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12 weeks garden leave and then I got made redundant 2 weeks before covid hit and lockdown happened. You would have thought after 23 years they could have furloughed me and then Made me redundant. 25k redundancy later and a new job in July on more money I think I won. 👍👍 the MD who made me and the others redundant was made to resign or get sacked 18 months later. just checked he has done 4 more jobs since “leaving”

I would recommend Lemons Hill North car park, cross the bridge and walk towards The Wonder. What was 'grassy bank' has 5 or 6 swims, and then the next swim is around half a mile along the reservoir. Walk back and go along the bank towards White Horse Lane, the top footpath is away from the swims, so take the lower footpath at the bramble bush. It comes back up to the top footpath and then splits again before the swims are right next to the path. There are a few swims on the other side around 200metres from the smaller Lemons Hill car park. Oh, don't forget that AW in their wisdom have put blooming meters in the car park, which is why I frequently park at the bottom of White Horse Lane adjacent to the houses and do that route in reverse, making sure to look around the area at Lemons Hill car park. Anglers do get free parking included in their ticket, but I would be darned if I would pay to walk around the reservoir. Don't park on the bridge, cars do get tickets for that.

I caught my first/ last fish just before lockdown around the 20th March first session back and caught my first after lockdown 18th May I had a 10 fish hit and the next morning whilst sitting in my bivvy, I got a call from my boss telling me I might be on a short list to be made redundant. That was a week after my dad's funeral. So it sticks in my mind a bit. I'm all for a shut down post spawning but 3 months feels excessive to me.

There was always an air of anticipation on June 16th (usually followed by disappointment ) I think it should be re introduced but as a floating shut down once any of the species starts spawning then close for the 3 months not just carp. Nature would also appreciate it. think back to covid everyone was gagging to get back to it thats how it felt way back when. and from memory it was March to June

Well done mate - great stuff 😎👍

I was taken aback by how good it was tbh. Never really liked the look of it but needs must. It cast well (although I was only baiting ~30 yards out) and opened every time. Seemed quieter than a spomb. Really impressed.

Maybe media was the wrong word meant more industry driven via social media I guess if you invest in a modern fisheries you are going to want all year round anglers, one lad was complaining on FB he paid 40 for 24 hours and got rig checked twice two different lake staff members. The estate lake near me a once syndicate is now a lake exclusive only which is fair enough then you read the rules choice of four pegs which must be fished from and they also insist on certain lead set ups and tubing only no straight through even, notoriously difficult water that has had stock fish added, I wouldn't expect strict peg rules on a lake exclusive, they are only in place to stop swim poaching on day ticket waters.

Well done Yonny some cracking bangers there 😎. X spods are better than spombs, Also me TFG Airbombs are better than spombs 😂

Got out for a night over the bank holiday. The syndi is closed for spawning so I visited a day ticket down in the Nene Valley. It was absolutely rammed as one might expect given the timing, but I managed to find a few carp in a quiet corner. It was dead hot, so I flicked a couple of zigs out just under the surface. It was clear the carp were just sunbathing, so I was expecting to have to wait for the sun to drop behind the trees for any action. So it proved with a take around 19:30 which resulted in a lovely grey linear. Onto the deck for the night and I realised I had a problem – I’d forgotten the spod rod! I found one of those Wolf X-Spod jobbies in my bag (bought it ages ago and never used it) and bodged it onto one of my carp rods. It worked a treat…. those X-Spod thingys are great! I put 2 on the deck and left one up in the water. At 02:30 I was away off the baited spot and a nice little cricket bat common was landed. Re-did the rod and 04:30 saw an awesome chestnut linear landed - worth a pic this one. Photo’s done, I was half expecting that to be it but at 09:00 the zig rod went. It kited to my right past several other anglers and the hook pulled when I over-gunned it trying to stop it. Still, a good sign. In come the rods on the bottom, zigs on all of them, and back out they go. About 10:30 I get another take and another cricket bat common is in the net. I planned to stay a bit longer after that but as the heat increased, I decided I was happy with what I’d had so called it a day. A great little session in the end.

If I wanted to drive over and have a look at swims where would you suggest I park and look at first ?

I personally think the closed season is an outdated concept and shouldn't be reinstated. What I would like to see is fishery owners being more responsible and closing once they spawn and remain closed for a month or so to give the fish some recovery time. I think media is better in many ways, you can learn what you want, find out about products you might want and ignore the rest.

Very interesting topic. Is it just media driven, or is it 'carp only'? I grew up fishing, with a close season on rivers and lakes. Summer was tench and bream, and winter was roach on the river and pike. I was a mix between a match and big fish angler. Carp were a bonus on the second rod, although in the late 1980's I did start fishing pretty much for them almost exclusively. I was lucky in that I did actually get my name in the Anglers Mail with 5lb tench and 5lb chub when I was 14, and by the time I was 17 had landed 2 9lb tench, bream to 8lb, a couple of 2lb roach and a 20lb pike. I kind of stayed on the edge of the fishing industry and media, rolling bait for a company, and in my early 20's actually running a water for a couple of years. I was also appearing in CarpTalk a bit, on my own catches and submissions and also with Ian Jones who was writing Cambs Uncovered, publicising catches and waters in the area. I guess carp.com is or was the edge of media, as certain subjects have made it into magazines or online media, either directly or as Carpology has done with a 'sneaky' pinch. I've actually moved away from carp only, probably since about 2014, chasing big roach on a reservoir, more 20lb pike, and the tench again to 12lb. The media driven did get to wind me up...

See Preston do a rod and reel range with 420 logos and branding Wonder where they nicked that from, I'm tempted to try the waggler rod for the branding alone, plus the fact it's a really nice slim blank, just a touch above what I want to spend, plus the Drennan red rod comes with over sized eyes, not sure on the pellet waggler rods they look a bit clumsy for canal angling and I really do need something that will fish lines up to 8lb bs, trust me most waggler rods will have a problem with line above 5lb, the friction really does add up fast.

Are anglers expecting too much from the UKs climate and water temps, fair play if you wish to fish all year round, but you can't expect anything really, some lads that pop up on my twitter feed are only just having their first carp since last autumn, yet not really paying much consideration to the fact you really do have to be on the carp in winter. A tench angler out at first light in march looking for large tench, which is not impossible but damn near, you could win most afternoon matches in march with a 2oz perch caught on half a pinkie. I think a return to the promotion of seasonal angling is needed it's a shame specimen angling has gone the way it has, driven by private industry and retail, I'm starting to find the ignorant marketing something similar to a dodgy double glazing sales team yet they are never called out due to angling being recreational. I don't fish winters myself but if I did I wouldn't be doing summer type angling just for the sake of getting out.

Since the locking of the car parks that sort of trouble has stopped. The local kids could be a pain down at Lemons Hill big car park, sitting on the nitrous canisters. I was getting out of the car, putting gear into the swim (which about 2 weeks ago was under water), although there is another quite sloped swim in the car park cut since. I also used to park down the lane by the White Horse and go 2 swims to the left, about 200 metres. The first swim was a snag pit, the remains of the old road from Tattingstone to Stutton, I've put up a pic so you can see. You now have another car park, entrance by the layby and houses on Lemons Hill, so that keeps walks short. The longest walk I had was The Wonder Car park and going left to the end of the bay on the far side. Birchwood can be a pain, but although I fished it a few times, never caught carp in the area. I never found it busy on any day of the week, although there might be a few people fishing, you never felt like they were close. The only thing I would say is try to reduce background on any pics you put up, or don't let everyone know you are catching. There were a few problems with lure anglers casting over lines (Eastern European) which put me off, and got me in trouble when I spoke out about it.

Just been reading about Alton and season ticket. I googled mapped it and saw the car parks etc How safe is it where car parks are ( any trouble ) and approx walk to a swim ? How busy does it get on Fridays ? Is it an impossible venue to catch as a day angler ?

There are a few car parks around Alton; The Wonder, Lemons Hill North and Birchwood are not too long a walk. With the combination lock access there are a couple of car parks that non anglers don't have access to. Even better is on one swim I could bait up directly over my marker float from the bridge... The size can be daunting, although I live about 10minutes away, so I could walk areas before work and then fish from Sunday to Tuesday on my days off. There are definitely some fast growing fish in the stock that AW put in.

I like Hinderclay and have fished it before. Thorpe Abbots is another place ( off the A143 ) Alton Water hasn’t been on my radar not sure why ? Might be size of water and access for parking near your swim etc ? I will soon be fishing Fridays so hopefully places will be quieter compared to a weekend etc Thanks for the advice

Suffolk venues are still as tough as they were around 20years ago. The day ticket waters are still mostly Suffolk Water Park and Hintlesham, and season ticket water is GAPS. There are a couple more with the occasional syndicate but if anything water availability is worse. Alderson is GAPS best fishy water although Causeway is quieter as it is tough. As I mentioned in the post above, Alton is possibly the best option although day tickets don't allow night fishing. At the north of the county, Hinderclay is day ticket and talk nicely to the manager Stuart and he might be able to give you some information.

Got a set of dwarfs, for the money they are amazing. Tbh I actually love fishing with them on the smaller waters. Couldn't recommend them higher

Ohh the waggler is looking positive, no action as such yet, but I did think it would be a fine morning to go have a looksie at a few spots on the Grand Union canal, I already know where I'm heading nice and local. looking at a 10 foot beefed up waggler rod that can handle 8lb line the Drennam red rage is looking good the ten foot float version with a dawia 25 rz 2500 reel. Size 16 hooks might even need a 4lb hook length for a size 18 hook, going big perch fishing stepped up enough should one of the canal carp take a liking

Yeah use this company for my liquids, very happy with the liver and did buy the 2.5ltr.. great price for it. Mainly use it in my groundbait mixes, done me well

Had a set for years and they do what's expected, did change the receiver for the better one. Which is a big improvement. Now actually as my spares or when my boy joins me. The only 2 real issue was when I went to change the batteries on the alarms the circuit board wasn't secured in the unit and a wire snapped when fiddling with it Hate the covers as they are a pig to remove

Honestly no idea anymore.

Hi mate I found a set of nash dwarfs 9ft 2.75lb were ideal for most of my pond fishing, stiff enough to send a 2.5oz lead as far as needed and they felt really nice playing carp, done more 20s than I can remember on them, and they would certainly be enough for bigger fish. For a cheap bait boat, me and my dad share a actor baitboat by boatman. Its nothing fancy but will get your rig and some bait to them island's and over hanging trees 👍