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Several years ago I bought a big Nash cradle with a metal frame. I set it up in the front room when it arrived, then packed it back down, and sent it back. Did not look at all safe to me.

Got out today... over me club lake... a nice scrappy common got in on the act and gave me a good tear up all the way in from about 30 yards out... Rod was a 9'3" Sharpe, reel is an Abu 77 Cardinal, had a smaller carp which didn't stay still long enough for a shot... also had the scabbiest Bream in the lake...🥴

Reporting from the social, I decided to move on Saturday morning had a walk round with Dale and decided it was best, I moved into Bogmageddon and after a slog with the barrow, fannied about and found some spots, it soon became apparent I had made the right call when I saw one bosh to my left, then another to my right, got the rods tried to throwing stick some boilies out as I managed to lose my spod in a shimano faulty bail arm incident, that the others didn't rinse me for at all 😂 Of course within minutes there were a flock of seagulls trying to eat every last one. But I figured I has some in the zone, within an hour I had a weird bite lifted One bleep dropped right back then lifted again, and I was in, went right to get behind an island then went left to get behind another, then wstsyed deep to try and lose me over the massive plateau betwixt us, but I got it over, it tried to go through all my lines and eventually I netted the beast of bogmageddon, all 27 and a half lbs of it, Leon (commonly) came to assist with the photos and as actually managed to make me smile for one 😬 As I write it's lashing down the swim looks like a wet Glastonbury and I'm not looking forward to packing up but it's been fun and eventful, maybe time for another but it doesn't seem as likely today, hopefully I've pushed them down for Leon to have a busy night tonight.

I have 2×9'3" and 2×9'6" plus an 8 footer... all have handled 20's... the only time I struggled with one,was when I hooked a 40lb+ at Ashmead in 2018... just couldn't stop it ploughing through 2 weedbeds... lost it...😭 I retired 6 years ago, (ill health) get my state pension this year, got my name down for one of Leszeks Masterpieces but he's getting on a bit now

4 night blank to get me into the swing of things, lots to learn and a new playing field as the water is up 4ft on last year's drought level. Great trip loved it - spring is in the air, the birds are at it, frogs in the margins being hunted by pike and masses of bugs crawling out the lake especially during rain - so many caddis or whatever they were that it freaked me out - all coming under my door by the dozen. Can't wait to get back down asap.

Only went in for some kickers 🤣🤣

Just brought a bag of haiths robin red, betaine powder, vitamin powder, belachan powder, full fat GLM powder and krill powder to knock up my cork ball pop ups. now just need to buy the cork balls! 🙄

Three stripes of thinking angler spliced leadcore and I'm not a happy chap, gone through three different splicing needles trying to splice my kryston leadcore all of them snapped so the TA pre splices with no bits it is. Not bad a lot more supple than the Kryston, also got a set of the Korda inline skyliners. Roll on next week.

First time I seen a cradle on the bank I was blown away by the stupidity of a cradle I was just pleasure angling on KWP pine pool, that was back when carp angling got serious and I decided to spread my wings and visit a few different carp venues. Done alright to be fair, reckon I'm about ready for a water I have always had a eye on Bluebells, going to do a bit on mallard, then I'm off 40lb plus hunting on one of the big fish waters at BB, Plus they have a bell on the end, got me wrote all over, lol.

Thanks mate will just stick with the one I got then 👍

@jh92 tbh most of the really well protected mats with sides pack down pretty big. If you're desperate to save space there are a couple of smaller/lighter options such as the Fox Easy Mat, and there are some even cheaper rip-off versions of it (think NGT and Shakespeare offer them). Worth a look but ultimately a bigger/bulkier mat will offer more protection.

Thanks for the reply mate. Is there anything you would suggest for rough ground?

This is the one. Decent.👆

This👆👆👆 Wrap sticks cannot give you line twist unless you're taking line off the clutch👍

Not a fan... I use a Korum Opportunist mat bag... storage, carryall, can even return fish safely with it... does me...

I would never go back to walking the lines out… never ever ever..,you get a run in the early hours hopefully to land a fish then you got to walk the length of a football pitch or further sometimes less maybe in wet long grass to find your broken branch mark that hopefully nobody has moved to use for themselves. I can’t recall having issues with line twist using sticks…but in the dark days before I used the sticks I was passing my nephew at the back of our swim’s doing the dreaded walk and noticed he was walking out his rigs with his bait runners on I said that explains how he was always getting line twist, he was never happy with his line

Thanks mate I will have a look. Been unloading the barrow completely and packing it all in the bivvy for the last 15 years or so.. Never thought about leaving stuff on there and covering it up 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤣🤣🤣

Thinking anglers cover up I do have one and have used it but I just use a prestige cover

1st trip of the year to the syndi, looks like a blank but you never know 🤞

My back isn't up to the drive Andy... anyway, we're doing Romsey later in the year... had 8 cortisone injections in one hit last month... drove to Portsmouth for the Wally trip and I was in agony... waiting for an op on my back to de-nerve it so I'm down to a few hours fishing locally at the mo... The Sharpe is a tough rod, I can almost cast across our club lake with a 1.1 Avid lead, but I'm holding off giving it the beans on a really long chuck... besides if I want to fish the far bank I'll go round the other side and fish the margins...😛👍🤣