Joker Houden

How expensive is jok er? I've gat about u a worth of joker here. In a typical winter canal match 1'11 probably use about one fifth of it. That's [2 per match - the same as a pint of squatts, and it's not easy ra keep them for a week. I'Jl use just a few pence worth of bloodwar m. Is it casier to get bloodworm and joker than it used to be? Ten times casier than it was a few years ago. All sorts of tackle dealers stock it, especially in the areas where it's used a lot. If you're a new customer it would be as well to orde r it, though, to ensure you get some , Is kept joker as good as that straight from the shop? I thin k 50 . In fact when I take sorne out of my tray I know it's clean and fresh - proba bly fresher, if nor newer, than from the shop .

Cost

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Air pumps are obtainable from most pet shops and all aquaticshops - cost will be DO to D5. An airline and airstonewill be about D. A fish net is EZ. Finally if the pump is too powerful you may needa damp to put on the airline to reduce the flow - cost 60p. Britannia make a full rangeof riddles in different shapes, sizes and meshes. If in doubt as to whichsize to use askfor a squatt/joker riddle - it will be the smallest mesh available.

Attaching a pole CUp'

Here's how I attach the swinging pole pot I usefor putting in the joker. Slide the plastic tubing up the loop, and it holdsit tight with no possible damage to the poletip.

I put a pieceof white tissuepaperin a maggot box, atomiseit, and place some joker on it. It makes it mucheasierto piek one out to hook.

On a different subject, how did you decide wh at strength elastic to use when you tackled the Grand Union Can al for small fish , using joker, last month? I chose Futu re No 2 - the green . If decentsized roach were about I'd have gone for something stronger. But it was 50 cold I was not expecting many roach, and I thought little perch would make up the major ity of my catch . I starred on a size 26 hook, and the No 2 elastic was light enough ra ensur e I wouldn't bump off fish with that hook. Having said that, there was the chance that I would hook fish up to 1 lb, and the No 2 would have heen able to cope, given a bit of luck. If bigger fish had shown up I knew I could always change to a stronger elastic! A gooe! tip in a match is to always actually have a spare rig already attached ra a spare, stronger elastic, 50 you don'i sit there wondering whether you should take the time to cha nge. You can just piek it up and start fish ing.

Cold and rainy - but pristine jokers did the trick for Mark.

APRIL1998ANGLING PLUS 31