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This is a tricky one to respond to. When I lived in Surrey - many years ago - there were 3 main tackle shops I used to visit and buy stuff from. KC Angling (Sutton): Long gone now and a very big help to me when as a Junior and match fished with LDAS club, Kenny Collins an absolute legend for help and advice, and also an England International Steve Gardner worked there too. Used to buy my Casters, maggots and hemp on a Saturday ready for fishing on Sunday. Gerrys of Wimbledon: An iconic shop, stocked everything at the time anyone could possibly want, prices were always top rate but the help advice was always great, I believe it has now been sold and a furniture store now? RoseHill Angling: Very small local shop, long since gone However: Cheam Angling: Still going strong I believe and moved across the road from it's tiny shop I remember it was. Do I use tackle shops? Very rarely now as tbh I don't need any more rods / reels / nets / alarms etc. I might nip in my local shop very rarely for hooks and a bit of a moan but obviously that won't keep them in buisness. It really needs a good web site, socials etc to keep the on street shops going I suspect? Having said that, Flea Bay, Amazon and a Google search brings up so many options for buying fishing stuff now

No digital stuff in those days as you know, I do have a few more but seems hard to believe now but a 'roll of film' only had 24 or 36 pics to take, oh and the wait to get them back from boots! 😃

Yes it was, there were a few others in the South too - now closed Bury Hill springs to mind - 'any method Trout fishing' 😂 At that time the South West didn't have a close season I remember?

I've been known to move swims if someone shows up next door with a mallet and a ten billion lumen headtorch. Can't be doing with that. Tbf I'm not bothered if someone moves in next door and they're quiet and show etiquette. If I see fish in an empty swim I'll move in there regardless of who else is about, but I'd be mindful of the situation. For example, I'd not cast out at bite time if there's guys on the fish next to me.

Gets me when on a pretty quiet lake a new arrival will choose to go right next to you or bang opposite - I mean really?!?! I've been doing this fishing lark for a long time now so if I want to go down a particular end of the lake but find it to be busy down there I go the other end instead of fitting in and spoiling it for those already present. I'm not desperate to catch these days and it usually works that the pressure pushes them away anyway. 🤷‍♂️

I've met some great people on the bank but also some I'll be glad never to meet again. Here are some examples of "That Guy"; You've found a spot, got the rods out and the bivvy is up. Time to relax with a cup of tea and then it starts. Tap, tap, tap........tap, tap, tap.... tap, tap, tap. Worse, you know the idiot has about 11 more pegs to get in! You struggled to push yours in the hard ground with a bit of sweat and a few choice words but did it confident that the fish wouldn't be aware of your presence. Anyone owning a bivvy mallet should have it inserted blunt end first! It was 2 in the morning. It was during one of the recent heatwaves and all the bivvy sides were up. A blinding light hits you and a car rumbles past on the gravel track. Everyone has an emergency ever now and again so you let it go. Ten minutes later it comes back and parks again. I know the portaloo is 200 yards away and despite what you think, your Tesla does make a racket! A bloke was fishing on the opposite side with his missus and 2 kids. They had a BBQ at dinner time. No problem. Then the 2 kids get out a football and kick it all around the lake! I was fishing one rod about a rod length out near some rushes. All of the sudden, there is a huge splash right where I was fishing. I thought it must have been a fish. Twenty minutes later another splash and I saw the lead go in! I walked a good 25 yards to the next swim and had a few words with the bloke! A couple of kids were fishing near the dam. Doof. The lead went in. Five minutes later another doof. Every five minutes another doof as they cast repeatedly for hours. Yes, I blanked. A noisy bloke was on the other side, Regularly you would hear him tell his dog to lie down. Luckily after dark it all went quiet. Then at 2:30a.m., he started chatting to his mate in the next swim. I could hear every word, despite him being 100 yards away!

Sad news any independent shop closes. They all need to club together to make some sort of association for themselves to make better buying power.

Another independent tackle shop in Norfolk is closing down https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/26400533.wensum-valley-angling-taverham-closes-final-time/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwdGRjcATOnNxjbGNrBM6cy2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHgalWGfu_javnoI9KBSUAaSfkhngP-WUgEQcjOWnitQ__0pSrDEgeXFhuORX_aem_4aDPBQbhD_J0Qb0H614Leg#Echobox=1784743154

A couple of weeks ago I sent a couple of models to Help for Heroes, a 1/740 Prinz Eugen which I had ordered in the wrong scale ( I build ships in 1/600) and an HMS Belfast I had duplicated. Really pleased to receive this today and that it is handwritten makes it such a nice reply.

I fished there in the early 90's when it was one of the few places that allowed close season fishing.

There you go...Someone else knows all about these. Thank you for your input and well done on your 40. I,m sure it won't be the last.

Yes his hookbaits are the real deal. First night in using them i had a 40 coincidence or not they do work well, hence his catchphrase. Buy with confidence

Wish I took more photos from those days.

Heavier version of the original but delivers a punch.

Only the one ? treat it to a pair lol

Early 90's again, at the time a working gravel pit very close to M25, remember Concorde used to pass overhead.... Noisy [censored]! 😃

Early 90's Broadlands lake

TBH, I recon now the temps have eased off a bit the fish are up for a feed. I don't think they've been feeding much whilst it's been so bright and hot, not there's a bit of a breeze, the temps have dropped and we're getting occasional cloud cover, they've got to feed in some shape or other. If you're luck enough to be there when they switch on and can keep them in the area, you'll get a great result. I haven't been back to my local pond to check water temps since last weekend, but I hope they've dropped a bit and I hope the breeze has helped oxygenate the water a bit.

Despite the sweltering heat, I managed 20 fish on my days only park lake including a 16, 17 and two 18's. The average size was about 12 1/2 lb. As mentioned before, it's not normally that easy and by no means a pastie water. Despite the conditions screaming zigs or a small PVA bag approach, I went in totally the opposite and sent out the boat with spod mix and pellet at least every hour or after a bite.

Yes of course

Its worth spending the 1K