It’s a practical trick for anglers, especially in clear water. Fish feel more secure in cloudy water and the disturbance uncovers bottom-living bugs that are easy prey for fish.
My admiration for a heron’s techniques has been reassessed ever since marauding birds star- ted snaffling the inhabitants of my pond, especially my prize newts. Barbie and Ken, the children’s goldfish, have survived, but for how long? And what about the trauma of those gimlet eyes and wicked spear hovering over you? Something has to be done, though I fear it cannot be as extreme as the shotgun theory proposed by one reader. Herons are protected birds.Netting is the most popular theory, though it is ugly and needs to be done properly. Sadly, many were not practicable but the letters show the fish-eating birds are a hazard for pond owners. The funny thing is I have always admired herons on the river bank.

Many thanks to all the readers who wrote sympathising with my heron problems and offering solutions. They all gave the host nation their whole-hearted support to carry off the cup, a faith that was repaid by effort and approach if not by achievement.But they were undoubtedly more on the money that Channel 4’s betting expert, John McCririck, who should perhaps concentrate his attentions on Wincanton rather than Wembley. He asserted: “England don’t have the skill or discipline, we’re absolute no-hopers.”The former British heavyweight boxing champion and West Ham fan, Henry Cooper, would have been pleased to have got that close to the truth. He pondered long and hard before he pronounced that he thought Norway would reach the last four at the very least. They’re very resilient, but I disagree with them being allowed to draft in two extra players.. Shoot-outs are exciting for crowds but unsatisfactory for players. A lot of Premiership teams will play a back three next season and attendances will go up again I think Germany will win the final.

The tournament showed our teams can compete at this level and are more exciting to watch than most because they try to score goals. The Dutch and German games were probably the most entertaining The Golden Goal is worth persevering with. Perhaps we should get rid of shoot-outs and let extra-time carry on until someone scores. Crowd behaviour was good; the Dutch in particular were magnificent. England’s performance will give our game a much-needed boost.

Many bookings were for fouls like shirt tugs which might not look serious but they disrupt the flow of the game.Ian StottOldham chief executiveIt has gone well despite early ticket problems. For a while the English team was ridiculed by both its own fans and football world-wide Now we’re a major force again. It’s not been the most exciting tournament I’ve seen, not like the 1978 or 1982 World Cups. A lot of games were very tactical even at the knock-out stage. The Golden Goal has had a negative effect – I thought it would encourage teams to attack, but that only happened with England- Germany; otherwise, sides played out time. Public interest in football will definitely be maintained thanks to Sky’s investment. Footballers are more highly regarded nowadays than pop stars – I wish I was 10 years younger, especially with the wages.