James P

Hi all, long time since posting here after having a couple of children. I live in Bridgwater, Somerset and would like to know where the closest barbel and chub fishing is to me. I was thinking either the Bristol Avon or River Taff, but would love to know if anyone has an alternative choice. Thanks, James

Thanks a lot Newt. Thanks very much for your kind words Dave. Was it really that long ago you had that pole? Blimey time flies doesn't it! How are you getting on with it by the way? James

Hello, due to a baby on the way I'm having a bit of a clearout and I'm selling quite a lot of tackle. Have a look at my items here Regards James

Have just stumbled upon this website/blog. Looks like some people's prayers may have been answered... Caliber Tackle James P

Hi John, the rod was almost as good at 20ft as it was at 17ft - I only noticed a little difference in balance due to the extra length. I could certainly hold it all day and not grumble one bit. The section above the butt is parallel and can be used for 20ft or left out for 17ft. In my opinion Daiwa have never made a bad high end rod, and I think you'd find it perfect for what you want. James

Hi John, I've tested a few 20ft rods when I was looking at getting one myself, and in my honest opinion the only one that stood out was the Daiwa Spectron 17-20ft. At 20ft it's light, as stiff as you'll need and has a beautiful soft tip to cushion any hooklength when roach fishing. It's also very crisp on the strike for hitting fast bites. I also looked at a Maver Reactorlite, Shimano and Daiwa Matchwinner equivalent but the Spectron was superb. Regards James

Who's Steve Burke? I'm sure there will be a few good fish caught this season, especially as big Perch are becoming more widespread than they were a while back. I've not heard of many Perch around or over the 3lb mark around here, but i'm sure that's because not many people target them, if any. I'm off out Saturday/Sunday morning for a few hours each to try and target some Perch, but seeing as we have so much water in my area it's going to be hard locating them. Might have to get the lure rods out. James P

Steve, what areas can you fish on the amalgamated card? I live near Taunton in Somerset, and would like to start trying a few stretches of the Avon for both Perch and Roach this autumn/winter. Can you suggest any good areas to start looking at? James P

Another stunning fish Anderoo! I love seeing specimen perch probably more than any other fish, save for roach and the two on this thread are crackers. Incidentally, I have a mistral avon float exactly the same as that one. Do you know if you can still get them? James P

Let's hope not Chris! That second fish looks a cracker, and the black eye really stands out. Do you feed maggot whilst fishing lobworm? James P

Brilliant Lutra, absolutely brilliant! What a beautiful fish - it looks massive. Well done.

He's certainly not as smug as some of the guys on this forum who like sitting atop their moral highground like kings! No wonder I hardly see any new members posting on here - it's like a private members only club sometimes, and heaven help anyone who should go against the grain. Who cares whether the guy caught them on a £400 Carbotec rod or a piece of split cane and a bent pin, at least he seems to be enjoying himself despite his ailments. Surely that's all that matters?

The TackleShop link above is selling them for under £250 Rusty, even more savings. James P

No problem Jomo. I'm sure when you do fish either of those, you'll have a fantastic day's fishing.

Without trying the hard sell bigginz92, i'm just about to put a mint condition Shimano 5000GTE-B baitrunner on eBay and would be looking for £50 for it. It's a very solid bit of kit and come boxed with a spare spool. Let me know if you're interested. Regards James

They're fishing very well, especially as the the water level has dropped a bit Jomo. In fact i've never known Dureligh to have a bad day! If you're thinking of fishing Durleigh, i'd check with the local tackle shop Somerset Angling first as I know they're running a 4 day festival sometime around now. You can give them a call on 01278 431777. Regards James

That was filmed just down the road from me and where I fished on Sunday!! I'm good friends with Mike's son and have known and fished with Mike for years - a great guy! If you're serious about hemp fishing then you're better off cooking your own from dry - shop bought stuff either seems to be too closed or almost falling apart. It's a piece of cake and if you add a spoonful of Bicarbonate of Soda you'll get really black hemp with bright white kernel. You'll need to soak it overnight in cold water, then bring to the boil and simmer until the grains are starting to open around 1mm in size. Kamasan B511's are probably the best hook for hemp as has already been stated. Don't be afraid to use a bigger size 18 or 16 if you're missing bites as you can almost bury the hook in a grain anyway. It's always worth taking some Tares with you if you fish hemp as a change to these can often bring a better stamp of fish. Have fun, hemp fishing is in my top 3 styles of fishing and I love it - when the roach are on it, it's simply a joy to use. James

Blimey, how many situations do you encounter? Bet you're a tackle shop's delight! I always though swing tip rods needed to be of a soft through action to help with the style of casting - it being more of a lob rather than a punch?

Well if that isn't one of the most beautiful dawn shots i've ever seen. Can just see that swingtip lifting now! Stunning.

Cracking Eel Den, it's the first time i've seen one that big in ages. That fake corn eh! I never feel confident using a rubber bait for some reason but they keep producing the goods! No matter how big they get you always know it's an eel - that unmistakable head thrashing. Get's my adrenaline pumping everytime

If I remember correctly Masterline are the Normark distributors for the UK. If they aren't any more i'm sure they can put you on to who is. Contact them on 01684 299000 or email sales@masterline.co.uk Regards James

True, and I think that applies to anglers too JV44. In fact i'm sure more than 5% would fit into this category and some of them post on here! There seems to be a general consensus within angling that because we pay our license fees we have a divine right to dictate what others who don't pay a license fee should do. Whatever happened to getting along, and actually appreciating other aspects of life in general? I've seen all sorts of boats, canoeists and kayaks paddle through my swim on the local canal which is only just over 3 feet at the deepest point. Almost all of them have been very obliging, friendly even, and usually pass with an acknowledging nod of respect. I can't say the same for some of the anglers (ahem) who have walked past my swim with a stream of foul-mouthed language, beer can in hand and oblivious to all around them. Making, rod and back comes to mind when anglers start talking about who should be able to do what on 'their' waters.

The local canal I rake when Tench fishing doesn't have any of these problems Vagabond. A very soft silty bottom with a whole abundance of silkweed, lilies and more... I almost always have to rake the swim due to the density of the weed and i've almost always had fish within a short time of raking. I normally arrive at the swim, rake it and set up for 10-15mins allowing it to settle a bit. Bites usually arrive shortly after casting in for the first time. Maybe it varies from venue to venue, but i'm sure if a Tench is hungry enough it won't be worrying too much about sulphide levels. James

I'm afraid i've already bagged that one Budgie! If anyone's more qualified to write such a book i'd love to meet the poor bugger!

I own a Young's Purist II and it's a fantastic reel. I love the traditional design rather than the more modern/industrial looks of the AN and Okuma pins. It was twice the price of the Okuma Sheffield but i've bought it as a companion to use for the rest of my fishing life so see it more of a long term investment. I'd recommend it to anyone.