Lee Kashan

I tried them all over the years, believe me, I used to eat old lentils just so I could load up on all the latest hooks and gizmos ESP just happen to be the ones I like and ended up on They fit my fishing, so why keep changing? I refuse to keep buying tonnes of gear, I spent more than my fair share over the years and some of it is see through expensive (no names mentioned) I invested in a load of lovely old second hand rods and a few new ones and bought spare reels and spare everything and did a rod building course so I could repair and rebuild my own stuff and stop the (pretty bad habit) I had developed with constantly buying the latest flash gear It's a bit of a trap in my opinion Pick what you like and stick with it. It's good for the head. I'm really happy with my rigs and all that, and my new bait, so why change? I also carry an incredibly small amount of gear. I can do a week birthday session on a single, small barrow. I'm proud of that, I HATE clutter, I went on a trip with a mate with a bad back recently to help him, he bought such an obscene amount of gear that I deleted his number and haven't seen him again. Literally FIVE barrow loads, six different tackle boxes, three recycling boxes full of bait, holdall with six rods in it on a two lake water.. it was proper ridiculous and did my own back in.. no wonder he had a bad back!!!!!!!!!!!!

They make some good gear mate Got their alarms and reels had them for six years with no issues

Such Wood????????????????????????????????????????? lol

Maybe a bad batch Does happen The ones I looked at were fine, like I said I don't like flat hooks though, I use offset always

I have a thing about all the gear I choose including bait that the company I use must be friendly and approachable/contact-able.. I won't list the ones that you can never speak to and are rude and which I hate, and it might be silly, but that's just the way I am I used to support my local tackle dealer loyally and help them out but they're a miserable prat so I use online instead

I only have one item Fox thing, a new sleeping bag, overpriced just like all the big brands but a great bit of kit to be fair

Trangia

Cheaper rods can be reasonably easy to rebuild, the varnish used on the guides is sometimes quite brittle and plasticcy and peels off easily, you need to get some basic kit like a dryer (rotator, essential for drying thread finish neatly), and a hand wrapper (essential for getting even tension on the threads for wrapping), and a book to study, or do a course (they are thin on the ground but out there if you dig about). If you read up about it and are interested and not willing to have the wool pulled over your eyes, spine building can transform bland, twisty and innacurate rods into high performing ones which are a treat to use.

SMALL HOOKS ARE GOB DAMAGE CENTRAL SIMPLES

Not quite with you mate are you saying the Edges hooks are pants? I bought a load to look at and they seemed fine. Fox hooks are famously strong and reliable. Big let down for me with them and many brands is this obsession with the (completely useless) palm test and a big lean away from offset patterns I can't use a hook unless its offset, massively aids hookholds with no need for barbs, never slips, only pattern that should ever be sold in barbless is an offset beaked point in my opinion. I hate barbed hooks personally but that's another debate altogether lol

I have a few nice ideas to try out, basically using almost the full range of my chosen bait with a few tweaks that are definitely out of fashion! Plus groundbait which is also very out of fashion I don't do method balls though, my old second hand rods which I carefully rebuilt are too valuable to me for all that heave ho, lol

I think its key to use what you like using and stick with it Never forget that there are endless little alterations you can make with your choice of hook regarding the hook size, bait size, rig length, hair length etc. I used to tie ultra neat rigs all the same length thinking they were ''the one'', but that isn't the way forward as all you are doing is teaching the carp which bait has a line stuck in it!

I very seldom fish anything other than bottom baits, been that way for years.. Gone right off wafters, I think they move around too much for big carp to be able to pick them up.. I'm interested in trying over weighted pop ups and snowman rigs more though

Mate just get on Drennan Wide Gape Specialists Superb and just over a quid a packet And Drennan Continentals They are all I use now and been a few years, only offset hooks you can get any more, an offset beaked point is the ONLY hook you can use in barbless in my opinion as they do not slip I don't like curve shanks one bit. In the smaller sizes they rip gobs, seen it too often to ever use them again

I like a big hook with a small bait Hair length has to be tweaked endlessly in my opinion And hook pattern matters LOADS in my experience, has to be tweaked loads as well in my experience

I never use any uncoated braid I find soft loaded works well with a size 4 DCBH so I will stick with that Long gone are the days when I used to buy every new hook and hooklink under the sun and have to eat old lentils! Nowadays I stick with what I like

Lol.. Probably hammerite coated fencing wire

Others will copy it and follow suit, it will pee ESP off but in reality that competition is one of the beauties of the tackle game lol

How much different are they mate? I might try the semi stiff but I'm convinced that if a coated braid is used uncoated and it's too stiff it can bump fish off.. depends on the hook size too, I think stiff rigs need a big straight point hook to work, size 4 like

EXACTLY like me mate. I love a minimal helicopter, I use an ordinary bead plugged over the wire loop on the lead (swivel removed always) and a bead above that, or a bead off a Drennan quick change bead sometimes fits perfectly, used alone as they are quite a big bead.. I have a little tip here which might interest people, loop the mainline and tie a good double overhand, about two or three inches above the lead.. Loop the lead through (dead neat) and that little knot makes a great place to gently stick a bit of silicone and a bead onto.. The doubled up line is more resistant to that ''pinch point'' factor with the swivel pulling on line playing a fish.. I only ever use high quality smooth Japanese Hi Performance swivels and min. 12lb line.. exquisite little minimal setup I use loads.. obviously on some waters not allowed as there is no tubing or 'core ''rub zone'', but gorgeous to use.. NB I only go about absolute minimum 6 inch link on there though, usually more like 7 or 8 upwards.. Cos you have to be careful with more short rigs getting into chod territory to have a buffer, otherwise the lead is bonking about at the face of the carp and can also bonk the hook out and weaken the hookhold, i.e can get a bit mouth damagey fished too short and minimal IMO..

My mate said the Avid lead free leader is very good Dragon Carp had a massive spool of lead free leader cheap, didn't try it it was ages ago now anyway

Maybe a personal thing but I never go below a 6 now and usually have a 4 on

I quite like them, used to use them a lot, must keep an eye on their stuff, they are a clever bunch.. ESP just suit the way I like to fish and the lakes I fish a bit more if that makes any sense lol

Excellent Used Shimano Technium for years but got some much stiffer rods and it doesn't suit them as it's too low stretch The Syncro stuff is stretchier but not too much, should be perfect, anyway has a nice feel to it and quite like the very dull green greyish colour I heard the original is better than the loaded so I got that, in 12, I don't care how quick it sinks I use backleads a lot lol so every line takes about one second to sink lol

Overall I like ESP, their new hooklink Tungsten Loaded is awesome, I like the soft Their swivels are also awesome, the Hi-Performance Japanese ones all the way for me, silky goodness! Their beads and stuff are good as well, as are their anti tan gle sleeves nice and neat and thin, and their tail rubbers are also very thin and neat I have not given their lines much of a run ever but just bought some Syncro XT having heard it's good I use a couple of Korda bits as well, their updated smooth matt coated leads and updated intelligent backleads are superb (the old ''un-intelligents'' were awful) I keep things really simple at the end so that's about all I use.. Apart from a bit of any old leadcore lying around in my drawer.. Oh yeah hooks, Drennan Continentals all the way now.. Drennan own ESP anyway..