was my suspicion. Politically incorrect, mostly of interest to a male audience and not trendy and metropolitan. I've used the Beeb's feedback form. Doubt anything will come of it. [ 11. July 2005, 04:53 PM: Message edited by: Steve Walker ]

Oh, for sure. I like to think I can cope I think a beginner might have problems, with a classic shirt-button pattern, though.

And no mainstream media coverage whatsoever. What a surprise. If I have to put up with golf, darts and snooker on the TV, the least they could do is cover the results.

I seldom use bulk shot under a waggler unless I'm fishing a slider anyway, so you have a fair point. Something like a peacock quill or balsa waggler doesn't weigh much, though, compared to the amount of shot it can carry. I reckon the 70% rule is a good one. The other consideration is that the line will tend to pivot around the weights, so each shot added down the line should be a below the point half way between the hook and the shot above it. Of course stick floats are often fished shirt-button style, but then casting a stick float without tangling takes a little more finesse than does a waggler...

As I understand it, the risk is with improperly prepared peanuts, and those waters which ban them do so as a precaution.

I'd revise that to say 70% of the weight in one place... Having two similar sized masses on the line seems to guarantee tangles, so if you're going to use a lot of bulk shot lower down (let's say fishing the lift method, or trying to get a bait past small fish quickly) then there's a case for not using any shot on the float at all. One of the things I like about the lift method is that it lets you cast heavier baits without tangling because all of the weight is close to the hook.

South Cerney have the same rule; if it's in your peg, it's yours. As a result, their waters are almost litter-free.

Well done mate, nice fish.

You missed out roach and minnows?? But roach and minnows are tough critters, barbel are fairly fussy about water quality and trout and grayling are very fussy about water quality and temperature.

Same here, but (a) we haven't got room for another tank and ( the missus *really* wants an African cichlid setup. We've currently got a South American community tank, and keeping the water soft is a nightmare. Our tap water is nearly hard enough to walk on. When we get a bigger house, I'm having a large native tank. And a big koi setup outside.

Barbel, grayling and trout. I'd love to see the cooling and filtration systems for that. At university the whole acwariwm (University of Wales ) was air conditioned so that we could keep native marine species, and at the IFE we had a constant supply of cold lake water.

Not me, but a mate once hooked a bloody big seagull while fishing floating bread for carp. Just swooped down out of nowhere and grabbed it. Not the most friendly and placid of creatures, a seagull with a size 8 in its gob. We got it out without harming it, but my mate got a few nasty pecks.

I've not used them, although I have in the past made loaded wagglers which have a small length of stainless steel rod glued into the base of the peacock quill, and are attached with a rubber.

We used to find that fishing hemp and tares got a better stamp of roach than maggot did. Not *that* selective, mind, we're talking about averaging 6-8oz instead of 2-4oz.

Not forgetting the best-known reaction to colour: sticklebacks!

I tried using one of those years ago, it never seemed quicker or easier than doing without it.

Were you fishing when lead was first banned? The current substitutes aren't a patch on the real stuff, but they're miles better than some of the first attempts. Lead-free No6 shot still look like a No4 to me, even after all these years.

Pike!!! For stinky landing nets, maybe. For a real stink, you want a slimy keepnet which has been left wet in a polythene bag in a warm garage for a week. Ugh!

I'd still use mine if I hadn't dropped it hard enough to distort the casing :mad: Christ! where did you drop it from....the top of the Empire State building? Can't remember now, it was years ago when I was younger and more foolish. It was probably repairable, up until I tried to correct the distortion by means of brute force, ignorance and a bench vice. Doh!

Poll: Worst offender in the stinky net stakes: tench or bream?

I'd still use mine if I hadn't dropped it hard enough to distort the casing :mad:

Yep. Or a kid I knew at school who left the plastic coating on his watch face. It was so misted you could barely read the time, but dial undeneath was pristine. The point of cork is that it's nice to hold, IMO. There must be a market for rods with nasty fake cork laminate handles. Lasts forever, feels just like a real handle with the plastic left on.

I've recently acquired a Shimano Exage 4000FA. When I was advising a mate on buying tackle, he was looking at a couple of reels, and I said "I'd have that one, if I were you. Wouldn't mind one myself.". Anyway, as a thankyou for helping him, he bought two and gave me one of them. Awfully nice bloke Apart from the tacky bling gold bits, it's a lovely reel, and more than anything else it reminds me of the old Mitchell 300S I used to have; solid, smooth, front drag, a bit on the heavy side. Now, if only they came in black... Reminds me, I must get this Mitchell 204 fixed. It needs a whole new bail arm assembly. The guys at reel care said they had the parts in stock, I should send it off to them while they still do. [ 07. July 2005, 01:08 PM: Message edited by: Steve Walker ]

Hmm. You could be right, I've never used the Avon top for smaller species; if I'm legering I'll use the quiver, and if I'm float fishing for them, I'll use a match rod. The avon top is used for my tench fishing and for fishing big floats for chub. It won't cast a light waggler or stick. The quiver works fine for smaller species: see below!

The other question with a beginner is where to take them; somewhere really easy, or somewhere with a bit of challenge. The temptation must be to head for a carp puddle, but that just seems wrong to me. I gave Iain the option, and he picked the hard water with big tench (and blanked) but then he's a good twenty odd years older than your beginner and probably a bit more patient.