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Had two 2.5l lockable sandwich boxes delivered yesterday which should keep them at bay. I fish several different waters over the course of the season and I'm sure they're getting bolder on all of them!

To be honest complete numpty error. When I retrieved that I was disgusted, and did give it to one of the bailiffs when he came round. The lead clip wasn't locked onto the hooklink swivel, you can see the gap. It had been forced onto the leader (I think a TFG one), and a swivel attached to the mainline end. Looking at the tail rubber, it was a Solar Soft rubber. From that same spot on another occasion I retrieved a bundle of around 6 leads and rigs, some still with bait and plastic hookbaits on. I'll have to see if I can find that pic! I've retrieved helicopter setups with rigs still attached, on leadcore and leadfree. Strangely very few on naked mainline.

Tail rubber jammed on. User error imo.

I think we all forget that accidents do happen. I have seen the springback from snapped line, and yes it most definitely happens; that bundle of birds nest that tangles up around the rod tip after a snap-off, a bite-off from a pike. No matter what, we do all lose rigs, with or without the lead. Obviously we do the absolute best to reduce that risk, albeit in different ways due to our beliefs. I don't believe in using a leader, unless mega distance casting with big leads. If it is weedy, snaggy then I personally think go without the leader, and accept I can't cast as far. I have tested lines and leaders, wet and dry, pulled for a break, and it nearly always breaks at the line join, the knot, or a fraction above it where it has been tightened down. The exception is if there is damaged line above it, where it breaks at the damage. Run rings give me the thought that a larger bore, hole through the middle, will go over that birdsnest that @kevtaylor mentions, unless the break includes and goes over run ring. I now come to @yonny 's point, a run ring and running lead is only truly a running lead when it is fished with a slack line, minimal tension, the line touching the bottom of each rod ring, dropping straight down from the rod tip, no tension on the indicator. When it is fished with a tight line it becomes 'semi-fixed', or a bolt rig. Preventing the fish having line, as in the same as snag fishing, forcing the fish to arc on the take can be done with a run ring and tight line, locked up rods and reels. In weed I'm positive that lead clips can jam up, and not release the lead. Aside from some numpty attaching the leader with a swivel, I retrieved this from a snag. The lead most definitely had not released. I do not know whether they had cut off the mainline or pulled for a break but the line did reach roughly from the swim to the snag where I managed to catch up on it and retrieve it with 15lb mainline. I've fished in weedy waters, Suffolk Water Park, Taverham Mills even areas of Nazeing Lagoons, and again with testing and experiments I found a Zipp shaped inline lead catches up less weed than a pendant setup, whether a run ring or lead clip. It colours my thoughts on why I don't like lead clips in weed, and do switch back to inlines, which can be fished to drop off.

Worth having a look at the Rat Bag - it's an air-drying bag made from light chainmail with a velcro opening. Completely rodent proof. They used to be sold by a small independent company in 2 sizes - I got both and they're absolutely brilliant. A little while back OMC bought the firm out and started selling them as an OMC branded product. I'm not sure if OMC still do them (can't see them on the website) but there's certainly still stock available online if you Google 'OMC Rat Bag'.

I must confess I do keep my bait in buckets, not just for rats but to keep them away from Sky. She does however act as a good rat deterrent:

Went for the FOX Easy Mat in the end !

I’m sorted, found a Nash Pod bag

I’ve just listed my ATTs for sale on eBay with deluxe receiver as I’ve decided I don’t need a receiver for my day sessions. Ive ordered the Fox Mini Micron with LED changeable colours as a simple yet low cost alarm less than £50 for two ! The ATTs were / are amazing but I can’t justify keeping them now.

An example of what happens when you leave your boilies inside your bivvy, a visit from Rattus Norvegicus! I seen the thing quite a few times during the day and so deliberately brought the bag inside my bivvy as I thought it wouldn't come in. I'll be storing them in some strong tupperware boxes from now on!

Just purchased the Nash 2 Rod pod and it doesn’t come with a bag ? Any recommendations for a suitable pod bag ? My Fox EOS is now up for sale and came with a bag

Me too. On the water I'm fishing there's no way you'd be able to fish a running rig. If the fish takes lines on the take you're halfway to losing it already such is the severity of the weed.

There's a video online of a guy who's batteries exploded in the van on the way fishing, scary. I'd started changing mine in the garden due to the risk, so the bag seems like a must for storage and charging.

I've bought some prepared particle as I was too lazy to prep it myself 20kg of carp particles dark mix and some garlic oil.

I once left a vape on charge and it started burning, luckily it wasn't overnight and I caught it fairly quick but could've burnt the house down.

The mk1 delkins are great. The new ones don’t have the water ingress issues being reported, just avoid the version in between. Mini microns are a good choice of alarm, the originals were pretty much indestructible.

I had this caterpillar crawling along the floor of my bivvy, and so I didn't kill it I picked it up and took the photo. It is an Emperor moth caterpillar and while not rare rare are not particularly widespread.

Thanks @yonny, good to know! 😉

I use lead clips all the time and will continue quite happily, I can see some danger but happy to live with that as I fish heavy gear and fish sensibly. If we were that concerned we'd use lower bs hooklinks than the line regardless like match anglers. Snapped line springs back into a birdsnest, so even the running rig potentially tangles and tethers.

👍 any way that works. works

Used Fox alarms for 25 years. Switched to Delkim for a season but that didn't last long as all of them suffered with water ingress issue in the first winter. Back to the Fox's.... still going strong.

With respect mate, I was suggesting trying pre drilled pellets. I used to use a Gardner hook band thing, not sure if they are still available? Put 'inside' a grnner knot for pellet at base of hook, or just put it on the end of hair rig, not done that for years but used to be a good edge in the grinner when used for floater hookbaits.... sonubaits I think from memory 😀

I still have a set of original sx and dxr alarms as my “go to” sx have been modified to wireless with the att system inside

No need to drill a pellet just lasso it on with a sliding knot when it finally dissolves just open the loop and slide another in to it

As others have said, so many particles to go for, obviously don't know the water but for hookbaits, a suggestion, maybe hard drilled halibut pellets? If you do decide on them as a hookbait I have found they can me knawed down by other fish and also when mounting on a hair I put a small sliver of fake corn under the boilie stop as the hole will expand and the boilie stop will go thu eventually. Final thought, unless there are flying rats around, what about floaters at this time of year? Good luck mate, always a good buzz fishing somewhere new 🙂