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Bobby's lakes are near there (Bobby George, ex Darts player now pundit) he had some lakes up that way

The only luck will be if the birdlife leave me alone.

I hope you’ll be happy with your choice 👍 I do like 10ft length rods Iv got a set of ESP Quick draw rods in 3.5 lb which in hindsight were to powerful in 10ft as someone on here rightly mentioned could have been Kev ? The 3lb would have been perfect. 😏 Now ESP are bringing out a 4k version all in 10ft so il be selling off the other rods and getting a set in 3lb ….after a good waggle in the shop

Will you be mentioning that one is 8ft 11 inch ? 😉

You can splice a number of braids, from the original Kesmark Octosplice, Kryston Merlin, SuperNova, even the various ESP braids. It takes no longer to splice than tying a knot, and I can do it on the bank. As I have mentioned, those made with Dyneema are the problem, it is thinner than Spectra.

What about A12 fisheries that’s a day ticket I have never fished it but a few have. www.a12lakes.co.uk

Back in 2016 (!), I fished Alton Water near The Wonder and caught roach to 2lb 5oz on the cage swimfeeder, size 16hook and either double red maggot or maggot and caster. The first 2 or 3 swims down the slope I found the best at around 30-40metres, regularly recasting. The fish tended to switch on from around 4pm until last light. Birchwood on the other side I found better for bream on the feeder, and for float fishing for silver fish if you go to the right. That is down a small farm lane with a combination lock gate at the end. You get lock number when you buy your ticket. Ardleigh I was fishing back in 2005 for carp, but the bream would come on big beds of groundbait and if you could prebait the day or two before would often be there all day, with the occasional carp. Go into Ardleigh, and down Lodge Lane, near the petrol station. There is another Lodge Lane on the other side of the reservoir. Wick Lane dam area is also easily accessible. I never did very well up near the main fishing lodge.

I like this, when the fish have seen it all I find myself tying a standard hair with a bottom bait and tiny funnel web of crumb- simple as it gets, and works 👍 No baiting just a trap in the zone.

'Braid' is a problem, as there is a difference between hooklink braid, and mainline braid, and even various manufacturers or tackle brands braids. Mainline braid is cutting, it's not designed for hooklinks (actually nor are many hooklink braids, being designed for upholstery). Years ago I played around with a Drennan hooklink braid, in 8-12lb versions, that I felt was too thin, too 'sharp' and likely to cut. For years I have used Kryston hooklinks, from the original Merlin, which was also sold by Carp-R-Us (Wizzard?) when it was changed to current Merlin, Supersilk, and Silkworm. I found Supersilk was another very thin diameter braid that gave me worries, as were 15lb versions of Merlin. I only use 25lb for that reason. Supersilk was white, although it did take on bottom colour, but I would get hooklink twist. I still use Merlin, although I was concerned when Dave Chilton sold Kryston, enough to buy up all of the Merlin we had in stock at the shop I worked in. I do have a spool of ESP camo sink link, which I bought to make a tackle order £100 for free shipping. That is used on Multi-rigs. Rigwise, I use braids straight through, or as the end part of a combi-rig. I'm also of the bigger hook size, 4's and 6's and have been for years, at least since 2008, with pop-ups and bottom baits. Having a size 8 to remove that is buried up to the eye, leaving almost nothing to snip with side cutters or grip with forceps is not fun. The knotless knot does not slip, and I have not superglued it. I have used knotless knots for over 20years, both with and without tubing to cover it as a line aligner.

Finally filled them all up 👍 That's a kilo of corn would probably take 2 kilos I think

I think it will be cuts from the braid whilst the fish is going away from him a bit too much pressure and it is slicing through the scissors from what I can understand.