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I use 15lb main line but always use a Korda Safezone fluorocarbon leader (30lb) and back lead after casting to ensure that there is no tight line cutting through the feeding area. The leader also helps prevent scales lifting during the fight.

Yeah, that’s exactly where my anxiety stems from. I’m not from Europe, so I’ve been learning carp fishing online. Countless articles keep stressing how wary carp are, covering line diameter, line colour, sinker concealment and whether hook coatings reflect light. It’s left me pretty anxious and unable to tell what matters most, haha.

Yes. The thicker it is the easier it is to see. I've watched carp spooking off lines numerous times. That said, as others have pointed out there's no point fishing with line that's not up to the job. I will always go too strong/thick rather than than too fine for the given angling situation. Just make sure the last few feet are pinned onto the deck.

The only concerns would be A) the rat smashes your koi food, and B) the rat poos in your pond introducing parasites (unlikely). I've never heard of rats having a pop at the fish themselves. Just get rid of it and you should be fine mate.

Just discovered i have new pests, that may have a go at the fish Ive found a massive rat nesting in my compost bin🤔🫣 Should I be concerned??

What are you fishing for? How big do the fish go? Is the lake snagged, weedy or clear? I fish waters where the carp go to over 40lb, my normal line is 15lb, 0.35mm. I need that line to cope with weed and algae, occasionally long casting as well as playing the fish. If I go to an 'easier' water with carp to just maybe 20lb and few or no snags then I will use 10lb 0.30mm line. Does diameter make a difference? On a water I used to fish my shockleader was Drennan Greased Weasel in 40lb with a diameter of 0.58mm, or 30lb Amnesia which I have no idea of the diameter. I caught with that diameter line as I do now.

Depends on what lake and size of target fish for example on local specimen lake its 15lb but on the smaller lake i use 8lb as no snags and carp only run to about 18lb

What pound test fishing line do you use? Do you think the diameter of fishing line affects your catch?

I have a photo at home of me with Bobby Kerr and Jimmy Montgomery - the captain and keeper from the '73 team. Bobby owned a pub a few miles away from where my Grandma lived so I'd visit quite regularly and often see ex players. The Stadium of Light has a stand named after Jimmy nowadays, harking back to that incredible double save in the final.

Well I'm old enough to remember 1973 , and Bob Stokoes' celebration . 😁

Its a blooming nightmare! I treat against blanket weed with Crystalclear. I am now experimenting with a diy bio filter. Mainly gravels, with fabric media and a couple of bog plants at the top. Its been on 24 hrs and the media in the pump shows signs of reduced sludge so im hoping im on the right track now🤞 Im now considering digging a bigger pond alongside and use that one as a bog filter

I'm just back from a few days away and mine's looking murky. I gave it a real good clean last night but I'll need to do it every night this week to get it back to what it was. They still haven't spawned.......! Any plant life will be smashed to bits unless protected. Might be worth removing the silt altogether then you should just get a thin layer of blanket weed that's easy to keep on top of.

My family moved down south a year before I was born. Sunderland is in my blood (I obviously wouldn't have chosen to be a Sunderland supporter 🤣).

So are you from " Up North " , then Yonny ? . No wonder you look " well ard " . 😁

Thanks for that. Much appreciated.

Steaming baits are not done in the water itself. The boiling water is below the bait, (food) so strictly speaking the term boilies is a misnomer, they are now 'steamies', which has been used by bait companies. You are using the steam to cook the baits rather than the water itself. A pan of water, a grid above it, and a lid keeps the steam circulating around the items being cooked. Because the steam is essentially just cooking the outside of the items, the middle does not get heat damaged (denatured) to the same extent as boiling. It also means flavours and liquids do not get washed out like they do when boiled.

Hi Quote Any ingredient in a boilie is denatured, or liquids evaporate as they are boiled, less so if they are steamed. That is really interesting when you consider the hottest byproduct of boiling water is steam itself...If added to boiling water it will take longer for that to come back to steam temps and also far longer to reach the centre of say an 18mm boilie where it rarely gets higher than 60 degrees up to a 2 minute boil. Less so if steamed? However, i do like to learn. Feel free to explain.

Welcome to Carp.com I don't know if it is any use, but https://spsfishing.co.uk/coarse-section-info/

I know that a few people on Taverham Mills put it on 'upside down' to try to keep the sun from making the bivvy too hot. I never knew if it actually worked or not. I've had heatstroke a couple of times, even just under a plain brolly when fishing a couple of days. I can guarantee it is not fun, the headache and occasionally being physically sick really knocks you out. I've gotten to making sure that I have some shade to put the bivvy up in or able to sit in if at all possible if the forecast is for hot and dry. Not forgetting plenty of water to drink!

yeah, drop me a message if you find any details mate. 😁

There is one called the road lake nr Hailsham, not sure who you would contact but can find out for you..

Before the houses were built on the Witney bank..

Hi Jack, I regret that I can't help with venues local to you, not my part of the world, but I just wanted to say welcome among us. I feel sure that someone from your neck of the woods will be along soon with the information you seek. Ian.

Mine are now feeding 3 times a day on the pellets. They work as a pack and smash them. It's cool to see. I am now dealing with murky water. Brownish. If I had the cash I'd buy a few more plants, chemical treatments and an aerator, but sadly not atm. There was a layer of silt, built up over 6 years, which didn't seem a problem with the goldfish, but the Koi seem to be churning up, along with Canadian weed that was just coming up. After a bit of searching, im trying 20mm shingle just overlaid. I have a small 5in1 submersible Blagdon pump and with cleaning the filters out every couple of days, I appear to be getting slightly clearer water.