salokcinnodrog

Not being funny, but I don't think that it is worth the effort. Various anglers have been offering this type of guidance for years. As someone who has given talks and tuitions for pike fishing, and taken mates on one-on-one pike trips specifically and for other species, I know how tough it is. That's a joke right? Sorry not many people can afford that, and I would not charge that. One on one myself, my expertise, or my location is worth no more than £150 a day.

That's almost how I managed to pick up the second set of Beastmasters, although in my case it was Ebay. Someone selling a set of 3 for around £50 each, when new they were £59.99. I knew that they were decent reels having used them for years. Not that I am in a hurry to sell them, but I still wouldn't lose money if I did. Possibly the best of the budget range Shimano reels, better than many more premium reels from them.

Big hike? Not being funny, but a big water I'd stick with 12ft rods. Ardleigh and Alton reservoir, 160 and 500 acres respectively, even Nazeing Meads Lagoons, around 65acres, could be some long walks to swims, and 12ft rods do give you better casting range. Sounds simple, but co-ordinate your barrow and tackle you carry. Do the standard take out non essential stuff that 'I might need one day'. I use a Carp Porter Porterlite (original), and I can take the gear for 3 days in one trip, and the 12ft rods and bivvy on top of the barrow.

Fish with what suits you! I have Shimano Beastmaster XTA 7000's on both my 12ft 3.25lb The Ones and my 12ft 2.75lb Sceptre's.

It's blood type O that is most susceptible to bites, I did have to check it up. I did look at my Jungle Systems this morning and I know that they have moved away from DEET. It used to give me a real headache, and took print off t-shirts. Skin-so-Soft was good, but apparently the amount of citronella has been reduced, and I could only get the original from Avon Poland.

I have hardly even had to resort to the Jungle Formula or Lifesystems this year, but the majority of the swims I have fished are tree or bush free and quite open. I do hardly get bitten though compared to other people, something to do with blood type apparently. Just my luck, I can't even pull a female mosquito 😒 😅 I have seen plenty of chironomid hatches, seeing and hearing massive clouds of them above my bivvy. I'm wondering if the long dry warm weather possibly reduced numbers as boggy areas, streams and ponds have been dried out, and what has hatched recently on the occasional rainy day is facing increased competition to reproduce. On the occasion of being bitten or stung, I do have Savlon antiseptic cream in my rucksack. Stung: In June I was bivvy free opposite the island at the shallower end of the lake and woke up to something crawling just above my ear. Without thinking I attempted to grab it, it turned out to me a wasp and stung me on the head.

Shame I didn't manage to include the carp that leapt just after I took the original picture.

When my son Levi was around 10 we used to build 1:72 aeroplane kits together, me supervising unless he got a particularly fiddly bit, and he had them hanging from his bedroom ceiling. On the modelling front, I normally avoid Airfix for WW2 German aircraft as they don't include the swastika tail plane decals. It's history, for right or wrong, but model kits are classed as toys, so apparently it's illegal to include them. Any German aircraft I tend to get are Tamiya models kits which do include the correct swastika decals, and there is sometimes 2 spare, so I might occasionally get an Airfix model as I can get the markings right. Every model I end up researching for correct markings, camouflage and the like as box art or instructions are sometimes incorrect. I did spend a lot of time researching HMS Hood and the Battle between Bismarck and Prinz Eugen. Airfix and the scale models built which were photographed on Hood, all had red anti-fouling paint on the hull. Research showed she actually had grey anti-fouling.

Your best bet is probably a very good search through Ebay, hoping someone has obsolete stock, or is selling one.

Hard to believe she is 11 now

Welcome to carp.com We do have a specific section of the forum devoted to American Carp fishing, although it has been quiet (https://forum.carp.com/forum/16-north-american-carp-fishing/) and a moderator who actually lives and fishes there. I know North America is big, but hopefully he can point you in the right direction.

This was a May session 17lb. Despite the grimace, it made me smile, and laugh. I'd only just cast the rod in after getting back with Sky after a walk round the lake when it went off, I was sorting out the next rod, mid PVA bag making. Bait was in the water 2minutes, not sure the PVA on the first rod had even dissolved. First fish on the Shrimp!

I do have a soft spot for Century rods, although I have not used the FG's

I did only just refrain from a lewd comment 😉

We used to place baits by boat at Taverham Mills, and as @yonny says it can look totally different to how it feels. You could cast a marker float and lead out and get absolutely no feeling as the lilies would stop the float rising, yet look at the area from the boat and they were very thin and safe to fish to. The line would cut through them playing a fish. Other spots (as on the syndicate now) I have the float rise up, yet it is thick with weed. It's wading out that has shown how thick it is and a big bundle of weed can be down to a small root system. My marker float is normally used with a 3½ or 4oz lead. Today I waded out after casting out the marker rod, and I was showing 2½-3feet, yet I was up to my chest.