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I use a brolly all year round, in the colder months I will some times use the front and a groundsheet 👍 On the reservoir I was fishing last night some guy had what I believe was two trakker tempest bivvies with a middle skin so it made one massive bivvy. Next to it he had a green toilet tent set up... 200 yards down the bank you have multiple toilets, showers etc 🤷‍♂️😂

I only use a 50” oval brolly, if it’s needed, I haven’t used my proper bivvy in years. I asked a few fisheries why they don’t allow tents etc, their reply was simple, it came down to insurance - they are not running a campsite their insurance apparently won’t allow tents. How true that it is and what the legal difference between a blue tent and a green bivvy is, I couldn’t say!

My res, it's nearly 2 miles away, have to put the front on my bivvy when I need a carp

I used a thinner steel bankstick last week as a pilot hole, did the trick for the time being.

I was an avid user of a Pod, but now I'm between sticks/singles.... I now use the Sonik Stanz Split Sticks. Think they do the job for me and all fits into buzz bar bag with ease.

I use matrix blackout sticks and buzz bars, and they are lovely, I've used cheap ones before and like you have found they don't really last, best thing I bought though was a matrix piledriver that will, dig a hole anywhere for your sticks, I made the mistake of buying cheap stuff and quite often it doesn't last, worth spending a bit I think

My local park lane deepens down rapidly to about 7 foot a rod length out. I drag a lead through the margins until I feel the rise and then tighten the rod to the lead until the tip is on the surface and I've found the transition. The loose feed is then fed about a foot further out. The far bank trees always get targeted by most other anglers and I've normally got one rod there and the other is in the margins. Don't let on but the margin rod often outfishes the other!

So I always try to make myself as invisible as possible on the bank, no matter where the fishery is.. People wearing bright colours in the countryside annoy me to the point that when I see roadside walkers wearing the compulsory yellow or orange, I want to run them over!. Summer in the UK does not need a shelter, winter is entirely different. This photo was taken of me on a seriously secret squirrel fishery in the south some years ago, well before the circus got there and ruined the place.

Great response. I've no dog in the fight either way; I was just interested in hearing people's perceptions of why these things are frowned upon. The fishery and natural world makes a great point. A brolly, bed-chair, and bag are more than serviceable in the summer months (mostly) and look way better than a crowded bank. I can see the point of having a full tent set-up during the winter months, however.

Carp fishing has been an almost impenetrable cult for ages. I got into it relatively late on but was supported by a history of silver-fish and river fish angling. I could cloak my inexperience. Imagine walking into a tackle shop now and asking for a beginners set-up. It would just be an incredible learning curve.

It's probably a perception thing and to 'keep out the Noddy/non-serious carp anglers'. As with everything in life, there's snobs. I'm surprised anyone takes up fishing with the way some people go on. What with phrases like 'all the gear and no idea' and other ways they try to look down on noobs or those that can't afford to have the latest bite alarm/rod/reel/bankware/chair/bivvy.........

That's pretty much my approach when doing a week in France. I always reel in at breakfast time (mine, not the carp) and spend some time checking rigs, sharpening hooks and catch up on sleep if necessary. Then, suitably rested and refreshed, bait swims up, cast/boat out and sit down to feed the ducklings. I like ducklings. Ian.