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At last there appears to be some light at the end of winter's dark and dreary tunnel.

I now regularly defeat the alarm clock in the race to be first making a noise on the morning as the light pervades my eyelids, ending my chance of catching whatever dream-fish is about to make a mistake.

Keith will be fishing out of Dover and Brighton in the coming weeks

My, it's even been mild - I won't use the 'w' (warm) word for a week or two yet - enough to fish in a couple less layers and the fish know it too. With just over two weeks of the season left it is well worthwhile having a dabble in your local river because fish are in fine condition and should be feeding well.

Of course I realise that many anglers these days consider river fishing to be a completely independent sport, like fly-fishing, or deep sea angling, but that wasn't the case 20 years ago, when we had a real close season. I may be a dinosaur but I wish we could go back to those days and maybe anglers now totally one-eyed (with carp the only fish in their vision) would enjoy casting a fly or trying to lump a 5oz weight and hook bearing a couple of lugworm far enough to tempt a plump flounder or two at this time of year.

No Deal

I couldn't catch cod off Deal Pier in the 1960s and 70s when, if we believe all we are told, the sea was literally awash with them. It was great fun though, driving down there, being let down by the diggers for the prime yellowtail lug we'd been promised and having to settle for blow lug of roughly brandling dimensions. Then it would be on to the pier, walk to the end and fish as the locals suggested; on the right-hand corner of the 'mushroom' before Christmas, to the left once the New Year was upon us (The pier was designed for angling, that's how important it was considered by towns shortly after WWII, and from the air it looks just like a big mushroom, allowing as much room as possible to fish the deepest water).

It's a real shame that so few anglers who primarily fish for coarse fish now have the need to spread their wings and try something different and it's the loss of the close season that's to blame.

Keith Arthur
Quotes of the week

As my pals and I mostly went sea fishing in the close season, that meant we usually fished to the left, off the mushroom. The fish must have known because we rarely caught much. We caught some cod and 'Channel' whiting - great fish those, averaging 2-3lb and even some plaice, from the boats at Deal. Ben Bailey ran the one we used most regularly, launched from the beach into the surf, for the princely sum of �3 and that was for the whole boat, not each!

Variety the spice of life

It's a real shame that so few anglers who primarily fish for coarse fish now have the need to spread their wings and try something different and it's the loss of the close season that's to blame. I am delighted that working on Tight Lines gives me so many opportunities to participate in every method of angling known to man. In the next few weeks I'll be fishing for cod and pollack with Mike Williams on his superb Firefox out of Dover and taking part in a pollack tournament with Paul Dyer on his Brighton Diver 2 - I'll let you work out where that sails from.

Those boats bear no comparison to what we fished from 40 years ago, which were usually clinker-built with a hand-cranked inboard diesel engine with about the horsepower that today would power a lawn mower. Today's vessels can fish up to 10 or 12 with ease and although they are obviously more expensive, it's still possibly the cheapest way to eat fish - with cod loins around �15 per kg and pollack at more than half of that it won't take long to pay for the trip, as well as having a great day out.

I don't take more than I need, including what can reasonably go into my fridge freezer's drawers and won't take more than two bass for example of between 3 and 7lb.

So, now you've read that, if the sun shines this weekend - if not then the weekend after - give the river a try. If you really enjoy yourself, when March 14 comes around think about a trip to catch some pollack, cod or maybe even bass, which should be on song by then. It's a great deal more satisfying hooking a fish that has possibly never been hooked before and certainly began its life at home, not in a farm somewhere. And, who knows, it may be fish for tea. If you want my fish pie recipe, let me know; it's a cracker!

Keith answers your emails...

Got a question for Keith?Well use the feedback form below or mail it to skysportsclub@bskyb.com (put Keith Arthur in the subject field).

Stock density

Hi Keith, what would you consider to be the maximum weight of fish in a half acre pool with an average depth of one metre?
Colin, Landford Salisbury

Keith replies: Hello Colin, The 'recommended' stock density, as suggested by the EA, is 400lb per acre, so 200lb is the answer. I have never understood when that amount would be calculated though, as 200lb of carp in 2009 could easily be 1,000lb of carp by 2012, especially if the food supply is good. Is this a proposed fishery? If so it's not very large and would struggle to contain more than 7 or 8 pretty close swims in a pool, say, 75 yards long x 15 across. If the lake is to be ornamental, with oxygenating equipment and filtration, it could hold more fish. If it is to be a fishery, I'd advise contacting a professional fishery management company. The Angling Trust can help.

A reel find

Keith, just been doing the gardening and dug up what looks like an old tiny fishing reel. Could you please tell me any info on who to get in touch with to see if it's of any value?
Many thanks, Fred Bradney

Keith replies: Without seeing it Fred, it is difficult to help. If you send a jpeg of the reel to tightlines@skysports.com I'll have a peep and then can recommend some possibilities.
Keith

Carp advice

Hi Keith, my name is Chris and I need some advice on what carp lines are the best to buy. I have pole fished and match fished for many years but my son and I are getting into carp fishing so I need advice on quality carp lines.
Thanks, Chris Hirst

Keith replies: Hi Chris, There are so many specialised lines, super-copolymers, braids, fusions, hybrids, it makes line selection less easy than it used to be when the answer would have been '11lb Sylcast'. That's long gone now. For my, quite low-key, carp angling, I use 12 ESP Crystal Carp Mono. It's reasonably priced and very good quality. It will also cover most aspects of the sport, being clear, as floater fishing, zig rigging and plain bottom fishing are all adequately covered by it.
Tight lines (and clear ones!), Keith