lucky_

I think the new Abus are suppled with the brake blocks already fitted on the new 6 pin holder. Unlike the older Abus the new six pin brake setup you don't actually remove the brake blokes to make them inactive. You just push them into the centre until they click in rather than have them extended out to end of their mounts. Turn on or off as many or off as you like. The black slider for the mag controls should be numbered up to 8 (at least it was on the older reels) with eight being maximum mag braking. when you psh the slider completely forwarded so the scale doesn't show th mags are off.When ou lide it right the way back so you can see all the scale the mags are on maximum.

You should be able to pick up a good Abu 6000 fo that kind of money on ebay

Squibs you may have difficulty finding either the Abu 6500 Mag Elite or Penn 525 Mag in the States as the Americans really don't use beachcasting reels like we do here in the UK.

All the Abu multipliers 7000 series and bigger have been made in Taiwan for the past few years. Production of 6000 series and smaller reels continued in Sweden but if your 6601 is made in Taiwan that may have now changed as well.

A bead isn't going to do yor rod rings much good when you cast.

If there's a strong cross wind a multiplier will punch straight through far better than a fixed spool which will billow out line sideways with the wind. If it's a you're casting into a headwind there's an increased chance of a birdsnest with a multiplier becuse the wind will slow the cast but this can be avoided by adjusting the reel for increased mag breaking or slowing down the spool with your thumb during the cast.

An old bit of chair leg will do.

Yes as Newt said its a wooden club to dispatch any fish that you're not going to return. It sounds a bit brutal but it's better than letting them slowly suffocate. I should also have mentioned that a rod 12 to 13 foot long would be best.

Check this link: http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77095

You’ll first need a beachcaster in the 4-8oz range - there are an endless number available with your final choice being dependent on factors such as budget restrictions and the particular demands of local conditions i.e. whether you're going to be fishing clean beaches or rough ground. Try to ask a few people in your local area for some suggestions. Your choice of reel is first split between a multiplier reel or a fixed spool. (it's a matter for personal choice really) but if you take the multiplier option I would recommend the Abu 6500 Mag Elite reel (available in level wind and non-level wind versions) - the older style green ones have just been discontinued and are now available for about £70 or a Penn 525 Supermag (or a second hand earlier version) - whichever you prefer. I use an Abu but the Penn would be a bit better for fishing rough ground. If you do decide on a multiplier make sure you get a reel with magnetic braking to facilitate casting - both these reels I've mentioned are mag reels. You should also be aware that rods differ in that they are rung differently to accept either a multiplier or fixed spool reel so it is important to decide on what kind of reel you wish to use before purchasing your rod. If you prefer a fixed spool reel someone else may be able to offer more specific advice but Daiwa, Penn and Shimano are good choices of make. For beaches you'll also need some sort of rod support and I would recommend the Pro Tripod with Deluxe Leg Loc from Veals - it'll last forever. However if you are fishing rock marks and harbour walls as well as beaches the telescopic tripod from Veals rather than the Pro may be a better option as it is more adjustible and can be adapted better to different marks. It's also easier to transport and a bit cheaper. As for weights and rig links/clips I would recommend stuff from the Breakaway or Gemini ranges. A Gemini disgorger would be useful too. A few 4/7oz (depending on local conditions) breakaway weights would be good to start. Get the links and weights directly from their respective sites. As for monofilament line any of Ultima Tournament Gold or Distance, Daiwa Sensor, Suffix Tritanium, Penn Super Surf or Berkley Trilene in 20lb breaking strain would do for starters but you might wish to go a touch stronger for rough ground conditions. Ask at your local tackle shop about this (they should be a good source of advice). Any of the above brands are fine - you'll eventually decide on your own personal favourite. A spool of 20lb Amnesia line would be a good choice for making hook lengths. You'll also need some shockleader. 60lb Ultima Powerflex should do the job but you could also use the Powerflex tapered shock leaders instead of the normal. These are useful if you go for a level wind option on your reel. For hooks a range of good brand name such as Varivas, Partridge, Kamasan, Mustad or Owner from size 4 through to size 4/0 (this range covers seven different hook sizes with 4 being the smallest and 4/0 the largest) should cover you for most shore situations although I fish the south east of England so your own local conditions such as species of fish available may dictate otherwise. You may only really need a narrower range. You'll also need some rigs and good quality swivels which you can get from your local tackle shop or online at the stores listed below. I would also recommend some ready made rigs at first and then use them as templates to make your own later on. D.W Rigs on ebay is another good source of quality rigs at a good price. Flappers and pulley pennels would be good to begin with. You may also need a slidiing reel seat if your rod does not have a fitted reel seat. If so the Abu Grip Loc is a good bit of kit. In addition to the disgourger you'll also need a few other basic tools such as decent knife, priest, line clippers and long nosed pliers as well as some bait elastic for delicate baits. Red Wolf make a decent clippers/pliers kit. A small plastic kitchen chopping board will also come in handy for cutting up bait and avoiding blunting your knife. Good sites to look around for kit on are: Veals Spotty Dog Tackle Breakaway Tackle Gemini Tackle Finally as far as ebay is concerned if you do your homework and know what you're after and what its worth good bargains are available. Hope this helps.

Depends were they were on the river. If they were on the seaward side of the NTL line (Normal Tidal Limit) I don't think any restictions apply as this section of the river is not subjct to EA regulations as regards the closed season.

Phil have you thought about selling a selection of frozen bait?

This is certainly not the opinion of the WWF. You might like to read this statement by the WWF regarding the state of the Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery and the conduct of the large scale commercial fishing operations (mainly French) in the region. Close it or lose it - Bluefin tuna catches 40 per cent above quota, warns WWF 05 Jul 2006 Brussels, Belgium / Gland, Switzerland - Bluefin tuna stocks in the East Atlantic and Mediterranean are being stripped bare by illegal and unscrupulous fishing, including by fishing fleets subsidised by the European Union, warns a new WWF report. The global conservation organisation demands an immediate closure of the fishery. The independent study commissioned by WWF reveals for the first time the full extent of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing for bluefin tuna. It shows that the annual fishing quota of 32,000 tonnes, set by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (where the EU plays a major role) was smashed by more than 40 per cent in 2004 with a catch of 44,948 tonnes, rising to 45,547 in 2005. However, real catches are likely to amount to well over 50,000 tonnes - a figure confirmed by the ICCAT scientific committee. Fleets from the EU (mainly France), Libya and Turkey are the main offenders. These countries are greatly exceeding their fishing quotas and deliberately failing to report much of their massive catches - thereby also avoiding paying taxes and bypassing sensible management. Over the last ten years, most the EU’s bluefin tuna fleet fishing in the Mediterranean was modernised or rebuilt thanks to public funds. To receive these EU subsidies, countries must export or scrap old vessels. However, in the case of the French fleet, ten vessels were exported to Libya, where they continue exploiting the same bluefin tuna stock under effective French control, skirting management measures and adding to the pressure on the stocks. “The European Commission risks bearing witness to the collapse of this centuries-old fishery,” said Dr Simon Cripps, Director of WWF’s Global Marine Programme. “We urge EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg to show leadership and call for an immediate total closure of the fishery, and request that he supports strong management measures at this November’s ICCAT meeting that guarantee a future for the fishery.” The report also reveals deliberate misreporting and laundering of bluefin tuna catches. In some cases, a mismatch between official declarations to Eurostat database and to ICCAT was found. Unreported tuna catches are increasingly slaughtered and processed at sea before being shipped out on board enormous vessels destined for the lucrative Japanese market. “Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks risk imminent commercial collapse,” said report author, Roberto Mielgo Bregazzi, CEO of Advanced Tuna Ranching Technologies. “In the race to catch shrinking tuna stocks, industrial fleets are switching from traditional fishing grounds to the last breeding refuges in the eastern Mediterranean and Libyan waters.” In addition to calling for an immediate closure of the fishery, WWF urges ICCAT members to adopt a sustainable recovery plan for Atlantic bluefin tuna which must include a dramatic reduction in tuna fishing and farming capacity, improved enforcement and reporting. If ICCAT fails to do this WWF will mobilise traders and consumers in the major markets of Japan and the US to stop buying bluefin tuna from this fishery. Notes to the editors: • On Wednesday 5 July the report will be presented to EU Commissioner Joe Borg, responsible for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, at a meeting with environmental NGOs to discuss illegal fishing amongst other issues. • The study commissioned by WWF, The plunder of bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean and East Atlantic in 2004 and 2005 - Uncovering the real story, is conducted for WWF by independent consultancy Advanced Tuna Ranching Technologies (ATRT SL ©®™). • The information in the report result from official customs data on external trade and from data related to traffic of specialised bluefin tuna containers out of the Mediterranean. While such figures entail a minimum illegal overquota catch of 40 per cent, accounting for bluefin tuna harvested for Spanish, French and Italian internal markets would point to total catches in excess of 50,000 tonnes. • Photographs and TV footage are available to accompany this press release. • Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) are the main mechanism developed by States to regulate fishing on the high seas - areas beyond national laws. Currently, there are 42 contracting parties to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). For a full listing visit: ttp://www.iccat.es/contracting.htm. For further information: Carol Phua Fisheries Policy Officer WWF European Policy Office Tel: +32 2 7400928 Email: cphua@wwfepo.org Claudia Delpero Communications Manager WWF European Policy Office Tel: +32-2-7400925 Mobile: +32 497 406381 Email: cdelpero@wwfepo.org http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_wo...m?uNewsID=74860

Seeing you couldn't find "one single bass" after spending "loads of time looking" why are you so concerned that a conservation plan might be put in place? After all it's hardly going to reduce the amount you're catching is it now, given what you've just said?

Well we've had the acid rain - looks like the acid ocean is on it's way.

Ha that's easy for you to say. Have you ever tried chucking a really big rock back?

I wouldn't muck about. I'd go for this... Lochin 40 Americano Flybridge (1999) £225,000 To check it out look in the Resale Boats section of this site www.lochin.com

Cracking fish thurso.

This just says it all really! Basically you're saying if the fish isn't already dead when the net is hauled it deseves to be executed anyway because of all the trouble and inconvenience it has caused by getting tangled up in the net. I guess this goes for dolphins and turtles too eh?

But wouldn't you have just claimed the VAT back on your VAT return?

You could also try Deal which you can get to from London Bridge. Deal station is about 500 yards from Deal pier and the beach.

Not used either of them but there's been quite a lot of discussion on this topic in various forums over the past months and the general consensus of opinion appears to overwhelmingly be that the multi-piece rods are superior to the telescopic rods. Maybe check out the Shimano Beastmaster STC Surf or the Fox Trek - both of which I've seen recommended by a number of people. You can check them here... http://www.spottydogtackle.com/index.html?...arget=d120.html

Try Interlink Express. Veals use them to deliver their 6' tripods.

No chance mate.

I recently bought an Abu reel off Mark on ebay and would just like to add my recommendation to this list. Thanks Mark it's a great reel.