stan4massey

Ken, dont have any interesting personal accounts but I`ve just had a flip through the IGFA world record lists and some of the UK species that can be caught could well break some of these all tackle records. No need to kill the fish for a record claim, as long as the other criteria are met, i.e legal tackle etc then the fish can be weighed on shore and returned alive. May be of interest to some of you looking for a world record. EXISTING IGFA WORLD RECORDS: Black Carp, 40lb 12oz, Edo River Japan / Common Carp 75lb 11oz, Lac De St Cassien, France / Crucian Carp 5lb 1 oz, Lago Caldaro Italy / Grass Carp, 78lb 12oz Flint River Georgia USA / Catfish wels 202lb, River Ile Delta, Khasakhstan / Bream 13lb 3 oz Hagbyan Creek, Sweden European Perch 3lb 4oz, Eidsvol, Norway / Pike 55lb 1oz, Lake of Greefern W. Germany / Roach 4lb 1oz, Colwick, Nottingham / Barbel 6lb 15oz, Tauber River Germany / Some of them, especially the barbel record could easily be broken in UK waters. The existing UK barbel is well over the IGFA record but a lot of anglers think IGFA records are for saltwater only.

Julian, have to agree also they do seem to be a bit heavy. Had a look in the export trade list they`ve also got a 3piece, stalker, 10ft, 2lb TC Stan.

Julian, not on their site but in the trade catalogue. Ballista Stalker, 9ft..2.75lb and 9ft....3.00lb also a BAllista Stalker extreme, 12ft 6inch....3.5lb

Julian, Harrisons have some of the best blanks around (IMO) including stalking rod blanks. If you want to give it a try I`ve got most of the components in stock that you would need, ex the blank which I can get in a few days and have sent direct to you. I`m also happy to keep you right on the build progress by PM. Stan www.alba-rods.co.uk

Dave W. quote:- As to freshwater I've done very little overseas, and still to target a Salmon." You`ve had the tel No for years and you know where to come for the salmon. PS tried to phone you tonight. Stan.

Sam, no genius myself on puters but think, black or blue out your entire post, (right hand mouse button held down and scroll down) Go to edit, click copy. Go to AN front page, click onto glossary section, click on B and then once you are on reply or whatever, simply go back to edit and click paste. I think, had the occasional Bailleys this evening so may have got that a bit muxed ip.

I`ve got the good (or mis) fortune to own an african grey, had him five years now and all I can say is that you have to watch what you say, they will copy or mimic anything to perfection from drinking tea and slurping, to dogs barking, to swear words, (by her indoors of course) to our squeaky hoover and herself saying sh#t as she trips over the cord.

Mike, yep, probably mis-read your post. Simply cant find any scientific type data to back this up, not the end of the world right enough, just academic interest.

Skeetshoot, I`ve had a few cuda from boats when trolling but never from the shore. They are pretty voracious feeders at times and at other times will ignore alltogether. Silver spoons type lures retrieved fast may well do the trick but I`m guessing. Deadbait under a float will almost certainly attract shoals of small bream, mullet and others which in turn could well attract cuda. Having said that are you sure it`s cuda? Could well be wahoo. Poppers would ceratinly bring a few things to your immediate area which again could attract the larger predators. The 3lb rod will do the trick but you`ll need wire trace adn probably 20lb test min and a fair spool, they can strip line and if it does turn out to be wahoo they`re capable of emptying you. Forgot to mention piers, piles, other obstructions, long weed fronds etc will all attract cuda.

The whole things got me confused. I`ve checked out a few marine sites but cant, as yet, find any mention of the freshwater thing. I`ll keep looking as its bugging me

Where`d you get cholera? We ad alt fifteen of family que oop, take it in turns to bust each oothers boils, just to make sure we got poisoned so`t skin would heat up. I give up, Newt will be demented by now. (more???)

Its round about this point that Newt gets confused.

Bah gum! you could afort shirt. We ad loin cloth made from old salmon skin, nearest septic tank wert twelve miles away so we ad to carry dump int crutch of loin cloth, cross frozen rivers just to get smell of shirt.

You caught your own? We had to throw bin int water wit big rope and haul out wit crane to get fish, then take back to house

Interesting answers, especially the idea that pups are found near to fresh water areas. Unfortunately the comment on the programme was pretty short and more or less an aside lines but the definite inference was that they need this fresh water to survive so its perfectly possible that this relates to the pups for the initial part of their life. Mikes idea on the food fish being close to freshwater areas also makes sense. Going to hunt about and see if I can get any scientific type data on this as its the first I`ve heard it in forty plus years sea fishing

Just been watching tv re some tope fishing in Ireland. One of the comments was along the lines that "scientific research shows that tope need freshwater to survive". That has got me a bit confused to say the least. The follow on to the statement was that this means a good place to look for tope is where freshwater runs into the sea. Got to assume we are talking brackish water her and not pure fresh. I dont really expect to catch a tope in the Clyde at Glasgow Green (unless they can jump a wier). I`ve had my fair share of tope over the years, some from the Luce Bay area wher the Solway no doubt has a freshwater influence but many others from areas like Mull of Kintyre, West of Mull, Irish Sea, North Channel etc. places where the freshwater influence is probably so diluted as to be non existent and even the odd one in the English Channel (only one) fishing a wreck about 40miles out from Plymouth. I`ve never heard of this idea before, have any of you guys and gals???

Full range of hand crafted custom rods for surf, boat and big game. Alba-rods.co.uk

Full range of fly, fresh and saltwater, carp and specialist freshwater custom rods. alba-rods.co.uk

MJB. Bit hard to describe but by dropping a line weight (IMO) you get a crisper presentation and a fast shoot. Its always a safe bet to ensure you dont overload the rod. There are no real regulations or whatever to "define" what makes a rod a 5 or 6 or10 weight or whatever, it really is down to generally accepted principles and the blank manufacturers own ideas. One rod described as an 8 may be heavier than another manufcaturers 10 or vice versa. I use a 10-12 weight, fifteen foot rod for salmon and can chuck the whole line fairly easily (maybe not too prettily) using a 9# line. Given the lack of regulation or standardisation of the blanks you could find yourself in the situation of using a rod marked as eg 8/9#, put a 9 line on and discover that another manufacturer would have called that rod a 6/7. Your then using a 6/7 with a 9 line and overloading it. As I say a bit difficult to explain. Having said all that most of the quality blank manufacturers are pretty standardised, at least in UK, Harrison, Fibatube etc. But in the last year I worked on two blanks, a week or two apart, both 6 weight and 8.5ft and one a lot heavier and stiffer than the other, both good enough blanks but quite different in power although the action was meant to be the same. One was a Sage and the other a Loomis. Funnily enough about a week before christmas I was talking to Mike Helliwel who is general works manager at Harrisons and heavily involved in the blank manufacture / design. The subject crept into conversation about saltwatwer blanks and Mike does exactly the same, a 7/8rod using a 5 line. As I said on the last post everyone would have their own idea and what I`ve mentioned above is not written in stone in any way, it just seems to work for me. Stan.

Get my copy delivered every year around this time and it does make for interesting reading. Lots of varied articles, tackle regulations, world records, excellent photographs and a host of large and small ads on fishing, tackle, holidays etc etc.

Dave, Conoflex have a possible, not on their site but in the trade catalogue. Described as follows: 4 piece travel rod, 20lb class, 6ft with the longest section 22 inches. Designed for working lures for barracuda, pike etc. also a heavier version of the same rod. Not sure if they are glass, carbon or composite but thats` irrelevant because they can make anyway since they have the mandril. They make me one offs on a regular basis each year. Never seen one so not sure on action but you could always talk to Aidan on 01892 664388 who designs them and builds the blanks. Stan.

Play about with fishing rods all day.

Geoff: try here, Steve Harrison probably explains it better than I do: www.harrisonrods.co.uk/Fuji%20New%20Guide%20Concept.htm