Unimexsol

Thanks for the replys guys. Anyone wanna buy a secondhand self cocking pike float - only used once!

Cheers Chavender, it was the 4x4 rods that I was looking at. Glad that you've said that they are ok, I'll get one on Monday. Right I'm off now, have a good weekend all, tight lines.

That's what I thought you might say. BTW I'm still waiting for your email about next week.

Had to pop into Canary Wharf at lunchtime and remembering some of the threads on here also stopped at Canada Water. Was walking round the water when I noticed that there was a sports superstore there (Decathlon), went in and was astonished at the variance in the price of some of the stuff: £2.50 for a pint of maggots, £3.80 for a pint of casters. £10 for a 3.5m telescopic rod with reel, £10 for a "lure" rod (it was actually more like a boat rod for sea-fishing), £7.50 for a 7ft 2piece rod and reel. Anyone bought anything from there? Is any of it up to the job?

I've tried livebaiting with a self cocking pike float on several occasions and each time it has resulted in me getting a massive birds nest near the float. What I'm assuming is that the little roach or whatever is tying the line up as he swims about. Anyone else had similar problems and what is the solution (apart from not using self cockers)? Thanks

What about raking the bottom? This should disturb the silt etc and colour the water, Tench are often attracted by the disturbance and may go for larger baits that they think have been stirred up from the bottom.

Russell, you should have PM now. Maybe one evening next week?

Cheers Sportsman Dave. It's not what I wanted to hear, but I appreciate it anyway. I've still got one of the rods that he made for me so it's not the end of the world. It's a shame though, I really liked that rod and there was of course the sentimental aspect to it too. My dad's still alive but at the age of 81 his eyesight isn't really upto whippng the eyes on anymore. :-( Maybe I'll buy some blanks and he can show me how to do it...

Ok, I'm confused now it is the Lea Valley but they look far more like the picture of the whiteclaw than the signal. Colouring is not red for a start. I'll try and get a picture of one.

Cheers Newt, Definitely White Claw then. Any idea why the sudden population explosion or is it that I've just never noticed them before?

Thought I'd pop out for a couple hours last night and all was ok until my final cast. There was a loud crack and the top half of the rod flew about 10ft whilst the I was left holding the bottom half. I'm particularly upset as my dad made the rod for me about 20 years ago with some carbon? blanks that he'd got. It broke at the joint, looks like the female part just disintegrated - anyone know if there's any chance of me getting it fixed?

River Lea Navigational Canal. As for claw sizes I don't know what I'm comparing with. I guess that the claw is approx 1/3rd of body length, at a very rough guess.

Last season it was crabs, this season it seems to be crayfish! Last season it was almost impossible to deadbait where I fish as the place was crawling with crabs, I was told that they were Chinese Mitten Crabs but I wouldn't be able to confirm this as I only know how to tell a hermit crab from any other sort! This season there are suddenly hundreds of crayfish. I seem to remember my dad telling me that crayfish were a good sign in a river or lake as they would only live in clean water but this would have been many years ago so I could be wrong. I've heard that there's been an influx of american red signal crayfish, but these crayfish don't look red to me. Are they the uk's indigenous species? Why are they suddenly all over the canal? So which crustacean should I expect next year? And are any of them any good as bait/or to eat?

Yeah, it went well. He caught some (5 I think) and it went well. I think possibly we could have packed up earlier as he seemed to be getting a little tired towards the end - then he caught his biggest one of the evening (5" skimmer bream) which revived him a bit. He wants to go again, so maybe Thursday evening, maybe at the weekend. No deer last night but I did take my torch and was able to pick out and show him the crayfish in the river using it.

Got home from work last night and decided to go fishing, out of politeness I asked my two 14 year old boys if they fancied coming with me. They've been fishing a couple of times each before about 2-3 years ago but have declined my offers ever since with typical teenage distain. Imagine my surprise then when one of them decided that he would join me! We got out quite late (about 10ish) and only fished for a couple of hours but he caught 3 and wants to come again tonight! I'm really looking forward to it. Just got to persuade him to start putting his own maggots on the hook now! Finally to top it off, just as I was walking to the car to pack the rods away I heard a massive disturbance in the bushes by the car. TBH it made me jump abit, then something ran out from the undergrowth, at first I thought it was going to be a large fox but to my amazement it was a small deer! In Enfield, in London! Brilliant, it's part of the reason I love fishing - you see wildlife that you'd never imagine lived so close.

I think so? Just near the A406 North Circ. and the new Tesco's and Ikea?

Minnow from a stream near the Black Prince pub on the A2 (London/Kent??). Still got the 6ft Winfield rod that I caught it on and I still use the rod alot. Must have caught more fish on that little "kids" rod than all my other rods put together.

Sounds good to me. Was fishing the stretch by the bus garages on Friday evening but it has suddenly got really weedy over the last week. Not a single take unfortunately. :-( First time I've been there and blanked for a long time. Yes, I'm still up for meeting up and I am suitably reassured by your declarations of sexuality. To me a butt plug is something that keeps the end of my fishing rod from damage. ;-)

I am fed up with ready made snap tackle. I've lost count of the number of trebles that have come off the wire trace, number of trebles where one or more of the hooks have snapped off and the several rigs where the whole trace has snapped. I have now bought a pack of trebles, some wire and crimps and have started to make up my own kits. I affix the bottom treble with a mahseer knot which is then crimped and use a surgeons knot at the top, again crimped. Have others had the same problem with shop bought stuff or am I just unlucky. Is this the way you'd recommend to set up your traces?

Hi Steve, I regularly fish the Lea in Tottenham and would recommend the whole stretch. Quite near Enfield Lock station is a small inlet between the river and the canal called The Swan and Pike Pool. I often fish near there, and take smaller pike regularly. Unfortunately I've not had any really large ones yet but I've seen a couple of very large ones. I hope that this post isn't going to mean that I can't get a peg when I go there next!!! Oh, it does cost to fish the Lea, I think it's about 3 quid a day. There are plenty of places near Waltham Abbey to catch pike and that's relatively easy to get to. Hope this is of some use.

Actually, you won't have a PM as I keep getting this message when I try to PM you - "You are not allowed to use the messenger feature on this board" I'm guessing it's because I'm new - either that or because my computer hates me (as usual). In essence my Pm was just going to say that yes, I'd be up for spending a couple of hours fishing with you if you like.

You've got pm. (or will have in a minute anyway.) I've never fished any tidal freshwater - yet. You are also either up very early this morning or going to bed very late!

Mainly Jacks but there are a few big ones in there. Also some nice carp - very difficult to catch though. Biggest problem is a certain part of the community seem to regard taking the pike and the carp to their kitchens as perfectly acceptable.

Will accept all tips - prefer cash Usually livebait for Pike in the Lea, occasionally Deadbait, once in a blue moon I'll go spinning. From Argyll's comments above though I may try spinning in the Shadwell Basin for these large perch, it'll make a change.

Erm, pretty much what the title says. Was looking for information on fishing the Shadwell basin on google and this site came up so I thought I'd join. I'm mid 30's, been fishing since I was 7, mainly fish the River Lea Navigational Canal in London these days - Tottenham, Enfield Lock but have just got a job in Wapping and am considering fishing the basin or perhaps even the Thames after work sometimes. Not a specialist in any sense of the word but I do enjoy piking. Don't get excited, I've not caught any monsters...yet. Any tips much appreciated.