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I've got a universal mozzi mesh that fits on most brolly /bivvies cost me about 10 quid I think. It was a jrc one I think, thermocell backpacker and an open front is more effective though I think. Rarely get bit with the backpacker.

A LOT of very good kit sells second hand I'm told, I wouldn't exclude that route for some bulky items, some guys don't even use it then sell half price it's a bit mad really!

I would always go for a system whether brolley or bivvy style, the front always has mozzy mesh for summer nights and full front cover for wet and cold trips. I dont want the trip ruined because my shelter is limited I guess - and obviously you can remove it completely if you want it open.

Destructive creatures aint they?!! I think I'll just take the lily out. I'll want to give them some shade come spring/summer, I'll figure out how in due course.

Most definitely I am guilty of number 3 and number 8. I took out loads of pop-ups and the ones left appear to have reproduced in a Heinz 57 babies... As for the rod pod, I must admit to owning a Solar P1 but it has been abused a bit

Most venues do have a no tent rule tbh, If you are mainly only going out in the summer just get a brolly, I have a sonik axs shelter that I mainly use,I did get a front for it, but rarely use it, these can sometimes be found for a decent price and it's a great shelter. Again beds don't have to cost the earth, if you look about there are some decent bargains to be found. But to me it's an essential bit of kit. If you can wait til carp show season, there were some good deals at the Essex one also keep an eye on certain online shops, they do some good deals from time to time.

When i had the 6 carp in my pond I put a lily in the pond. Next morning the water was like a cup of tea. The carp had literally smashed the clay to bits that the lily was planted in. Even despite the pot being covered in pond grit and then larger pebbles. They just smash all plants to bits given the chance.

I'd planned to introduce another kipper today but was busy as owt last night and didn't get the chance for photos. I did manage a quick filter clean on dark and grabbed a shot of how the pond's looking now. You'll notice I've removed most of the plants, basically taking it back to a blank canvas to help me visualise what I want to do with it. The water still isn't quite as clear as I'd like, probably due to the fact the UV filter hadn't been changed in ages. This was done last week so hoping to see an improvement for the weekend. Although I don't want to, I may have to remove the water lily too. The carp are smashing it to bits as it dies back for winter which really isn't helping the clarity. Not sure which would keep the carp happier tbh... keep the lily at the expense of water quality or get rid at the expense of the carps favourite 'toy'!

After a bit of googling yes it seems most fisheries wont allow tents, good job i have not bought one yet, so looks like a bivvy or just forget the idea glad jh92 pointed this out at this stage i can get a wrap skin for my westlake day shelter or get an NGT XPR brolly system

I'm guilty of: 7, 12, 15, as for 19, I have quite a nice dslr camera that lives in my rucksack but never set it up to take shots, always use my phone instead 🤣

If I remember correctly, isn't there a rule for most fisheries that a tent can't be used? It has to be something that doesn't have a fixed groundsheet? Something to do with insurances I believe? Or is it just to stop people turning up with blue tents etc? Lol I've given up trying to beat the carp tax, end up buying something [censored]e then buying something decent afterwards anyway 🤣

I would like to know people’s opinions on rod license cards is it something people still want ?? as I myself would love one but I don’t know if it’s a good idea to start a side hustle making them

Suit yourself. I still think you will end up needing a bivvy and bedchair. We've all been there trying to beat the old "carp tax" lol , then realising actually we need certain things because they are built for that purpose and work better.

Can’t lie …

1. For the ultimate in being a tart, take a bivvy, brolly and gazebo. Don’t laugh, I saw it last weekend on a commercial where you can park your car behind the swim. 2. Have a splash mat under your reels, the ultimate in tartyness. 3. Carry 20 different types of pop-up but only use 1. 4. Take a 2 man bivvy but you only do over-nighters. 5. Take a powered fridge despite the fact you only keep your sandwiches and lager in it. 6. Own a 5-season sleeping bag despite the fact you hang your rods up in October. 7. Have a power bank that could keep a family home going for a couple of days in a power cut but you only charge your phone and torch. 8. Your rod-pod has so much stainless that you have to wear sunglasses to look at it. 9. You have a power barrow with so much grunt it could stop an average scrum but you only fish a 2 acre lake with manicured lawns. 10. Your phone is permanently on FaceBook so you can keep in contact with both of your friends. 11. A pair of 10x25 binoculars is more than ample and fits in your pocket when folded down. So why do you take a set of field glasses that can spot a mouse a mile away? 12. You wear bivvy slippers to keep your groundsheet clean. 13. A head torch is a necessity after dark but you need to keep it down to keep your night-sight when you turn it off. Your 8000 Lumen monstrosity resembles the Blackpool illuminations. 14. You bring your camper van to a commercial that allows rear of swim parking and stay in it all day and night watching TV or reading a book and only come outside once a day. Don’t laugh, I have seen it. 15. You own 2 sets of rods/reels/buzzers because you fish different waters and don’t want to handicap yourself. 16. Despite having a double burner and family sized returnable gas bottle and associated cookware, your meals are delivered to your swim from the local greasy spoon and pizza shop. 17. You have a bait boat with GPS and Sonar despite your lake being as pancake flat as the day the bulldozer created it. It also has a 4kg payload despite the fact you only use PVA bags. 18. Everyone loves a bivvy table. A small one just big enough for your tackle box, scales, phone and receiver is ample. A true tackle tart pushes it to the max and I saw 2 blokes in adjoining swims with a decorating table that you use for hanging wallpaper. 19. You have a top of the range DSLR with an impressive pixel count but the deal clincher was the 40 frames per second burst shooting rate it offered. Despite the fact you will never use it. You only shoot in Auto and use the photo’s unaltered on your FaceBook page. 20. You take 3 nets with you, “just in case.” The water you are fishing is rock hard and 2 fish a season is considered good going.

completely wrong, i am 61 and still take the wife camping several times a year, for this we have a fairly large tent, double air bed with electric pump, the pump is 12v and can be used with the new single bed, so i am just fine sleeping on a decent air bed, and dont have a barrow, there is zero point spending £400-700 on a bivvy, bedchair and carp sleeping bag to use for 2-3 nights in a year

that kinda camping when we were younger? yep now .."…… no chance

I have another pond down in the main garden with goldfish in.... the heron can have them! Otters...... now there's a scary thought. We're 3 miles away from the Nene... but there's a small brook just 250m away. Fencing the pond, or the garden, isn't really possible. Maybe a steel mesh over the top of the pond when I'm not around?

I'd hate to see the size of the heron if it was to eat "whopper". That said the otter protection is a good shout if near to waterways.

Hello Yonny . Don't you mean you bought a Koi Pond , and a house came with it ? 😁 . I hope you have Heron and Otter protection ? .

I couldn't do this I need a proper bed, the SP Tech is so good for my back I use it at home if I'm struggling. When I did single nights on Welly the bed was so bad I wouldn't have been able to do the second night anyway.

Gotta have a decent bedchair👍 I'd struggle getting off an air bed these days lol and pumping it would drive me mad 🤣 If you're using a barrow I'd deffo be taking a bedchair/sleep system, fish under the stars, shroud, brolly, bivvy, whatever suits 👍 @salokcinnodrog I rate it, thats hardcore but no thanks 🤣

Sugar, salt and glycerine are all taste stimulants. Just not all at the same time. Glycerine is fine in winter, as you would expect.

I'm wary of sugar and salt, but even though glycerine comes from fats being processed, and supposedly needs emulsifying in winter, I found glycerine/glycerol flavours still produced in winter, even compared to the same flavours on ethyl alcohol as the solvent. It has made me convinced that glycerine is an attractor in its own right. I'm not sure if any of the bait or flavour specialists have written about it. I'm going to have to try to find out.

You will end up buying a proper bedchair and bivvy after one night, No way I would be sleeping on an airbed these days, by morning I wouldn't be able to move. Some things are a good investment I see a bedchair, sleeping bag and bivvy quite essential, there are some good deals about if you know where too look.