Hi all. I'm James - an all-round pleasure angler. I launched this channel to give me a creative outlet for my obsession with angling.
I run a media training agency and have a team of videographers, podcasters, and branding and design geniuses. But none of those people have been involved in the creation of these videos. It's just me teaching myself how to film and edit whilst I fish.
I've been fishing for nearly 40 years now.
I started off flyfishing when I was about 6. Soon, all of my summer holidays were spent with my Dad targetting big hauls of Bream and Roach on the river Shannon in Ireland.
I dabble with the occasional bit of Carp fishing, have recently enjoyed targetting big Tench, and love nothing more than trotting a float down a small river after Chub and Barbel.
I still do the odd bit of fly fishing and recently gave lure and BFS fishing a go in an attempt to catch a massive Perch. I'll keep trying!
You can follow me on insta at the_fishing_diary_co_uk
Lost all respect for Ali when he released this, 99% of the tackle is heavily overpriced as it is compared to others, but this death trap shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a body of water, OMC a hard pass from me for the future
when a carp picks up a lead you should give it room to hook itself it's less harsh. with spring loaded things it's quite aggressive abit like a feeder rod can be on the quiver tip which can harm the fishes mouth more.
You have issues, you have used OMC and Ali as a way to draw traffic to your RU-vid channel, you are literally spouting hatred and making up fake emails and falsely quoting the EA. Whatever your issue is with this product or moreover with Ali and the rest of the range is your opinion and you are entitled to that but you insist on bending the truth to suit your agenda whatever that maybe. Furthermore you overlook the fundamental point that we are "anglers" we set out to catch a fish with metal hook in its mouth, drag it out of the water, suffocate it whilst we take its photo and then put it back again! Angling is a sport like shooting and many people think just process is bad enough, doesn't need people like you making up nonsense to gain some likes and subscribers. Plastic hook baits, rubber lures, plastic plugs with treble hooks, dropping leads, mono, keepnets, rubbish left behind, tungsten putty, seeds nuts and pulses prepared badly, poor fish handling.. these are all a massive issues and you should if you are going to walk this line include all the above in your mission to destroy angling and its industry. If you would like to really have a discussion about the twig and fishing in general along with what actually is a death rig and how OMC and other angling companies develop and test products then I invite you to have a open discussion with myself or indeed with OMC, but to continue your hate campaign will only damage angling as a whole and indeed your own reputation.
The twig is an awful product, but then a lot of the OMC stuff in unnecessary plastic crap, produts to solve problems that dont exist. OMC are not the only company to do this, dont get me wrong, but a lot of there products just that.
DRAMA!!!! Not a fan of the twig but listening to people call other anglers who use it? I've decided I'm gonna use em for the rest of this year. Simply cos I can 🤷♂️ this dude on here telling me its not about catching fish it's about nature and the environment, no my friend that's the reason you go fishing? Taking the moral high ground while telling everyone the way you would like em to fish, I'd rather keep Ali and get rid of all the syndicates and clicky c#@ts 👍 i guarantee everyone who has called the twig use a rig that are banned on other venues
It’s not ‘just’ about catching fish. There’s more to fishing than catching. Otherwise we’d all be out there with sticks of dynamite and harpoon guns mate 😂
@thefishingdiary totally agree it's about the chase, trying to get that one bite with the end result in you catching a fish? Maybe it's because I blank 8/10 sessions that I want the fish more, or maybe It's because I can't get my hands on dynamite and harpoon guns 😂👍 it's definitely not about the thick mud, 60mph winds, torrential rain and freezing temperatures 🤣
@@openminddc8813 hahahahah fishing is different things to different people and we’re all entitled to an opinion so long as it’s delivered with kindness. Now where did I put that fish gun?
There’s been some OMC stuff I wanted to try but refuse to send any money their way after the twig. But tbh recently I’ve seen some vids of theirs where they literally use 10+ components for a rig. It’s just all about money now
Saying Ali is this and that probably from people who have never been on a tv show or caught what he has tbh but even he knows deep down he fucked up with the twig so come on little man pull it and move on from it asap
While fishing with the drop shot my weight became entangled with another weight. There also appeared to be a Zander on a broken line carrying the weight behind him. The entire mouth of the fish was damaged. I think the fish got snagged behind all sorts of stuff The fish was not strong enough to break the line between the hook and the weight This was an awful sight.
Lighter hook lengths than mainline. Also, there wasn’t a fashion for heavy leads. Arlesey Bombs were typically tiny compared to today’s leads. Oh - and no bolt rights - running leads. What else did we do?
@@mattiparker14 I think so mate. But it was a fun game to play remembering a time when fish safety was so baked in you didn’t have to really think about it.
Spot on, mate👍, my feelings about the twig are similar to yours, if a carper wants a similar edge try the Nash trigger link🐟if my memory serves me well Nashy was the 1st to release the safety clip, a massive step towards fish safety 🎣
@@mattiparker14 thanks mate. Yeah, apparently it was Kevin Nash who invented the lead clip. You’ll actually find a clip of him talking about it in one of my earlier Twig related videos. Appreciate the support mate.
well yes and no, companies do exist to make money but many of them make products that make our fishing better, some things you want to go and buy as they help, others need mass advertising to sell as they are not needed.
@@johnnybegood9560 what about the price of just going fishing the lakes are ridiculous it just out prices the every day bloke for me to take my boy it £50 for 24 hrs and that’s just the lake
@@robertwhite-overton-es4kj I agree, day tickets have always been an expensive way to fish, find a local club water is the way forward with the odd day ticket thrown in for variety
Totally true my mate caught his first 30lb and the and when he got it on the Matt there was a magic twig with hook hanging out its mouth lucky he caught it and took it out or it would have hooked up on something
We all stick hooks in fish and drag them out of the water. To then get on your high horse about fish care is laughable. If you care that much leave them alone completely.
So you don’t think that anglers do anything for the environment? For water ecology? For the counties waterways? I think you need to consider the bigger picture mate.
Good video .. Ive banned it from my local fisheries... If anyone knows or cares about angling ,you can quite clearly see that this product is completely unacceptable and aimed at VERY ,inexperienced people who go fishing ,cant call them anglers if one resorts to using this 'thing'...
I am a magnet for mozzies, the first mozzie of Spring will always get me. However last year I purchased the Thermacell, absolutely brilliant. Also use the Skin so Soft, also highly recommended.
I don’t and I won’t but as I say in the video education in angling is high on my agenda. I think it’s important new and less experienced anglers hear both sides of the argument so they can make an informed decision on whether they want to use it or not.
Maybe one day mate but everything in the video will still apply to Android. And I reckon if you Google best video settings for Android phones you’ll be able to fill in the gaps ☺️ That said, let me know if you have any specific questions or problems and I’ll do my best to help.
It's a post with genuine concerns. What are you on about? "ODDBALL" There's no hidden agenda against Ali and OMC. It's the fish safety aspect of the magic twig, no more no less.
Thank you for posting this, very well articulated, it echoes mine and many other anglers feelings. Really disappointed in Ali, he’s surely better than this. As you say I’m sure he’d gain a lot of respect if he put his hands up and said sorry we got this one wrong.
A balanced video on a product, if used as instructed, is not fish safe and remember is sold world wide were fish safety isn't as paramount as it is in the Uk. I also admire Ail. Breaking away from Korda, setting up OMC. Which must have cost a fortune. So lies the answer to the question. OMC is highly leveraged. Ail is not stupid. He knows it was a product rushed to market, the finished product from a safty point, not as expected, but too costly to go back to the drawing board and liaise with Chinese manufacturers. Admitting mistakes in business is a gamble and costly. So best keep the corporate piety being the safest option ( myself becomes the priority). Ail has made his decision. There is no going back. The only answer will be when the mark 2 twig comes out, see the modifications, and possibly the arms will bend easier. This will be the only admission of a floored product. So, continuing the trilogy of the lesser Death rig. As for the angling trust and Ali. The stance will be lease said sooner mended.
All valid points and I don’t disagree. But trust is hard to gain and easy to lose. And once lost trust is incredibly hard to win back. Are his customers long term anglers or people just in it to catch fish quickly? If he wants a truly sustainable business I’d recommend focusing on the market that will always be there - not the anglers that are new to the sport and could leave as quickly as they started.
@adamroots3429 Adam only to the fact that he left a well knowen company Korda and set up OMC in a saturated tackle market. How many repeat products are there on the market ? Besides the twig and that's why he jumped on it.
The views expressed in this video are my personal opinion. It's okay that we don't all feel the same way about something. Some of you might love The Magic Twig and that's okay. But if you want to know more about my concerns with the product then please check out my other videos on my channel. Oh, and Ali and I spent 90 minutes on the phone a while back and we agreed to disagree - again, all love to the man and his own personal mission.
If Ali did pull this, there will be a copy on the market before you can say OMC. I have to admit I haven't used the twig, baitboat, sonar or bushwacker, and never will. I do agree with you, and hate the catch at all costs mentality today. The environment and fish must come first.
I'm not sure if the post is still on utube. There was a post with Ail and I think a plumber from up north who had , possibly not the first. Had the concept of the twig as we see it today. Outside waiting for the patent office in London to open , to register a patent on the twig and Ali excitingly building up anticipation of a game changing product that needed a urgent patent to stop any copies. I don't beleve any of the big names in angling will produce this product. Adverse publicity against, financial gain and the product is patent. Possibly a more dangerous copy from the far east on Amazon. Great to know you won't use it. One thing any bolt rig relies on, is sharp hooks, that's as ture today as when I first used a bolt rig in 1982. If this isn't the number one component, then learn to strike and be prepared to lose lots of fish, I learnt this the hard way.
You certainly have a knack of explaining things and I wish I had this video to hand when I first started editing! It all sounds quite complex to start with but editing your video content is really easy, just don't be scared of making a mistake, hitting the wrong button, just enjoy as making and watching your own work is highly rewarding. Thanks James, great job!
it seems your spreading a little bit of mis information within this video, are you sure you have spoken to the ea? im a vbs and do work with th ea and angling trust, the magic twig is an automatic hooking device which is triggered by a spring, this is what makes it illegal for use with the ENTIRE thames region whether on public or private waters, its allowed for use ELSEWHERE in the uk as automatic hooking devices are only banned under the byelaws of the thames valley region.
I can assure you that I spoke to DEFRA and the EAs comms teams about this. I’ve also spent over an hour on the phone with Ali himself. I am considering creating a new update to this video as I have a call scheduled with DEFRA and am expecting an updated statement any day soon. As a VBS I would welcome a conversation with you to get your opinion and interpretation of the rules. Would you be up for that? Ultimately, it would be good to have clarity for all so if you can assist me with that it’d be great.
@@thefishingdiary im happy to have a good conversation with you and anybody wanting clarity on certain rules as its always nice for people to understand things before they get fined for unknowingly breaking said rules, in a session we was explained to during a conversation with an f.e.o that the classification around automatic hooking devices are because they are mechanical in some form, ie triggered by a mechanical force such as a spring to aid the hooking of a fish otherwise this would encompass most bolt action style rigs these rules are enforced as a byelaw on all public and private waters by the e.a within the thames catchment area which does override fishery owners final say this even includes the close season on some private fisheries aswell. i personally tried to have this conversation with ali before and was argued back with how its no different from bolt rigs yet they arent aided by a mechanical means hence why some fisheries he tested and trialed them at have had to outright ban the use after he has said he used them and they even advocated the use, unfortunately there was alot of mis information during the release of this item and he admitted he never actually contacted or had the conversation with the ea around what the rules actually meant before he went ahead with the use of the twig, now whoever had told you that its the fishery owners choice is correct everywhere else within the uk except for the thames catchment area Thames byelaw area which includes all waters within the River Thames catchment. It includes the Thames, Darent and Cray, Wandle, Lee, Roding, Mole, Wey, Colne, Kennet, Cherwell, Windrush and Coln, and the Cotswold Water Park. It excludes the River Medway catchment. Angling clubs and private fisheries may enforce their own additional rules, but national and local byelaws still apply.
