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So this weekend was great. I've been doing a lot of work to improve water quality/clarity and on Saturday morning I realised I can now see the bottom in 2m of water. Result. The skimmer I put in is working a treat. A decent weekend all round. Fish are still happy but the feeding has slowed right down in the reducing temps.

No more worrying about leaves...... I spent Saturday building some netted covers. I made 3 in 2.4m x 2m rather than one biggun - A) to give some flexibility in coverage, and B) because a biggun would weigh a tonne. Quite happy with the result and it's nice to know that not one single leaf will be in that pond from now on. The fish are slowing right down now, winter is defo on its way. It's a bit gutting after such a short space of time to enjoy the pond, but at least I know we're in good shape for next year. The water quality is the nuts, the fish are looking very healthy, all set to grow a British record in the coming years 🤣

They're two separate tickets mate. The estate has about 2 miles of bank, over 4 stream fed lakes in a valley, a lot of it is unfishable. It is lovely, with natural English carp rumoured to e around the 30 mark. Just talking about it is making me want to go

We have been doctored to accept what was previously written. we ain’t carp so it’s only all theory. how many times have the books said on certain conditions you should empty the lake and you blank,and when you think you are only there to take part you empty the lake.

Pressure is dropping and temps are rising by me. I'd not let the rain put me off tbf.

Couple from my year to date for you all. One from my new ticket, one of 2 trips I actually got over there since July. Mountains of weed cleared from the swim!

It's took me a while to adjust from the ressies as well mate, I love everything about it. Fishing at range, spodding big beds of bait out, hauling multiple 20s a day 👌🤣 I haven't really done any fishing on the reservoirs this year, its been mainly the canal and the complex. Totally different type of fishing imho, really weedy waters, trying to find little holes in the weed then trying to present a bait over it lol. I think out of the last 30 days I've spent about 5 at home, and only had 2 carp (same fish 🤣) Starting to feel burnt out from it now, ended up coming home this afternoon, but now I'm watching the weather forecast and we've got some low pressure coming in and now I'm thinking should I go back down 🤣

Bought some stuff over the past few months mostly for my summer trip next year. Wychwood drogue clamps - these rachet clamps are to hold the rolled up net against the boat on the return journey from a boat battle - these are the ones I'm assured. 25 x 6oz leads 3 x Large Fox H Blocks, 3 x 8oz leads 3 x Jag Rod Lockers - after last time 😀 1 x 15inch and 1 x 26 inch banksticks - making that a set of 3 of each I've got for fishing singles with the tips up so you can boat under the lines. Bought a Solar 3 rod sleeve for my spare rods as my son will be using those, sent that back and bought a second Cotswold 3 rod sling instead. Korda UV shirt for my son (Xmas) Ridgemonkey Bivvy light, I'll keep the new one, my son can borrow the old one. New one doesn't come with a case - disappointing. Bivvy light case lol Head Torch case - coz I never got one for that either!!! 4 x cheap banksticks for night lights and video camera (night shots) 6 x Gardener line clips - these are a bargain £5.49 for 3, replacing all 6 of my Delkim clips which are getting annoying as the line doesn't want to come out with a few of them when you have a fish on. Oh and an Aviator net to go with my Torrix one and 2 new deep meshes. Going to buy an outboard and leisure battery but not rushing that as batteries degrade anyway and new better stuff might come out in the meantime. I have said several times over the past couple of years, I'm done - what else could I possibly NEED? yet there's plenty it seems.

That sounds very very nice, freedom and if you can fish the stream a perfect escape! I've not felt the vibe since coming back from Belgium and my daughter's moved back in so it's been busy too, but reading your post makes me want to have a few hours lure fishing on our stream running through the syndi maybe Sunday morning. Got a weekend job come up that'll last right through winter if I don't pull my finger out - the target now is 5 nights at Bluebell in Dec if I can get finished in time.

Sounds ideal mate., I don't get the enthusiam a lot for carp now, probably because of the club water I now fish, it is not what it used to be. Still like playing about with tactics that are not so trendy now and they do work too. Think when you reach a certain age it is just making the time on the bank that matters to me

Agreed. At 6am this morning I checked my pond (as I do every morning) and the carp were really active. It was 4 degrees and had been raining so I expected them to be sitting somewhere near to the deck, but they looked up for a feed. You just never know innit.

You go off places - sometimes unexpectedly it happens, I do agree with Yonny though in that you've got the ticket and there are whackers, it's a great time of year now right into Dec. You've paid the money why not commit to having a good bash if you're not renewing, nothing more rewarding/inspiring than seeing the broad back of a monster in your net! All it takes is seeing one patch of bubbles at dawn and you might have unlocked the autumn feed-up area and a hit could be on!

Catching, now that's a whole different level

I can't belive no one has been out having a go? Last week has been good conditions, full moon too. I can't get out due to family stuff😔

Totally. Spent a few hours there the other day with my sons. We tried dead bait, no joy. But had a few tiddlers in the float rod. Got them off the screens for a few hours enjoying their surroundings

So basically I stuffed up not going fishing today , but I could always lie , and say I was waiting for one of Kevs' super lows 😁

It doesn't always pan out no, however the biggest hits of fish I've experienced myself or witnessed for others were all on super low pressure systems, I only really get excited if it's proper low like 970's then it is ON no doubt. Slightly low pressure like 990's 1000 - nothing special IMO I can miss those sessions coz I know it's not gonna do anything or much at all - super lows are rare like a couple a year maybe - don't miss those 👍

This is why you invest in good waterproofs and warm layers, fishing is always about weather conditions - low pressure systems are the one, if I could be out now I would be. Further to Yonny's observation on his pond fish, my Dec trip to Bluebell Lakes last year coincided with low pressure stormy conditions, 30 odd fish came out Kingy in 36 hours and my mate rang to say 'it's on' coz my pond fish are crazy active.

I caught this one while it was absolutely chucking it down about this time last year, the downpour made me think I had no chance and was going to be on the end of a two night blank. Luckily this one ignored the script and I was happy to get a soaking. Packing up in the rain wasn't much fun though. But you won't catch em at home.

Been a long time since I've kept koi but if my memory serves me correctly gin rin refers to the sparkle look you get on some of the scales - the best type looking like cracked glass which is permanent. To me you've got a gin rin ogan, all types e.g showa etc can be gin rin, if the sparkle is there.

Is it safe to attach leadcore leaders/solid bags by looping it together? I'm tying them on at the moment but being able to loop solid bags on would make it easier lol

Yeah I always use loop to loop, never had an issue.

It is used to do it years ago

I'm getting keen to get the flips flops out again.

Does it ever even stop ??

Cant wait thanks. After last year's success, I fancy making it my winter go to this year.

After xmas imo 🎅

I'm quite lucky where I am mate, the river and canal hold some really good fish, although the river is on the decline because of otters and they haven't done any restocking, but they do keep stock the canal every few years. Love a bit of perch fishing too, 0.5g - 7g rod, dropshot setup on holes of weed 👍 I think we can get a bit caught up with the carp fishing and sometimes a change in species can make fishing enjoyable 👍 I'm back on the complex tonight and just done some photos for my mate on the other side with a 20lb linear 👌

I agree with the others, you might as well have a bash at those whackers, you've got the ticket and you may as well, you might find you enjoy it when you catch another one. That being said I couldn't be bothered to go tonight, I was so tired last night I couldn't be harrised to sort my kit out just to rush before dark, so I didn't 😂 You might find the banks are a bit quieter now and that might help you to enjoy it. Rather than comparing it to the other place look at the challenge you are faced with and think how best to catch them whackers.

I know the feeling mate. Fishing time is precious with a young family under normal circumstances, let alone when you've just moved. We had the first real frost this morning, that's been very productive for me in the past when I had the time to go. March will soon come around and we can go for that big beautiful common🤞🤞🤞

All good here mate. The carp went mental feeding after Fridays storm and then this last couple of days headed to the bottom. I think they'll stay there for the foreseeable. I completely missed my Nov fishing session. No free nights until December now. We still have lots to do on the new house so it'd not surprise me if I don't get out again this year.

Its a shame really. A mate had a new pb (43) the other night. I can't stick up the picture though. This is usually the best time to be out imo. Family stuff means, I'm not able to get out at minute. How's the pond life?

With the drop in temps the fishing and the forum posts appear to have slowed right down!

I went Friday, didn't catch anything 😂

I've been blanking relentlessly so nothing to report 👍🤣

One of the books I own, I thoroughly enjoyed it 👍🏻

So, I joined a little syndicate recently. Well stocked to a few early 40's, Initially thought there's a few odd rules, but whatever. As times gone by (4 x 48's), I've had a low 30 on the first visit) I've sort of lost interest in the place. A few mates are on the ticket, but we haven't been free at the same time for a social. After fishing a reservoir and that feeling of having something no ones caught before, I've just not had the same buzz with this place. The search for a decent venue continues i guess??

My new mk4 carp rod, this is a lovely copy of a mk4 built to my request, it would of been wrong to put walker name on it so its a "Rod Storey mk4 Avon"

Sadly that is the reason why I often have to put post moderation and human verification on new members. It's when new members who immediately start spamming after joining that we get caught out.

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.

The other one (white with light orange - a Kohaku??) aint as big as it looks in the photo, maybe 20 lb at a push. Still, a great fish. It's a Doitsu which for those who don't know means leather/lightly scaled mirror. They sound like bangers mate, especially the zip karashigoi... looking forward to seeing them.

Popped out to get a photo last night. It's the one fish in the pond that's not a koi. It's an albino grass carp. Despite its mental golden colour, this one was always going to be tricky to get a shot of as it tends not to come up for food, preferring to mooch around about a meter under the surface like a massive orange submarine. It has to be nearly a meter long but v tricky to put a weight on. It's certainly the longest fish in the pond but not the biggest. Maybe 26-27 lb? This is the fish that's had all our visitors giving it "oooooh" and "aaaaah" which is silly because there's 2 or 3 that are a fair bit bigger, but the length just blows people way. I just call it The Big Grassie. Again, apologies for the poor pic quality.

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'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.

Things like glycerine,salt and sugar I would only use at the appropriate time of year, when the carp are expecting to find them and will be stimulated by them.

Lovely sized pond mate, I'd love one that size but I know they are pricey to build/maintain etc. Do you have the automatic self cleaning nexus. Looking forward to seeing a few pics of the fish. I've got a tiny 2 metre square pond by 900mm deep. I built it soley for goldfish originally but I did have 6 dinton carp in it once upon a time and believe it or not one of them grew to just shy of 10lb and the rest all over 5lb. Sadly they all died due to a freak accident. I've now got a few goldfish, one gold tench, 3 x carp that i grew from spawn in 2020 from my old lake, one of which is probably 6lb and 2 x koi that are knocking 7 or 8lb.They've out grown the pond really and i do need to upgrade mine really. Time and money holding me back at the moment. I've got a bog filter on my current one and boy do the plants grow in that, especially when I up the feed in spring. The first picture is after I built the bog filter. The next picture is after one month, second picture after 2 months and last picture after 5 months and cutting it all back after 4 months.

That's kind of what I read was just a coat of glycerin to soak into the bait then leave to dry, was just thinking I could add some flavour (low level) and liquid to boost it at the same time. I'm now thinking of just making sausages and boiling them and chopping post boil, I also don't want to air dry and make them rock hard as that doesn't lend itself to short session fishing. Thanks , I just like the idea of them being a shortish shelf life and If the glycerin makes them more instant like you say that will suit my fishing. That's also why I've settled more on the chops as I think they will breakdown and give off quicker signals into the water. That's the plan anyway 😂

For a long time Iv been thinking about cutting down the amount of gear I take on short afternoon sessions after work, had to be quite ruthless wasn’t easy I can tell you but it had to be done ...

I thought this was an interesting read hopefully you will too part 2: The digestive system and dietary requirements Hi All This post has taken me a while to get on top of, as there is a vast amount of information on carp nutriention some more helpful than others. In this post I will break it down so that I look at the carps digestive system first and how it is effected by temperature and then will go in to more detail about the types of nutrients that Carp need and why. Carp and temperature Carp are cold blooded fish and hence draw their heat from the water around them, hence when the water is hotter ie in the summer the fish will be more active and vice versa in the winter. The carps metabolims just like the carps activity is controlled via the water temperature. A carps digestion iss controlled by enzymes and enzymes have a set temperature that they work best at, if the fishes body temperature is not at the correct level the fish will not be able to metabolise the food as well and hence it will eat less. So in the later part of summer from August through until November the carp are active eating as much as they can ready for winter. This means there digestive system has to be able to handle the large amounts of food they eat. Summers like what we have had this year for carp could prove difficult as the water temperature will reflect the air temperature. This could mean that the period between now and winter for potentail affective carp feeding could be reduced as we have had some very unsummer like weather Carp digestive system In this section I plan to go in to some detail about the structure of the carps digestive system. But before this I want to clear up a couple of technical terms. The first one is chemical digestion and the second is physical digestion. Chemical digestion is digestion that is undertake by enzymes, the enzymes interact with the food and break it down into small fragments. The other is Physical digestion this is the process of physical movement of the fish ie chewing to break down the food it has eaten in to small pieces. Once a carp has located a food item and it feels is safe to eat it it obtains it by using the mouth and the buccal cavity here it is broken down in to small pieces by phyiscal digestion using its pharyngeal teeth and grind ing the food against leather like pads. The purpose of this is to break the food down small enough ready to enter the gut. Any food that is not need to move forward in to the gut is ejected via the operculae (the gills) Here we can see the pharyngeal teeth of a grass carp. These are used to break down the food ready for chemical digestion. The next step in the digestion process is to transport the food from the buccal cavity to the start of the intestine. This is done by passing the ground food along the eosophagus to the start of the intestine and the receptive sack. Carp unlike other fish do not have a stomach and because of this they do not break down there food with acid.Carp have instead an intestine that is twice the lenght of the fish. This will allow for digestion and absorption of the nutrients that the carp requires. As the food moves throught the fish it is broken down in to water soluble parts. This is done by the use of enzymes. Carp have to break down large insolubale molecules such as carbohydrates, protein, lipids and fats so that they can be used by the carp for its growth and maintainance. Below is an explanation of what enzymes are. This picture shows the lenght of the carp gut. The lenght of the gut makes up for not having a stomach and allows for extra absorption of nutrients Enzymes for carp Enzymes are defined as biological catalysts - catalysts are substances that increase the rate of chemical reactions without being used up. So what does that mean? Well for carp to digest its food it uses these enzymes to help break the food down in to useful products so that it can be used to fuel the carp for movement, growth etc. Another way of thinking about Enzymes is that they are like a glove you wear when it gets cold. The glove itself does not change but it speeds up the rate at which your hands warm up as it traps the warmth given off by your body. Enzymes speed up the breakdown of food but are not altered themselves. Carp have 100s of different types of enzymes in there bodies, all having a variety of different roles and functions. The ones I will be concentrate on are relating only to digestion. The one listed below are the most comon ones used and will give you an idea of the An example of some of the enzymes responsible for the digestion in carp are as follows. To digest Carbohydrates (sugars) Carbohydrases enzymes are needed an example of those are Amylases Here is an example of what happens the enzyme break the long sugar molecule up into smaller parts that are easily absorbed. To digest Proteins a group of enzymes called is required. An example of these are Chymotrypsin and Trypsin. Protein is broken down in to amino acids which are used for growth and repair in carp. The amino acids are also easily absorbed. There are many more examples of carp enzymes that can be added but the above give you an idea of how they work. Often in baits now adays enzymes are added to the bait. This helps the carp to digest the food and hence encourages the carp to feed. This in tern should allow you to have a greater catch rate. Absorption of nutrients Once the carp has digested and its food it is absorded into the circulatory system. Like in all animals the circulatory and the digestive systems are linked. Without the interactions of both these systems the carp would not be able to survive as it would not be able to maintain its body functions. The food that it has digested and broken down in to water soluble bits could not be transported around the body if the two systems where not related. I have delibertly simplified the carps digestive system because it would not aid this post to go in to much detail. The next question that should be asked is how can this information help us in the quest to catch carp? Well as we have already seen a carps metabolism is controlled by temperature. In the summer when the water temperature is higher digestion would be more efffective, there for more complex nutrients such as complex carbohydrates, proteins, fats and lipids are more easily digested so it makes sense to feed these in the summer months. These foods also promote growth, just like us the more protein or arbohydrate we eat the bigger we get. The same for carp in the summer they are trying to put on as much as weight as possible to get ready for the winter so they will target foods that will allow them to do this. In winter the carps digestive system will slow down as the water temperature decreases and the ability of the enzymes to funtion at their optimun is decreased. Hence high protein or carbohydrate based bait would not be the best to target a carp with as they may not take the bait due to the effort it would take to digest the food. It would take more energy to digest the food than the carp would recieve from it and hence it would be unfavourable for the carp to do this. Nutrient requirements We have looked at how a carp breaks down it food and what enzymes are involved it is now time to look at what each nutrient does and why it is important to the fish. By having a good understanding of these it will help us to bait more wisely. There is little point in baiting up with a bait that would be great for summer but is next to useless in the winter and vice versa. Below I shall look at each nutrient explain a little about it and why a carp needs it and how this should be related to your fishing. Carbohydrates Carp like any another animal uses carbohydrates as an energy source for daily activity and like us they will store them as fats if they have to many. Unlike us and because carp do not have a stomach they are not able to break down complex carobohydrates (ones with lots of bonds) or in cold weather as there ability to digest food is reduced to reduced activity of enzyme action. There for in winter it would be advisable to use carbohydrates that are not complex and sweet, this may get you an extra bite as the carp would be more likely to take them as they would be easier to digest. Protiens/amino acids Carp need amino acids and protiens for growth and repair. Amino acids are used to construct DNA and Protiens. The ten types of amino acids that are needed for good growth in carp are arginine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. Therefore if you are making your own bait and are wondering what type of amino acids would be the best then any of the above would be a good place to start. Remember carp are omnivours and will get a supply of amino acids form there environment. Trail and error will help you to discover the ones they are missing or needing. Also as mentioned above high protein feeds in winter would not be a great idea as it takes to much energy for the carp to break them down. The key to winter baits are high energy but easy to break down and digest. Vitamins Below is a table showing some of the common deficiniencies that can occur if carp do not have enough vitamins within there diet. This chart gives you a good guide about the things you should be aware of when looking at fish carp. It also gives you an idea about the role of individual vitamins and what you could add to your home made boilies. However what I would say here is that Vitamins only need to ne added in very small amounts. If you are not 100% confident with what you are doing do not do it. Buy a good base mix as these will contain the correct vitamins at the correct concentrations. Vitamin Carp Cyprinus carpio (mg/kg diet) Major vitamin deficiency signs in carps Thiamin 2–3 Fin congestion, nervousness, fading of body colour. Riboflavin 7.0 Skin and fin hemorrhages, mortality. Pyridoxine 5–6 Nervous disorders Pantothenic acid 30–50 Poor growth, anemia, skin hemorrhages, exophthalmia. Nicotinic acid 28 Skin hemorrhages, mortality Biotin 1 Poor growth Folic acid N None detected Vitamin B12 N None detected Choline 500–600 Fatty liver Inositol 440 Skin lesions Ascorbic acid 30–50 Scoliosis and lordosis and impaired collagen formation Vitamin A 10,000 IU Faded colour, exophthalmia, warped operculum, fin and skin hemorrhages Vitamin D N Not tested Vitamin E 200–300 Muscular dystrophy, mortality Vitamin K N Not tested Minerals Carp need minerals for a variety of reasons these are for normal bone growth, tissue, blood plasma and hemoglobin formations and also for many enzymatic reactions. As minerals are not easy to obtain in an aquatic enviroment they are a very important to carp. In many boilies these are added to the boilie. Also carp will get there minerals from natural sources such as invertibrates. An important mineral that carp need is Calcium, this they absorb from water and the rest they get from their diet. The point here is that Carp need minerals to function and lead a healthy life. Having a good understanding of the dietary requirements of the fish allows us the tailor our bait to the needs of the fish depending on the time of the year. Fat Carp just like any other animal needs a source of fat as it provides a source of energy and can be used as a fuel store for the winter. In the Autumn you will noticed that carp increase their feeding rates this is because they are building themselves up for winter. As the water temperature drops the carps ability to digest high fat and high protein foods are reduced so they build themselves up before the water temperature drops. However just like us Carp do not need a hugh amount of fat as it will cause damage to the fish and even death. Know your carp diet Knowing what to feed carp with as an angler is a hugh advantage you are able to match your bait to the time of the year you are fishing. A good guide that I use is easily digested food in the winter which is low in fat and protein as it takes longer to digest and the carp are less likely to take it. In summer high fat and protein baits as they are easier to be digested and they carp are more likely to take this type of food type in the winter as it can break down the food and use it effectively. Again like I have said before think abit about our quarry and match your angling and you will be surprised with the effects. I hope some of this helps gives you an understanding of the basics of carp dietary requirements. I have started work on Carp Biology Part 3. This will cover carp behaviour and how they interact with there surrounds including factors like pressure, wind direction and water temperature.

A question for the solid bag users; does it bother you that when you get done by mr carp (which IMO happens a hell of a lot) your original presentation is lost? I've used and caught on bags many times over the years but IMO once a pick-up is attempted and the carp aint hooked you're basically praying that the soft braided hook link is still presented as intended? It's really turned me off bags with pretty much any bait other than those you know the carp will nail themselves first time (maggots and worms etc....).