Golden Paws

Managed to get out for an overnighter on Friday. A little syndi water I joined last year. I managed a night in September and lost one in the weed which was a bit rubbish. Not had the chance to fish it again until Friday so I was buzzing to be back.
Anyway..... it was quite busy when I turned up. Managed to find the carp pretty quickly, shoaled up in front of a swim that was taken 👎. Closest I could get was a swim down the way which was v tricky to get to. Loads of mud and puddles 6 inches deep meant that not many were prepared to fish it. On go the waders and I manage to get my barrow there eventually. The swim itself was underwater so it wasn't the most comfortable session. Found a spot for the brolly back behind some trees which was muddy but doable.
The swim was weedy as anything but managed to find a couple of little spots. Choddy but clear enough for a pop-up. The rods went out nicely and I put 2 spods over each rod. Not much happened in the day but I saw enough signs to think the night would give me a chance. Popped a couple more spods over each spot ready for the evening ahead and settled down for the night. Sometime in the night I started to get liners on the right hand spot so was pretty confident of a bite. Couple of hours later off it went and a nice little mirror ended up in the net just before first light. A lovely little fully scaled thing.
Thirty mins later the liners started on the left hand rod so I was expecting another but it just didn't materialise. Disappointing but hey, I'd just caught my first from the water so can't complain.
Showed the kipper pic to the syndi group and no-one recognised it. One chap said he might have had it on opening night in the 2015 season (!) so it looks like it's a rare'n. Not a biggun but a very, very pretty fish.
Not sure when I can get back now which is a shame as I really like the place despite all the mud!

 

I had my garage done a few years ago and they took my fishing bag and a rusty drill I was glad to see the back of. I 'phoned my Insurance Company (can't remember their name unfortunately) and they tried to fob me off with "equivalents", like replacing my Avon Scales with a set of Little Sampsons. I had my name and 'phone on the inside flap of the bag and I got a call to say that it had been dumped and all my gear was still in it, the only thing missing was my £20 emergency fund,
My mate is always selling on Facebook Market Place and not long after showing a shifty looking character around, he got done big time and in a professional hit, they made off with £8,000 of quality gear. He was with Lloyd's and couldn't fault them for the way they dealt with the claim. 
I got a heavy duty padlock bolted to the ground and an internal Yale alarm - my mate's alarm did go off but they filled it with expanding foam.
I don't really trust Insurance Companies, they are normally quick to take your money and slow to pay out and even then, the bare minimum.
Beef up your security as much as possible without drawing too much attention to the shed.
If the worst does happen, don't expect the Police to come rushing round, they will only want to give you a crime number!

Decided to try and fish one of the new lakes on the complex this year, first time out had a walk round and found the motherload of the fish all tucked away and chilling had to barrow through a swamp and lots of flooded pathways but when my rod ripped off this morning I knew it was worth it, what I realised pretty quickly though was it felt pretty heavy, when I saw it I knew it was quite heavy, I chucked my other rod in the reeds and made sure I wasn't going to lose it by playing it as delicately as I could, I needn't have worried it was nailed on the ever faithful spinner rig, as I sit here contemplating what just happened I've realised I still haven't had a proper cuppa yet today so kettle on and chill time. 31lb not bad for a first night on a new lake 😊

For all the members that have difficulty owning up to tackle purchases to their better half’s here’s a trick I came across …but be warned tho if you get greedy and abuse the said trick you could end up permanently damaged …
 
 

If it's not been subjected to light, it should be fine. If you are worried, walk it off and reattach it so the inner line is now the outer. I've kept lines in an old biscuit tin for years without any worry. As Yonny says, give it a good test.

I used to fish for barbel with a quarter of a tin of spam! (The photo is only a sixth of a tin) The first time you cast it out, you feel like a complete noddy and can't believe it's going to work. I also caught plenty of chub as well. The photo is a genuine dropped run - you normally fish the bail arm open and allow a few seconds for the fish to get the bait into it's gob properly.

Finally had a fish,  Long winter on low stocked day ticket water. Boom Boom

I was fishing a big double swim with a mate and we both had 2 low 20’s when we saw two anglers heading our way with buckets quick as a lightning he picked up the still wet unhooking mat and threw it into my bivvy then grabbed the net and dropped it in the water. When the guys asked us had we had any luck he answered 1st and said not a thing it’s  been dead. …So off they went on their way and I asked what was all that about he answered there’s empty swims either side of us and they would have jumped in if we told them about the fish and with the extra lines it was a no no. 

Got a cracking 30 common first morning then the crowds arrived and pressured the area and they did the off.
Kept it secret squirrel so no pics till I report it to the syndi, sorry 🐳😎👍
Get in 🙂

Same swim, 2 weeks later.
I've been putting bait in when I leave, and although I had a walk around didn't see anything to make me want to go anywhere else.
Last week I did have 2 tench over the bait, biggest an estimated 5lb

Back down for another 3-4 nights potentially, picked back of the wind based on what I saw last trip and after setting up I saw several shows to my surprise, showing me where to put the rods, fingers crossed might get lucky - think I've dropped right on them unless they're passing through, some chunks to - fingers crossed 🤞 

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 🤣🤣

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

A Green Party policy that actively encourages the burning of carbon based products??? The world is going mad!

@elmoputney please don't make assumptions I don't think you are reading everything properly.
What did I say about reform and political parties?
Very few constituencies will have an independent candidate choice in any election. You have the choice then to withhold your vote in protest, or vote elsewhere.
If you withhold your vote, it will make no difference, either Labour or Conservative will get in.
We have a first past the post voting system, the most constituencies they win denotes the winning party for government. They could in theory win with a minority vote!
Oh believe me I dislike the rich elite, I hate the tax evasion, from massive corporations like Amazon (who have never paid tax in UK) to tax avoidance by various ministers in the Conservative Party, many of whom who have never done an honest day's work in their lives.
In terms of political leanings I am more socialist than Conservative, with a belief that utilities, public transport etc should be nationalised. 
 
Treat the incoming humanely?
OK, so as homeless I got put in a hostel, or a hotel.
We created hostels on former airforce or army bases. We have put them up in hotels.
I was glad for the roof over my head not sleeping in the rough on the streets.
I didn't set fire to them, I didn't tear my barrack block down.
I made the effort to keep clean, I didn't riot because I didn't immediately get a property.
 
 

 
If I told you that for doing nothing that you would get £150 a week for doing nothing in UK, where in Romania you earn £50 a week, as a Nigerian, with no welfare state and you'll get nothing, but in UK you'll get £150.
If in Iraq, with no remaining welfare state, you earn £2 a week to feed you and your family, but in UK you'll get £300 you'd go to UK.
If you as a Bulgarian earn £75 a week for 50-60 hours, but the minimum wage per hour is £10.56 in UK, you'll try to get to UK.
 
That's just a small pick of nations, but there are Chinese, Syrians, various Eastern Europeans, Afghans (since before the invasion going back to 2000), Indians, Somali, Sudanese, Algerian, Tunisian, Moroccan and more.

All anglers are "Green" by definition but that doesn't mean the Green Party is on our side. In Germany where they have coalition Governments almost by default, the Green Party had enormous power a few years ago and wanted to ban angling but rather than do it outright, they decreed that all fish caught were to be killed. Very green.
We all want to see greener energy and all the major parties  are too slow to act. The damage to the environment  by burning fossil fuels is getting more undeniable and the folly of relying on cheap Russian gas has been exposed. 
Unfortunately the Green Party dream means that we will have to revert to horse and carts again!

Did a quick overnighter on my winter estate lake last night, wind hacking into my face, mild night, overcast with showers on and off. This lake is a typical mixed fishery, rather than an out and out carp fishery, but has a good head of carp to 25lb(ish) the frogs were active in the margins, a sign spring is springing. I had a hectic night, with 14 carp landed plus 2 bream from 18 takes, a few low doubles, a smattering of singles and a couple of 20s to top it off. 15lb 20lb ghostie 22lb 14lb 
 

I think it's down to who you ask! One man's large is another's jumbo (Ooooohhhhhh, matron!)
https://hinders.co.uk/search?type=product&q=tiger nuts*

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. 

Do you normally talk to yourself?

Fishing can be an all consuming hobby and it can take over your life. When my kids were young I used to get away at every opportunity and I do regret it now. I don't get out as much these days but feel I have a better family/fishing balance.
You were a prolific and interesting poster and we'll all miss your contributions but if you need to completely step away, then that's what you must do. I worked for the same Company for 30 years after leaving school and felt "tied" to the job despite the signs it was going downhill rapidly, the redundancy package was what kept me going until the end when it closed down. In the 15 years since, I must have had about 20 jobs but it was liberating because if I wasn't happy, I left. I had 2 jobs when I told them to stick it and left the same day. You don't know how good that feels!
Hopefully after a while, you'll come to realise what it was you enjoyed about fishing and hopefully it will outweigh the negatives you are feeling at the moment.
Good luck for the future.

Fishing can be an all consuming hobby and it can take over your life. When my kids were young I used to get away at every opportunity and I do regret it now. I don't get out as much these days but feel I have a better family/fishing balance.
You were a prolific and interesting poster and we'll all miss your contributions but if you need to completely step away, then that's what you must do. I worked for the same Company for 30 years after leaving school and felt "tied" to the job despite the signs it was going downhill rapidly, the redundancy package was what kept me going until the end when it closed down. In the 15 years since, I must have had about 20 jobs but it was liberating because if I wasn't happy, I left. I had 2 jobs when I told them to stick it and left the same day. You don't know how good that feels!
Hopefully after a while, you'll come to realise what it was you enjoyed about fishing and hopefully it will outweigh the negatives you are feeling at the moment.
Good luck for the future.

Fishing can be an all consuming hobby and it can take over your life. When my kids were young I used to get away at every opportunity and I do regret it now. I don't get out as much these days but feel I have a better family/fishing balance.
You were a prolific and interesting poster and we'll all miss your contributions but if you need to completely step away, then that's what you must do. I worked for the same Company for 30 years after leaving school and felt "tied" to the job despite the signs it was going downhill rapidly, the redundancy package was what kept me going until the end when it closed down. In the 15 years since, I must have had about 20 jobs but it was liberating because if I wasn't happy, I left. I had 2 jobs when I told them to stick it and left the same day. You don't know how good that feels!
Hopefully after a while, you'll come to realise what it was you enjoyed about fishing and hopefully it will outweigh the negatives you are feeling at the moment.
Good luck for the future.

Fishing can be an all consuming hobby and it can take over your life. When my kids were young I used to get away at every opportunity and I do regret it now. I don't get out as much these days but feel I have a better family/fishing balance.
You were a prolific and interesting poster and we'll all miss your contributions but if you need to completely step away, then that's what you must do. I worked for the same Company for 30 years after leaving school and felt "tied" to the job despite the signs it was going downhill rapidly, the redundancy package was what kept me going until the end when it closed down. In the 15 years since, I must have had about 20 jobs but it was liberating because if I wasn't happy, I left. I had 2 jobs when I told them to stick it and left the same day. You don't know how good that feels!
Hopefully after a while, you'll come to realise what it was you enjoyed about fishing and hopefully it will outweigh the negatives you are feeling at the moment.
Good luck for the future.