AndyCh

After dabbling with a few different bobbins I've gone back to the original Solar slim heads with cords I made out of stripped out leadcore. I'm currently using the original clips as well but would dearly love to get hold of some more of the original Solar grip clips, I have misplaced mine.😟 I have loads of extra drag weights that I can add to the bobbins if I think it necessary, but rarely do fishing my current waters.

For a number of years I have been buying Magic Maize from the Early Learning Centre/Mothercare. These dissolve really quickly, even in the depths of winter. And they don't seem to leave any residue on the hook whatsoever. I also had some parts for our logburner turn up packed in nuggets which work brilliantly. And free!

I remember when I was told that I was cheating because I was using a spare rod with a float setup to check depths. I can also remember old boys saying that the use of bite alarms and as for boilies, well that was beyond the pail. Times move on, as long as we're all enjoying our angling without affecting others too much what's the problem?

I've checked my RH digitals plenty of times (usually when someone asks how accurate they are) and they're always spot on.

I've got two sets of RH dials and three of their 9000 digitals. I honestly haven't taken the dials out of the garage for years. If you wanted you could carry three sets of the digitals and they'd still be lighter and take up less space than the dials. I don't know about the current Fox digitals but I did hear that an awful lot of people upped their personal bests while using the Mk1's.

It really is some water and one day I'd like to get a ticket again. Just the days would be fine.

I felt like an excited little boy again walking round Savay for the first time clutching my copy of that book.

I've got a Union Jack M3 that I can't remember the last time I used. Also have an Aqua Aqualite that I used for a few nights earlier this year, first time out in years. Every other news night I done over the last four or five years has been under my Nash Groundhog. It's not the lightest, but light enough, has a really good coverage and the material seems bombproof. It's quick and easy to put up and pack away, it's rare for me to put in more than three pegs. I always pack it away with the stormpoles attached and have never worried about packing it away wet. As and when it gives up I'll get another one.

This is exactly what I would and indeed have done. Not just to lessen attention from small carp but particularly from swarms of silvers.

Many years ago I made some baits up the size and shape of swan mussels. A few small doubles later I stopped. I do know that Nash make some of their baits in 24mm as a standard item.

I think that you'll find that there is at least one 'fish farm'/dealer that is openly importing these Israeli fish for stocking into established fisheries. I certainly didn't have to think for a split second before deciding that they weren't for me. Cheap way to get some big fish for a certain type of water ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££

Blimey I'm going to take that as a compliment, thank you. I'd like to think that your assumption is spot though. I get more enjoyment catching carp how I want to catch them, and from where I want to catch them, rather than their numbers and sizes. Mind you it is forty-six years since I caught my first carp by design and I'm sure that I've learned to appreciate things more with age.

Why oh why would anyone want fish from a water that has previously had KHV? Unbelievable!

A few years back a friend of mine turned up at the lake all excited because he'd bought some moonphase charts which pinpointed the best times for a bite. What interested me the most was that he had the charts for the previous ten years as well. I asked him to watch my rods while I hot footed it to the syndicate shed to grab the log book. So, being the sad git that I am, I worked my way back through the whole ten years. Now don't get me wrong fish did get caught around the 'peak days', but most captures just happened at random points on the charts. My mate wasn't quite so chirpy when I showed him my findings. Personally I think there is a whole raft of factors that affect feeding times but that one of, if not the, most important thing is dissolved oxygen levels. Although I doubt that is the case during the depths of winter.

I couldn't agree more. I honestly don't understand why all syndicates don't supply nets, slings, mats etc. I supply these on my water and they cost less a handful of double figure carp would cost. No brainer.