Fortunately this is the easiest of all the rings on a rod to replace, provided it hasn’t been done before by someone using epoxy or superglue. Professional rod builders always glue top eyes to the rod tip using a form of “hot melt” glue. Fuji make a small tube of hot melt glue in a…

If it is a temporary solution then a couple of coats of quick drying dope, clear nail or domestic varnish over the whipping will not look so pretty, but it will more than likely see you through the rest of the season, or at least until you can get a pro rod builder to strip…

DIY rod ring replacement is not the technical matter that starting with a new blank can be. After smoothing the ring feet as shown last week, it is a simple matter of taping one of the ring feet to the blank with some Selotape so that it is in line with the existing rings. Using…

If you should find a rod ring that is cracked or grooved, do not hesitate to replace it, because waiting could cost you the fish of a lifetime and at the very least totally ruin the line you are using. Truthfully you have two choices. One is to take the rod to a rod builder…

We hadn’t been able to muster a decent torch between us, so our erratic journey through the darkened wood was preceded by the flickering beam of an old lamp which had once belonged to Wince’s father. It threw a small circle of light before us which climbed silently over brambles and fallen branches like a…

Obviously, if you are going to spend time pre-baiting a river there is no point in using a bait that is commonly in use by others. In the past I have had great success using 8mm trout pellets as my winter chub bait, but it has been noticeable that catches fall away when the water…

Still, I should be able to find a little bit of time to fit in a few evenings chub fishing. Like all specimen angling though, catching big chub consistently is about preparation. I have done my home work and I have a good idea of where to fish, which in itself can take a long…

The lake was still quiet, just me there, rain was forecast but the wind that had helped me on the session before had gone. I had seen carp roll consistently in an area of the lake opposite the swim I fished last time so I drove straight round there. In the swim in question the…

Knowing this is a good time I pulled the stops out and got down the lake three nights during the past week. The first session was on a mild cloudy day, a stiff westerly wind was blowing down the lake during the day but by the time I arrived its effect had left the surface…

This month is generally speaking the last chance to make the most of warmer water conditions prior to the lower temperature of late autumn having its effect on water temperature and all fishes metabolic rates. With this in mind I will be continuing what has seemed to be a recent trend of introducing anglers who…