bingo

Nice post watatoad. You forgot Rule 12 though: No hooks allowed.

I have livebaited. It's not something I 'do' regularly (I didn't do any last season). It can be a great method but sometimes it doesn't work. Just like all fishing! My club has a rule: A maximum of 5 fish per day under 6 inches. I abide by these rules. It's illegal to transfer fish without consent from the EA (Section 30). People who do this (be they livebaiters or not) are breaking the law already. I love all forms of fishing. I care for every fish I catch and treat them with respect. I understand that livebaiting is not something for everyone and I understand that some people may call me hypocrite. I can live with that. I'm a member of the Angling Trust. Do some people not understand that antis hate fishing? Full stop. It is ILLEGAL in Switzerland to practice catch and release. EVERY fish has to be killed. Why? Because of fish welfare. Over there it's cruel to catch fish for pleasure. It's cruel to hook them and then release them for your own pleasure. If you play a fish for too long you run the risk of being taken to court for cruelty (I'm not making this up): The lawyer who defends animals I don't like catching horribly disfigured fish from overstocked filthy puddles but I don't ask for these places to be shut down. I don't ask for a ban on keepnets. Why? Because I don't believe anglers should infringe on the rights and pleasures of other anglers. I really don't care if people like doing the above but I would defend their right to do so. But I do care when anglers (people who are supposed to support each other) start attacking other anglers because they do things they don't like. I think some people need to start seeing the bigger picture. Angling faces a lot more dangers than a few pikers livebaiting.

I assume he doesn't sell endangered deadbaits like lamprey and eel..............? Once again we have so-called anglers picking fights with other anglers. Pure idiocy. When are people going to learn?

It is certainly possible for £150. Getting all the other "bits" can be just as expensive as the rods and reels! For budget reels you can't go wrong with Okuma. Their Interceptor range are great. '40' is a good size. Rods, the choice is almost endless (all the main brands do budget rods), but Budgie has a very good deal there. 2.5lb test curve is the 'norm'. There isn't a need to go higher. If you're beginning then you won't be launching huge leads etc into the distance. I see people with 3lb + on local commercials but there is no need.

That does look impressive. I've been wondering what to do recently because float fishing on a 'normal' carp style chair is no good. You need the height and sturdiness of a seat box but I don't like the idea of lugging them around.

I think Steve Walker is probably right but if we're talking recreational fishing town/cities I think Christchurch would be in with a shout. The Royalty Fishery (coarse and game) Clay Pool (where rivers Avon and Stour meet) The estuary (coarse and sea fish) Then you've got the sea fishing on the local beaches.

As great as the fish is, those stupid photos makes it impossible to get any real sense of the size of the fish. What a shame. I'm not doubting the size but it looks like it could have been anything from 10lb upwards.

4 pages! If you're a beginner I would just fish straight through... Tie a hook on the end of the mainline and away you go. But then you need to learn how to tie a hook... Fishing isn't easy for beginners. There is so much to learn. It's only when you teach beginners that you realise how many skills we (as anglers) have built up over the years. Golden rule of fishing: Keep it simple...

I've tried the old thermos trick in the past and I found it worked ok. They didn't all open but enough did. I didn't even soak it. Just put the hemp in and added boiling water and left overnight. Amazing smell the next morning. I've been buying tinned/plastic jars since but I think I'll do back to the thermos.

He's with Penguin now. Loved both of his recent books. How to Fish and Out of the Blue. Penguin Not sure he's on email. I'm sure his kids are (doubt they're kids anymore!). I don't know him though I did meet him once at a book signing. Genuinely lovely man.

Sorry to drag up an old thread but my IBF30 is still going strong. Have since had 10lb and 11lb barbel from the Hants Avon. I use/abuse it for lure fishing too. I love this smaller version. My IBF40 is a bit worse for wear but I really abused this (sea fishing, piking, bass lure fishing - everything!). I still use it. I always keep it in anti-reverse but sometimes it forgets and thinks it isn't! Have to double check the baitrunner is fully engaged too sometimes. Overall they're fine and great value. Does anyone own the 'newer' Interceptors?

This may be of interest. Not exactly 'traditional' rudd tactics but a good piece of film Winter Rudd fishing

You probably haven't seen the papers, heard the radio shows or watched the TV interviews. GRJ has been slagging off anglers all summer.

Local access agreements with canoeists do work and is surely the way forward to avoid either party impacting on the other. Unfortunately it is often done without the angling club being informed but still.................... This is from the website of a small fishing club that has water on the Dorset Stour.

Bit of a hot potato this one, isn't it?! Firstly, GRJ comments were bang out of order. For a man with such high profile to say such things is nothing short of disgraceful. Sadly he will claim it "worked" because of the publicity it bought it series. Imagine the uproar if an angler called on anglers to disturb bird watchers etc. Also worth remembering, no matter what GRJ & Co. will tell you, that anglers DON'T have any more access rights than canoeists and other water users. We pay a licence to fish but that doesn't give us a right to fish anywhere. We can't fish anywhere without permission. And canoeist can't paddle without permission. That's the law of the land. Not "superior rights of anglers". We, as anglers, are an easy target for the canoeists because "the Great British public" don't seem to have much sympathy for anglers. The issue of "we pay a licence so that gives us more 'rights' is a dodgy one. £26 a year to fish is peanuts. As I mentioned, although it doesn't actually give us a right to fish anywhere I'm sure the vast majority of canoeists would be willing to pay MUCH more than a, frankly, paltry £26 a year if it gave them accesss to all the waterways. So be careful what you wish for. I'm not anti canoeist but I'm not pro canoeist either. I don't think they should be allowed to impact on other water users unfairly. If they had complete access to all waterways they would disturb some anglers. They say they don't/wouldn't but they would. Some of us fish small rivers etc. Fishing on the Dorset Stour I've heard groups of canoeists bangling/clattering oars, disturbing swans from way upstream until they've come past me without having any idea I was there. It does happen. Man has been owning/diverting/managing waterways for centuries so a lot of what GRJ etc say is guff. There are no 'rights of way" on most waterways. That doesn't mean they shouldn't be allowed more accesss but they would do well to actually take a leaf out of angler's book and work together with landowners etc to get more access. Not just say "WE WANT 100% ACCESS AND BUGGER EVERYONE ELSE".