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If you think about how successful zigs are now during winter then it makes sense that it's more than possible to still catch off the surface. I know a bloke who was fishing my club lake in January. Hadn't had a beep for 2 days and it was about 3 degrees. He cast out a lump of bread on an overdepth zig about 8pm and had 1 in the net within an hour.

Personally for me it all depends on the group, I fished one lake where we helped each other out and left swims well alone if others were baiting, to the extent that if we were there with fishing boshing over their spot we would ring each other telling them to get themselves down to the lake. We all respected each other and had a good friendship. Haven't encountered that since anywhere though, keep myself to myself and try not to tell people much, a lot of prying eyes nowadays. Fell victim to it on the estate lake where etiquette was almost non-existent apart from a few good eggs.

If someone tells me where they're baiting (on a pressured water) I always tell them straight that I'll fish that swim if I see feeding carp there. Don't get me wrong, I'll not jump on their spot for no reason, I'd rather fish elsewhere, but I WILL fish for whatever I can see. Hence if I see them in that swim, I'll be after them. It's not fair to give guys that moral dilemma so I think the fairest and most honest way to deal with it is tell them you couldn't care less who's baiting where. On an un-pressured water it'd be a different story. I'd like to think I'd have been baiting myself. And no-one would know where, believe me!!!!

Worth a watch..

My dad was fishing a lake in Ipswich yesterday and said he had a few proper lumps feeding off the top. Didn't manage to hook one though.

I have done right through the winter in the past. Don't hammer it . Just trickle a few floaters in likely areas. Shallower areas that are warmer or areas with a lot of overhangs are a good start. I've actually caught off the top before as the frost was starting to settle on the ground. That was a well stocked venue though.

I've not been able to fish for the last 6 weeks and I doubt I'll be going until the kids are off next week. The club have been trapping crayfish with margin nets, they do own other waters but I just don't fancy fishing them, too busy for my liking. Apparently the metoffice have given mild conditions until mid December so I'm hoping it holds out for a couple of months yet before we see any significant freezes. I've been chatting with a couple of coarse anglers I've gotten to know this year. They were surprised at the lack of carpers fishing last winter, especially as they had seen the carp on a regular basis. As you can imagine my ears pricked up at this point and the decision was promptly made to stay for the duration of winter. Anyway, I'm counting down the days until next week, at least I've managed to score some brownie points with getting some bits done on the house and give her a hand with some early Christmas shopping 😉

When I first started carp fishing, we used landing nets, the big knotted mesh type, which makes me shudder now when I look back but, I don't remember our fish having injury inflicted as a consequence? Nowadays we have the luxury, albeit paid for luxury of safe tackle and kit. How far should we be taking the safety aspect though? It’s alright advocating that fish, especially big fish shouldn’t be lifted from the water in a landing net, yet holding that same fish up for the photos, with wet but often warm hands is fine? I’ve never heard so much utter nonsense in all my angling life, which is a long time. If any of us cared that much about the welfare of a carp, we wouldn’t fish for them, it really is as simple as that. Sure, treat the fish with care and respect, that goes without saying but, let’s not take the Florence Nightingale element too far. I hear so many people say they have the fish’s welfare in mind, first and foremost, is that so the fish will live longer, and grow bigger, so that we can all put them through all the stress and trauma all over again, when we catch them again at a later date? The reality is, the fish are there, because people fish for them, just as cows, sheep and pigs are there because humans eat them. You don’t get farmers keeping livestock for pets, the same goes for water owners and fish. Treat the fish you catch with care and as much respect as possible, taking into consideration that you’ve orchestrated putting a hook into it’s lip, and proceeded to pull it towards where you’re pitched up, or positioned in a boat, all ready to subject it to further stress and trauma. Sometimes the truth hurts, often much more than a soft meshed, wet landing net. 😉

Your bailiff story has touched on one of my pet hates-people who bait/pre bait a swim and tell you all about it, like it gives them some kind of right to fish it and everyone else should leave it alone! If I’ve paid upwards of £500 for a ticket and travelled 3 hours to get there, no swim is off limits!

I’ve been fortunate enough to join a number of syndicates over the years. Some well known, high profile that simply required adding my name to a list and waiting my turn, others required purchasing a ‘winter ticket’ before being considered for full membership whilst another required a recommendation and interview. They all had different rules but more importantly, a unique ‘culture’. Whilst the ‘rules’ on each were/are largely adhered to it is the accepted ‘norms’ on each syndicate which I believe have more influence. I’m not saying one was better than another but the difference in atmosphere between waters is quite striking when ostensibly the ‘rules’ are the same; even on the same complex!

Yes. I should imagine it's a tough call to make...… I find it hard to "vouch" for a lot of people, even friends sometimes. Been made to look a fool once or twice on that one.

One person's 'silly rule' is another person's 'answer to a problem'. We may not like or agree with that answer, but it will usually have been implemented after some thought and/or discussion. I think most seasoned anglers would be shocked at how many seemingly safe rigs haven't worked how it is perceived they would in the event of a line breakage (for whatever reason). Having bailiffed waters for many years, and having removed hundreds of rigs from various types of snags and rescued tethered fish I do know the truth. Interviewing potential members can help avoid the need for lots of rules but you might just be amazed by the amount of really nice, decent people, that talk the talk but don't quite live up to your expectations. Please trust me that everyone's opinion on the need for rules changes when the fish/fishery belongs to them.

Mate some of the cyclists i have to deal with have a death wish . The amount of times they come up on the passenger side when you are indicating to go left is unreal. They just don't realise that are in danger and that these mirrors have blindspots. I had to go a cycle awareness course as part of the contract our company has with tfl. It's the cyclists that should be made to sit this course.

I drive in central London almost every day. To say you need to stay alert is an understatement. The cyclists are the worst. I reckon I must have saved at 10 cyclists lives in the last year by second guessing what they are gonna do, and they still give you a mouthful. Ungrateful idiots.

They always are mate. He tells a good yarn as well as catching a few...…. I don't know what it is, but you can really put yourself there when he talks about any of his little campaigns...… Those fish, too. Stunners.

I pulled this from a group I follow...………. Just brilliant..

Funny when ever you post pics of your rigs Nick I always think how untidy they look & I wouldn't be casting them out . Point being we all have different ideas on what a tidy rig looks like .

I do remove it usually but left it on in the picture by accident! I have removed it in the later shot. It can be useful to stick the putty onto for a pop-up but I tend to remove it.