Recent content by Fred Haskins

Another option is to look at the clothing aimed at Game anglers, I have found it to be of much better quality but that quality does come with a price. I have just got some Simms Mid Layers and I am very impressed so far.

To dry my Tay Sport Muckboots I roll down the neoprene uppers down as far as they go and remove the insole and then leave in a dry place. To give my feet the best chance to stay warm for the day I put the boots in the cars footwell and turn the heater on them for the trip to the river. I only...

Hi Rhys, I found sensor to be not good on the float but fine on the feeder. Line twist is an ongoing issue due to the nature of fixed spool reels. After trying various ways to load line on my spools I have found the following works best for me. Place the spool of line on a table so that the...

Having tried all the high tech lines as a mainline for float and feeder fishing I ended up going back to tried and tested options. For feeder fishing I use daiwa sensor up the 6lb and have found it to be better than many of the more expensive options. It's cheap enough on a bulk spool so that...

It depends on what your fishing for, if your after silvers and the odd chub then the rods you mention are probably over powered. For silvers etc then something like the Drennan Accolyte or Ultralite in 13 or 14 feet is a good option.

Another vote for the Preston reflo powerline, I found it the best at not getting curly pig tailed like some other high tech hook lengths.

I have just started using one and I am impressed so far. As above, dump the rod sling, complete waste of time. The chair is light and and can be adjusted to get a bit of height of the ground. The bag is big enough to get all you would need for a roving session, I get a large flask, sarny box ...

For ABU 500 series reel spares try searching for the website "classic vintage fishing tackle" the guy that runs it has loads of new spares. Fred PS the 505 would be rubbish for what you want, I doubt even a 507 would handle barbel with any sense of comfort.

I have just got the Korum Roving kit for my winter clubbing campaign, it consists of super lightweight chair that has backpack straps built into the chair and a roving bag that hooks onto the chair. Just hook the bag onto the chair and carry both as a backpack. It looks just the thing but i...

From what I have been told they are not monster sized but put an interesting bend in a Barbel fishers rod. The Loddon fish reported could be a repeat capture of the same fish.

On a serious note, I have heard of cats being reported from the Loddon this season and in previous years on lower/middle reaches of the Kennet.

Do they eat crayfish or otters:)

If you are keen to get into DIY bait making then I suggest you get hold of a couple old classic Carp books, Carp Fever by Kevin Maddocks and The Carp Strikes Back by Rod Hutchinson both contain a lifetimes worth of information regarding bait and ingredients and would keep you going for a long...

My ABU 506 a Christmas present in 1973, still going strong. Also picked up a couple of secondhand 507's from the same era. Swedish built to last.

I also have the Daiwa Mission, it is lightweight and rolls up to a small diameter. However the centre pole tilt function is naff and it leaks. I have just given the seams a good coat of thompsons waterseal and that appears to have sorted the leaking. I put up with the other issues as I have yet...