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Balls, if they weren't so slimy I'd have got my camera out. Maybe it was an albino? Can't tell because they've got red eyes anyway.

I caught a silver tench at Frank Lakes on Saturday, are these common at all? I've seen golden tench but never silver. It weighed about 1.5 lbs (sorry, no photo). Also, I deep hooked a few bream using waggler and luncheon meat. I didn't think I was particularly late on striking but what's the typical pattern of a bream bite? Should I have struck at smaller movements? Ah well, thank God for barbless hooks. Cheers

Ah, thanks all

Hi all, I'm thinking of buying my brother one of those leger/float rods with the split sections enabling you to fish quiver tip or a float tip. Any opinions on these or would I be better off buying a fit for purpose? Ta

So apart from me, mink, parasites, old age, predatory fish it was in quite good health.

On the last day of the season I saw this bream floating around my swim, not quite dead but just about, when it came near enough I hauled it out and put it out of its misery. It had a parasite on its fin. Did parasites do it in?

I'm ambivalent to this and can't work out which side of the fence I'm sitting on. On one hand if the river was overpopulated with pike to the detriment of the trout then maybe something should be done - however would the larger pike not predate on the smaller ones rather than loads of jack be swimming around snapping up the trout fry. What would our attitude be if we killed all the lions on the Serengeti because they were killing too many gazelle - uproar. And why should trout be more important than pike - simple economics? God forbid they start culling chub as well. And where do I go to start catching these chub?

Sorry mate, I don't think so either. Boo! Nice fish though. as much as I'd like to claim a 2lb perch my biggest is only about 1lb 8oz. Must get out there more.

I had the dubious pleasure of watching pike try to take every fish bar one small chub I hooked today. I was fishing a very small outflow from a lake on a ledge about ten feet above the water using worm or sweetcorn. The first roach got swiftly grabbed by a small pike which wouldn't let go but eventually bit through the line. The second two roach were both taken by a much larger pike, the first one it got straightaway but the second roach was a bit more wily and the pike missed once but then took it on the surface with a huge surge and a shower of scales erupted from the water. Obviously I tried to bring the pike in but on a 2lb hooklength in fast water this would've been quite a feat and both times the pike let go enabling me to net the fish. The last roach was looking very worse for wear and a few minutes after being released there was a lot of splashing in the shallows as the larger pike finally got its meal. I think I'm going to have to go back with some trace and a spinner or deadbait to catch this one, a very large fish for the size of the water.

* applauds * Well done Mark, will join soon.

When I first starting going fishing in my early teens (late 80s, early 90s) it was often to the Wandle in Beddington and there was a healthy head of roach, chub and even trout in there. Wasn't the best fishing but a great spot to go to cut your teeth. I am gutted for all of the people who've put in solid work over the years to clean the river up and to restock it in an attempt to restore this historic river. I'm angry that it has happened and only hope that severe penalties will be meted out. Tragic.

The guys at John's Tackle Box in Friern Barnet did a great job for a fiver on a rod that my wife blundered into whilst panicked by a wasp. Can't help you with the numptyness though!

Left my rod unattended whilst I went to help a mate and turned round just in time to see my rod take off. My despairing dive just missed and all my gear got towed off by the boat in whose prop my line had got tangled. Another mate was playing stupid and hooked me in the nose in Leatherhead town centre. Cue him trying to pick the hook out of my hooter whilst the townsfolk looked on confused and disgusted.

LOL, that'll teach me not to re-read.

Arf! My garden backs onto a park with ponds and duck rape has been spotted a few times. My wife sometimes chases the males off. Also seen one eat a pretty hefty frog. Lovely.

Ha ha, brilliant! Can't wait until I next get the chance to go out but it could be weeks!

I bit spurious I know but at the weekend I was reading the IKEA catalogue and in the kitchenware section there's a frying pan with a perch in it. Anyone seen gangs of Swedes?

One of the best hour's fishing I ever had was trotting on the Thames, I suddenly encountered a shoal of really decent dace and was pulling them out after good fights on very light line. Lovely fish.

The irony of complaining about immigrants and then considering becoming one yourself? My parents in law were on the receiving end of a rant by an Eglish bloke complaining about Spaniards the other week....in Spain! I don't think this country's problems can be blamed on too many immigrants but rather people's attitudes. We're becoming more selfish and with a throwaway attitude to things that have outlived their usefulness - like cheap labour. I still think this is a marvellous country to live in but I'm lucky enough to live in a nice part of it.

Whoa, jealous! Great fish, need to get out for a bit of chubbing and soon. Congrats.

I've caught a swan, when I was a teen, still haunts me. I was on the Thames, legering quite a way out, somehow a Swan, that was some way out managed to get tangled up and break the line and the hook got caught in it's neck but mercifully, with no line attached. It swam by me and there was a bit of blood but I can't tell if it was distressed or not. I hope it was OK. It was enough to make me give up angling for a while but I truly believe it was bad luck. The ponds out the back of my house banned fishing after a swan got tangled up in discarded line and was strangled. Result was the fishing was banned, and correctly IMO - despite big carp and chub screaming "catch me" whenver I go and feed the wildfowl. There are too many anglers who are gutter scum for leaving their crap around and lengths of line with no regard for the environment. They are the ones that will ruin it and the good guys who clean up after other people will save it. I truly hope that there are more of the latter.

Thanks a lot, so not that much then! Application's in the post...

Hi, I'm going to join a club but whilst awaiting membership to be pushed through I wondered if anyone knows of non-club affiliated, accessible river fishing in Kent and/or East Sussex. I live in Sevenoaks but often weekend at friends or family in Boreham Street, nr Hailsham, E. Sussex or Pevensey.

I didn't go out but went to have a look at the narrow end of a big local lake that Holmesdale AC owns the rights to. Looked good, a grebe was feeding her young and coming up with lots of fish. Found a what I thought was a wattleless turkey wandering round a housing estate. Need to look up that one. Some kids were fishing off a ledge near where the lake drains out and were causing a clamour. Went over to see that one of them had hooked a jack, line had come off the spool and he was in a right mess as none of them had a net. I managed to clamber down next to a man-made waterfall and pull the line in by hand, must've been 20lb breaking strain. I'd never unhooked a pike before but have read up so pulled the little fella out (about 3lb) and unhooked him easily before sliding him back in to sulk. I had a small pop at the kids for being so ill-prepared as the pike would've been done for but to be fair to them it had grabbed a small fish he was reeling in and got lip hooked - kid looked to be using a size 6 or thereabouts. Hope they'll learn.

Well, despite all the advice, I only went once and blanked in fine style. No evidence of any fish whatsover but it was a blazing hot day, too hot for fishing. I really should've gone in the evening and fished until nightfall but would've put noses out of joint. However, a nice day by the Ley and got a tan. I will take all the advice and use elsewhere. Roll on the 16th.