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Back on the res for a 48 hour, on the second night now and off the mark with this one 👍 Hovering just over 25lb 👍

My last trip was a bit of a social with my maté’s grandson and son-in-law coming along The lad who is 11 started when he was 9 using a whip then progressed to a float rod and feeder rod …but he never has had a fish pull back till he gave me a hand reeling in and netting a carp, was great to see the shock on his face and he went on to catch carp to 9lb…Iv masked his face in the pic wasn’t sure to show it The guy opposite us had his daughter who was 10 years old fishing I had a chat to them and complimented her on her casting and catching her carp

Through the years from 2016/17 Our last session together was about 13/14months ago in the Tempest 200 on the local club water.

9 This one was my daughters first 20lber, she cast the rod herself and dropped it just off some pads, I had gone up the track a bit to clip up my rod and it screamed off and she was playing it and shouting for me, was a fraught battle on the old trusty 7ft greys, she did really well and eventually I netted it for her, she took the photos to school and everyone was really impressed. She's not really fished since but has worked on her casting. She did try playing one on my rods last week but they are too big and heavy for her.

My lad started off when he was 5yrs old with an Octoplus Seat Box and a Float Rod, loved the fact of catching any and every fish with maggots every week up until about he was 7 when I started Carp fishing, and then he wanted the Camping side of staying out at night. So the fishing was during the fay for us both then at night was myself ky and he had his tablet with him. This continued until he was about 12yr and started dwindling away to his technology....now he's 14 and isn't that fussed to be honest. Now its Football, Karate, MMA training and the odd phase on FIFA on his PS5.... I do ask him now n then if he wants to go, but he's not fussed... So may have to introduce the Pooch back into it 😁😁

As many will have noticed I havnt been fishing in several months now and probably not more than 4 times in the last 18 months , but this Bank holiday I made the effort , and was truly rewarded. Started with a 33lb Mirror then a 14lb Mirror, followed by a 33lb Common then to finish off the Bank holiday a 44lb Common

Gonna have to do this one in stages, but went for a 2 night trip with the kids and the dog, arrived at lunchtime after the usual struggle and then some, but luckily got in a lovely swim with plenty of space for our bivvies I had previous in this swim having fished it last time, although there were people fishing far side so I opted to come shorter, this was a good decision. And had 2 rods on it today. And one on my banker spot. Nothing happened the first night but I had done some good big baiting and had left some line free moments (mainly because I had forgotten cutlery and plates) got back from dog walking and shopping (dog friendly garden centre) and wanged in another 8 spods on each spot, and was quite surprised when it ripped off an hour Later in the afternoon, really scrapped hard this one due to its mega paddle. 22 1/2lb Tbc......

I bought 50m of PVA mesh earlier.25mm and 38mm, I've just been clipping on small bags of pellets or 4 or 5 boilies to the hook, I've got a really thick matching glug I've never used so I'm going to tie a load up and just dip em before casting. I've also got some stick mix I could roll em in that after lol, be like casting out a KFC chicken leg 😂

WHEN I'm back, I'm going the usual running rig, but with 4/5 inch supple rigs all in a PVA bag...

The key to it is start in the summer fish when the kids want to fish chase butterflies if they want to do that go home when they have had enough. then eeek out 10 minutes more every time they go.

I've gone back to Century's Big Bertha which I got around 2007. She is still a beast! I've found: a) Avid and Sonik Spod and Marker rods have awful rod rings, with liners falling out and the frames bending easily. b) after replacing them, the rod just doesn't have the life or grunt to put out a medium Spomb much above 60metres. Neither is a bad rod for a marker but despite being hybrids, not Spodding. The Tackle Box Spod rods do get good reviews.

Hope it goes well Nick and it cures your problem. My daughter was getting tonsillitis about 4 times a year and it was really dragging her down. In frustration, she asked why she was getting it so often and heartless father chipped it that it was because she works in a germ factory (Nursery!) Luckily she does seem a bit more immune to it recently but it was pretty bad and frequent and I have an understanding of what you've been going through.

10 and 8 going on 14 i think 😬 It's worth starting off small, rods were tricky to use, a 3m whip is a good tool to start with and plenty of action, my youngest thinks fishing is boring but we convinced her to come. She claimed to not enjoy it but had loads of fun camping and messing with her sister,tablets and audiobooks are good tools for the times when you need to get stuff done, but my eldest seems to want to learn more, she now uses my baitrunner and 7ft greys rod sometimes, she gets it I think and always wants to come, she's happy just being there, I think what I am trying to say is try it and I don't think it's a bad thing, but they will either love it or not you can't force that. Good luck, Also when you really want to go but know your misses won't allow it having a kid onside is a good tool in your armoury 😎😉

Whilst that one was awaiting processing in the retainer, I had another bite, this one off the rod I moved and the only one not on a match the hatch wafter. (MTH Pop up 😊) lovely fish, look at that tail 21lb 1/2lb Somewhere in all this lot I managed to lose 3 to hook pulls and one with a boulder of weed that acted as a pivot. And finally at just before lunch I had another run from the banker spot came in like a dog on a lead until it saw the net, then it took forever having seen it for quite a while I thought it was one of the bigguns. Turns out it was 27lb 12oz. but again what a creature all ancient looking and a real solid beast of a fish. I did lose one while this was in the retainer. But I'm not complaining. 5 fish in a session is mega and getting to share it with your kids and having a real good time too was awesome, I usually fish alone and while I love it, it is nice to share the special moments along the way. Also lucky to have a photographer as I had forgotten my camera 😁

Then I had to wait till 10:30pm for the next action, after some more spods and prepping as well as I could I felt confident, we had an all day breakfast for tea, I heard what could only be described as a pair of idiots walking around the far bank shouting stuff, luckily the girls were asleep, and then just as they were close enough on the far bank my alarm went into a one toner and I was battling with a demon fish and getting heckled at the same time, they run off after never to be heard again. But after thinking it was a catfish for a long time I finally got it in after an issue with my left hand rod, it had done a 50yd run and back before I gained any control, I only got control when it got weeded up but I had to bite the other rod line and reconnect it to get it in the net. Anyway it was a cool one, 27 1/2lb and i had to wake up my daughter for the pics. She loved seeing it though. Then all was quiet after a late night sorting and redoing and a couple of doubts I topped up with the rest of my spod mix and redid my banker rod and moved one back alongside the shorter rod as it was a nice clean channel. I had made the girls breakfast and just served my own sausage and egg sangers, one bite and the middle rod went into meltdown. My daughter netted it about the 3rd time of asking, 27 1/2lb again. Tbc....

Had a whale of a time down at Wraysbury on a social with @greekskiilast week. Between us we had 40 odd bites over 3 days. Conditions were PERFECT. Here's a couple of my faves:

Last knockings

Out on a new water... carp to mid 20's I'm told... time to give the pins an airing as its a small water...🎣😎👍