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It's been a funny old start im a bit slow today things are being silly, but cast my second rod over the spodded area, whilst still setting the bobbins it ripped off, knarly old common 16lb so I've had one and I still haven't had breakfast 😁

This one is no 3 mat shots ftw all from my middle rod so far all commons, and all between 12 and 16lb, I'm starting to feel like I need to get organised these teatime fish aren't doing my organisation any good 😁

Considering I've tripped on them, kicked them I think they are pretty straight today 😁 Im now having my first cuppa been a slow tea day so far 🍵

Still in carnage mode 😁

I remember this day, it was cold and windy and we only got the one bite, but worth it in the end. Good grief the hair!

As that great 20th Century philosopher Dolly Parton once said, If you wanna see a rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain!

This one was no 6, about mid double but went just while I was just settling the line on my other rod, it's been mental today, I need a cider and no more runs for a bit 😁

This one was no 4 another common about 15lb I actually got the camera set up for no5 📸

I got bite by what i think must of been a horse fly last year, on my hand before setting up the swelling was something else, luckily she packs me loads of sprays and creams plus antihistamine pills, but if you want instant relief from a bad bite, take a bottle of corsodl mouthwash and soak a cloth and press on the bite area, works a treat.

A 12lb Common from the Dam at Redmire

Just had another little one 12lb common , it was a bit of a pig to unhook as it had a manky mouth so I slipped it back without a photo, 😢

That is very good advice. Even a lowly 20 mph wind feels like 40 by the time it's crossed these big open reservoirs. Just this winter I nearly got blown away in my Lo Pro. I bought a Tempest Air instead and bent all the poles on the first session in storm Ciara lol. Replaced that with a Tempest Brolly and am now very careful about how/where I set up.

Join the club! Ok, I have fished a few reservoirs over the years, so I'll try to give my best advice, but it will be long winded. Your tackle, 10000's will be fine, but bear in mind with 0.35mm 15lb line you will probably be looking at casting no more than 90metres. You may need to down the line size, possibly to 10lb and a shockleader to get any further, or as your other option, get Big Pit reels. Believe it or not, most of my reservoir fish have come at less than 100 metres range, in fact many within 50metres. As much time looking and walking as you can, usually I spend around hours looking certain areas even before I start. The shape of the reservoir can make a difference, a bowl you can walk one bank, if you have the sun behind you, with binoculars, if a fish rolls, you can often see it. If however it is divided into separate arms or bays then you will be needing to look closely. For some reason, the fish can really follow the wind, the stronger the better. It may not be fun facing into a strong gale force wind with pouring rain, but I have had my best result on Alton in those conditions, when I was quite literally peeking out of the door, or unable to sleep because I was worried my brolly was going to get blown away, and I have had a couple of nights when I was holding it down, with extra long pegs. A good strong bivvy is a must, cheap domes don't last! I rarely prebait, other than putting the last of my bait in at the end of a session. I have a good bait, I know it works, however it can take a couple of days for carp to come into an area. Every fish I have caught has come on bottom baits or pop-ups, none on zigs! Be confident in your rigs, a plain knotless knot rig with line aligner works, often no need to faff about. This 'slope line' is often a good place to fish, it is the spot I have caught many fish, both bream and carp, more so than deeper water. Most of my fish have come from between 6 and 15 feet deep.

I think yonny has just about summed it up , If you can climb trees so much the better for spotting .

Starry starry nights

I fish a local reservoir 2 Km long. It is difficult to find any features. However, there is a very steep bank which flattens off at the bottom. In my lake the carp (and bream😒) tend to follow the bottom of the slope parallel to the bank. I found that a huge amount of pre-baiting along this line makes fishing it relatively easy.

Don't panic dude. I have experience with res fishing, you'll love it. First thing to do is completely ignore the advice of the manager (imo). Carp go where and do what they want. They may well feed mid water on fry from time to time but that is not how you should try to catch them imo. Carp are carp, and they like food (i.e. bait), so you should start with the method you're confident in. If that doesn't work start thinking about why it's not working and change accordingly. 10000 BRs will be fine mate (assuming you can hit your spots), you'll not run out of line, they are just normal carp in a bigger water. You will defo see them showing mate, but you might have to look harder. Basically you should approach it like any other water. First thing is to find them, don't even bother setting up unless you've done so or the blanks will soon mount up and you'll lose your head. Once you've found them, fish for them like you would any other carp. If you get the very basics right you will catch them. Don't over-complicate it. If over time you find they frequent certain areas, you can start pre-baiting and get good results very quickly. Have fun.

Thanks me too, I can't sleep I'm that excited 😂

Thanks can't wait tbh, it's been a funny last few weeks I think I need the chance to think and reflect, and if I don't get time for that hopefully I will catching a couple which is never a bad thing 😂

Orange dot belly near full leather mirror from stanwicks that had a orange dot on its belly seen a few with that marking in other waters.

So, I've now secured a ticket on 200+ acre reservoir. In search of a fresh new challenge. I plan to spend a few years getting to know the place. I am now starting to panic!! My fishing up to now has been on fairly small intimate waters. 3-9 & 15 acres is the largest. The manager told me there's no particular spots due to the rise and fall of the water over the year. I'm also led to believe that the carp are mainly at mid water. Known to regurgitate fry upon capture?? Adjustable zig is my thought, although I'm not very confident in my use of them to date, I intend to hone that in the near future. I've got shimano 10000 bait runners, which I am now thinking need to be replaced by big pits?? If a biggy takes off, I'm worried I'd run out of line!! I'm not so sure I will be able to see fish showing, due to the chop on the water. I will obviously ask whoever for any information, but should I try to find features in the coves or fill in a few spots of the dam??? All and any advice appreciated gents!

Preview of Jonny 5 all 20lb 2oz of him those 2 ounces have got rid of a big old weight around my neck I was starting to think I could only catch mid to high doubles 😩

Yes mate no problems with that. I think framey might be right I think it's the washers in the spool cap. I think because I left the spool soaking in water I might of done something to the washers, I'm going to strip the spool tomorrow and check them. I've tried my spare spool again and it isn't as bad. I'm also going to have a look at my other reel to compare them. 🙂👍

What about that silver v on mine it moves do yours ?

Nice one Elmo, you're smashing it!! All that bait preparation is paying off mate! Keep it up

Possibly needs a bit of grease on the washers ? or maybe there’s Grit or dirt or something in the cap somewhere

Definitely going to remember that, i suffer quite bad with bites, never used to but recent years have seen me get quite a few bad ones which usually results in antibiotics. Ah that makes sense

It contains citronella 👍

💪Whallop!

Hows it looking Elmo? You seen owt?

Average is in the 20's, several 30's & a few lumps, not seen for a while!!! I don't think it's a runs water by any stretch, but the manager, put in about a 1000 early doubles a few years back. One he recognised on the bank last year was up to mid 20's. He tells me the they give a good account for themselves 😊 First weekender at the end of the month. I can't wait

The very best of luck tomorrow mate 🤞

I am just glad I can drive to the swim ☺️ 5kg + Bucket full of chops and 12mm lers 2 buckets full of stinky, oily, spicy seeds, probably 4kg dry so probably a lot more wet, it was quite wet still so I thought I would add some pellets to soak up some of the juice, they expanded and popped the lid, oily liquid all over the garage floor Oops 😂 wd40 used to clean it up 👍 Pva bag mix big bucket 4kg 18mm boilies +1kg of 12mm Pva bags and hookbaits in one bucket My water bucket with liquids in 😁 and seriously I questioned whether I would have enough for a 24 hour session 😂😂😂😂😂 I think I need some bigger buckets 🤣

I have used them in the past, you do have to make sure that they don't break. I had one break after it was lit, it fell off the coil and melted a hole in a bucket lid. Mosquito repellants are personal, and mosquitoes in one place will respond differently to different supposed repellants. Some people get on alright with Avon Skin so Soft, yet others don't. At Nazeing Skin so Soft was normally ok and kept me bug free, yet at Taverham Mills I had to use Deet based repellant. The higher Deet content the more repellant, yet the more of a headache it can produce. It will also break down plastics! Lifesystems Expedition + is around 50% Deet, as is Jungle Formula. The repellant effect of 8 hours is ok in summer, but come autumn if I spray just before dark, I could end up being bitten before I wake up. I'm not normally too bad with insect bites, just a slight itch the day after, but I have had serious problems when I was bitten by something in long grass and ended up with blood poisoning that saw a hospital visit. That would be my own fault for not spraying...

Some good bait prep done this morning, ready for Monday morning 11 Pva bag rigs baited and bagged, ready to be hurled into the pond Bucket full of chops, Coolbox full of stinky, oily, spicy seeds, If I run out of bait it will have been a session to remember, I am debuting the tfg air bomb though so a few casts may go astray 😁