Golden Paws

I use 15lb main line but always use a Korda Safezone fluorocarbon leader (30lb) and back lead after casting to ensure that there is no tight line cutting through the feeding area. The leader also helps prevent scales lifting during the fight.

Another afternoon on my local park lake and 8 fish up to 18-4 chalked up. It's not the most difficult lake in the world but it's nice to have a confidence boost to compensate for a run of blanks on other waters.
I was sending the boat out to the far bank  tree line with a combination of boilies, pellets and crumb and topping up every hour and the fish certainly responded to the bait.
I did chuck a little bit of crumb in the margins to see how it descended through the water column as I was worried it might be spreading out too far. A few hours later I saw a fish over the bait and it dropped down on it with it's tail waggling clear of the water as it mopped it up. Needless to say, my confidence on adding it to my baiting up has gone through the roof!

Did an afternoon on my local park. After a slow start and by baiting little and often, managed to build up 2 spots and finished with 9 fish with two 18's and a 20-8 Common.

Another afternoon on my local park lake and 8 fish up to 18-4 chalked up. It's not the most difficult lake in the world but it's nice to have a confidence boost to compensate for a run of blanks on other waters.
I was sending the boat out to the far bank  tree line with a combination of boilies, pellets and crumb and topping up every hour and the fish certainly responded to the bait.
I did chuck a little bit of crumb in the margins to see how it descended through the water column as I was worried it might be spreading out too far. A few hours later I saw a fish over the bait and it dropped down on it with it's tail waggling clear of the water as it mopped it up. Needless to say, my confidence on adding it to my baiting up has gone through the roof!

Morning Gents . I’m a moderator on a football fans forum and I’ve had exactly this problem . 
we have set in place a system where all new applicant members have to have their details ratified by a Mod and then have their application activated . 
 
The majority of new applications come from Eastern European spammers so their IP addresses give the game away straight away .
Those that are not so obvious get sent a related question by email to answer .
you’d be surprised how many Romanians think Bobby Charlton used to play for West Ham 🤣.
It means I have spend an evening once a month cleaning up the Spammer new account applications but it’s better than spending your whole life deleting and banning , which is what was happening before .
Genuine applications usually make themselves heard on the forum pretty much straight away and the obvious spammers can usually be spotted by their ridiculously Eastern European usernames .
 

Another afternoon on my local park lake and 8 fish up to 18-4 chalked up. It's not the most difficult lake in the world but it's nice to have a confidence boost to compensate for a run of blanks on other waters.
I was sending the boat out to the far bank  tree line with a combination of boilies, pellets and crumb and topping up every hour and the fish certainly responded to the bait.
I did chuck a little bit of crumb in the margins to see how it descended through the water column as I was worried it might be spreading out too far. A few hours later I saw a fish over the bait and it dropped down on it with it's tail waggling clear of the water as it mopped it up. Needless to say, my confidence on adding it to my baiting up has gone through the roof!

Another afternoon on my local park lake and 8 fish up to 18-4 chalked up. It's not the most difficult lake in the world but it's nice to have a confidence boost to compensate for a run of blanks on other waters.
I was sending the boat out to the far bank  tree line with a combination of boilies, pellets and crumb and topping up every hour and the fish certainly responded to the bait.
I did chuck a little bit of crumb in the margins to see how it descended through the water column as I was worried it might be spreading out too far. A few hours later I saw a fish over the bait and it dropped down on it with it's tail waggling clear of the water as it mopped it up. Needless to say, my confidence on adding it to my baiting up has gone through the roof!

Quick night on the local day ticket on Friday. Managed to get on them easily enough but a bit disappointed to just catch the one. I put a bucket of bait out about 30 yards in front of me and got continuous liners on it from about 9pm until 3am. Bizarrely, the only rod to go was the one chucked under the bush in the near margin. I can only assume my hinges were not the one..... should have put bottom baits out.
Still, better than a blank and a very pretty little patchy common. I'll not get out again until the end of June which is a killer.

I have to agree with your take on the bailiffs at Horseshoe. They seem to revel in being important, some to a greater degree than others. I've fished the water on many occasions but never really felt welcome there.
Ian.
 

I used to fish some of the South Cerney waters many years, mainly Ham Pool, Bradley's and Hill's for the tench before Watermark took the last two over.
The Bailiff they had then was a annoying old curmudgeon and he used to check my ticket every single time I was there. I think it was a 2 rod rule then and I had an old pike rod set up with Heath Robinson spod made out of an old washing up bottle. The good old days, if you wanted something, you had to make it, not like the kids of today........(better stop there, I'm sounding like one myself!)   After he checked my ticket, he shouted that it was a 2 rod rule and so I fired back at him that it was a spod rod and he turned  away laughing to himself - the old [censored] got me!
One day when he was in a more agreeable mood he told me a funny story. At Ham Pool there was a club house and bar and it included a fruit machine and one of his jobs  was to empty the cash from it. You could buy day tickets on the bank then and for juniors it was £1 in advance or £2 on the bank - I did say it was a long time ago! Anyway he came across 2 lads and they came out with the old "I've only got a £50 note trick". Quick as a flash, he went to his van and dumped £46 in pound coins on them! I bet they didn't try that again!

I had a visit from the EA about a month ago on a commercial miles out in the sticks, the first time I've seen them in over 30 years. At least a few years ago you used to get a printed licence with a David Miller painting that softened the blow a bit, now it's all done virtually. Mind you, the state of the Royal Mail, it probably wouldn't have turned up anyway!

Something needs to be put in place, the spam is getting pretty bad

I had a visit from the EA about a month ago on a commercial miles out in the sticks, the first time I've seen them in over 30 years. At least a few years ago you used to get a printed licence with a David Miller painting that softened the blow a bit, now it's all done virtually. Mind you, the state of the Royal Mail, it probably wouldn't have turned up anyway!

I had a visit from the EA about a month ago on a commercial miles out in the sticks, the first time I've seen them in over 30 years. At least a few years ago you used to get a printed licence with a David Miller painting that softened the blow a bit, now it's all done virtually. Mind you, the state of the Royal Mail, it probably wouldn't have turned up anyway!

What a session. Well done to the lad.
Yesterday I went for a walk around a water on which I have a ticket starting in June. It's an awesome place, nearly 90 acres of water in a massive nature reserve/SSSI/SPA. A proper big pit with everything that you could hope to see..... bays, islands, snaggy margins, massive sheets of water that go on forever, a really impressive place. I actually fished this water ~25 years ago when I was completely out of my depth. I caught one carp, to this day one of the best I've caught.
Would you believe it..... I walked into the swim I caught from all those years ago, and there were loads of gulls diving on a huge hatch. I persuaded the Mrs and kids to stop for 5 mins so I could check it out. Straight away I spotted the carp popping there heads out feeding on this hatch, well within casting distance too. All that water and I found them straight away. Couldn't believe it.
Law of the sod dictates I'll not find another chance like that once my ticket starts but it certainly got the blood flowing ready for June!

He’s had another! 38lb 2oz common, equals his common PB 

Not my catches, but my boys! 
He’s getting to grips with the local park lake
32lb 2oz mirror (new pb) 
30lb 1oz mirror - a double take and 2 30s on the bank! 
 
one proud (and envious!) father! 

Just found this on YouTube. Its made by Pallartrax who make the Stonze weights. 9lb of lead in 1 square metre????
Personally I hate the thought of dumping leads and avoid it if at all possible. Partially because I'm tight but also because I don't agree with leaving a toxic metal in the environment. I don't fish particularly weedy waters but I can see the argument to those that do. I used to fish lead clips but lost too many leads unnecessarily, watching fish shake their heads at the net and the lead flinging off at the last minute.  I did try in-line drop-offs and the thought of losing a lead on every fish didn't sit well and I abandoned it. I've been using helicopters for at least 3 years and can't remember losing a lead on a metal clip. If the line does snap, the trace bead will pop off and ensure that a fish isn't trailing tackle.I did use some plastic C-clips for a while but lost too many leads needlessly and gave them up as a bad job.
What is the consensus of opinion on this? 

Did an afternoon on my local park. After a slow start and by baiting little and often, managed to build up 2 spots and finished with 9 fish with two 18's and a 20-8 Common.

Did an afternoon on my local park. After a slow start and by baiting little and often, managed to build up 2 spots and finished with 9 fish with two 18's and a 20-8 Common.

My local park lake seems to be full of cricket bat commons when the sun shines hard and they are on top sunbathing. But by fishing on the bottom, I'm rarely troubled by them and the mid teen mirrors seem to be dominant. It might be worth a go, just don't do it if you are on a work overnighter!

Did an afternoon on my local park. After a slow start and by baiting little and often, managed to build up 2 spots and finished with 9 fish with two 18's and a 20-8 Common.

My local park lake seems to be full of cricket bat commons when the sun shines hard and they are on top sunbathing. But by fishing on the bottom, I'm rarely troubled by them and the mid teen mirrors seem to be dominant. It might be worth a go, just don't do it if you are on a work overnighter!

Correct 👆
The guy is trying to get lead banned for one reason only $$$$$$$$$$$$
I disagree with the unnecessary dumping of leads.
However, I believe the safest rig is the one that lands the fish safely and efficiently, and on many waters I've fished dumping the lead plays a part in that.

Just popped to another little lake nearby.
My son had a nice little common, before we got washed out.
Stalking around is great fun, love it