Leaderboard

I’ve several memorable sessions, one of my favourites being when I blanked! my son wanted to catch his first pike, but the rain was biblical and everywhere was flooded and the consistency of paint. Still, the boy was keen, so we headed out to a little known and fished section of the royal military canal (basically where it first begins) the rain was torrential and we were both head to toe in gortex, the water level was very high and the water was like hot chocolate and my confidence was rock bottom. My boy, with all youthful confidence was up for it, so we took a light lure rod each and went for a wander. It was a wet, windy day and every other cast ended up snagged so I ended up spending most of my session pulling his spinner free from streamer weed for the boy. after several miles of soggy slogging, I gave up and turned around to head for home. I stopped to talk to an old country gent who was in the process of telling me how mad we were and how hopeless pike fishing was in the conditions (as if I needed reminding) when my son snagged again. He called me for help, I told him to wind down, point the rod straight at the snag and walk backwards until the spinner cut through the weed. This the boy did, only the snag pulled back! He had hooked a pike! thinking it was only a small jack, I wandered down to give him a hand, this fish was running strongly downstream, so I told him to walk off after it. Once he got over the top of it, he brought it to the surface where an absolute unit appeared! I soiled my pants and told him to give it line, set the net up and generally went into a right old state of excited panic! My son gave me a withering look and told me to calm down! We eventually slipped it in the net where we were presented with my boys first pike…

I've pretty much just enjoyed all my sessions this year. They've all been pretty memorable even the blank where I snapped my rod and caught a pike was good but first time on a new lake and I got to catch a new 31lber which I got to name snowball has to be right up there. But this one also, I worked so hard whilst being ill including a move to get on the fish it's a special one to me And some I caught with the kids in a mega summer session And how could I miss out my daughters first 20lber Been a great year, hopefully more to come.

Other memorable session would be last year when I was unable to get any time in for night sessions, I had a little girl at home and had returned to the ambulance service, so time was at a premium so a few quick day sessions were all I managed. my dad was float fishing at my local club water and wifey suggested I join him and do a quick overnighter, so I dragged the gear out the shed and headed down. I set up and cast out, not really putting any thought into it, just 3 rods with pva bags on a known spot with a few kg of hemp over the top, I sat and chatted to the old man for a few hours until he headed home, gifting me a few pints of maggots. I wasn’t sure what to do with them, so just filled the pva bags with maggots and put them back out. it then lashed it down and I retired to bed, at about 1am, the middle rod tore off! After a 30min battle, I netted a lovely common… at over 40lb, it was a right result

Nearly forgot the first fish of the year from the carp.Com social, was good spending some quality time with @commonly and @dalej2014 I did have to move and be antisocial but it paid off 😂 Might be worth starting to plan next year's soon ?

I can add still more and from this year on the syndicate a 4 day session. It started off well with a 22lb fish the first night, then I had a 27, 24, a 21, 29, and a 26 over the trip. Then another session where I equalled my largest carp with a 33, and on the same trip an 18lb Linear, which went in this year at 10.8.

https://tacklebox.co.uk/starting-carping/rods-en-2/tackle-box-darent-valley-specimen-rod-11ft-3lb/ Not used them myself but people seem to think these are good value for money.

Same colour will probably still work lol

i use 10ft rods on my local water as its kind of small and they work really well they are a sonic vader x and a rod hutchinson one. i do have a shimano 12ft that is yet to have a run out though but i think i will take that to the river next week to see how i get on with it. i don't fish big open waters so the 10ft seems to meet my needfs.

went for pink as it seems to work well where i fish, as others have said though i think season plays a part in that as white does work well in winter for me

Started off with this NGT line...didn't last long though....I actually started off with a FULL NGT Carp Outfit and quickly started to Upgrade some Gear after that.... I went through alot of lines starting off and now seem to go towards the Sonik Lines....mainly the Camo or Invisicam.....got the 15lb Camo on my 5000 Reels. At moment I've got the Profiler NGT 6ft Rods x2 paired with the Prfiler Reel, NGT Rod Holdall, NGT Ruck Sack and Both are Top Quality (NGT luggage is up there with the Best)

A day on the Chelmer, MkIV Avon and Adcock Stanton pin... only a coupla little 'uns though

I find the Met Office consistently under estimates the temperature . Don't dis Carol tho' or I'll have to give you a slap , Nick . 😁

Got a few 👍 Catching my 1st ever park lake Carp & PB from my local HARD park lake, Sept 2020 Catching 1 of only 10 stocked Fish in a local lake, Feb 2022 1st ever overnighter with my Son & Pooch, my lad playing/Catching his 1st ever Carp June 2020 A 48hr and only having 1 bite and Catching the biggest fish in the lake, Sturgeon 31lb, July 2021 There have been 1 or 2 evening sessions were I've caught 20+ fish in about 4hrs but nothing massive.

Everytime I get to go is special 😏

I've got a big choice from various sessions: 4 winter carp just after the lake thawed in February on Nazeing, 20, 26, 26 and 17lb 2 Ardleigh carp on the day of the London bombings, a 23.6 and 24.12, both fully scaled mirrors, but the overnight session was not as important as my Mate who was on the tube that day, thank heavens he survived. A 3 hour session on the river that gave me a 28lb pb at the time. Multiple 20lb fish from Brackens Pool a couple of times, from Earith Virginia Lake, and even from the 475acre Alton reservoir.

Bags are OK but actually the distance sticks the deluxe ones £12 are brilliant, they come with a 12ft cord FYI

NOT been at all this year.....YET