Ferg

All these methods work. I personally just cover the pellets with boiling water and leave for an hour or so. This is for paste fishing using a pole. I don't think it would work with a waggler at distance as the paste would fly off with the force of the cast.

I'd keep failing so I could retake my exam. Any excuse to go fishing

How does this help a kid in later life? It doesn't but it does help the school tick another box to say that they are attaining the required pass marks. School should be about learning things to help kids progress. Although I have absolutely nothing against teaching kids to fish, I encourage it whenever I can, surely its something that has a hobby should be learnt in their own time. By the way whats the exam? A match with first getting an A and if you blank its unclassified?

Try to get a rapport going with your local tackle dealer. He will a point you in the right direction (coz he wants your custom next time) and he'll try to do you a good price (coz he wants your money). I would always try to give my local guy a chance at al least trying to match the price of a like for like bit of kit with anything on-line coz as Janet says we need these people (it's hard to buy maggots and casters on-line you know - you can but its hard). Also if you buy locally and your tackle shop is anything worth its salt if there is a problem they will change the offending item, theres no return fees and no Oh it's been lost in the post. Sorry went off on a bit of one there.

Crouchie Do you know which lake/lakes you will be fishing on?

Fishin the Lancy isn't like fishing a river where you stalk fish. You have to develop a swim, feed it and the fish will come to the feed eventually.

If it was new take it back. You don't pay that amount of money for faulty goods.

The reason Monastries had Carp ponds was that the friars (no pun intended) were only allowed to eat fish on Fridays and there was no links from the coast to get fresh fish to them in the olden days.

I used to use it all the time for my rigs but have gone back to Silstar. I find the preston stuff kinks too easy. Always have some in my box though in case I need a beefier rig which I can use as a one off and then trash afterwards.

We were only talking about this over the weekens. Mate swears by Middy Hi Viz and fishes it on local commercials. It should cope with carp 4-5 lbs as long as you don't try to bully them to the net.

If you want to make the small type pots for feeding whilst fishing go to any Film Processing shop and ask them to save you some of the containers the films come in. Make a hole about 3/4 of the way down so that the connector and stonfo will just go through. As the lids are really tight you can experiment by say, drilling a few small holes in the lid so bait sprinkles out when you tap the pole or cut the middle out of the lid but leave a rim so there is less chance of bait spilling out as you are shipping your pole out. Roosts for top sections. These are only really needed if you have a lot of tops which you intend to set up all at once, for example in a match. If you just have 1-2, use a couple of rod rests to keep them off the ground so you dont stand on them. A cupping kit - again depends on how much pole fishing you do. In England a lot of commercial waters wont let you throw groundbait in it either has to be cupped or put in with a feeder. Rollers - I have found to my cost recently that the V rollers aren't much good in the wind. You have to be careful because a lot of rollers look pretty substantial but are just plastic. They aren't much cop coz the first gust of wind and they are over and you've a broken pole section (I've a Preston Innovation V Roller which are more substantial but in the high winds this spring I've already lost one sectio costing me £150) Flat rollers are better. The Boss ones even though they have really spindly legs are the best so look out for second hand. I hope this is of help and you catch loads with your pole.

Snakey1 Try taking off the first digit of your number. Its probably actually the last digit of your area code (if that makes sense).

Thats a bit of a disappointment as it as worked on all the numbers of people I experimented on im my address book. It even works on my mobile number if you dont use the 07number at the start. Just use the 6 digit number.

The fish I hook always seem to know where the best snags are!!!

Agreed Elton. Always has time for a word at exibitions etc. True gentleman and deserves the title Sir for contribution to angling (some have got knighthoods for less).

I hope this hasn't already been posted. Here is a maths trick so unbelievable that it will stump you. Personally I would like to know who came up with this and why that person is not running the country.... 1. Grab a calculator. (You won't be able to do this one in your head) 2. Key in the first three digits of your home phone number (NOT the area code) 3 Multiply by 8 4. Add 1 5. Multiply by 250 6. Add the last 3 digits of your phone number 7. Add the last 3 digits of your phone number again. 8. Subtract 250 9. Divide number by 2 Do you recognize the answer?

Expensive baits aren't always the answer. According to Keith Arthur, and I tend to agree, the best sweetcorn for hook bait is Tesco my choice which is about 10p a tin!

If your talking Daiwa Yank n Bank its rating is Red Hydro which is equivalent to twenties elastic so you should have no problem with the fish you are catching. With regard to the line it depends how big the fish are where you fish. My margin pole as red hydro and there are times when I'll fish 4 or 5lb straight through. The other thing with this is about being confident what your pole can do and believe me most can do more than you think. The idea of a lighter hook length is for when the fish are shy feeding like in the winter or if there are really big fish which could take the bait then you just want to loose the hook length instead of your whole rig or even snap the pole. Daiwa Yank n Bank is quality so you should have no probs. Its on my list for new tackle when a bit of spare cash comes along.

Shows like this used to be brilliant. I always went to this one and also the one at Chatsworth House. The first couple of times all the big names were there Sensas, Daiwa, Browning but over the years they stopped going. I think its the influx of either unbranded or own branded goods which have driven the big companies away because they just can't, or don't want to compete with someone who can sell two reels for a tenner.

After you have been fishing if you are re-freezing your hemp pour the liquid into a plastic bottle and stick that in the freezer as well. Its great for either using to mix groundbait or making up paste as it as a lot of the oil from the hemp in it.

Am I missing the point here? Surely it isn't in the interests of owners of day ticket waters especially, to not ask for valid EA licences. They are charging say £7 for a day ticket, then you have to buy their bait. They are not going to turn someone away. The only way this would work if there were penalties for owners who let people fish illegally.

Peeps. thanks for all your feedback. Judging by it, it seems like my mate wouldn't be wasting is money. Anyway even when I was a lad you'd have stuggled to get a 12/13' rod and reel for £25. Thanks again

Greetings all been away for a bit (no not like that, i've just got a new computer and had probs getting back on the interweb thingy). A friend is looking to buy a couple of rods and reels (one feeder and one float) and even though my policy when I offer advise is always buy the best you can afford my local tackle shop has some of these Ron Thompson rods on offer and as offered my mate, through me, both a match rod and a feeder rod, each with reel with pre-loaded line etc for 50 quid. Has anyone used thes products, They are marketed sometimes as Xensorflex i think. Appreciate any feedback alternative which may help the site.

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I must agree. I have had a Diawa 11'6 wiskar tip rod for about 10 years now and it is superb. It cost a bit when I bought it even by todays standards but its been to Ireland every year and I've always caught well. I also have a 12' Porky Pig rod. I've had that for years and it always serves me well on the river, not that I get on the river much any more. I'm hoping that Father Christmas will bring me one of the New Diawa Poles but I've only 2 hopes of that No hope and Bob Hope!