Golden Paws

I've had margin spots boiling like a couldren and couldn't get a bite. Normally it happened when I used to literally place a spod only about 20 foot from the bank and the loose feed was literally on a bin lid. We get done far more often they we think. Conventional wisdom says to put a lot of boilies out but spread them so the fish have to move between mouthfuls and that makes them more hookable.

We still weigh fish in pounds and ounces whereas on the Continent they use kilo's, I don't think Jacob Rees Mogg is losing too much sleep over that. The reel method is slightly flawed as you will put on more line is the spool is nearly full compared to if you already have 100 yards out, (not metres Nick!) The 12 foot cord is far more accurate and reproducible.

I struggle to understand how people get confused about whether they have got 10 foot or 12 foot rods. Most distance sticks come with a cord set at 12 foot and I always use it. I do tend to work in wraps and save distances in my notebook using that, it's simple enough to times it by 4 to get yards if you need to. Using metres adds to the confusion!

Oh no we weren't! The Site was down for nearly a week. I've been using Firefox on my PC for years and it cuts out a lot of adverts or pop-up's. (Sorry if that affects your revenue!) I was a bit annoyed when Duckduckgo took over but have embraced it, also it annoys Google which can't be a bad thing!

Forward planning is the key. The summer can be hard work as the days are soooooo long and a few weeks back I baked under the brolly all day and you are waiting for dark or the early morning. With the kids summer holidays coming up soon, a lot of lakes will be rammed with "dad's and lads". My son is going on holiday for a couple of weeks in September and the missus is dog-sitting for a couple of weeks in his house 20 miles away and so I'll be shuttling there every couple of days. After that, the calendar is free, the days cooler and gap between night and day shorter and I've booked a good few days off work and a spot on a few lakes. I might do a few short sessions on my local days only water in the meanwhile but hopefully cram a lot into the autumn window. An understanding wife also helps as long as I don't take the mick the rest of the year!

Apologies to System of a Down but this really funny.

Judging by his recent posts, it's just a ploy for a mate to chip and tell us about this new "wonderbait" he's just discovered!

Hey Mate! I've use Rippton BiteKeeper alarm set for a while, I can definitely say that this is the best bite alarm set I've ever used. The accuracy and sensitivity of the alarms are impressive, and they are incredibly easy to use. Thank you mate. A bit hesitant as it is a new brand. But really like the compact design and smart features of BiteKeeper pro. While you at it, you might as well buy one of these!

Silt from the margins? Never heard of that before but now you mention it...... I fished a barbel swim years ago where I could wade out in wellies about a quarter of the way across the river and literally cast downstream into a steep depression. After about 5 minutes of not having a bite, I would shuffle my toe into the silt and send up great plumes washing downstream. The amount of times a bite came straight after couldn't have been a co-incidence. I've been using pellets as a feed for the last few seasons but was only thinking the day about digging out the pressure cookers cooking up some more munga!

Thanks for using your first post so eloquently. Yes it did have KHV a few years ago and they did lose a lot of big fish. The lake was shut for several months as per DEFRA's instructions but it has recovered. There are several good 30's and Blush makes an appearance at 40lb+. Although it's a days only water, they do have a few overnight matches and the average size is usually pretty high. Not an easy water but the rewards are there.

Floor Jansen's singing always sends goose pimples down my neck and this is about as good as it gets.

No!

Every time I click on the banner it just opens the home page again but in a new window. Is there anything on there worth buying???

https://www.srb-photographic.co.uk/srb-dslr-self-take-kit-8891-p.asp I use this set-up for self takes, just kneel on the air bulb to fire off shots. My camera is a bit old and I don't think an intervalometer works with it but that is the modern way to do it.

Judging by the comments from people with extremely low posts, I surprised they aren't selling spam as well!

I never fuel up on a trip, I always do it a few days earlier especially since I bought the (clean!) modern diesel a couple of years ago. If I'm going later in the day and have a shower in the morning, I'll hold fire on the underarm spray. Can't swear it makes a difference but fishing is all about those 1%'s that add up.

I've had several fish on the same bait and will happily cast it out again as long as it looks as though it will survive the cast. I won't put a used bait back into the pot though. The issue about the smell of your hands is valid and I could argue that smokers should never catch a carp in their life but unfortunately I know a lot of good anglers that are addicted to the weed. I try to remember to wash my hands in lake water prior to casting out. I know some people use disposable gloves to put the bait on. It's easy to chase your tail so don't worry too much about it, Carp still pick up baits whatever.

When you re use, do you mean use them for the next session? Anything that gets cast out, never gets a second outing on another trip. If I'm say fishing for 24 hours, a fresh bait goes on first thing and then I'll probably change it just before it gets dark. All baits take on water and their ability to pop-up or waft is reduced. I can't understand some people who say they cast out once during a 48 hour session and leave it. The amount of times I've reeled in and some weed has tumbled down and masked the hook point would have me wondering all the time whether I was fishing effectively.

Here is my brolly that I bought in 2014. This photo was taken last year and I'd proofed it the previous year. Wash all the mud off with a hosepipe but don't use any soap. I think I used a rag to wipe off any sticky stuff. Allow to dry and then proof. I poured the Fabsil into a (clean) old margarine tub and rubbed it in with a cloth but you can use a brush. After the session, a flick of the brolly removed all the droplets. On another Carp Site, one bloke rants that you don't need to do it but I prefer to put my stuff away dry if possible. My brolly wasn't leaking before but was heavy with the wetness and it took an age to dry in my garage at home. I'll keep on proofing when I think it is necessary.

After 14 years, it was finally time to say goodbye to my Golden Retriever yesterday. We knew the time was coming but it doesn't make it any easier. My daughter got married on Thursday and it was genuinely one of the best days of my life. The day after was one of the worst. A friend had him for the night, only the second time we've ever left him, the first being my sons wedding. When we went to pick him up, he wasn't right and our friend just shook her head and gave us that look that said it all. She has lost 3 Goldies over her life and knows the signs. As part of my wedding speech, a lot of it was focused on how my daughter had begged me for a dog and I wasn't keen but she wore me down. When he came along it was the most natural thing in the world and we immediately bonded. My handle Golden Paws comes as a reference to him and a Beckham joke. Ironically me and missus used to argue about bringing up the kids but our dog brought us closer together. I'll miss his boundless energy, our long walks in the Countryside and his absolute love and devotion. Goodnight old friend.

The banks will be busier. A lot busier! A lot of fisheries are subjected to near non stop pressure, especially in the summer months and the fish will be a lot more switched on and harder to catch. More exclusive fishing is available but expect long term waiting lists and wallet busting fees when your name does come to the top. On the flip side, there are more bigger fish then ever and even small ponds will hold fish that 12 years ago you'd have given your left ******** to catch! Just go on your own terms enjoy the times you get out and put things in perspective.

I had not long started fishing a while back after a day at work and a chap walked past pushing his barrow and asked how I was getting on. I'd only been there about an hour so had nothing to report. He didn't seem in a hurry to set up and we had a good long chat and he asked if he could fish the next swim down as it was available and he had caught a few in there the last time he was down. Obviously I had no objection and he pushed his barrow down to the swim and came back to continue chatting. He seemed like a really nice bloke but was a bit full of "the carp gods" and seemed to be looking up for inspiration. After about 15 minutes he went to his swim which was partially hidden from mine by bushes but I spotted him kneel to the ground and pray after he'd cast out his 3rd rod which I thought was a bit funny. A couple of times during the night he came up and asked me to photograph some fish for him, although my rods remained motionless. The following morning after bite time had ended, he came up and asked if I would mind his rods as he was in desperate need of a trip to the port-a-loo and he handed me his receiver as he didn't want to reel in and cause a disturbance when he came back. I took a quick trip to his swim when he was gone and it all became clear when I looked at his bobbins. Do you think divine intervention had anything to do with his success or was I just in the wrong swim?

I can see where the EA are coming from, there are an alien invasion species. It's one thing stocking them in a contained lake but when they get into canals or river systems, they can end up anywhere. I suspect some catfish anglers deliberately "planted" fish over the years so they had waters closer to home. We already have pike and perch to predate and keep the ecosystem healthy and catfish are are an additional and unnecessary addition in my opinion.

I did consider getting a baiting pole a while back but to get any appreciable distance, you're going to need a lot of poles. For about £250 you can get a decent boat that will be lighter, more compact and versatile.

I'm not claiming to be an expert, but if it's only accessing about half the spool, adding or taking away washers probably isn't going to solve it. Sounds like a pin on the rotor may have come adrift, hence why you're not getting the full travel of the spool. If you're confident, take off the outer casing and reassemble and turn the handle to see what's happening inside. Best bet though is probably your local tackle shop.