Cameraman

Am I so far behind the times I didn't even know we had a bank lure fishing team England. I just read the Angling trust news. Should I be embarrassed I know nothing of what's going on in our sport or do others feel out of it.?

Unfortunately we all have those days. Memories for the wrong reason. One of my favourite waters was ruined when Yorkshire water installed a footpath wide enough and flat enough to drive on. Now it's full of dog walkers and joggers, all who pay nothing to be there and resent me being there fishing and being in the way of the dogs swimming. I of course pay for this privilege. Just lately I've been looking at caravan sites with a river frontage or close, to try and get the last few days of the season. I'm thinking of one near the Witham just outside Lincoln or one at Spalding. I think everybody is just sick of the rain and wind and wishing we either had a proper winter or it would just go away. Maybe an idea for you John? I just bought some net poles, bit like extending bank sticks and some 'no see camo mesh' (5m x 1.5m) not cheap at 20 and 15 respectively but staked out I'm hoping that will keep out the dogs and also those who keep asking if my centrepin is a fly reel. Maybe a bit of a wind break too. Still have the brolly though.

Hope you're feeling better now

Congratulations AN? I've only been a member 14 years myself.☹ Mised the first 6 as I didn't know what internet was, not sure I do now truthfully. I hope it survives, keep up the good work Elton.?

Your arguement Sir is a non starter and pulled out as a poor excuse for abolishment whenever this is brought up. The thing is it couldn't happen unless there is intelligence and proof and the family member has either a history or interest in murder, terrorism or associated buffoonery. It's why we have a justice system, trial by jurors, defence by barrister and a whole lot of hoops to jump through. Innocent until proven guilty. If a member of my family was involved in any form of terrorism a whole file would be available for defence and prosecution and someone somewhere would be able to provide indisputable evidence of guilt. Its not execution by association or circumstantial evidence. The authorities don't just randomly arrest and execute. The British justice system might not be perfect, but it's the best we have. I have to believe in it and uphold it, defend it. Defend my country. Btw, I'm a retired ex Soldier, I spent the best part of 30 years man and boy in The Parachute Regiment. I believe in my country, I trust my country and I have defended it, several times. I also believe in free speech, and the right of what I consider absolute buffoons to have their say. Nothing wrong with the death penalty, I firmly believe in that too. Pedos, rapists and terrorists straight to the top if the list. - and that Sir is my right to free speech.

I'll comment. Unless you've been in a position of responsibility to take or save life and have been trained as such, briefed as such, are acting as such and have a split second to make a life changing decision, (for both parties) I don't think anyone is qualified or has the right to make statements or judge without having 100% of the facts in front if them. Mistakes have always been made, will always be made, but as long as the person responsible is acting in the interests of the brief given and within the law they should be confident before setting out that they have the full backing of the law and the brief provided even if they get it wrong. Better to be tried by 10 then carried by 6. They put their life on the line for us. Right or wrong every day, maybe less than a quarter second to decide, yet armchair heroes, keyboard warriors, tree huggers, do gooders and associated buffoons have a lifetime to rip them to shreds. More than a little unfair I think.

Absolute prime example of the waters John means. Just like the lake I was fishing in Lincolnshire. Ovetstocked, rely on anglers for food and stunted. No predators in the water to balance the order. I think we both agree in principle but agree to differ that some easy waters are needed for kids. It was never an argument I'm sure John will agree, just a chat, like you'd have over a beer. ?

No worries, again I agree with the main points. Although I don't do football etc, don't we already make it easier for the kids when they're playing these games to make it more fun and keep an interest. Aren't kids games generally easier? So why not fishing. I also teach my grandkids to shoot, but wouldn't dream of giving them a double barrel 12 gauge and letting them loose. I start them on a .410 single barrel, small cartridges, low loads and make it fun. I believe if you make anything fun, kids have an interest and thirst for knowledge. My grandkids have an allotment and grow food as an example. They can also name trees and plants, can tell you what uses some plants have. Comfry as another example. I don't like carp puddles, but I do enjoy catching carp that I have to stalk or work for. If it means my grandkids get the joy of fishing, fresh air and outside enjoyment I'll patronise these puddles for the joy it brings them and the joy of me watching them. Otherwise John I agree, most are a disgrace, many rat infested rubbish heaps and waters full of tin cans. Two years ago I fished a stillwater in Lincolnshire that looked wonderful, well established, plenty of natural vegetation, potential i thought. Owner came for his ticket money as I was tackling up, then spent 10 mins throwing scoops full of trout pellets into one corner. The water fair boiled with stunted 4lb Carp. I left! He just couldn't understand why.

Whilst I agree with a lot or rather most of what you posted, it's much harder to blank these days. The fishy puddles have their place. When I take my grandkids, I want them to catch not struggle as we did. Many of my friends gave up because waters were too hard. I persevered with stillwaters and rivers and eventually I started to get things right. Kids nowadays expect everything on a plate or it's back to the x station and whatever is the latest game. Starting on a "false" water gives them confidence and hope. My local ponds are full of blue signal crayfish or tiny stunted perch and sticklebacks. The local rivers are generally unsafe for me, never mind the nippers. My local reservoir whilst rewarding when you catch is vast and notoriously difficult doesn't contain carp and more blank than catch. Yet for the same price as the above I can drive maybe 20 mins and almost guarantee the kids will be happy and want to go again. Once they start catching they move onto other waters and learn properly but by then they're hooked. Even the kids realise that they're over stocked and rely on anglers baits but you have to catch to keep the nippers interested. Totally different when you fish on your own.

That sounds about right, I remember my Grandad telling me the bait for Carp was par boiled potatoes. Strange really when his main bait was lob worm wherever we went.

Hope you feel better soon

He's embarrassed, cant you see, he wet his pants???

I buy red crumb by the sack £27 for 20kg off Ebay I also buy hemp at the same time, £26 for 15kg. Cook my own hemp with additives, freeze it down or use fresh. With the crumb, I add my own additives as I see fit to where I'm fishing, sometimes I'll buy a bag of the expensive stuff, often a meaty red and use some of it to some crumb. I often buy the groundbait that's in the remainders or cheap bin to mix in. Occasionally I'll grate a tin of meat into it or blitz hemp to a rough powder. Just experiment with whatever is available. I tend to mix it with the water from the cooked hemp. Oh and unless hemp is banned I always add hemp and corn. It normally lasts me 2 or 3 seasons, just depends on how much I get out and need groundbait. Normally I use it through the feeder only. One of my favourite additives at the moment is a suet bird food pellet from the pound type shops, 89p for about 1.5kg I think. Very soft and can be rubbed between your hands to produce a rough powder, mixed with g'bait it helps bind for a method type mix or just through the feeder. Used loose as a feed, the pellets are about maggot size. On the hook, banded, single or double it's a killer bait. They come in red and an off white. 1 bag lasts 2 to 3 sessions maybe more. You do get the odd pellet that floats but the vast majority sink. Oh, one last thing, if I'm really struggling for bites I sometimes squirt some strawberry ice cream topping stuff on the loaded feeder and bait.

Congratulations, I didn't know you'd had a lottery win.??? You can afford printer ink.?

Totally bald, I wear a leather "cowboy" type hat for fishing. Holds on my head, gives protection all round, ears, neck and so on. Usually in shorts and shirt sleeves I use a factor 10, 12, or 15 in a spray. It gets applied often as I find getting splashed by landing fish or just getting wet fetches it off. Always use a cooing aftersun when I've showered later. Shooting I wear a flat cap, long cotton trousers, wax waiscoat, and a long sleeved shirt that is sun proof with a double collar that can be turned up high. I use a low factor around my face, which has to contain deet for insects.

Generally I only use red or bronze but occasionally like Martin have had success on coloured, blue or green or whatever they have. I used to colour whites to bronze using crysodine powder that I bought from Jan Porter. His advice was riddle the mags clean, sprinkle liberally, wet your hands and stir vigorously, more colour, more powder. In my trent days my hands were permanently bronze and often the tip of my nose, and the top of my right ear(disgorger holder). When I changed jobs and couldn't get to the trent as much I gave the powder to my tackle shop. Ages later i was told it was carcinogenic, too late by then. Only tried pinkies and squats once, absolutely plagued by bleak.

My wife used to fish with me years ago but cant now. She still tells me to book where I can fish(or shoot). I always fancied Anglers paradise, but it does look expensive at first look. All things relevant, if you have good fishing you get your moneys worth then it seems cheaper. Take my other pass time, shooting. Cheaper for the "gear" cheaper for the licence (£80 for 5 years). Bait and ammo is comparable, buy expensive, buy cheap, use what you use. No real add ons like floats or end tackle. But.........and it's a big but, game shooting can cost £1000 a day, I don't game shoot, I couldn't possible afford or justify it. You even have to pay the greedy farmers to shoot vermin, foxes, pigeons, magpies, etc. Varies from day to day, but they expect at least 20, better 50 and a bottle at xmas. Clay pigeon shooting varies from £15 a shoot to .35p per clay. A days shoot with my son, while my wife and his partner enjoy the on site spa, easily over £500. A week at Anglers paradise or a cottage on the River............... it's what you make of it and the enjoyment level, memories. I often come in from a bad days shoot, thinking I could have had a weeks fishing in the caravan for that. When I'm sat in the cold and rain fishing or blanking, I think I could be shooting instead of here. When its sunny, I'm happy with either. Winter blues for me.

To be honest I avoid them like the plague. I had a look around the one in Wroxham and found the staff rude, chairs where above shoulder height and getting them to stop talking about how much beer they had drunk the night before was hard enough, asking them to lift down a chair to look at was impossible. One glanced up and snapped, why can't you get it down. I walk with the aid of a stick and my left arm is difficult to raise. I told them what I thought of them and left. Several months later my daughters partner was going to the one in Dronfield for quite a lot of moneys worth, asked me to accompany him. Looking at chairs again, he moved a chair from the display for me to try. An assistant rushed over and said they're not for sitting in. Trying to stand up quickly, I fell over backwards and ended up flat out. The assistant found it hilarious, had I been fitter he would have been hospitalised. Other customers helped me up. We left. Never will I use them again Found a chair elsewhere and the shop did a better deal on it. I'll stick with the local little tackle dealers now.

Yup, that's the one. Folk used to come back from foreign holidays asking for Mahi mahi which is Dolphin. It's not available here to the best of my knowledge.

Years ago my wife used to work in a wet fish shop. People used to come in having come back from holidays abroad and ask for the local name for Dolphin (cant remember it now, and shes asleep). When she pointed out it was Dolphin they used to argue and say the local name again. No amount of telling would persuade them, so I just presume its eaten and on the menu in warmer climates.

I'm not in any part of the mining area, yet I remember going to school with a scarf around my face to keep the smog/fog/coal smoke out of my mouth and nose as a kid. It was just part of life and what you did. Steel works where big around here back then and it clung. Maybe I'm strange but I actually like the smell of coal and wood fires. My next door neighbour has a huge professionally installed log burner and I sometimes stand on the step at night breathing in the memories whilst the dogs do what dogs do in the garden.

Really???????

If that's the live bait what's the quarry?

Similar problem with Hermes. I have CCTV recording in colour with sound covering 3 sides of my house. Courier parked across my driveway, about 1010am so daughter opened door and asked is the parcel for here, no says he number 4. About an hour or so later, same courier parked same place but threw a parcel over the hedge of the house opposite and drove away. All on CCTV. Around 3pm I had an email to say parcel delivered and signed for at 1010am. The only way to contact Hermes is by premium rate phone call. Sooo 2 and a 1/2 hours arguing with a foreign call centre that struggles with English I finally got an English speaking manager. He kept telling me the parcel was signed for in my name. Once I convinced him I had indisputable proof of the courier his car registration, make and model etc, and was going to upload to you tube (not that I know how) and my next phone call was to the Police, he again put me on hold. 5 minutes later, doorbell, same courier, same car. Pushed parcel at me and says, here, you got it now, are you satisfied. Voice on phone then says, do you have your parcel now Sir. I'm still waiting for an explanation from Hermes as they now have a copy of all the CCTV including its actual arrival at 5.30pm and the phone call recording plus a bill for my time, refund of premium rate call and damages to a very expensive handmade to order leather case for my son. I'll not hold my breath, but since then the courier has never delivered here again.

They're the ones. Although the top one at 0.99 is the type I use the most for general non centrepin fishing. Made to last, simple to service, and reliable. Never had one lock up on me under pressure. Really struggling to downsize image enough to upload here.