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Back down to earth on a regular haunt today. Eighteen grayling and two dace. I'd be lucky if any of the grayling exceeded 1lb. However. it was a nice day, it's due to snow, getting colder and I had leftover bait to use. It was an enjoyable couple of hours.

Not while I live.

You are out of luck. This trip only reinforced just how good the Sphere float rods really are. If they had done more powerful versions (for flood conditions and stillwater lumps), I'd never use anything else.

We went back last week. On Tuesday, I had a red letter day with twenty one grayling, the best of them going 2lb 5oz. Wednesday was a red letter day of a different kind. I only managed a single grayling, but it was 3lb. Thursday was an excellent, slight, comedown. I had seven grayling...

Be wary, some regions will no longer grant licences to trap signals. I've heard two reasons: people struggle to differentiate small Signals from native crayfish. Then there's the theory that removing big Signals just ends up with having loads of small ones.

I've never caught one trotting yet, regardless of the bait being used.

Another vote for Skellerup. I've been using their waders and a pair of matching safety boots for over a year now. I expect to get a pair of the more countrified Quattro Sport wellies at some point in the future. Good quality, especially for the price.

In my experience, a Bolo float could have any body shape and any type of stem (but probably not wood). The only real defining feature being a longer sight tip between 1 and 4mm in diameter. However, even that isn't set in stone. They are rather more like a pole float on steroids. There's as much...

Multiple years.

You may change your mind on that if you ever have the misfortune of encountering a carbon rod that appears to have taken a "set" after long term storage.

It's not a problem, I just do not want bags wrapped back around on themselves. I want them to stay flat so that sections stay separated. You have your preferences, I have mine. That's all there is to it.

I never use the tie strings on any bag that has them. Hateful things that can do more harm than good. The last thing I want is sections held together (even fairly loosely). Then there's the problem of the ties coming adrift over time. As much as I loved them, the old Daiwa blue logo bags were...

Despite the chatter, they aren't especially delicate. Treat them properly, don't pretend that they are indestructible, and they are generally fine. If the blanks have a genuine manufacturing flaw, you should find out about it inside two uses. Anything after this point is increasingly likely to...

Most top end Shimano match/feeder rods used to be supplied in zipped Cordura tubes. However, I wouldn't actually used the majority of them over any number of rods that were supplied in bog standard rod bags. No tube, case, or bag would persuade me to purchase a lesser rod over a better one...

For many years, the only Drennan float rods supplied in a padded case are those with a detachable (part) handle. If they were not supplied you'd not be able to buy a padded case to fit (unless Drennan chose to make them as aftermarket items).

It's possible that when first introduced they came with sliding bands, but I've not seen one like that. As you say, it could also have been converted.

All of the general coarse/match type Stradic rods I've ever encountered have had screw up winch fittings. All of the Stradic rods with burgundy blanks I've seen have been specialist/specimen/carp rods.

You don't. Trout will take anything that grayling will and more. The only way to avoid them is to fish where they aren't present. You'll never stop it from happening completely. On bad days, you may lose as many as you land. The best you can hope for is minimising losses. Rod choice can have...

As close to it as I'm aware of are anglers offering a guiding service (mostly barbel types) or one on one tuition (well known matchmen, mostly on commie stillwaters). I can't say that I'm keen on the idea of either myself. Very occasionally, I'll take people (that ask nicely) out on my local...

In about four decades, I've tried corn once or twice a year on the Swale and never had a single grayling on it. Last year I saw a single fish extracted from the Tees on corn. It was the first on corn I've ever seen, but it wasn't by me. However, it was by a mate. We just happened to meet on...