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These are my thoughts about Storm fish deaths, to me it makes sense maybe others know better. Most sewage systems are joint systems, two open channels with a small brick wall between. In failing systems this wall is often falling apart or damaged. Rain water runoff goes down one side to your...

I have attended the show many times over the years. My last time was with Gerry Giles before the show moved another 1.5 hour away from us to Telford. In the past it seemed that Barbel Society numbers and members were mainly Southern anglers. I do not know what the distribution is these days but...

Probably not all to do with the water company lots of chemicals are from ground water, runoff and landfill. To be honest 94 chemicals are a drop in the ocean. In West London the Colne was found to have 278 chemicals contaminating it from advanced tests...

I Riverfly test and one of my sites is below a massive sewage treatment works. For numbers its probably one of the most prolific sites tested in my catchment which covers a number of rivers. I get usually get over 3000 invertebrates in a 4 minute test. I do not get the rarer stonefly. On a...

I used to harden baits by microwaving them. Place about 10 baits on a piece of kitchen paper and microwave for 30 seconds at a time and let them cool and move them between heating. Obviously the amount of time can vary but 4 x 30 seconds with the delays used to harden 15mm active 8's . You...

I remember paying £20 for my first one back in the 90's. I then bought another about 15 years on just in case it broke, its unused. Yes very heavy but what other landing net pole lasts 20+ years of being trod on and abused. Sometimes you need to sacrifice weight for reliability, I will never...

Its quite possible you have Barbel taking your feeder rather than the hook bait. Are you using a heavy mix ground bait in your feeder that clogs up ? Are you using a block end where your ground bait stays inside rather than an open mesh type. Maybe try winding in carefully and see if the feeder...

I was very lucky and got onto the Stour when it was at its very best and am glad it seems to be bouncing back. I had a lot of massive chub over about 10 years before it had a rapid decline around 2012. Being a Sunday morning Winter after January visitor it was a 200+mile journey but the Chub...

Seem to remember reading something years ago where Barbel that are on the move from a swim often roll. Something to do with changing from a deep swim to a shallow one. Which might be the reason for you not getting a bite. The bubbles are probably due to silt being dislodged by the fish. Do you...

As a Fishing club committee member we are dammed if we do and dammed if we don't. Criticised by members who do not want to get involved, help at work parties or sit on the side lines and slag the club off. Simon, maybe you should get involved more so you can understand the issues. Thousands of...

I sat in on a river Wye Zoom meeting last year where a Welsh / Wye chicken farmer told some truths. Her chicken farm managed, controlled and complied with all rules,regulations etc. She explained that the vast majority of farmers not just chicken ones wanted to do things right. Rather than...

There are a couple of ways to fish it. If using one rod searching swims and staying mobile a lead which just holds bottom and a carbon tip bent so you can easily see a tap and a drop back. Add a bow into the line or slightly bigger lead if you are struggling to hold bottom in a slightly faster...

EA Flood prevention, one department preaches natural flood prevention, the other does this. With their limited funding you would think it could be better spent. John Price did similar to his land on the Lugg to stop flooding the local village. Natural England and the EA took him to court yet...

Think this method was copied from earlier books. Rich anglers would employ JW Martin and a number of other professional Barbel anglers fifty plus years earlier. The clay ball and pre-baiting with thousands of worms were one of the main methods .The Barbel and any other fish caught were eaten...

Returned after a season off and managed to get lucky in a swim I had always avoided because it was too snaggy. Nice start to my Winter Roach campaign 2lb 7.5 oz. A couple of Barbel, lots of Roach to 1lb and about 40 chub, ( including one that looked like Marty Feldman I caught 3 times).

Just seen an Arnold kingpin on Facebook marketplace, collection only not posting from Dudley £100. If any member lives close.

I really liked Big Carp with Ali and the other two lads it seemed genuine. Sadly the Grand Fishing Adventure for me is almost as bad as The Big Fish Off and that's saying something.

I saw an amazing short video last night of some lads I know who recently went with an official boat. They said the Bluefin Tuna were in their thousands the video backed this up. For as far as you could see all around them big tuna were crashing into Mackerel. They were within 3 miles of the...

Seem to remember years back mid 90's someone on the Teme fishing when a Bear came running down the bank. Think it was a circus bear being taken for a wash but ran away from the trainer. The angler must have pooped himself