Recent content by John Spilsbury

Long time since this thread was posted, but having accidentally rediscovered it, I thought I should add what I eventually did. Still use the reel left handed, but I now have the line coming off the top of the spool, which allows me to use the clutch on those occasions when I feel like using...

Well at low clear water I guess they should be visible, as they need to protect fish at all levels of flow. If the screens just cover the inlet/outlet size they would need very regular leaf cleaning. When I went to see my local Torrs Hydro at New Mills I wasn't able to see. I wasn't able to...

If it was only a "near divorce", then, in order to maximize fishing time you obviously need a bigger bait disaster.

This thread refers to the Angling Trust Document mentioned in another thread. If you have not seen it go look at the following mangled fish picture. It is on the Angling Trust News /Home page. Most hydropower schemes are a waste of taxpayers' money and damaging to the environment, says new...

But isn't glass supposedly a liquid Glenn? (according to popular myth) :-)

But isn't glass supposedly a liquid Glenn? :-)

Would anyone like to make a suggestion for a lure/spinning rod, suitable for pike up to (I hope) at least 20 pounds (summer fighting fit fish) I would probably be uncomfortable with anything less than 8 foot, but I admit that, because I shall not be a specialist in this area, I do wish to...

In a canal? Is the water close to, and linked with any salmon rivers?

A few days ago I caught my first zander. Never seen one before. Wasn't fishing for them, and apparently, according to the locals, they are rare to extremely rare where I was fishing. But I decided to have another go anyway, a couple of days later, to intentionally try and catch one. Failed...

Thanks for that Jerry. But however well I did the job, I do feel that the councillors were not really interested in any objections. They did not seem to understand the economic reality of the scheme, which is that H2ope are using investors money to provide them with some construction work...

Jason, fish can indeed pass safely through such a screw, provided that its diameter is sufficiently large, but ONLY in a downstream direction. A screw effectively compartmentalises the water. Fish transit downstream is within a sort of moving elevator. It only works one way. The problem...

The April dates are certainly earlier than I was expecting. I'll have to start getting up earlier in the year. Any time of day observations?

One of my hopes this close season is to be able to photograph some barbel spawning. Tried to do so in each of the last couple of years but have not yet managed to find any. Having a better idea of spawning dates might be useful. I wonder if those of you who have seen barbel spawning, or...

Well, I have never seen a zander, let alone caught one, so apologies if this question is just too silly. How effective might a lobworm or a bunch of lobworms be as a zander bait? Anyone done much Zedding with them?

Thought an update was good and proper in view of the helpful replies you all gave. Still using the RH pin in LH mode. Have abandoned the clutch completely, although I may just use the clicker when a fish is running, mainly for dramatic effect, aided by a braking thumb on the spool rim. To...