Nodin

1. Use seasonal cosmetics cream for hands. 2. Carry a small candle in your pocket to warm up your hands in a quiet place.

I can suggest using 2 floats: the first to perform the usual functios and the second(a havier one)- to make the pin rotate and make a longer cast.

I've read somewhere about using 2 floats on the line when fishing with a centrepin. The 1st one closer to you is to make the pin rotate, while the 2nd- to register the bite. The position of the centrepin also matters sometimes. In most cases it rotates easier, if you keep it vertical, i.e. the axis is horisontal.

As far as bream, roach and similar fish taken with the use of commercial groundbait, I have become very suspecious about taking it for food. The effect they make on fish, e.g. fish swallowing the groundbait madly without picking out live food, makes me think that some kind of psyhotropic drugs are used in that stuff. And what will be, if we eat that fish? We've got drug control and sanitatary control to protect people. And who is protecting fish; cats and other domestic animals, I wonder?

We are all Mother Nature's sons. So what I have noticed from my own fishing experience is that the effect of air pressure, Moon phase, light conditions, negative or positive, is the same on me and on fish. On my way to the fishing site I just check my mood, and if the head is bright and the world is fine- fishing is very likely to be successful. Wish it always was like that on the days off

Once in America, in Vermont, I took a couple of 2 lb chub from the Connecticut river and was very much surprised, when they refused to cook it at the kitchen of the hotel, where I studied hospitality business. And they prepared salmon for dinner. Here in Russia 99 % of anglers take fish home and eat what they catch. And its not because we can't afford any other food, but because the fish you catch and cook yourself with spicies like " preparing the tackle", "watching the float", "landing the fish" makes the meal the most delicious in the wourld"! Here we like to make the most fresh fish soop in a kettle on the fire on the river bank and eat it, making a pause or two to take a drink for fishing and nice nature around..... :) P.S. As for cooking perch at home, simply place it, as it is, on a thin layer of salt on a pan in a preheated gas oven for half an hour. Good appetite!!

Greenpeace suggestion: place minnows in a glass container on the river bottom and fish for predators with a lure :)

In addition to "classical" fly fishing, that I respect very much) you can try 2 other methods of fishing for chub with a fly. 1. Use a rod and a reel, fixing the end of the line to a long antenna of a rather heavy float. Place a dry fly on a hooklength at some distance from the float and you can play that fly over and on the water surface after casting the float or letting it go down with the current. 2. Tie a several-feet-long line to the bush on the opposite bank, with a swivel at the other end of it. With your rod&reel left on your bank, bring the end of your main line to that swivel, pass it through the second eye of the swivel and back to your shore. After fixing a hooklength with a fly, you can use this "circle" to bring the fly to any spot between the banks (look for chub splashing !) and play it there.

They do! Thanks again! :D

The fact that Russians have just won both team and individual gold in the world spinning (lure fishing) championship in Portugal made me rather inthuziastic, so I put aside float fishing tackle for a while and took my spinning rod&reel. On the Friday evening I went to the river in half a mile from my country bungaloo and had a success, taking 2 perch and a chub on tiny Mepps spinner almost in the dask. Next morning I was eager to continue that, but in half an hour two pikes "ate" my two and only Mepps. I even remember the smart face of on pike, almost lauphing at me. Revange was what I wanted, so I hurried home, took a thicker line and a couple of spoons, eguiped with American circle hooks, kindly presented to me by Newt and delieved in a regular postal envelope. Back on the river I took a two-pound pike almost at once, then another in 20 minutes and also had a strike. The rain made me leave, but I was happy having so many bites. The local river is rather shallow and running fast, so pike stays very close to the bank, where weeds and snags are. So, circle hooks are perfect for this place. Thank you, Newt! Next time I plan to try circle hooks with spinners.

Newt, I'm learning all my life (for 53 years already ) Yesterday, for example, I've leant, that laying my lure on the bottom for a couple of minutes will give the pearch time to think over its first "unfortunate" attack and be on hook at the second. I,d really like to read the thread about circle hooks and see how my lure will play, in the bass, for the start. By the way, I've leant recently, that contrary to the pike that siezes the minnow, the pearch comes close and,using its gills to suck the minnow in. For this reason, the say, its preferable to use suspended on split ring hooks with wool or threads, that easily gets into predator's mouth at this suck-in. [ 24. January 2005, 10:04 AM: Message edited by: Nodin ]

Hi, argyll ! In Moscow and several other big cities of Russia there are representatives of Maver, Milo, Trabucco, Mikado, Sensas and others. In my home city of Yaroslavl (on the Volga) there are a dozen of retail shops that bring tackle wholesale in Moscow. Fishing line comes mostly from Germany, hooks are Mustad and Owner made, reels are from Shimano and China. Equipment and tackle for pole-fishing can be ordered from the West via Moscow companies. But it came to be like this only a couple of years ago. Regards,

Thanks a lot for help! I am just learning

Home-made lure

Newt asked me once whether I make lures. Yes,I do, and if you'd like to make your own for jerk fishing for perch from a boat,embankment or ice (if any ), just take a piece of copper (brass, bronze) rod ( L/dia ratio=6:1) and follow my illustrations here

Les, to solve the problem you can try to use a longer hooklength. And let it be not much different in strength with the main line. In this case they will work together to "soften" your strike.

I used scanner to photogragh the lure for perch jerk-fishing from ice. Thats why the background is black. But, aint she sweet ?

You can see my favourite ice-fishing companion here

Bloodworm is the main bait for fishing in cold season here in Russia. Maybe, you can buy it in aquarium fish shop. To alive keep them wrapped in DRY newspaper,placed in a plastic bag. In a refregerator. Bloodworm need a "breath of fresh air" every other day. Please, use # 18-22 hooks. In case fish is very capricious, hook on only one as a ring, i.e. through head and tail. Good luck!

Hi Newt! Hi all! Its good bo be back home Newt, I can whisper in your ear, that yesterday I tried to fish from half-inch ice. Even ate very little for two days before . Five minutes were quite enouph for me to understand, that swimming in icy water, even in several yards from the bank, was not worth implementing and I luckily managed to get ashore .

Looking forward for ice-fishing for pearch on the next weekend. We've got ice in North-European Russia already and I'd like to test a new lot of metal minnows I've just made of brass. Some are left polished yellow, some are coated with silver. Jan, the idea to coat the metal lures with epoxyglue seems to be veru interesting. What colors do you use? Other tips from this topic surely seem to be worth trying! Thanks to all!

I'd recommend using 2 or 3 silicone tubings, 'cause sometimes they get cut by the line. If you feel they hold too tight,then you can remove the one on stem end when adjusting the deapth. Electric wire insulation tubing will also do for this purpose.

I read an article in Russian on how to attract predators when fishing from ice. So fill a glass reservoir with water and minnows, close it and drop on botton. To make the whole thing more attractive, you may supply it with electric bulb, corded to the accumulator battery. Good luck!

Carry newspapers in your carryall ! -If your feet get cold and you don't have extra socks, take the socks off, wrap your feet in a newspaper and put the socks on. - If your hands get cold, warm them over a burning newspaper. This will help for a while.

Usually I feel the change in atmospheric pressure on the previos day. So, if I wake up with a "clear" head next morning, fishing will be O'K.