floydraser

Welcome to the forum. I'm a part time fine weather only fisherman myself. I've heard about fishing for the pot and I believe it's grown in recent years. Match fishing and commercial lakes seem to be all about carp. A lake appears to be defined by "the carp are up to 15lbs in there". In some countries carp are on the plate on Christmas day especially, and other times. It's a free meal to some.

Fishing poles fascinate me. As Fred said, they used to be called Roach poles. Back when I started fishing with my older brother there were certain things we were taught that don't seem to apply these days. Don't make a noise on the bank because the fish can feel it through the water. Roach were said to be very "tackle shy" and the normal splash of conventional tackle would frighten them away so we used very light tackle for them. The idea of the pole was that you could quietly drop the tackle into the water without the splash. Fast forward 40 years and it's a different kettle of.... oh. I've just checked, Angling Direct have a special offer and the most expensive pole is currently reduced from £7,150 to a mere £5,500, grab a bargain quick! Watching the pros use them on Youtube is an eye opener: If the fish aren't biting one technique is to flip the end of the pole so the tackle whips over the top and makes a splash! This is because a lot of matches take place in commercial lakes where the stock comes from a fish farm, where the fish are used to being fed by someone chucking food into the water. It's why I can't see the point of using a pole on a natural water or canal. Especially a canal where the pole sticks out behind the fisherman so apart from boats, he has to move for dog walkers etc. as well! Fishing poles are also beefed up to catch large carp now.

Well done for investing in the Broads. I wish you every success.

From what I remember they say you have a better chance getting the dog used to these leads if you start with them as pups. First stage is to put the lead on for a short time during play. It's down to training and patience I guess.

Alternatively, one of these: https://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/halti-dog-head-collar The principle is the same: with a normal lead it pulls on the neck and the dog will take that all day. What they don't like is their snout being pulled to the side. They soon learn that it's more comfortable to keep the lead slack. Similar to how a horse rein works. After using one on our Springer I always recommend a Halti. Unfortunately, my opinion was ignored by someone who claimed they must be cruel to the dog???

I am totally unqualified in these matters but there is an invitation by Griff at the start of this thread to debate so: The covid enquiry demonstrates that in places, there are authority folk pondering actions of great importance to large numbers of people. While the plates are spinning, these people may become just that; a large number and not individual lives. I worked at an agency where the boss referred to workers as his “stock”. Visiting Birmingham University in the summer I saw students demonstrate experiments in a large, stainless steel tank about 6ft by 4ft by 2ft deep. In it were layers of coloured sand. It was tilted up at a slight angle and water was made to flow from the upper end to the lower, exposing the layers. So they were learning about rivers, flooding, geology etc. But from who? Lecturers who already have years of experience and the benefit of historical records. All funded by organisations including the EA. All this convinces me that somewhere there are a group of people who know EXACTLY what the situation is. They probably know the depth and contour of every river bed. But as long as these people keep their heads down and the information remains ambiguous, people like the BA can spout what they like and they can all get away with doing nothing. Isn't that how they got away with doing nothing at Somerset? Be gentle..

Moderators: it was him wot wrote it, I just did an edit...

Blimey, some of you have got through some cars. Mini for free: Teacher at school said he had two and if I swapped the engines in Vehicle Engineering class, I could keep one. Austin 1100: for learning to drive. Badly advised and bought it from an ex speedway rider. It had a dodgy MOT and got scrapped before I passed. Triumph Herald 12/50: With sunroof which started our affection for them which still exists. No clutch or MOT but no problem as the gearbox comes out through the passenger door. Bolt on new sills and a bottom half respray. Bought my first set of Snap-On sockets which I still have. '68 Vauxhall Ventora 3.3: Why does everyone say “Ventura”? '56 Austin A30: “Chuggaboom” ex-Mother in Law's. On a cold morning it would stop after ½ mile and she thought she was clever by wiggling the plug leads to make it start again. When it did it for me I had a look under the air cleaner and the carb was a block of ice! It was an air leak at the gasket. '70 Ventora UBC 5H: Lovely car, had a front end rebuild before I owned it so no rust. Vauxhall VX2300: Even more comfortable, had a family now. Idiot pulled out of a farm gateway in a mini and I caught the front end. I was airborne for a bit but landed safely. Witness said the mini span round about four times. I thought he looked a bit dazed. Wrote off the car and my model aeroplane in the boot. Well I also had the Ventora gearbox in there and.... Vauxhall Carlton 1.8 saloon: Comfortable, reliable, took it round the clock and a half. Had to, we were broke. Peugeot 405 diesel estate: Bullet proof engine, the rest not so good but a good tow car for our first caravan. Took it round the clock. Vauxhall Omega diesel estate: Very comfortable, our first brand new car. Took it round the clock, passed it on to one of the lads. It lasted 13 years then went out with a bang – literally, banger racing! Volvo XC90: How comfortable can it get!? 76K in 10 years, it'll be around for a while yet. And a little bit on the side: As we came out of our own little recession – A Formula 27 “kit car” which it wasn't! I bought a set of drawings and a welder, some tube and a grinder. I made the bottom level of the chassis and screwed it to the garage floor in perfect alignment as a “jig” for the rest. Cavalier 1.6 engine but I can't remember which gearbox. I sold it when they brought in the SVA. Triumph TR7, russet brown: I welded in at least 6” all the way round the bottom of the car then converted it to V8. Someone backed into it so during the repair we accidentally sprayed it Ford Daytona yellow and fitted a spoiler. Going to work has never been such fun; all country lanes. I traced it's history and the first owner offered me the original steel wheels! Sold and gave the money to Heartlink, the charity at Glenfield Hospital. Jensen Healey X2: One LHD California import and a rust bucket. I didn't like driving the LHD but we discovered Mrs Raser loves convertibles! Vauxhall Astra Convertible: Told you. Rule 1: top down only above 12 degrees C. Unless you're going over the Hardnott Pass – has to be done! 1936 MG SA: Joy to own but turned out to be a project too far. Vauxhall Corsa 1.3 diesel: Bought when I realised how much it was costing to travel to work every day in the Volvo, work which was “temporary” and went on for ten years! I think that's it, it's been fun remembering!

Steering wheel glove. The one where you had to wrap the rubbery "lace" all the round the wheel between the holes in the foam. Can't remember the brand name but I may get another since the Corsa heated wheel packed up and it now takes the heat out of my fingers! Scented thing. A bit of card with a bubble on it which you pierce and hang in front of a vent. Not if I'm in the car though; they make me feel sick! Stick on heater for the rear window. Rubber door edge guards with reflectors (posh version). Little ally panel with two extra gauges below the dash - people think you're a rally driver now don't they? Er, no. Tiny chain dragging along the road under the back of the car to prevent car sickness. Yeah, ok. Locking petrol cap. Wolfrace wheels. Polished chrome exhaust tailpipe, bigger than standard. Rally driver eh? Wind deflectors on the front door windows. Wickerwork picnic set. Dent's genuine kid leather stringback driving gloves. Tick. Starting handle.

Oh no you didn't! Sorry but it's been there for 2 hours and nobody else has bothered. Has to be done. 3D scanners - Wow! I had no idea they had been developed for the consumer market so quickly. I saw them at an engineering exhibition (Mach 18 I think) but they expensive and cumbersome. I can see the appeal: scan a broken something, "repair" it in the drawing then 3d print a new one. Excellent.

Well, no-one wants the boss breathing down their neck do they? Thank you.

Well it's finally happened, I am moving the Denham Owl away from BGM. Last year Clive Ricko said there were vacancies at Cove and I was almost going to move back then. Unfortunately, as I may have mentioned elsewhere, MIL was starting to need more and more of our time and it was difficult to get out of the county let alone over to Brundall. It was just easier and less stressful to leave it at BGM until things settled down. I haven't advertised it for sale for over a year but the potential buyer mentioned in my last report was the Granddaughter of a previous owner from it's time on the Thames. She went searching for the boat and found it here on the forum. She said she wanted to buy it for her Granddad, live on it in the summer and airbnb it at other times. But now, having got it waterproof and therefore more usable, the jobs are now small ones, we are both retired, and we are free to travel, we are going to give it another summer. Why don't I just admit that I'm going to have this boat forever? We visited BGM in October and after lunch at the White Heron we went on to Cove to meet Clive, where the girls (Mrs Raser and her sister) chose the mooring. We didn't walk it but my best guess using Google is that the mooring is 4 ½ minutes walk from the White Heron. Looking forward to next summer...

Come on you lot, we need a "can do" attitude! OK, so the bridges may need a bit of WD40 so what? Network Rail: we just lie, tell them we are Broad Ambition or something. Parliament: there's an election looming so the highest bidder gets his loud hailers on deck and posters down the sides saying "vote for me!" Postwick flyover: enough speed and that'll give way. Don't worry, I'm in the AA. Imagine the hits on Youtube!

I find the history of the port fascinating. Searching for the turning point I came accross Joe Mason's webpage where I found a couple of interesting items: A Cedric Lovewell (great name) says the last coaster sailed into Norwich in 1989 and unloaded at Coporation Quay. Lady Julian Bridge was opened in 2009 and has a lifting span. So 20 years after the last coaster? So is it still officially a commercial waterway today? One for the other thread I think. I'm just a lottery win away from buying a coaster and giving it a try...

Thank you Fred Low for the excellent record photos! That top one in the shed must have taken some skill to get the light right on both sides of the boat.

Where did the coasters turn around for the return journey? Was it up by Baltic Wharf?

It's not all unpleasant; soon the good memories start to appear: Yesterday - four daughters, three local and one over from Derham, together again in the bungalow going through the last of the stuff. No arguing or squabbling over who has what. Mainly to go through the old family photographs. Four and a half hours of giggling and messing about later they were done. We're all out for a meal tonight which I'll bet will become an annual event.

Good luck with the water company. Up here it took Severn Trent two days to come out and turn off my main in what I said was an emergency. It turns out they only call it an emergency if you're paying monthly for their "insurance".

Ah, I can see him now, the publican. He stands there polishing the glasses while discussing politics with the locals. Shall we have a buxom barmaid too? Roaring coal fire. And Watneys Red Barrell. Or decent beer and a manager? I don't think there's a right or wrong way but there is a culture change going on and it's the London culture spreading north with levelling up as I said somewhere else. Bright, lively staff are the expectation now, along with decent food, beer and a choice of gins and mixers. A manager trained by a brewery is more likely to be aware that it's not about just being there anymore, it's about competition. Gordon Ramsey highlighted this in his Kitchen Nightmares in the UK before he went all Hollywood.

My Corsa was bought new by a chap through the mobility scheme but he only wanted a little run around for local trips. He soon got fed up with lights coming on to tell him something was wrong so traded it in with just 5K on the clock. I was doing 30 miles each way to work mostly motorway which soon cleaned it out. Now I occasionally get a message telling me to continue driving to clear the filter. I just keep the revs over 2000 for about 10 minutes and it clears.

Be careful what you wish for up there; "levelling up" will see the end of all that!

In that case I would say there's little in difference. The biggest difference is probably when it comes to careful driving; I don't think diesels handle being thrashed as well as petrols. Best of luck with an electric. Ex colleague of mine used to clear the ice from his wife's car in the morning as he was out there doing his own. Then he got an electric BMW and de-iced it from the app. Mrs was not best pleased!

Probably with new diesels. My 2013 Volvo D5 has no additive or DPF and a service is oil and filters. My 2015 Corsa diesel has a DPF but service is still oil and filters. I know petrols don't have points to change but do spark plugs and ignition systems last forever now?

They must be nice people.

Wheeled mobility aids are quite cheap at auctions, I bought two for a tenner! We ended up with two of the four wheelers which you can turn around and sit on, one for indoors and one for outside. I've also got a three wheeler but they didn't like it so it now sits on the deck of the Denham Owl to prop up the cover!