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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 😂

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.

I bought one of those OMC Touch Me Up things. I can't be arsed with hook sharpening the normal way, but with that it makes it easy to hone the point if you need to. I tried it on a used rig and it felt sharper after using it as instructed. Maybe it'll help.

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......

Took mine for weekend trips from the ages of around 3 onwards, took life jackets, they loved it, finding newts - picking berries, catching tidlers - fun fun fun Neither fish now though so maybe I got it wrong, but both love being by water still, so I'll take that as a minor win 🤷‍♂️ What woman wouldn't want you to take the kids away for a while, any that refuse must be bonkers!

The Shot on the hook posts I have split into UK Rig Tying

The sad thing is some people will buy them no matter how much and yet so easy to make your own. Must admit I used the shot on the hook rig years ago but never noticed a real edge with it. They'll soon be an underwater film with this rig getting spat out or it will get banned for some reason or another.

I watched the korda under water videos, was a good eye opener on how much we probably get done without knowing 🤣 I seen a few variations of the shot on the hook now, one where I'm the loop holding the shot can slide on the hook, the barb stops it sliding off, also seen in so you can fish a popup off a hair with the hook pulled down to the bottom. Only problem in my eyes is its gonna be prone to blunting the hook. I don't really mess with rigs, I still fish a hair rig blow back style, only adjustment I've made is its a loop to loop combi rig, I can whip the bottom hair rig loops up in seconds. My current loops are kurve shank size 4, large korda kicker, with a blowback ring, 20mm bottom bait, 16mm topper so it's sat snowman. I like about 5 - 10mm separation between the hook and bait. The bottom loops are looped onto a 6" stiff boom. I would normally fish a standard blow back rig with it stripped at the bottom but the loop to loop combis just make them quicker to tie, and the stiff boom section helps reduce tangles when fishing at range 🤙 Wonder how much the weighted hook beads will be when they hit the market 🤣

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

Cheapest century I could find was £287 for a century spodding machine. I don't think Mrs Putney would be best pleased with me. I might just keep an eye out for a used harrison, century or free spirit one, I'm in no rush yet. Will see what turns up.

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 have been tinkering with shortening my rigs, since I watched that went from regulation 7" to about 4-5" I have also ditched lead clips recently and gone back to Inlines. I am not easily led though 🙄 I haven't gone full shot on the hook yet. 😂

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

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

quick overnighter the other night.

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....

A somewhat different view from the bivvy for me been to a 4 day music festival just got back yesterday and I’m off for a 3 day fishing trip tomorrow somewhere in Somerset. 🤔 Had a great time with family and friends and drank very sensibly what with them charging £6 a pint 😳 so i took 3 hip flasks filled with dark Rum each afternoon and evening

Old school meets new school 👊