Leon Roskilly

Newt, A number of farmers have been keeping wild boar to be served up in trendy restuarants, with the inevitable result that leaky fencing has enabled escapees to become (re)established in the 'wilds' of Kent. So far, they have kept well away from human habitation and I haven't heard any wild boar stories for months. (Though the Bluebell cat does still get seen from time to time!). When I lived in Australia, there were plenty of wild boar (descendants of escaped domestic pigs) roaming the bush, eating the occasional child and spreading TB. On outback hunting trips, we'd carry a hatchet in our belts. The theory being that if you were charged by a boar, you'd smartly side-step the charge and whack it with the axe as it passed by. I'm ever so glad that the crashing sounds I'd hear in the brush as I approached, were always from animals quickly heading in the opposite direction! I never did have much faith in the side-stepping theory, although the axe in the belt was a always comfort when you heard the brush rustle! Tight Lines - leon

Newt, A number of farmers have been keeping wild boar to be served up in trendy restuarants, with the inevitable result that leaky fencing has enabled escapees to become (re)established in the 'wilds' of Kent. So far, they have kept well away from human habitation and I haven't heard any wild boar stories for months. (Though the Bluebell cat does still get seen from time to time!). When I lived in Australia, there were plenty of wild boar (descendants of escaped domestic pigs) roaming the bush, eating the occasional child and spreading TB. On outback hunting trips, we'd carry a hatchet in our belts. The theory being that if you were charged by a boar, you'd smartly side-step the charge and whack it with the axe as it passed by. I'm ever so glad that the crashing sounds I'd hear in the brush as I approached, were always from animals quickly heading in the opposite direction! I never did have much faith in the side-stepping theory, although the axe in the belt was a always comfort when you heard the brush rustle! Tight Lines - leon

Peter, The NAA haven't joined forces with the CA, they have jointly signed a 'Memorandum of Understanding'. I understand that the reason for doing so was that the CA was increasingly making statements 'on behalf of the country's anglers', without any consultation with the recognised angling bodies. The memorandum recognises our common interests (the CA agenda isn't exclusively about hunting) and leaves the NAA as the authority to speak on issues regarding angling. Many anglers are understandably reluctant to have any dealings with what many regard as simply a front for fox hunters, but the alternative was to risk becoming political enemies with a well organised and funded lobby group who might otherwise feel free to comment on angling issues, and to use angling as cannon fodder in the blood sports debate. By recognising and working together on common interests outside of the fox hunting debate, and having the CA recognise the NAA as the authority to speak on countryside matters regarding angling, we as anglers are making the best of a situation that is not entirely to our liking. Those within angling who have negotiated with the CA on behalf of angling should be congratulated on negotiating a difficult political minefield and not castigated for the spin put upon what has been achieved by sensationalist reporters. I must adnmit that I haven't had sight of the memorandum of understanding signed on behalf of all anglers by our governing body. Anyone care to post it here for all to see? Tight Lines - leon

Peter, The NAA haven't joined forces with the CA, they have jointly signed a 'Memorandum of Understanding'. I understand that the reason for doing so was that the CA was increasingly making statements 'on behalf of the country's anglers', without any consultation with the recognised angling bodies. The memorandum recognises our common interests (the CA agenda isn't exclusively about hunting) and leaves the NAA as the authority to speak on issues regarding angling. Many anglers are understandably reluctant to have any dealings with what many regard as simply a front for fox hunters, but the alternative was to risk becoming political enemies with a well organised and funded lobby group who might otherwise feel free to comment on angling issues, and to use angling as cannon fodder in the blood sports debate. By recognising and working together on common interests outside of the fox hunting debate, and having the CA recognise the NAA as the authority to speak on countryside matters regarding angling, we as anglers are making the best of a situation that is not entirely to our liking. Those within angling who have negotiated with the CA on behalf of angling should be congratulated on negotiating a difficult political minefield and not castigated for the spin put upon what has been achieved by sensationalist reporters. I must adnmit that I haven't had sight of the memorandum of understanding signed on behalf of all anglers by our governing body. Anyone care to post it here for all to see? Tight Lines - leon

I seem to remember that in Scotland, unless a rod is held, it is classified as a 'fixed engine' (ie a set line) and using a fixed engine is against the law. Put the rod in a rest and you are performing an illegal act in Scotland! Set lines are used by poachers to illegally take salmon and trout which is why they are banned. Most fisheries legislation in Scotland is there to protect and control the salmon and trout fishing and is not designed to take into account the needs of coarse fishermen. (The same is gradually happening in England where fishery rules re bait, tackle, fishing practices etc are increasingly becoming carp centric and take no account of the needs of other thinking specialist/pleasure anglers.) The year before last, I was fishing for mullet in the river at Ayr and was approached by someone claiming to be from the Salmon & Trout board (though he never showed authority). He seemed to think it unbelievable that anyone would want to fish for anything other than trout or salmon and really wasn't convinced when we showed him our light tackle. I guess that there being two of us against the one of him, and the certainty that if we hooked a 'real' fish on that tackle, we would certainly loose it, had him deciding to leave us alone. I got the definite feeling that he thought us either a couple of saddo idiots, and/or we were trying to pull the wool over his eyes! (He could have been right on one of those counts!! - we were fishing for mullet!!) Tight Lines - leon

I seem to remember that in Scotland, unless a rod is held, it is classified as a 'fixed engine' (ie a set line) and using a fixed engine is against the law. Put the rod in a rest and you are performing an illegal act in Scotland! Set lines are used by poachers to illegally take salmon and trout which is why they are banned. Most fisheries legislation in Scotland is there to protect and control the salmon and trout fishing and is not designed to take into account the needs of coarse fishermen. (The same is gradually happening in England where fishery rules re bait, tackle, fishing practices etc are increasingly becoming carp centric and take no account of the needs of other thinking specialist/pleasure anglers.) The year before last, I was fishing for mullet in the river at Ayr and was approached by someone claiming to be from the Salmon & Trout board (though he never showed authority). He seemed to think it unbelievable that anyone would want to fish for anything other than trout or salmon and really wasn't convinced when we showed him our light tackle. I guess that there being two of us against the one of him, and the certainty that if we hooked a 'real' fish on that tackle, we would certainly loose it, had him deciding to leave us alone. I got the definite feeling that he thought us either a couple of saddo idiots, and/or we were trying to pull the wool over his eyes! (He could have been right on one of those counts!! - we were fishing for mullet!!) Tight Lines - leon

First choice are eels. Unfortunately, the European eel populations have been devastated in recent years by overfishing, barriers to migration on the rivers, and now a parasite which is thought to compromise the eel's ability to make its epic journey back to the spawning grounds in the Sargasso sea. It's a great pity that a full environmental assessment wasn't carried out before otters were released. The ecology of many areas has greatly changed since otters were last living naturally in such places. Releases of otters should perhaps have followed a programme to re-stock and protect the eel populations first. Big carp are slow and easy prey, and (I've heard)first choice when it comes to mothers teaching young otters to kill. Very often the 'play' kill isn't even eaten, so it's not a question of satisfying hunger. They will kill and kill again until the youngsters have got the idea. Perhaps it's our unnatural fascination with big carp that is the real problem. As long as they leave the tench (reasonably)alone, I'm happy to share my swim with an otter Tight Lines - leon

First choice are eels. Unfortunately, the European eel populations have been devastated in recent years by overfishing, barriers to migration on the rivers, and now a parasite which is thought to compromise the eel's ability to make its epic journey back to the spawning grounds in the Sargasso sea. It's a great pity that a full environmental assessment wasn't carried out before otters were released. The ecology of many areas has greatly changed since otters were last living naturally in such places. Releases of otters should perhaps have followed a programme to re-stock and protect the eel populations first. Big carp are slow and easy prey, and (I've heard)first choice when it comes to mothers teaching young otters to kill. Very often the 'play' kill isn't even eaten, so it's not a question of satisfying hunger. They will kill and kill again until the youngsters have got the idea. Perhaps it's our unnatural fascination with big carp that is the real problem. As long as they leave the tench (reasonably)alone, I'm happy to share my swim with an otter Tight Lines - leon

Mullet on the fly is covered at: http://www.hartflyfishing.demon.co.uk/mullet_fishing.html The book mentioned by Salar is available on line at: http://www.mikeladle.com Join the National Mullet Club, and you get a list of contacts (some fishing Essex) http://www.go-fishing.co.uk/mullet.htm The same if you join BASS http://www.ukbass.com Tight Lines - leon Medway Mullet Group http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/medway <small>[ 26 March 2002, 07:03 AM: Message edited by: Leon Roskilly ]</small>

Richard, The big differences with sea-fishing are the tides and the depth of water you will be fishing. When the tide is running hard, it puts a lot of pressure on the line, so you need to use much heavier weights than in (say) a fast flowing river. Minimum breaking strain you should be thinking of for pier fishing is around 15lbs, and weights between 3 and 5 ozs (maybe more if the tide run is exceptional at the pier you are fishing). If you intend casting with more than a gentle lob, you need to use a shockleader of about 10lbs bs per ounce of lead, otherwise you risk cracking off on the cast, and maybe endangering those around you. The shockleader should be twice the length of the rod you are using and a couple of turns of the reel. You will probably find the ground quite snaggy too (mostly other people's lost tackle). You will probably get away with a carp rod, but use one with the highest test curve you have. You will also need a reel up to the job of winching a fish up from out of the water to a considerable height - arm aching stuff if you don't have the right tackle. Plan your trip so that you are fishing the last 3 hours of the rising tide, and a couple of hours of the fall. The fish will probably stop feeding for a while at slack water at the top of the tide. Good luck - leon

Ah! I see, we are talking some kind of flounder (Well the flat ones that the boats are landing these days are mostly just about hand size!) Tight Lines - leon [ 22 March 2002, 08:55 PM: Message edited by: Leon Roskilly ]

Let's see if I've got this right? raja batis is the name of the species which is all but extinct (apart from a few spots known only to Davy and a handful of others). raja clavata is the name of the species commonly found in lots of places. So the name of the common skate is .... Oh heck, now I'm really confused Tight Lines - leon

Interesting! http://www.guardian.co.uk/fish/story/0,736...,671073,00.html More stories at http://www.guardian.co.uk/fish Tight Lines - Leon Sea Anglers' Conservation Network (SACN) http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/sacn

I've been using breathable 'waterproof' materials for cycling for some time. None of them stay waterproof. Goretex is probably better than most. Washing them is what causes the problem. Goretex recommend using a mild detergent. Don't! If you need something to remove grease or stains, use Nixwax Tech Wash. Then spray the cleaned garment with Nikwax TX.Direct Spray-On reproofing. Tumbling the garment, or ironing it on a low setting (if the instructions allow) will increase the waterproofness. Use TX.Direct Wash-In between the Tech Wash, and the spray on if the garment has become really leaky. I'm now inclined to wear dark waterproofs, which don't show the grime, and only wash them when I really, really have to (I wear a fluroscent waistcoat over the top when cycling). Tight Lines - leon

I've been using breathable 'waterproof' materials for cycling for some time. None of them stay waterproof. Goretex is probably better than most. Washing them is what causes the problem. Goretex recommend using a mild detergent. Don't! If you need something to remove grease or stains, use Nixwax Tech Wash. Then spray the cleaned garment with Nikwax TX.Direct Spray-On reproofing. Tumbling the garment, or ironing it on a low setting (if the instructions allow) will increase the waterproofness. Use TX.Direct Wash-In between the Tech Wash, and the spray on if the garment has become really leaky. I'm now inclined to wear dark waterproofs, which don't show the grime, and only wash them when I really, really have to (I wear a fluroscent waistcoat over the top when cycling). Tight Lines - leon

Newt, I always understood that the English won the war of independence! A king (who couldn't even speak the English language) hired mostly german mecenaries to put down an uprising of English colonists protesting at the imposition of swingeing taxes on the import of TEA!! Of course the English won!!! What would you expect? Tight Lines - leon

Newt, I always understood that the English won the war of independence! A king (who couldn't even speak the English language) hired mostly german mecenaries to put down an uprising of English colonists protesting at the imposition of swingeing taxes on the import of TEA!! Of course the English won!!! What would you expect? Tight Lines - leon

Newt, I always understood that the English won the war of independence! A king (who couldn't even speak the English language) hired mostly german mecenaries to put down an uprising of English colonists protesting at the imposition of swingeing taxes on the import of TEA!! Of course the English won!!! What would you expect? Tight Lines - leon

Newt, I always understood that the English won the war of independence! A king (who couldn't even speak the English language) hired mostly german mecenaries to put down an uprising of English colonists protesting at the imposition of swingeing taxes on the import of TEA!! Of course the English won!!! What would you expect? Tight Lines - leon

An old tin bath in the backyard, containing 1 perch and 1 roach, when I was 7! Fishing from an opened hatch in the side of a ship, when I was a merchant seaman in Aden, catching butterfish on light coarse tackle. That was a bit surreal. 2 metres from my cabin, electric lights on the water, and dipping my tackle into a water wilderness! Using bacon as bait and being broken when handlining from my ship in the Suez Canal. Catching mullet in a crek in Woollongong, and trying to pretend that they were roach (homesick!). Tight Lines - leon

An old tin bath in the backyard, containing 1 perch and 1 roach, when I was 7! Fishing from an opened hatch in the side of a ship, when I was a merchant seaman in Aden, catching butterfish on light coarse tackle. That was a bit surreal. 2 metres from my cabin, electric lights on the water, and dipping my tackle into a water wilderness! Using bacon as bait and being broken when handlining from my ship in the Suez Canal. Catching mullet in a crek in Woollongong, and trying to pretend that they were roach (homesick!). Tight Lines - leon

Mike, Congratulations All good practice for catching mullet Ask Jim Gibbinson! See you in the Summer Tight Lines - Leon Medway Mullet Group http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/medway

Mike, Congratulations All good practice for catching mullet Ask Jim Gibbinson! See you in the Summer Tight Lines - Leon Medway Mullet Group http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/medway

Newt, This is how we used to cook our catch when I fished in North Queensland, back in the '60s. It works well with hedgehogs too! ( a small mammal covered in spines, like a minature porcupine - well sort of!) If there wasn't any useful mud around, wet newspaper also did the trick (When the paper started burning the fish is cooked). We would scoop a hole in the sand, and light a fire of sticks. We would also wrap up some shellfish (pippies - a bit like clams but much more fun to catch. The surf would wash them out of the sand, and they would up-end and start burrowing, very fast - sun, sand and fancy foot- work. What better way to catch lunch!). The pippies would be buried in the sand, wrapped in foil, downwind of the fire, where the sand was licked by the flames. When the fish was ready so were the pippies. Then as we waited for everything to cook, there were rock-oysters to be gathered, and eaten with lemon and a slice of bread. Ah! the back-packing female tourists I'd entertain with a bottle of bubbly, a couple of glasses, a loaf of bread, a moonlit beach of swaying palms beneath the Southern Cross and the southern milky way, my guitar and rock-oysters! (where do you think that the idea of oysters as an aphodisiac started?) I wonder if it's safe to go back to Cairns yet! Tight Lines - leon

Anglers needed to help raise the profile of Recreational Angling http://www.nfsa.org.uk/conservation/cfp_ca...explanation.htm Tight Lines - leon ps I've heard that they don't know how they are going to reply to all the letters coming in!! They are starting to get the message that anglers are no longer prepared to just sit on the banks and beaches muttering to each other.