monkey_climber

I agree. I'd leave them to it for now. My regular lake closed on Sunday and will probably be shut for another week or so. The amount of pressure the fish see nowadays, it's good to give them a break in my opinion even if it is only for a week or two. Part of me would like to see a modified closed season re-introduced (obviously with a more modern approach to length/timing) as I think it benefits both the fish and the fishing. I don't know about you but just after the first lockdown last year, it was like clubbing season for the first few weeks.

I suppose you could fish it without a lead but I'm not really sure why you would bother. Is there a specific reason you would want to fish it without the lead? With a lot less faffing around, you could hook on (or thread on) a mesh bag and get a similar presentation and I have in the past used mesh bags while freelining to get some extra distance. However, if I was fishing it at any sort of range, I would be concerned that the hook would pull free from a solid bag on a big chuck as (in my mind) the lead offers some resistance against the weight of the bag. Another thing to consider is that the lead plays multiple roles in our fishing. Yes, it gives us some casting weight but as many of us fish bolt rigs, the lead also acts to prick the fish when the hook is tightened against its weight. Finally, and probably most overlooked is the fact that the lead ensures our rig stays pinned to the deck against any flow or undertow. Without the weight of the lead to keep your rig in place, your presentation would be ruined before long if there was any kind of undertow, but having said that, a PVA bag probably isn't the one in those kinds of conditions anyway.

I don't really get chance to do long sessions any more with most being work overnighters and the odd 24/48hr session further afield a few times per year. I use an ESP LoPro year round without a front on it (mozzy mesh gets used sparingly in the summer). I think it depends on the person though. I'm ex army and fish lightweight/mobile so sleeping on a bedchair under a brolly is absolute luxury to me whereas some people might like their home comforts. Couldn't agree more with some posters above though about having something quick and easy to put up and take down no matter the length of the session.

Not sure about telephone number but they have a facebook group and I think (from memory) it is a chap called Jon Livermore that you will need to speak to. I'm a bit out of the loop with the place at the minute but believe it is under new ownership in the last couple of years so my information may be somewhat out of date.

Like Framey says, if money was no object there are plenty to choose from. To add to his list, you have the Daiwa SS2600, Nash Scope GTs and probably a whole host more. Personally, I went for the Wychwood Extricator 5000FDs. Had them a couple of years now and absolutely love them. They are so nice in fact that a mate of mine has bought himself a set after coveting them all last year.

Even if your camera can't take an intervalometer, you should be able to install 'Magic Lantern' on your Canon. I have been using this for a few years now and it is absolutely spot on. It is essentially 3rd party software that you install on your memory card and it opens up a load of extra features on your camera such as an intervalometer amongst other things. I generally use a 50mm equivalent lens (so 35mm on a crop sensor camera like yours) and use the aperture priority setting with an Av of around 5.6 and let the camera decide shutter speed for me. (this is obviously variable depending on light levels but is a good starting point). I set magic lantern's intervalometer to take a picture every 4 seconds and autofocus before every shot. I then go back through and delete all but the decent ones. One thing that is super helpful is having the twisty/flip screen so that I can line up the shot before getting the fish on the mat but I don't think the 4000d has that feature. A couple of example pics done with this method and an old/cheap Canon 600d with kit lens below. This video (from 4mins in) should give enough info to get you started with magic lantern.

I haven't been able to find any decent replacements as yet but have had my eye on few that look to be better quality. Problem is, they come at a much higher price point. The other issue is finding things in stock at the minute. Quite a few of the ones I have been looking at are out of stock everywhere in the sizes I would want.

Chub silicone collapsible kettle. Absolutely perfect for the short sessions I do and an absolute steal at £6.99. On the other hand, like Highy, I picked up a couple of the Avid lockdown banksticks a while back and they were garbage. The entire locking mechanism on both sticks fell off during my first trip out with them. It was obviously attached to the stick with a tiny dot of glue in the factory. A good blob of epoxy in there has sorted them out but still, you don't expect these things to be so shoddily made for the price you pay for them.

I fish a lake similar to what you describe and would suggest the following; 1. Use a pendant lead on a run ring. The lead will often plug into the clay which, if you are using an inline, could hinder presentation. 2. The water in clay dug pits is often quite murky so you don't need to worry too much about camouflaging your end tackle. My starting approach would be a supple braid link of anywhere between 8-12 inches with a line aligner and balanced bait or a bottom bait straight out of the bag. I don't fish popups on this lake as I think one of the main benefits of a popup is its visual nature and in murky water, that benefit is lost. In terms of the rig, I find the supple braid presents much better over this kind of substrate than a stiffer material. 3. In terms of bait, scent is more important than the visual aspect, again due to water clarity and the fish needing to find the bait via smell rather than sight. I use a dark, fishy, L030 based bait which works really well and kicks out loads of smell although I have also had plenty of success with a Mackerel bait and Krill based baits too. I assume any decent fishmeal based food bait would do the trick. 4. Stealth and watercraft will be massive assets on waters like this (in fact any waters really) but on a small water, do the basics right. Things like keeping your shadow off the water, treading lightly, not thrashing the water to a foam with the marker etc can definitely win you more bites. I also find that light scatterings of bait or just a bag or stick in the right place may be a better approach than piling the bait in unless the fish are really having it. 5. Pay attention to the weather. Small, clay dug pits are often shallow and you will most likely find the fish on the end of a warm wind (or sheltering from a cold one). 6. Most importantly, find the fish first. As the old adage goes, 'you can only catch what is in front of you'. If you can, have a few laps of the lake before setting up and try and spot some fish. If it is a club lake rather than day ticket, go for a walk around it of an evening after work or at first light and start piecing together the puzzle based on sightings. You can even stack the odds in your favour by taking a pocket full of bait with you and dropping a bit of bait into some likely looking areas. Every time you come back to the lake, have a look at the baited spots to see if anything has visited. This approach of little and often pre-baiting has really upped my catch rate on my lake. I hope that helps Tight lines