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For me a lightweight shelter is even more important for longer sessions. On an overnighter you'll only set-up/pack-down once, but over a week the likelihood of moving is high imo, potentially a number of times.

Couldn’t agree more, I use an oval brolly with storm sides, it’s lightweight, quick to put up and pack down and for a quick move, I can just pull out the storm poles and collapse the brolly, chuck it on the barrow and move swims as needed. I find when I had a bivvy, I was more reluctant to move, with a 50inch brolly, it’s so much easier. I’ve done week long sessions under a brolly quite happily.

https://www.soniksports.com/the-sonik-blog/which-test-curve-carp-rod-you-should-choose/ Was a good read last night...

Are you allowed to use braided mainline on this lake you mention? If so that along with 3.5oz leads will see you cast over this fallen tree you mention. Another reason for braided mainline is that there is no stretch in it so bite indication is pretty much instant. With mono' mainline the amount of stretch in the line at 20-23 wraps would see the fish take you into this snag without even registering a bleep on your alarm.

Good point about the 3 rods, it may be the way forward. I was originally going to put them on fb until I saw his ad. Still may but put a reserve on. cheers

I have to agree, whereas pendulum casting is commonplace on the beach scene with distance in mind, (although with the current trend of lighter, longer 14-15ft beachcasters, a simple overhead thump can achieve plenty of distance and the pendulum is not as common) such casting practices, such as the full pendulum, half pendulum and OTG (off the ground) casts, designed to “pre-load” the rod tip by causing it to compress into its casting curve before the angler provides the “power stroke” (ooh err missus) which sends the lead further. I’ve used half pendulums and OTG casting styles, and with the multiplier in the reel down position, I could get the lead to really fly! But that was with a 13ft beachcaster, with a t/c of about 6lb! (Rods are rated 4-7oz casting weight) such casts should really remain on the beach, a carp rod, regardless of t/c is not designed to take such high stress/forces that such casting styles put on a rod, even some beachcasters are not recommended for such casting styles, the continental rods of 14-15ft would snap under compression, as would a carp rod sooner or later, that’s if the line didn’t snap before hand, these casting styles always call for a 60lb shockleader on the shore. Most swims wouldn’t have the room for these casting styles anyway I would have thought!

Lets hope Pendulum casting NEVER arrives in Carp fishing , otherwise their will be some horrendous injuries.

Long sessions are the stuff of dreams now mate 😂 Tbh my brolly and my bunker both weigh about the same and are both fairly easy to put up, I took notice of the weight when I bought it, both around 5kg I think, all my tackle is going on a diet this week, since I had to barrow it last time I realised I take too much stuff that I don't need or use 😂

I use 12ft fox torque rods in 3lb t/c with fox EOS 12000 reels, I use the heli leads 90% of the time, when fishing at long distance at shearwater, if needed I would step up to a 4oz heli lead if required, however I would advise a bit of caution here, I snapped two rods under full compression going for a big chuck. (Those rods weren’t fox torque but another well known brand) the 3.5oz leads with a 3lb t/c are capable of distance in the right hands, as with anything, practice makes perfect. Just ensure that you make sure that there is no one opposite you that could be at risk in the event of a crack off, a heavy lead without line attached will travel a long long way! Check the tip ring and butt ring for tangles or “frap ups” (where the line wraps itself around the tip eye) and ensure the line is free to travel, check the bail arm is fully locked open and clear and you’ve got a good firm stable stance, then work your way up to it. If I’m going for 110yrd casts, I like to “warm up the carbon” by having a few 80-90yrd casts to bed the line and get it nice and wet before blasting the big un. With correct modern tackle, distance casting is achievable, it’s all down to technique and practice.

My Wife's just added " how fabulous " . 😃

Wow , who's a proud Dad then . 👍

When casting distance, with 12ft 3lb t/c rods I use 3.5oz leads, to be honest, I use 3.5oz regardless of range! Even under the tips I use 3.5oz leads.

We do, a few rivers on the west coast, and some on the east (baltic salmon counts as the same species). The far north is getting pretty decent, apparently. We used to have 228 salmon rivers, but hydroelectric dams, logging routes and pollution has taken it down a few notches, to 30 something. Pike and perch are everywhere, and they do grow big, especially in the baltic archipelago. Some bloke got an 18,1 kg pike earlier this spring (that's a hair short of 40 lbs). That'd be fun to try some day.