Leon Roskilly

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.

Well worth visiting TL - leon

Well worth visiting TL - leon

Somewhere, deep in the brain of a predator (such as pike), a calculation is performed. Is it worth me chasing that prey? Will I get sufficient return for the energy expended, bearing in mind that not every chase will be successful? Mostly, that works out that a prey needs to be about 10% of the bodyweight of the predator to make the effort of chasing worthwhile. So, if you want a 5 lber, use a livebait around 8oz - a 20lber will need a 2lb bait for it to be an appealing meal. However, the calculation changes a bit if the prey is injured or sick. So a tethered bait is likely to send out signals inviting larger pike to have a go, more so than than a free-swimming fish will. Also you need to factor in the fact that pike are reluctant to expend energy when the water is cold, they are more ready to chase in the summer months. But with an understandable reluctance to use live-baits more than around 5oz, you can see why lives (and 'small' lures) have a reputation for catching mainly smaller fish, especially in winter. Now the smell of a dead fish is something that the pike recognises is not going to involve a chase. On the other hand, the smell of a dead fish gives no indication of the size of the meal. What the pike 'knows' is that there is an easy meal waiting, something that won't need chasing. So a slow, easy swim will bring the pike along the scent trail. If a 3" sprat is all that a 30lber finds at the end of its swim....... well its here now, so it might as well eat it! So, lives and lures the bigger the better (and by bigger I mean a lure that makes the same fuss and noise of a big fish, not necessarily the same size as a 3lb tench!). Summer time is best. Deads - doesn't matter much about size (unless you are using sink and draw, or twitching). Deads score best in winter. But remember that pike don't read these posts!! Tight Lines - leon

Somewhere, deep in the brain of a predator (such as pike), a calculation is performed. Is it worth me chasing that prey? Will I get sufficient return for the energy expended, bearing in mind that not every chase will be successful? Mostly, that works out that a prey needs to be about 10% of the bodyweight of the predator to make the effort of chasing worthwhile. So, if you want a 5 lber, use a livebait around 8oz - a 20lber will need a 2lb bait for it to be an appealing meal. However, the calculation changes a bit if the prey is injured or sick. So a tethered bait is likely to send out signals inviting larger pike to have a go, more so than than a free-swimming fish will. Also you need to factor in the fact that pike are reluctant to expend energy when the water is cold, they are more ready to chase in the summer months. But with an understandable reluctance to use live-baits more than around 5oz, you can see why lives (and 'small' lures) have a reputation for catching mainly smaller fish, especially in winter. Now the smell of a dead fish is something that the pike recognises is not going to involve a chase. On the other hand, the smell of a dead fish gives no indication of the size of the meal. What the pike 'knows' is that there is an easy meal waiting, something that won't need chasing. So a slow, easy swim will bring the pike along the scent trail. If a 3" sprat is all that a 30lber finds at the end of its swim....... well its here now, so it might as well eat it! So, lives and lures the bigger the better (and by bigger I mean a lure that makes the same fuss and noise of a big fish, not necessarily the same size as a 3lb tench!). Summer time is best. Deads - doesn't matter much about size (unless you are using sink and draw, or twitching). Deads score best in winter. But remember that pike don't read these posts!! Tight Lines - leon

quote:Leon, just how ancient are you? Pre lancewood, still using horse hair? Horsehair? No, I keep up to date with all the latest innovations. I reckon these new catgut tupe lines are the cat's whiskers! Mind you they tend to twist a bit when using gentles as bait Tight Lines - leon

quote:Leon, just how ancient are you? Pre lancewood, still using horse hair? Horsehair? No, I keep up to date with all the latest innovations. I reckon these new catgut tupe lines are the cat's whiskers! Mind you they tend to twist a bit when using gentles as bait Tight Lines - leon

A Fisherman catches fish. A netsman is a fisherman who uses a net. An angler is a fisherman who uses an angle. An angle is the old name for a fishing rod. Well that's what they called it in my day! Tight Lines - leon

A Fisherman catches fish. A netsman is a fisherman who uses a net. An angler is a fisherman who uses an angle. An angle is the old name for a fishing rod. Well that's what they called it in my day! Tight Lines - leon

No problems this time I'm in!!! Now what do those river thingies look like? Someone said that they are long and narrow, and the water moves. I think I spotted one near Teston, beneath the bridge. Aaarghhhh! I just realised. Next weekend will be my last chance to find one and fish it before the season closes!! Tight Lines, leon

No problems this time I'm in!!! Now what do those river thingies look like? Someone said that they are long and narrow, and the water moves. I think I spotted one near Teston, beneath the bridge. Aaarghhhh! I just realised. Next weekend will be my last chance to find one and fish it before the season closes!! Tight Lines, leon

I've been using a couple of Leeds centrepins for my mullet fishing. Excellent! Tight Lines - leon

Was mine among them? I filled in my details, including my credit card details, and submitted the application. I then got a 'transferring data' message, then my PC hung. So I don't know whether the details were transferred OK, and I simply failed to get an acknowlegment, or whether it all went pear shaped before my details were fully transmitted! Sometimes I think that I might as well trash this bloody machine, and go back to an old fashioned type writer - except the ribbon is dried out, and I can't get a replacement any more Tight Lines - leon

Was mine among them? I filled in my details, including my credit card details, and submitted the application. I then got a 'transferring data' message, then my PC hung. So I don't know whether the details were transferred OK, and I simply failed to get an acknowlegment, or whether it all went pear shaped before my details were fully transmitted! Sometimes I think that I might as well trash this bloody machine, and go back to an old fashioned type writer - except the ribbon is dried out, and I can't get a replacement any more Tight Lines - leon

You could try sending their club a copy of this article: http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/authors/leon14.htm Tight Lines - leon

You could try sending their club a copy of this article: http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/authors/leon14.htm Tight Lines - leon

I had a lot of problems when I first started using braid on a fixed spool reel for lure fishing. Casting, the braid would come off the spool several turns at a time, leading to constant birdnesting. New braid was worse. Initially, I found that it helped to reload the braid under tension at the start of each session. I'd do that by snagging a fence post, then walk away spooling off all of the line. Then I'd walk back, winding in and fighting the fence-post! (I did get some funny looks from passing boaters, trying to see if I'd hooked a rabbit or something!) The problems would mostly occur when casting into wind, or with a strong side wind. This would put a bow into the line which would be wound back on under loose tension, followed by coils under greater tension as the lure started to bite. The line under strong tension would sink between the coils of loosely wound line, and on the next cast, they would all come off the spool together. What I did notice later was that the problem was worse with some reels. Choose a reel with a long spool and an excellent line lay, and the chances of bird nesting are greatly reduced. Or better still, use a multiplier and save the fixed spool reel for casting lightweight tackle only. Tight Lines - leon

I had a lot of problems when I first started using braid on a fixed spool reel for lure fishing. Casting, the braid would come off the spool several turns at a time, leading to constant birdnesting. New braid was worse. Initially, I found that it helped to reload the braid under tension at the start of each session. I'd do that by snagging a fence post, then walk away spooling off all of the line. Then I'd walk back, winding in and fighting the fence-post! (I did get some funny looks from passing boaters, trying to see if I'd hooked a rabbit or something!) The problems would mostly occur when casting into wind, or with a strong side wind. This would put a bow into the line which would be wound back on under loose tension, followed by coils under greater tension as the lure started to bite. The line under strong tension would sink between the coils of loosely wound line, and on the next cast, they would all come off the spool together. What I did notice later was that the problem was worse with some reels. Choose a reel with a long spool and an excellent line lay, and the chances of bird nesting are greatly reduced. Or better still, use a multiplier and save the fixed spool reel for casting lightweight tackle only. Tight Lines - leon

Er Nightwing, In the UK you have to buy a TV licence if you have equipment capable of receiving a TV signal. It costs around £120 per year. The revenue collected supposedly goes to the BBC to finance the programme making. The BBC channels are free from commercial advertising and, not being reliant on pandering to commercial competition, the argument goes that they can make programmes concentrating on quality, education and minority interests. (Although they do get criticism when they fail to attract the viewing figures of the commercial stations so tend to go head to head on programme scheduling anyway). Whenever you buy a TV, your details are sent on to the TV licensing authority, who keep a database of all addresses, and which ones have bought sets, and who has failed to get/renew the license. They have powers of entry to check for illicit sets, and use detector vans to patrol the streets looking for the emissions of unlicensed sets. People who have decided not to own a set have been given a hard time by the authorities who cannot comprehend that idea! (Though to be fair, 99.9% of people caught without a licence also claim to not own a set!) At least a single TV licence now covers you for all sets in a family house, although if you live in multiply occupied premises (eg student accomodation) you need your own individual licence. So given that we all pay a TV licence, and there are millions of anglers, shouldn't we all be writing to the BBC demanding some more decent angling programmes, to be made by the BBC? Tight Lines - leon

Er Nightwing, In the UK you have to buy a TV licence if you have equipment capable of receiving a TV signal. It costs around £120 per year. The revenue collected supposedly goes to the BBC to finance the programme making. The BBC channels are free from commercial advertising and, not being reliant on pandering to commercial competition, the argument goes that they can make programmes concentrating on quality, education and minority interests. (Although they do get criticism when they fail to attract the viewing figures of the commercial stations so tend to go head to head on programme scheduling anyway). Whenever you buy a TV, your details are sent on to the TV licensing authority, who keep a database of all addresses, and which ones have bought sets, and who has failed to get/renew the license. They have powers of entry to check for illicit sets, and use detector vans to patrol the streets looking for the emissions of unlicensed sets. People who have decided not to own a set have been given a hard time by the authorities who cannot comprehend that idea! (Though to be fair, 99.9% of people caught without a licence also claim to not own a set!) At least a single TV licence now covers you for all sets in a family house, although if you live in multiply occupied premises (eg student accomodation) you need your own individual licence. So given that we all pay a TV licence, and there are millions of anglers, shouldn't we all be writing to the BBC demanding some more decent angling programmes, to be made by the BBC? Tight Lines - leon

I heard somewhere that the Post office may not be selling Fishing Licences this year! Tight Lines - leon

I heard somewhere that the Post office may not be selling Fishing Licences this year! Tight Lines - leon

Fish are a vital food for a large proportion of humanity; and we all benefit from a diet which includes fish. Someone has to catch it for most of us! In trying to bring about conservation, we really ought to be on the same side as the commercials. After all, it's only sport to us. To them it's their livelihoods at risk. Many fishermen recognise that, and Fishing News carries letters from fishermen, calling for conservation measures. But the industry is bedevilled by thinking, dating back to when the commonsense view was that the oceans' productivity was limitless, that fishermen have a right to fish for anything, anywhere, and woe betide anyone who tries to argue against that. It would be nice if there was a complete change of thinking within the industry. A change that recognises how vital it is that stock conservation has to come first and foremost - that in the long term that is the only way that the industry will prosper. It is unfortunate that all the signs are that the industry is determined to go down the pan, fighting hard against any conservation measures and demanding expensive compensation before they will consider even modest co-operation. It seems that only outside pressure, from the conservaionists, and groups like recreational sea anglers, will bring about the political will to tackle the problems, and perhaps secure a world where fish is again plentiful, and can support a realistic number of fishermen and provide marine food at a realistic price determined as much by biology and the ecology, as political and economic pressures. Tight Lines - leon Sea Anglers' Conservation Network (SACN) http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/sacn/

As our Fisheries Minister, Elliot Morley, remarked recently. 'What is the point of of preserving the fish stocks if at the end of it you don't have a fishing industry?' (Elliot, I'm not sure if I'm quoting you word for word. My apologies if I don't have it exactly right) Tight Lines - leon Sea Anglers' Conservation Network (SACN) http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/sacn/

This is what the editorial column of last week's Fishing News (the commercial's weekly comic) had to say: 'The dangers posed to the fishing industry by irresponsible conservation groups are clearly illustrated by the latest outburst from the Marine Conservation Society (MCS). It has had the audacity to publish a Good Fish Guide that blacklists what it considers to be 20 alleged vulnerable species that should be avoided by consumers who are concerned about the marine environment <snip> Conservation is not just about preserving 'eco systems and biodiversity'; it is also about preserving jobs and coastal communities' Do you think that they are getting a little worried that their sole approbation of commonly owned fish stocks is beginning to be rumbled? Fishing News: http://www.fishingnews.co.uk MCS: http://www.mcsuk.org Tight Lines - leon Sea Anglers' Conservation Network (SACN) http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/sacn/