ack-ack

Doh!

Same thing the guy in Rye said when I went hunting them last Autumn. Any idea what the minimium order is?

A full size snooker table

This version is a bit more watchable.

I second that Gixer. Since 1997 I had stabbing pains, pins and needles sensation and aches in my klacker bag. I visited the GP at least 5 or six times for the same thing and they found nothing. There was definately something wrong as some days it could be well tender round my Alberts. Last year I was humping a lot of timber and a swelling started appearing just above and right of my handbrake. I went back to the GP and the swelling was not there and he said I was fine. Everytime I went in he had his hands round my clock weights and got me to do the cough test. It was really embarrassing as I reckon he thought I was just going in to have a free fondle on the NHS, my attempts to lighten the tension by saying we must stop meeting like this etc etc didnt really help the situation. Finally last year I couldnt take anymore, even eating some foods could have me swelling up like a mutant round the ole twig and berries. I went in to the GP and there was a different one who referred me to the hospital without even looking after I told him my hernia was getting worse. The hospital couldnt find anything but I had the raging hump and refused to leave the consulting room unless I got a second opinion. They relented and said I had a very slight inguinal hernia and kept going on about the risks of operating to put me off suggesting I should live with it. Had the op and the scar considering it was a 'minor op' was huge and my canon wheels looked like they'd been swung on by a gorilla. The nobbers that patched me up managed to put surgical tape over what was left of my pyabs as well, frikken agony getting that off!!. It took 8 weeks before I could do anything constituting work but in that time I found PW so every cloud has a silver lining I suppose. The moral of this story, if you get checked and the man says its nothing and you think he's wrong stick to your guns. Only took them 14 years to sort me out.

It could just be a case of them being dominated by the other birds and not being able to get as much feed down them. Have they got 24 hr access to food? Do the feeders ever run empty? If they are going hungry the weaker birds will suffer the most. It could be disease. Are they lighter than the others? Is there anything different about their droppings? Do they appear distant when you are in the pen? Do they try and get away from you when you approach them? I'd be inclined to remove all the birds that are showing symptoms to a smaller quarantine pen where they have access to a decent sized water bath and put them on a higher plain of nutrition with lots of fresh bedding and observe.

Labs are always hungry in my experience, we've had two and they were both gannets gannets. The most obvious sign will be worms or bits of worms in the pups stools, check everytime they pass one. I do it regardless when they are wormed as you will also be able to tell from the stool whether the bowel is inflamed or whether they have been eating anything they shouldnt like bedding etc. It can get bloody expensive when the develope bad habits like that. When I got my Terrier from a 'reputable breeder' the first thing he did when let out was to go and eat gravel from the road like he was gritting. He had a bad case of worms and must have been trying to ease the discomfort of them in his guts. Within 2 days of treatment he was fine. Its worth having a strict routine for your parasite treatments especially if youre in one of the areas of the UK that has those doublehard foreign ticks that carry dog killing disease, I've got a calender just for the dogs with their seasons, treatments, vet appointments and observations etc all marked up.

Double post. Doh!

Its debateable how tasty they will be when they inhabit that sort of water, even from some of the clear water reservoirs they can have a muddy tang to them. It doesnt bother me too much, I just give them a few more herbs and get stuck in. The water temp at 10ft is fairly constant so they will have some good lies if the surface starts heating up but be vigilant for signs of stress when it warms up. They start cruising really slowly on the surface and lay motionless in the margins with their gills going like billy-o. Cereal straw cast on the water is great for controlling algae. Good for controlling weedy margins as well. The water will look like a tip for a few days but it soon sinks and deprives the weed / algae of light and as it breaks down the microbes finish of the algae. If you've got a lot of Elodea (canadian pondweed) this can be very effective. It sounds like this water is a fair old size so you'll struggle to get it all from the bank. Stock a few at first (after sorting your permits to stock) and keep an eye out for floaters or distressed fish. There should be rakes of natural food for them so assuming the waters ok they should grow on nicely. If they're for your own consumption dont tell anybody you've stocked them. Word soon gets about I'd be really interested to hear how it all goes.

Just use your head mate. If your lines are going to cause an accident or injury to somebody using the quay then dont leave them there. Find a quite spot where there are no berths (outside harbour preferably). Most small harbours will have a harbour master strutting about full of guff and self importance. Play a straight bat and just ask him very nicely if he minds you lowering a few traps somewhere out of the way. If he says no then go somewhere else. A quiet, rocky foreshore is best but remember that if you set them at 3 in the afternoon, you'll have to be back at half 3 in the morning if you are to garantee that nobody nicks your tackle. Check your tides on Admiralty Easytide, if going to a remote spot alone tell a mate where you are going in case you come to grief and ring them at a prearranged time so they know you are back ok. Dont expect mega catches but be prepared for the odd surprise.

Hi Andrew, what's good for Carp isn't always good for Trout. When you say Moat what sort of size are you talking about? Moats are usually fairly shallow and heat up quickly which makes them less able to retain any dissolved oxygen in the water. They are also likely to completely freeze in the winter which can trap the fish in water thats oxygen depleted with all the summer weed breaking down. Any shallow water will be more susceptible to fish kills from sudden weed growths or a heavy downpour that can cause a rapid change in Oxygen levels, temp or pH. They'll be nightmare to manage if you are planning on a higher stocking density. Take every opportunity to oxygenate the water, whether its splash boards at your stream inlets, fountains or air pumps in the hot months. Trout become lazy when theres depleted oxygen and if you do hook them the fight will be disappointing and they more then likely will die if returned. Contact your potential supplier before you stock and take their advice. They will not want to supply you with stock that will go belly up after a week due to poor water conditions. I'd also be considering the proximity of the local community and public rights of way. Trout are the easiest fish to poach. I used to help manage a Trout cyndicate and the kids used to come up on the BMXs, lob out some very crude lay lines with half a dozen hooks apiece baited with worm or sweetcorn and leave them over night. We got absolutely spanked. If there's nobody about over night expect a caining from the poachers. Good luck though, its very satisfying when it all goes to plan.

Welcome, very frustrating when there's not much flying, stick with it.

I had similar views on the magpie issue until a few years ago when I had four bird boxes hammered by the magpies. I like to see them flying about but as soon as they start on my bird boxes they get it. I hate doing it but if I don't the other native species will have less of a chance of breeding successfully.

Reckon you've had some very mixed advice on this one. I'd be very wary of doing anything that could make the situation escalate even though the temptation to react is great. Whatever you do will cause disruption to yourself and family, whether its turning the other cheek, moving or getting the law involved. You dont mention whether or not this family is causing distress to other residents in your area. If they are then a co-ordinated multi pronged approach may work best. Sound advice to let the FEO know whats going on, if its the same one I've got you'll be fine. I was having some major grief from a neighbour at my old place when I lived in a flat. She was doing everything in her powers to get a rise out of me and I ignored it for as long as I could and then got the Law involved. I have to say they took it very seriously and kept the FEO abreast of developements. Luckily she started causing a nuisance to other neighbours and it took the heat off me a bit! Has the situation completely broken down? Has it passed the point where you could just go round and say look chap, lets start again, I want to do a BBQ for both our households round at my place, lets have a few beers and chill. You could then have the satisfaction of watching the fool eat bangers that you've been sticking down your pants all afternoon!!!

Depends where I am. If its a shallow rocky shore I walk them out and anchor them down and come back next tide. Try and leave them in a kelpy gulley as close to the low water mark as possible when the range of the tides is increasing so you will always be able to retrieve them. If its a deep water venue like a harbour arm I lower them on lines but theres always the chance that folk could lift them if you leave them unattended for too long. You've got to give it a go, its a blast.

They have knocked out some korkers over the past year. I picked up a pair of thigh waders for the old fella for less than a score and really didnt expect too much from them. He reckons that they are the nuts. They are just as well made as my pucka ones

Same as that pal, most exciting moment of my last outing was reconnecting the bird banger and wondering whether or not it was going to cause a soiling as I made away from it at haste.

As with fish if they are for your own consumption you're fine. I salvage lobster and crab pots that are washed up after storms and recondition them with salvage net and cable ties. Its great fun setting and checking the pots, just make sure you're down on the foreshore when they uncover as folk soon get wind of your activities and might nick pots and or contents.

Quality video John, always nice to see another way of doing things.

I had a thing for the collapsible helical prawn pots off ebay a few years back. They're like a mini lobster pot and cost about a fiver each. The zips fail on them pretty quick in salt water but they can easlly be bodged with string. What a laugh they are! The smellier the bait the better, a mackerel left out in the sun for a day seemed to work a treat, we'd get gobies, prawns, squat lobsters, small pongers, butterfish, wrasse, Eels, the lot. Brilliant fun but rarely enough for a good feed with only three pots. The anticipation as you haul it up brings out the child in you.

Sounds like a proper Negley Farson experience, it's nuts pulling 1.5 lb fish out of tiny swims that you wouldnt normally give a second glance, sounds like a blast. There was a deep pool on a very narrow stream under a byway that I used to drive in the summer and one evening me and the mrs had a picnic there. I was flicking small crusts in to no effect when all of a sudden near there was an almighty commotion as a massive chub came up for the offerings. Probably less than 2lb but for the size of the brook it was a behemoth. I didnt even realise there were fish in there. Never went back for a dangle as had to scrap the landy :(

What? Crows?

Glad the old boys feeling well enough to perform again. Bit sad when he lost the plot and started lobbing auto spares through restaurant glazing. Really happy to see him rocking again.

He was obviously partial to a good root.

...last time I had a cloth wrapped round my hand it wasn't making toast!