MordenMike

I understand where you are coming from Vagabond concerning hybrids, but I will worry about that if I get a big 'un. the roach i have caught so far have looked true to me , but I wouldn't know about down to the molecular level. Casters are a good shout, they do sort out a better stamp of fish. my biggest problem is that I just enjoy catching fish and watching the float go under and I always find it hard to ignore small and medium sized fish and just sitting it out for the chance of a big one. which is probably why I haven't caught one! I keep intending to be a bit more discerning and next time I will be....maybe mike

I have been fishing a fairly small commercial lake (about 3 acres) which holds some good sized roach to over 2lb+. it holds lots of tench and crucians so winter is the easiest time to target the roach. I have caught them to over the pound or so floatfishing maggot. any ideas on how to sort out the big boys ? i'm thinking legered bread or worm, anyone got a cunning plan for me?

thanks gents, I have done exactly that. I found some Abu Garcia rocket oil and a light smearing of bike grease for the gears and all was humming along smoothly yesterday. mike

thanks gents, I have done exactly that. I found some Abu Garcia rocket oil and a light smearing of bike grease for the gears and all was humming along smoothly yesterday. mike

Hi I am giving my Match a bit of an overhaul and am not sure what type of grease is suitable for the gears etc, will any any easily obtainable grease be suitable or must it be a specialist product ? I assume it needs to be fairly light and good for a widish range of temperatures any suggestions? cheers mike

I can also vouch for the Fox Barbel Float, I've had one for a few years now and landed some nice fish on it, none of them barbel though! quality rod.

Hi all, I have a shakespeare fixed spool which has a knackered clutch, can anybody recomend a reliable reel repair workshop? I am based in west sussex (not sure if that has any relevence though apart from saving on postage!) thanks mike

I can second the recommendation for the Nash Daddy Longlegs, it is slightly taller with arm rests and has proved very comfortable for the 10 or so years I have had it. only downside is its not the lightest of chairs, which, with a bad back, may be an issue in itself. mike

Depends what you mean by range ! the swims i fish don't usually allow more than 30metres and it picks up well. I usually use it with my trusty mitchell match and 3lb mainline and feels nicely balanced. If I do get kippered by decent fish it's usually my own damn fault when a chub spots a snag right under my rod tip before I do! mike

Steve I have a Matchpro Ultrllight 14' and use it for most of my float fishing, river and lake and really like it. I would n't use it for heavier work anything over 4lb mainline but I use it for trotting and caught plenty of chub on it, but it's not a rod for bullying fish on though. Excellent piece of kit. Mike

I have heard that one or two on here even use them for fishing.....only a rumour though mike

That looks like a contender - thanks Steve Mike

Now that its actually cold enough to need to wear a coat I think I need a new one (xmas pressie to myself) does anyone have any recommendations? Needs to be: Warm Waterproof 3/4 length under 200 quid NOT camo thanks Mike

I live opposite the Arun and had a quick walk along the stretch opposite and could see no evidence of a problem on this bit, it seems the affected stretch is just downstream. The EA acted pretty quickly so hopefully it has limited the damage and we've had a lot of rain but I don't know whether thats a good or a bad thing. and I guess it will be a while before the true extent becomes clear and that those responsible will be prosecuted and made to pay for any restocking that will be necessary.

He still writes a monthly column for the Times and whilst he's mainly a game angler I've always enjoyed his articles and certainly haven't found his writing as flawed as you suggest. But I haven't read his 'On fishing' yet so I have just added it to my birthday list, and if my wife can find it I'll have a read and see if his style is better suited to the shorter format rather than the longer. mike

My target for the close season is to finish decorating the bedroom I started last close season! I have a very patient wife but I'm sure she will remind me of something else I said I'd do.....

Personally I'd stick with the waggler approach, its not a big lake and you won't need to fish to far out, you'll still get decent presentation if the bites are a bit finicky. i'd loose feed as well(unless the wind blows it straight back in your face!) wouldn't put too much feed in to start. i'm biased though I'll always use a float if I can. mike

Tony The advice given on the website about winter fishing is pretty accurate, float fish light, singel maggot feeding little and often etc on the pole or waggler. I was down there last weekend and cought roach and rudd on said methods and the water was cold and still partly frozen, so as its milder I reckon it should fish ok. Not sure the crucians will feed though. Good luck mike

Yes, I've seen the usual numbers on my local stretches of the Mole, including a pair chasing each other noisily up and down the river for half the day. Seen a few herons as well this year. I was slightly hoping that the local parakeet population might have taken a bit of a hit, but the noisy buggers seem to have adapted (a bit too) well!

Any one NOT going to go fishing during the close season? or am I one of the few? It's obviously a purely personal choice and I think the fish deserve a bit of a break from anglers (although I haven't been bothering them much myself recently!) Maybe I'm just a bit of a masochist and enjoy the pain of waiting for June

Strangely enough the end of the fishing season coincides precisely with the start of the decorating season.didn't know that till I got married, can't remember who told me...might have been the wife... Still its a short season I think it ends about mid-june!

It is true, Tiddlertamer, I have had it happen many times to me at Bury Hill. The water is not particularly deep in a lot of the swims and when hooked they belt off and leap clean out of the water! but after this initial exitement they usually revert to type and give up.

All on the waggler, I never leger at BH I enjoy float fishing far too much! The tench do go, I beleive, to around 9lb(best I've had top at just above 6) The new batch seem to be in the 2-5lb range.

Chris I fished BuryHill a couple of weeks back (last day of the fishing season) and had 20 tench and a dozen or so bream all on double red maggot from, I think, peg 29. I didn't bother with ground bait just loose fed. It has been recently restocked with tench which probably explains my good fortune. As the weather warms up (!) the fish move into the shallower swims and also take bigger baits (I've often done ok on pellet for bream and tench). Hope this helps good luck Mike

Glad to hear that they'll be out and about....but why give the warning?