Marginmaster

A) How long have you been fishing after the age of 12? 21 How many days a year do you fish? 80 odd C) How many times have you had your Rod Licence checked (by official WA/NRA/EA baillif as opposed to club baillif or fishery owner)? Caught without a second licience for third rod first year that rule was introduced been checked every year at least once, three times last year.

Its Freshwater Shark for me everytime, just a bit tricky to find these days.

Best of luck mate, whats your approach going to be, fill it in or slowly slowly catchy monkey......

I snapped my Fly rod while conger fishing, but that was just stupid !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was wondering how this was all going to turn out, I thought Polly was spot on initially and would have replied the same if I hadn't engaged brain (no offense had time to read the other replys which sort of took the edge off). Glad to see everyone acted as adults........

Right then, here's unconditional proof, I was arrested for poaching and given a three year caution when I was 18 or 19 for fishing (not catching) on a private pool. The landowner had taken the car reg and passed it onto the police who turned up at my house (parents really happy about that). Now that I'm a bit older, i would probably not fish a water that I didn't have permission to fish, and if I did I would probably be too nervous to enjoy it anyway.

Great story.... particuarly the bit about the fish showing and you relaxing, know that feeling so well.

Tony, thats great, see what you can do !

Newt Interesting that you have expereinceed the same turn off when snails are in abundance, sort of backs up what I have seen. Pete Cheers for that, I'm from Brum so a trip to the tidal trent would have to be worth it, can you narrow the area where you think I would be able to find snails down a bit at all. Elton, Just emailed them so I'll see what response I get, cheers. Stu.

Chris, Yup used mussels myself as baits before and caught well. The thing is, that I have done some research and my belief is that carp can literally turn into snail eaters when the conditions for large blooms of water snails are right on the water, they become preoccupied on the really small snails working over them like a bed of hemp. I also know that one of the tanks at Sparsholt became overrun with snails, they dropped some carp in and next morning not a snail could be seen, which is pretty good evidence for them being preferred as a carp food. We all talk about naturals and proabably assume stuff like bloodworm is what fish become preoccupied on when they seem to turn off when conditions should be right to catch, I reckon they are muching snails. Food for thought. S

The other thing you could try is prebaiting with chopped worm red maggott and caster and a mollasses ground bait, the night before or 48hrs before your session, they should be there waiting for ya.

I can handle a forty pound carp no problem actually quite enjoy it, especially if you have to cradle the fish in the water while it recovers, thats even better that the fight sometimes. But and its a BIG BUT, take me sea fishing and catch me some mackerel or pollack and I go really girly and cant touch them, god knows why, just wish I could ask him. Anyone know a vicar !!

Hi folks, I want to get my hand on fresh water snails in reasonable bulk i.e 1/2 kilo / kilo at a time, to add both crushed and whole to my spod mix, bags, use as margin feed, hook baits etc etc. Any ideas Anyone used snails before for carp ? S

A pretty standard mix for me would be :- Tin Frenzied Hemp and Juice Tin of Meaty Marine Groundbait 3 sizes of pellet Salmon small tin of corn 1/2 Kilo of boilie crump 1/2 Kilo of Whole and Boilie chops Tin of Tuna in Sunflower oil Hemp oil Salmon oil Additions depending on water or approach could be Dendrobenas Muscles (chopped whole or liquidised) Casters Swimstim Prawns (Chopped whole or Liquidised Cockles Lupins Rape seed Robin Red sardine and anchovy meal CLO etc etc etc Hope this helps

Where about are you going, north or south, which airport were you looking to fly into, I reguarly go to Ireland and as long as you book well in advance you can get flights for 30 or 40 quid. accomodation can be cheap aswell, only the weekend before last I stayed, with thre others for three nights in a three bed cottage 2 en suites and all mod cons, for 120 Euro thats 10 Euro per night per person, and had superb beach and rock fishing omn the front door. Stu.

Superb response from Mr Heylin, I have now sent a similar letter myself, anyone else going to support Mr H. Thanks, Stuart

Folks, So sad to see in the news over the last couple of weeks, the problems that anglers have had to endure in the face of violent activity by anti Angling groups. A few questions I would like to pose to the forum :- 1) What professional bodies do we have that can react publicly to these events ? 1a) What are these bodies doing now on our behalf to counter the threat ? 1b) What do forum members think they should be doing ? 2) Is there any advice on what precautions fisheries should be taking. 3) What can we legaly do to defend ourselves in the evenyt of a violent bankside attack. 4)Why in the most recent case of thirty thigs attacking men and women on a fly fishery, where there were dozens of police including the chopper were no arrests made, something v wrong there. 5) What can we do to take the fight back to the anti's S. P.s With the amount of forum members on here its quite a loud voice I would imagine can't we set up a petition or something perhaps even a poll dunno

Hiya, Yup thats one great stretch of river, if you go again walk down to the boat house, be quiet and you will see the loads of big chub hanging around or in the boat house. S

Hi, I'm off to Donegal on the west cost of Ireland this weekend to a place called Glencolmcille and hope to fish in Glen Bay. Has anyone fished up that way, I have heard the beach fishing can be extreemly good and was looking for advice on rigs bait, what I might be able to catch. I've heard stories of Big bass pollack cod and even blue fin tuna I'd be inetrested to hear from anyone thats been up that way. Thanks, Stu

Shall I start the guessing game then...... Vauxhall ???

There is a few things I do, my pits are clear as a whistle aswell :- 1) Use a clear leader, the wychwood ones are good, hug the bottom and a pretty invisible, behind this use 10 ft of flurocarbon as a leader. 2) If you can walk the Margins in chestwaders, try finding some dinner plates (feeding spots where the silt is harder or has been cleaned back to the gravel, usually no bigger than a dustbin lid, drop your rig and as you walk back to your swim tread the leader and mainline into the silt. 3)Use dark baits so that the waterfoul have trouble picking them up. 4) you can camou up your rig to make it look like a stick or twig. Go to a model shop and pick up some fake grass and gravel, the stuff they use to make trees and grass on model railweays, get some super glue and holding the rig so it hangs verticaly let a drop of glue run down the rig, then roll it in the grass and gravel let it dry and you will have a proper "Stick" rig. 5)Fish at night (shouldn't need to explain that). 6)If a swim is approached in the same way by most people, i.e the lines in the swim always come from the same place and angle try to fish the swim from a different spot so that the angle of the line is different, it can fool a fish or two. Hope this helps. Stu

Gaz, Come on then how did you get on, hope you enjoyed yourself. P.s Anyone catch the storm on Saturday, I was on Linear in Oxfod and it was one hell of an afternoon.

Phone Quality Baits (google for web site and telephone number) ask to speak to Simon, he should be able to recomend a binder and rolling solution.

Excuse the ignorance but what is a maize ball ???