I absolutely love getting questions via this website, the Angler’s Mail, the Eastern Daily Press or from anywhere else where that I’m associated with. When this is all about genuine tips and advice, I’ll do everything in my power to help just as much as I conceivably can. Therefore, if I’m asked about best methods, best baits, best gear or whatever, I’ll draw on far too many years of experience to try to be of help. It’s a real privilege to be following in the footsteps of Mr.Crabtree and to live a life that revolves around fishing. I’m hugely appreciative of the cards that this fishing life has dealt me.Advice is what it is all about, especially when you are young.

However, I do believe that what you learn for yourself, out there on the riverbank, is the most important lesson. It’s one thing getting tips, getting a heads up and getting a starter but it’s quite another putting these into practice for yourself and learning from your successes and your failures. Please remember that. What I or anybody else tells you is only a rung up the ladder. The rest of the ascent has to be down to you yourself.

Where I do tend to draw the line is when I get questions that are absolutely directly related to my own waters and fishing life. For example, I recently was asked via the internet where, on my local river the Wensum, would be the best bet for a seven pound chub. Now, I’ve spent over forty years trying to catch a seven pound chub from the Wensum and is it truly realistic to ask me to give my very best three or four swims away to a complete and utter stranger? This is what I said previously. It’s up to this guy, and I’m sure he means well with his question, to actually get out and put in the hours that I have done to try and find this monstrous fish for himself.

I’m not being churlish. I’ll help everyone as far as I feasibly can but I guess if anybody had asked my old mate, John Wilson, where to get a two pound roach or a twelve pound barbel he’d have told them exactly where to go…..Not! You’ve got to respect that so-called ‘celeb anglers’ have put masses and masses of time in and whilst they will help with general questions, specific knowledge is rather up for you yourself to amass.

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