ginger

I think that there is another factor in the flooding issue that never seems to get mentioned. The soil acts like a sponge up to the point of field capacity, once saturation is reached run off occurs and that finds it way into drains, streams and rivers. Cover the soil with a waterproof lid in the form of new build houses, supermarkets and countless 'out of town' retail parks and you have created the perfect means of flooding what is left.

I seem to remember that some years ago that there was a thread relating to rod bags. Someone asked where he could get one and amongst the replies was one stating that there was a lady who made excellent bags at reasonable prices. I have searched several times but cannot get anything up. Can any long serving members remember the who, when or what. It must have been at least 5 years ago and could well be 10 or more. My trusty Shakespeare Ganza 14' rod is in need of a new home due to mouse attack, and when I put it in the bag the rings always catch the holes (of course!). There are bags a plenty out there but one suitable for a 3 piece 14' rod is not easy to come by, Hopkins and Holloway do have one (£10 inc delivery) but the ones I am searching for were said to be exceptional for a similar price. Any help would be gratefully received. Happy Christmas to you all and may the New Year bring all that you wish for. My resolution is to get to Wingham next year, see you there? Pete

I also use Lidl sweet corn, usually whole grains and quite firm. Their bacon grill and luncheon meat are also excellent, both are firm and they stay on the hook well.

I would give my right arm to be ambidextrous!

When I were but a slip of a lad I learned never to complain of a sore throat when my dad was around as he would insist on me taking (under extreme duress) a teaspoon of Flowers of Sulphur. It did work but by 'eck it were impossible to swallow, dry doesn't come into it. As for geraniums, sulphur is what was the only effective fungicide available to gardeners before the modern ones were developed. It is also used when dividing Dahlias (by cutting them in half) to prevent rotting. Also being very acid it can be used to reduce alkalinity in soil if you want to grow ericaeous plants in soil with a pH over 6 or 7, however it only tends to be a temporary fix and not too effective at that.

I would be up for it but timing is everything. I had a total knee replacement 6 weeks ago and will be having the other done on Nov. 24. I can manage fishing now (I have been a few times in the past three weeks but only at the club pits where I can park behind the peg. I will keep an eye on the thread but pencil me in for now. Pete

I too fish for pleasure with no particular species in mind, when asked 'what am I fishing for'? my answer is always FISH! I do however, fish club matches when possible and enjoy the competition, especially when some of the bods are really good with the seemingly the ability to catch fish at will from a puddle at the side of the road. To win a section or even (less often though) the match is particularly satisfying. The major attraction is in having to fish pegs on either of the club pits that perhaps I would never choose, that is a challenge. In the pegs I would pick when pleasure fishing I could reasonably expect to catch, even if only a few bits, whereas an unknown swim means trying different methods and techniques. Having said that, My two methods are either groundbait feeder or waggler. I have a pole but cannot get on with it and I do not need to win to the extent that 'at any cost' is normal. Give it a go, you will probably get blitzed but it may make you think outside your normal box and that could well improve your pleasure fishing.

I have not been there but John Wilson (Definitive Guide on where to fish in Norfolk & Suffolk) says 'Old Marl Pit around half an acre with steep banks. Deep at one end and can be extremely weedy at times.Holds a good head of Crucians and the occasional wildie (Common presumably) along with Tench and Rudd. Day tickets £1.50 from Post Office in village stores. Tel 01263 588209 for additional info.' The book is 8 years old now so a phone call would be advisable to check the details.

Thanks for that Newt but it seems to have sorted itself out. I just thought it odd that all other threads seemed to work except for the Cemex one. Spooky!

I have tried reading the 'CEMEX' topic (below this one) and it won't work, I get the message at the top menu disabled and below one that tells me I am not allowed to use this followed by log in boxes, which as you can see, I have done. I have clicked on the preceding topics and they worked. Signed, mystified! Incidentally does anyone here fish the Trent that Cemex have ar willington etc. in Derbys/Notts?

Welcome to AN, it is most unusual that no one else has done it. I have never fished the Yare but would love to give it a go. Unfortunately clapped out knees will not carry me and all the associated tackle too far so parking close to the peg is essential. I have fished the Wensum a few times but usually favour gravel pits. I am sure you will get some help and I will be eagerly awaiting the replies. Pete

Just noticed where you live, I am in between Swaffham and Dereham, if you would like to take a ride over and have a look at my stuff send me a PM, NOT on Sundays, I go fishing!!!

For the price I rate Dragon tackle. I have several bits and pieces, Especially good is the Avanti Activa carbon heavy waggler rod (not sure if they still do that one), I have two, good for silver fish but will easily cope with much bigger ones. I also have two Twin tip Barbel, rods which come as a two piece normal rod along with an extra top section and two or three tips to fit it. It might be a good compromise as the two piece normal rod is fairly beefy, I suspect around 1.5 lb test curve and it will certainly cope with bigger fish. Using the quiver set up I have had a double figure Trent barbel in very flooded conditions and a 12lb river Derwent carp on it. They do a nice reel in the Azure, smooth and well made (perhaps not quite Shimano standards) and for £20 great value. Front or rear drag, I prefer rear as it is easier to adjust when playing a fish but that is personal preference. In short, for the money I have never found anything to complain about and I am sure that gear costing 5 times as much will NOT catch 5 times the number of fish. Pete

Sorry not to have posted this sooner but we have had friends staying for the weekend. I have sorted out the cards without having to resort to Ebay, tried one and it works. Many thanks for the replies and offers, AN triumphs again as usual. Pete

Thanks for the replies, I will persue the links and yes, I did mean 512mb. Pete

Help please. Has anyone out there got an SD card (two would be better) of 512k or less that is surplus to requirements. Around 18 months ago I bought a couple of 3 megpix cameras from Tesco's for £8.00 each (special clearance offer, probably because they were pink!) I was going to buy just one for my then 5 year old grand daughter but had the second to leave in my fishing box rather than ruining another decent camera by dropping it in. We had Ella to stay last week and on Wednesday went on Ella's Big Adventure to London doing Buckingham Palace, The London Eye and a River Cruise and Ella was busy snapping away everywhere. Despite the combination of very cheap 'no name' camera and a six year old she took some cracking pictures and, as a result the camera memory is full (I have the pics saved and know I can delete them but the way she clicks away more room is essential. The smaller sizes are all but extinct (postage costs more than the odd card that is out there) and I do not like being ripped off. 512k is the maximum size the camera will take hence the cry for help. I will happily pay so if you can help either post here or PM me and I will give you a ring. Pete

Good looking fish Dan, They are usually in excellent nick there. I went yesterday and had a cracker. Fished groundbait feeder about 15 yards out and float in front. very slow start with not a touch for over an hour, then started to get small roach and a couple of skimmers on the float with just two small roach on the feeder, all on maggot. fist decent fish after around three hours was a tench of around 3lbs followed by a bream that must have at least six and probably somewhat heavier. Next up was a superb Crucian in perfect condition at around 3 lbs, I kid you not and the best I have ever seen let alone caught, then another at about 2lbs. I had another three tench on the feeder between 3 and 5lbs plus two more the best could have six lbs on the float tight against the bank. In all I must have had 3 or four dozen roach with a few perch on float in total. Typically I hadn't got the scales nor did I have the camera. There were some carp on top but I hadn't bothered to put the carp rod in and a waggler with 2lb bottom is hardly being tooled up for double figure carp. It really is a great place, picturesque and very quiet apart from the odd train going by but as you say, muddy when wet! I left the wife in Derbyshire so I have to go back on Saturday to collect her (I ain't daft) so I might just manage another visit then!!! Have we got the juices going James?

Hi Dan I have fished it twice recently around three weeks ago and a couple of weeks before that. The first time I fished the lake on the right as you go into the car park on the first peg. Caught a couple of dozen roach to about six ozs. then had a tench of around 4lbs as I had decided to pack up. Had to have just one more cast and hooked another good fish which snapped me, probably a carp judging by the way it took off. The second time I caught roach and small perch all day on and off on the lake on the left as you drive in. Apparently some bream had been caught by a carper abd some carp had been taken off the surface during the previous week. Just the chap who collects the tickeet money, really helpful. I only get to fish it occasionally and then usually with mag and wag and/or feeder when we stay with family in Ripley as I live in Norfolk but I have never blanked although neither have had anything really big, still, nice place that I enjoy fishing. Good luck, let us know how you get on. Pete

As for me take a guess! I was always 'Ginger' (one of the kinder names) as a kid and whilst my erstwhile mop is still covering my head completely it has gone from carrotty to a more subtle shade with grey highlights. Like the rest me it is gradually fading away. Pete.

Andy, Still not sure if I can make next weekend but if I do it will be for the Sunday only. If you can let me know where exactly I will do my best to get there. Pete

With most still waters being frozen solid I decided to give the Great ouse at Ten mile Bank a go today. bad decison, it was going through like a train with the colour of oxtail soup. Next move, try the Cut Off Chamnel at Hilgay, another bad decision. The water was up to the top of the bank with most of the platforms covered. Being an optimist I persisted and had hardly got set up when the bailiff arrived. "I suggest you move" says he, "the water is rising and you might get stranded". I moved a bit further down where the bank was marginally higher only to find, upon peering from under the brolly that the water was indeed rising and I was sat on an island. The only good move was to abandon ship so I packed up and decided to call in to the club pits to see if there was a hole in the ice. Set up again in a surprisingly clear spot and had a small (<2oz perch first chuck with the feeder although it didn't register a bite). I had set up a pike rod with a smelt for bait and after an hour so got a take, a decent fish that was a good double, only to lose it whilst trying to prevent it from getting under a tree. That was it for the day, packed up at 3 ish vowing not to go fishing again until the sun is shining. Mind you, there is a match on the Wissey at Stoke Ferry next Sunday, last week about 15 fished and only two caught, 13 oz. won it.

Me to subject to being in these parts and not in Derbyshire.

Well Creek crosses the Middle Level drain at Mullicourt Viaduct where there is room for quite a few cars and it would enable fishing on either water. The Middle Level is a Kings Lynn AA water and a day ticket is available on the bank. Well Creek is more like a canal being relatively shallow (3-4 feet if memory serves), I have fished there a couple of times, the first I had a decent bag of roach, skimmers and perch although I did see some decent perch caught on the narrow section on the viaduct. The second time I fished it was as clear as a bell and I got nothing. The banks are more or less at water level and there are a few proper wooden platforms. It is a free water so I imagine that there are no restrictions other than EA rules. I am hoping to join in probably for the Sunday but my wife is going in for her second knee replacement the weekend before and, unless we have someone come to stay with us, I may not be able to get along, keeping fingers crossed though!