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.