Recent content by Steve Double

Having said that, just had a 9.06 barbel within my first five minutes. Conditions pretty ideal for the time of year, mind you.

Reverting to Julian's origins question, until this season I'd fished the Loddon fairly obsessively for five or six years. After a couple of years of trying to distinguish my a**s from elbow, I did pretty well, fishing across all sections of the river. The last two years have been terrible, and...

I think all W&UF beats are dawn to dusk, Serge. Big variety of swims from slow and deepish to fast and shallow, so I'd be inclined to go 3-4 oz feeders to save you bouncing the feeder into a snag.

I suspect there's a good living to be had just selling replacement feeders in Ross. :)

And hats off to Andrew Tredgett for his work.

I am currently on my fourth landing net since the start of September, which is a new PB for me. Spoon nets by Fox, Korum and Wychwood have all snapped at the spigot. They're all as bad as each other...

Take my word for it, Jonathan, they absolutely do. Attach clip to lead swivel, slide the knotted PVA bag on to the clip, couldn't be simpler. Use them on nearly every session. Google them and you'll see what I mean.

Avid PVA clips make life much easier.

I'd agree with you Dave about feeders and clear waters in normal circumstances, but when you have a shoal of Wye barbel competing for food, they really don't seem to care. They will even take a pellet or boil on the drop seconds after the feeder crashes in.

On an annual week-long pilgrimage to the Wye last week, I was introduced to a swim packed with 7-8lb barbel, with allegedly some going into double figures. That's the good news. The bad news was this far-bank run was also full of hidden snags. The first time I fished it I hooked 24 barbel...

Not the cheapest but top quality: https://barbel.co.uk/site/rodpages/stalker9.php

Get the Loddon thread going again Granty, I was getting so lonely on there I gave up! :)

Changing the subject slightly, am I right in thinking the game fishing fraternity makes less noise about other predation than their coarse fishing brethren? I'd have thought that an otter would find plenty of food on, say, the River Test, yet we never seem to hear about them preying on trout...

Bought mine in the first week of March...yet to receive it.

Sounds like you've been tucking into your own boilies, Dickie. :)