James P
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Posts posted by James P
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I've still got a copy of the Terry and Son book at home. I used to read it from cover to cover when I was younger and it would always keep me occupied and inspire me to make floats when the weather was too bad to go out. Top stuff.
I think there is a lot to be gained from reading these books, especially for junior anglers, as fishing basics are still the same as they were 30 years ago. It's nice to read some fishing books/mags without them being plastered with 'this method WILL catch you more' and 'you HAVE to try this!!!' and the like that are all over most fishing publications at the moment.
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I got mine off Ebay as well - bit of a club going here!
I paid about £28 inc P&P and they're in pretty good nick and came with the proper deluxe leather pouch. Just need to catch a fish that's worth weighing now!!!
James
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I live in Bridgwater and I must say I get angry at how much elver fishing goes on and the whole process in fact, just so they end up on some Japanese businessman's plate for a stupid amount of money.
Some of the guys I fish with go elver fishing, and some even take weeks off work to do it as they'll make a lot more money!!
I can't understand how everyone talks about threatened eel/elver stocks, yet nothing is done about stopping fishing for a year or two to allow them time to recover. Depending on the tide, you can see guys lining the banks of the Parrett and I know that not everyone abides by the rules on net sizes etc!
There seems to be no common sense on this issue whatsoever.
James
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Where will you be fishing Rob and what sort of fish are you looking to catch?
I've been a match angler for 15 years and have seen people fish with kit ranging from a wicker basket and fibreglass rod to top of the range poles costing £3000 and seatbox systems that wouldn't look out of place on a space shuttle, so I wouldn't worry too much!
James
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I prefer lead, because it's soft (so, it's easy to use) and dense (so, smaller size for weight), but I don't want to poison swans or go to prison so I have to use non-toxic. Trouble is, non-toxic shot is rubbish. It's hard to open and close, and it's so light that you have to have marble-sized balls on your line, which affects presentation.
What are the best split-shots in the world today? I'm not bothered about camo slip coatings and egg shapes. What I'm after is soft, dense shot that's as near to lead as possible.
if i'm not mistaken mike, you can use no 8 and smaller in lead sizes. I've got some ZLT stuff that is very soft that I use for making all my pole rigs and i can slide it around on fine diameter lines with no problem at all.
Hope this helps.
James
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the King Sedgemoor drain is famous for its vast shoals of Bream...
It was Rabbit but you'd be lucky to get 10 guys fishing a club match on there now. We seem to have suffered a similar disease to the rest of the country. I think it's called commercialus fisheryius - a well known ailment!!
One of the local legends Pete Hodge used to reminisce about how guys would be lining the banks for miles catching dustbin lid size bream, but I drive over the drain on the way to work and I can honestly say I didn't see one person fishing last season!!
...I do remember the Pike, who at every opportunity would attack our keep nets to try and get at our catch.This still happens from time to time, and certainly gives you a shock!
James
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Doesn't matter how big the fish is Jerry - all Tench are beautiful in my opinion, but with a sunset like that in the background, I can only say one word - stunning!
I love a good sunset, have always found them the perfect end to a good day's fishing, except when i've not caught much and it means i'm going home soon!
Thanks for such a beautiful picture.
James P
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And just ask the locals where the Roach have gone. (actually I don't think there are many that even bother any more.
The main reason Roach fishing has fallen away is the fact that the water in our rivers and canals has become a lot cleaner, attracting a lot of algae and blooms that filter the particles out of the water, making it gin clear. There are still a lot of roach in these waters, but you're not going to catch them in numbers during the day as they'll feed primarily from dusk till dawn.
People hark on about bumper Bream and Roach catches 'back in the day' but the simple truth is these are hardy fish that will feed aggressively in coloured/polluted water as the majority of river were but as soon as the water gets clearer you can forget it.
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I don't know what the rivers are like where you live; however the rivers that I fish produce plenty of big fish plus the smaller generations that are so important; athough anglers these days are not so willing to learn watercraft and do a bit of work locating the fish. they just want easy instant fishing with plenty of stocked big fish.
I think that's the crux of the matter there BoldBear. People don't want to learn anything nowadays, it all seems to be an 'I want it and I want it now' attitude and I think that subconsciously this applies to commercial fisheries and that style of fishing. Image obsessed carpers are more worried about how they look on the bank than how they go about trying to catch their fish.
Before I get shot down in flames for saying this, I worked in a tackle shop for years and all the vast majority of carp anglers ever talked about was their tackle and what they were going to buy next. One carp angler even wanted to sell his Century NG's - roughly £700 worth of brand new rods purely because they didn't look right with his reels, and he wanted to buys a set of Daiwa Infinity's as the colours would match!!!!!
I used to laugh at how often the carp boys would come in and replace a perfectly good item of tackle with and identical model except it had a camo pattern. 'I want a camo tacklebox mate - have you got any?' was a common question and we sold loads of camo gaffa tape and they would plaster everything in it!! keeps you smiling that's for sure.
But it's a free country and if people want to do that it's up to them. It's certainly not my bag and I try to keep as little gear as possible as I find it becomes the main focus of your fishing rather than the tools for it. I wonder if this potential credit crunch will affect how much money people have to spend on tackle, and if it will change their attitudes to watercraft. Maybe not being so flush will encourage people to concentrate more on how to catch with a more DIY approach.
Personally, I love the whole DIY thing. It gives me a lot more satisfaction catching a Tench on a home made float than a bought one ever will.
James
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Castaway Tackle have the MK7's on their site. I have a set and they are brilliant.
Have a look here
Regards
James
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I use a 12' 6" Preston Carbon Active Sentient and can honestly say it's the best rod I've ever owned. They do say that the 11' is the perfect bream rod but I find that the extra length makes it a bit more versatile. You can get them for £159 from Chapmans online.
It's no surprise that Tom Pickering designed these rods for Preston as well as the Daiwa ones Draven. One of the best Bream anglers ever.
You can't go wrong with any of the Preston rods IMHO.
James
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I fished it a long time ago Leon and it was a mixed fishery with few carp and reeds around the entire waters edge, with wooden pontoons/platforms but it's probably changed a lot since then. Give Somerset Angling a ring on 01278 431777 if you want more info.
Regards
James
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there is only one rod out there for you to even consider, i have had the lot, normark - lacks in length 13 ft too powerful, new normarks not enough softness in blank 13 ft locks up, daiwa 11/13 too stiff in the top section for skimmers, etc etc. i moved on to the best CARBOTECS you can still get them but v expensive you have a rod for life because nothing can better it, the rod in it self in the top 2 sections is the same, there are 6 tips on offer for bream tips 2-4 for are best tip 6 is a method tip/ river tip with larger eyes, i have personally landed double figure barbel on the far bank of the trent using 8lb line and had no problems with either lock ups or flat spots, maybe not the best rod to use in floods but hey you cant have it all. you have evrytrhing here. the only differecne is the buts length, ie 11, 12 and 13 ft. the top 2 sections and the tips are the same. like i say the only difference is the butts.
expensive as they are you will not need another rod.........
It might be a rod for life Johnny but you'll be paying it off for the rest of your life if you buy one!!! 2nd hand Carbotec rods go for over £400 and that's an unbelievable amount of money. If you've got that sort of money then you pays yer money you takes yer choice, but I don't believe you need to spend that amount to have a top quality rod for life.
I'd also add either the older Daiwa Connoisseur or any Tom Pickering feeder rod by Daiwa, especially the 11-13SW models. Perfect feeder rods for Bream.
Regards
James
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II rarely find a use on my waters for the traditional perch bobber as this creates too much resistance, and resistance is one thing that big perch won't tolerate, even if small perch will.
I use the Drennan Loafer as it's buoyant and sensitive (although not as much as a waggler obviously) - do you use these at all Steve?
James
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Item now sold.
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I'm selling a Preston Innovations X3 seatbox that has been used only once and is in mint condition as you'd expect. I also have the matching trolley that clips on the back, the pole support, a standard feeder arm, umbrella arm and 2 short keepnet attachments. I also have a Maver aluminium double knuckle side tray that fits perfectly and is a lot larger than the Preston ones. It is also adjustable forwards and backwards.
I bought the box to replace my old battered Brilo box, but I have decided to sell as I am stopping match fishing and travelling light from now on having got into tench and chub fishing.
The whole lot comes to £410 in the shops, and i'm looking for £250 for the lot. A bargain seeing as it's in mint condition. The box itself retails for £270
I live in Bridgwater, Somerset and would be willing to deliver within 30 miles, otherwise the buyer would have to arrange for a courier or to pick it up themselves.
If you are interested please PM me.
Regards
James
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What makes this method work is that the FLOAT supports the weight, not the fish. The weight lifted by the fish is the same as that amount of water previously displaced by the volume of float tip that is lifted out of the water. So if you have a fine float tip the fish should feel practically nothing even if it is lifting a swan shot. Try and read Dick Walker's explanation from years ago.
I can see the logic in that Colin. Quite a simple displacement theory - it shouldn't matter what size float is used then (within reason!), as long as it is matched to the weight to be as close to neutral buoyancy as possible.
Thanks for the great pics and info Chavender.
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I think there is a degree of responsibility to be taken on both sides regarding dogs and fishing.
I don't like the way owners let them walk on way ahead off the lead which means they sniff around me and my kit until some time later the owner ambles up and stands there calling the dog's name repeatedly until it realises it's got no choice but to obey in that way that dogs do. 'Oh i'm sorry etc etc....'
But I also think we have to realise that unless their is a ban on dogs at a particular venue, these people have a right to use the places we go fishing as much as we do. I quite enjoy the banter you get with some dog walkers, and tarring them all with the same brush is a bit narrow minded.
Over the years i've found most dogs are fine and just keep on walking - much better behaved than some of the anglers i've seen!
It's all down to the individual, you get some bad dogs, mostly good ones, and you also get some bad anglers, but mostly good ones. It's all relative and if you average it out over a period of time i'm sure most of the dogs that have walked past without fuss have been forgotten about, but it's the one's that bury their nose in your bait bowl that you remember!
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Stunning. i'd love to have a dabble there!!
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Having just made a rake to use on my local canal, i'm looking forward to going down in the evenings and fishing the lift method for Tench (and any rogue Bream or Carp).
I used to be a match angler who would sit on 14.5 - 16m of pole for 5 hrs but i'm morphing into a roving specialist angler in a Mr Crabtree keep it simple style which i'm enjoying immensely!!
I'd like to know what is the range limit when fishing the lift method. I realise it's a close method of fishing but the canal is only 3-4 rods lengths in width at most so i'd like to think I could fish comfortably withing this range. Is this so?
I'll probably be fishing corn or bread - how close does the shot need to be to the bait to give sensitive presentation but still register the classic lift bite?
Cheers
James
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Give Steve Kedge a ring at Somerset Angling on 01278 431777. He fishes (and frames!) there all the time and knows the place pretty well.
James
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can any one suggest a good feeder rod for bream thanks
If you're after a serious rod for Bream fishing there are only 3 to choose from in my opinion:
Normark No1 or No 2 quiver. Most Normark feeder rods will be fine as they are so soft in the tip and have the perfect action.
Preston Carbonactive feeder. They have great actions as well.
Tri-Cast trophy or similar. Perhaps the perfect bream rod. A lot of Bream anglers oop north use Tri-Cast rods almost exclusively and with good reason. Once you use one you'll never go back.
James
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Greetings all i,m about to fish the parret at langport on wednesday and its been a long time anyone got any tipssi
Call Somerset Angling on 01278 43177. If possible, see if you can speak to Barry Morgan. He fishes the Parrett a lot and knows every nook and cranny. He doesn't work in the shop but can sometimes be found lurking!
James
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Thanks Ken. That SOL forum looks right up my street.
Thanks for your suggestions everyone. I'll post some pics when I get round to making some. Er indoors is on about re-plastering downstairs so it won't be straight away that's for sure!
James
Fox after sales service.......
in Coarse Fishing
Posted
Sounds familiar Rob. Several of my friends who are in the tackle trade have all said that Fox are the worst company they have ever dealt with. I know a couple of reps and they couldn't be any nicer blokes, but it's like they're constantly having to deal with idiots higher up the ladder!
Get yourself a set of these with the money they're going to charge you for the repairs...
http://www.goodfishing.ltd.uk/
Steve Burke told me about them and they're brilliant. British made and top quality for the money. The website leaves a bit to be desired but the alarms are great.
James