Unimexsol

Just back from this evening's fishing. Myself and my brother in law had a couple of smallish perch and a tiny roach all on maggot. However I put the small roach out for pike but unfortunately instead of being livebait the little roach died. Next to where I fish there is a little pool which I walked round and using a torch to look in the water I saw what looked like a little Jack pike I estimated it as being about 2-3lbs from it's length. Quickly and quietly I went back to where my rod was (not in the water as I wouldn't leave a rod unattended!) and dropped the little roach right in front of the pike. I jigged it up and down a couple of times and then suddenly when I went to jig it again there was quite some resistance! There had been absolutely no sign of a bite on the float but by crikey this little pike had taken it. I struck and after a bit of fight I landed the pike. I'd underestimated it's weight by at least half! It was just on the bigger side of 6lbs, not huge but it really had some strength. Safely landed, unhooked and away it swam again. We fished on but packed up at about 1am ish. Then we decided to walk along the canal to see if we could use the torch to see any other fish. We saw loads of little roach, dace and perch all of about 5-6 inches long, then suddenly my brother in law let slip a swear word as he pointed to where the torch was now showing 4-5 large perch. These all had to be well, well over a pound I threw a couple of maggots in to see if they'd eat them but they showed absolute indifference. We carried on walking up and saw loads of other fish, including a small jack of about 10-12 inches, a couple of tench to about 1lb, a couple of decent sized roach and a couple of other large fish which I wasn't able to clearly identify - I think that they were bream but they disappeared before I could be sure. Sorry but no photo's of the pike as some lowlife stole my camera 'phone from the pub the other night and the replacement that I'm using doesn't have a camera. I hope that sometime soon I'll be able to get 'photos of the big perch as I will now be targeting them next time I go fishing. An order of large worms to go please.

Will you be raking the bottom before you start fishing or are you fishing too far out for this to be practical?

I remember catching a very small fish when I was a youngster that my dad identified for me as a Stone Loach. I've never seen another being caught, is that because they are uncommon or just that I fish in slower waters now?

I don't think you actually need a license in this situation. However why not get yourself a license and take yourself fishing so that you can get out and go by yourself as well.

Sorry rarepleasures I can't help you with your hunt for a small slammo, however I'm glad that you brought this thread back to the top as it always makes me smile. A year ago I wrote I usually use an alloy disgorger that I've had since I was a kid unfortunately I managed to lose it a couple of weeks ago. Whilst I went out and bought a replacement I'm still really gutted that I managed to lose that - I had been using it for over 20 years. Silly how you can get attached to a little bit of kit isn't it.

The problem is free so often means unregulated and that can result in 'commons syndrome'. There is no such think as a free lunch. Well, I pay tax and I pay for my rod licence. I believe that those things go towards the upkeep of the London parks and the waters therein (well at least I think that they are supposed to!). I do understand what you are saying but I would like to see more waters that have free fishing, if you go back 20-30 years then it was not uncommon for waters to be free to fish. Alas now there are very few.

because its regularly fished people's behavoiur is moderated by social pressure and they keep their dogs under control This is an important part. If you can regenerate interest in fishing at the Heath and attract a few anglers then you may well find that it becomes almost self sufficient as most anglers will act responsibly and this influences others to do the same. I would particularly like to see the fishing at Hampstead Heath kept free. It is a great shame that there are so few free fishing waters left in my opinion. It sounds like clearing some of the swims might be a good start Joolspools. Please keep us updated on here as I for one would like to come and fish there once any issues have been resolved and once the season starts.

It seems we got there just as the fish stopped biting! I saw 5 other guys who had caught earlier in the day and most of the fish looked to be around 5-6lb. Unfortunately neither myself, my dad or my two cousins had any takes. Apparently the Causeway (just between 4+5) with Buzzers is the place to be. 4 fish ticket was £18, 2 fish ticket £13. We all had a lovely day despite not catching anything. In particular my dad enjoyed it and is hoping to go fishing in Erith, Cambs next week. I might join him.

Well, we're off there this afternoon, I'll let you know how it went when we get back.

Since you're on here Joolpools, do you have to pay to fish at Hampstead Heath? If so how much? What sort of species are there in the ponds? Is there a close season in effect on the ponds? (I'm assuming that there is as you need these leaflets ready for June 16th)?

Many of the London canals have Pike to reasonable size.

Is Walthamstow not still run by Thames Water? Any other local (within 3 miles) fisheries that you might suggest. TBH it's very likely that we'll be fishing Walthamstow despite the problems that you've mentioned, so any tips about the area would be most appreciated.

Any particular reason Jedi?

I think that it's the same principle but this was a add on to enable ANY centrepin to be used like that.

I've just come back from visiting my dad for a couple of days. Vagabond, apparently the steel rod is an Apollo. Judging from your post I'm guessing that it's a good rod? Or just a rare one? I also picked up one of the split cane rods and was suprised that it wasn't as heavy as I was expecting! It's looking more and more likely that I'll start using one. Would a split cane still be suitable for piking or should I stick with my carbon-fibre for that? He also showed me a wonderful contraption that enables you to use a centrepin reel like a fixed spool. The item itself was the simplest thing but one that I'd never have thought of in a million years! Unfortunately I think he sold off his Alcock's reels a few years ago but he's still got more fishing equipment than you can shake a rod at. Although he's got a little bit less now seeing as he gave me a few of his old floats (mainly homemade), a fly rod and a three piece coarse rod. Please keep your fingers crossed that the weather is good in a week's time as he's coming down to London and myself and my cousin are going fly-fishing with him at Walthamstow resevoirs (his health permitting).

I don't know enough about reels to comment on a specific model but what I'd recommend is that when you go to the shop to ask them to fit one to a rod and see how it feels. Things to bear in mind are weight and ease of use. Personally I use a cheap Shakespeare reel for most of my fishing as I find it easy to adjust the clutch and also easy to switch between clutch and backwind. If you intend to use the reel for pike/lure fishing then you'll probably find this important. One of my other reels is a Mitchell, which is ok but I find it much more difficult to switch between clutch and backwind and as a result it isn't used as much.

My dad, my cousin and myself are likely to go fly fishing at Walthamstow Resevoirs next week. Whilst my dad is a pretty good angler, I'm a novice and my cousin is a complete beginner. Any hints or tips about where to fish, what fly to use, dry or wet etc would be most gratefully received.

I suppose that it would also depend on whether it's a whole deadbait or a half of mackerel? I usually fish a half of mackeral so that it hangs vertically but I don't do that much deadbait fishing.

I got really cross about the Mail's coverage of this as it cited it as another example of gun culture. No, the man was a shooting fanatic. He isn't some 16 year kid who is carrying a gun as part of some gang fashion statement. Anyway, still tragic. RIP to both the men.

I think you are getting a bit confused here, the River Lee, is a river and subsequently there is the traditional close season. Right next to the River Lee is the Lee Navigational Canal, which is a canal and as such has no close season. The Canal then gets classed as a riverine system above Aqueduct Lock (Nr Hertford I think) and reverts to having a close season. So, in short, the river is a river and has a close season, the canal is a canal and doesn't.

The cooler you can keep them the better. If you are doing an afternoon's fishing and plan to use the same batch of maggots the next day then try to replace the bait box lid and keep them in the shade. Wherever you keep them I highly recommend that you don't forget about them as opening a 4 week old box of dead rotting maggots is an olafactory experience that you won't want to repeat!

Whilst I really enjoy Piking and love the muscular battle my favourite fish has to be a decent Perch caught on light float fishing tackle, ideally on a Perch Bobber float and with either maggot or worm as bait. I'm always impressed how much of a fight a Perch will put up. They are also the most beautifully coloured fish too. I love them.

I'm pretty sure that they are Myster. Still I can't blame them. As for him catching a BIG one, well, who knows what's going to take the bait on your next cast? TBH, it'd probably help him to catch a few small Jacks first so that when he does hook into a biggun he'll know how to cope and what to do.

Well, took my other son fishing today. Unfortunately it had clouded over a bit when we got to the spot and the temperature had dropped a bit so I wasn't expecting it to be a catch a chuck! I told my son this in an attempt to manage his expectations. I got a few bites and managed to miss them all then he caught a little perch. Using the perch as livebait we put out a rod for large perch/pike. Didn't get a bite for ages, then my son popped into the bushes to have a wee. As soon as he went the pike float went! I managed to strike it and at first thought it might be a largish perch as it didn't seem to have the pull of a pike, however I was wrong and could see that it was in fact a small (2-3lb) jack pike. My son got back just in time to try and bring the pike in the last few yards. He did and all was going well right up until the moment I put the net down to land the fish. My son momentarily dipped the end of the rod and with a flick of his tail and a shake of his head Mr Jack Pike had released the bait. He really enjoyed it though and has said that he will come again.

Went out this afternoon at about 2.30pm, fished in one spot for just over 3 hours without even a sniff of a bit, the water was a bit choppy too and I decided to move spots. 5 miles up the road through rush hour traffic and I get to the next spot. I tried everything, slow sinking maggot, worm, caster, bread, the whole shebang. Nothing. Varied depths, baited regularly, Nada. I also had a rod out for Pike with a half mackerel on a single hook. Eventually at about 8.30pm this got a take. Float dipped under and I struck, at first I thought I'd missed the bite but then whack the rod bent big time and I thought I was in with a good fish. The next second nothing, I retrieved and the bait was still there, but no Esox! I'm guessing that I struck a little too early and that the pike had just grabbed the bait and then let go. Half an hour later, my float on my other rod finally went under and I caught what I think was a roach/bream hybrid. Roach colouration but shaped more like a bream. Not big but still worthwhile. I packed up at 10pm, just as I was taking the pike rod down there was a massive swirl exactly where the pike float had been. I saw a lovely big pike right where my bait had been minutes earlier! It actually surfaced twice - I reckon it was just having a look to make sure that I was going. Fingers crossed for tomorrow night, I'm taking son number 2 and I hope that we have more luck that last week when I took his brother!