Isaac

Bigger barbel and trotting, both at their best in winter.

Er, I see that my post above was moderated and the word "****" was scrubbed out of a perfectly valid statement which I thought was relevent to the situation I was describing. It wasn't gratuitous swearing but a direct quote which was helping to make my point. Flipping heck what in the name of blazes is happening to our language?!

Steff Horrocks was a bundle of laughs. I'll stick to his column in Coarse Angling Today.

Do you still get the day ticket at the garage in St Michaels? Last time I fished the day ticket stretch, the length finished at the bridge so looking up stream, the length goes on for about 3/4 miles. Used to have some lovely dace and roach. Had a good run of salmon and sea trout as well.

At least 15 years ago, I was fishing in the Armchair swim on the Dane. The Trent amd Mersey canal is less tha 50 yards away at this point. All of a sudden a pack of canoeists charged through the undergrowth and barged right through my swim. This went on for over 30 minutes. It turned out that it was a race using the canal and the river as the course. It was the first time I heard the phrase "tough **** mate" so I guess nowadays there would be even less sympathy from the canoeists. Would the EA make sure that canoeists have licences? Whats the position on this. Boats have to be registered so what about canoes and such?

Cheers lads.

Smoked eel better than smoked salmon. Delicious. I eat it every time I am in Holand.

I heard a radio programme a few years ago re the Burbot. there was a famous stuffed specimin in the Yorkshire Museum supposedly the last burbot caught in the UK from the Yorkshire Derwent. It was thrown out by mistake and lost. There is reputedly a local angler who has devoted his fishing to proving they still exist in the Drewent. I'm still looking for the last mammoth, recently spotted in Salford I beleive.

Not much choice of gear in Mountain Home, Idaho or the state itself, for the visiting angler. On business so hadn't banked on getting on water. Had to make do with Walmart stuff which was pretty good for a couple of days fishing. Sure liked the look of the guns and bows & arows but struggled to get them on the plane home! Very impressed with the Snake river and had good fun with the carp on both float and leger.

Christ no, not a catfish. I like them, and fish for them but they would really bugger up the Ribble.

Yes it was posted on the Albert web-site. Few people responded to it. It was more likely a small cod had swam upstream from the Irish Sea than yer actual Burbot!!

I have fallen behind the developments in rigs to the extent that i need to freshen up my knowledge of whats new. Can anyone recommend a good book or publication?

Unless it is obviously close to a PB, I unhook the fish in the net and put it straight back or in the case of a barb hold it the net in the water, look at it longingly and let it swim away in its own time. It easy for me cos a, I don't catch many and b, they are usually nowhere near my PB.

Many years ago, fishing the Bridgwater canal, not an easy water, I watched the slow approach of really heavy thunder clouds. Black, blue and purple, and the light was slowly decreasing. As they got closer, the previously anonymous fish started biting and the nearer the storm approached, the faster the fish came on until they were a fish a cast. Roach, perch and bream were queing up to take the bait. I left before the deluge began but I have never experienced this confluence of weather and fishing before or since. Are thunderstorm , and associated weather, depressions or high pressure?

Is this a mis-quote? Spelling not up to much?

I,m looking forward to all the new excuses/reasons the hunts will come up with as to why they aren't hunting but just a group of friends out walking their dogs whilst wearing pantomime clothes.

Thats Yorkshiremen for you.

Name that Carp: Sorry but Rooney has allready been taken.

Jack Pike Where were you fishing? There are acouple of stretches where all night parties occur regularly. One is on the Albert stretch at Brockholes weir. I guess you arent an Albert member. A good day ticket stretch is the Tickled Trout length. Buy a ticket at the hotel there. All the partying is done inside the Hotel not on the bank. One advantage here is that there is subdued lighting from the Hotel which makes night fishing a bit easier. Some very big fish have been caught there.

The rain last week certainly came up trumps on the Ribble. On one of our clubs stretches, up to 15 cars were crammed in the farmers yard and lines of anglers were pulling in multiple catches in the high warm coloured water. the best fishing all season. Funilly, there have been no reports on the clubs web site for some reason. It can't be thier trying to keep it quite can they? Thats not like an angler to do that. The weekend before we blanked after two days on the bank on the Ouse above Bedford. Has the rain made any differencc to the Ouse?

I make it GBP 310,000 at Euro 1.45/gbp. Am looking for something to offlay tax liabilities and catch my 1st 30 so this fits nicely. Your right about the accomodation, my man Parker will have to make do with my old Fishrite bivi. Hope his rheumatics don't play up. TTFN

I've not read John Bailey's article as I don't think he is a vey good writer, my opinion. His content maybe good but it doesn't strike me as being well presented. I've tried reading his books and give up. Yes, I have progressd beyond "Janet and John go Piking". I could not do any better I know but sometimes life is too short.

The Worthenbury stretch has good trotting and some depth. Good looking pike water though had no luck myself. Parking is excellent, not far from the bank.

Croxton has an excellent head of big barbel and on downstream along the canal which will be at risk.. The river is not that wide thereabouts and could easily get swamped by pollution.

A local stretch of the Bridgwater canal has regular fishing and drinking parties at the weekends, usually overnighters. They leave a mess, have fires and suchlike. Generally these are teenagers but enough grown ups get involved. It can be intimidating but what can you do? Even my old Salford charm is not enough when the buggers kick off. Not quite like Chris Yates and Bob James having a bottle of bottle of Pino Grigio on opening day at Redmire.