salokcinnodrog

If you are happy with it, and it doesn't tangle then stick with it.

My frying pan, plate and spatula all go in the interior pocket at the back of my rucksack, the stove, gas canister and saucepan go in the main body. My ruckbag carries my coffee, sugar, food and electrical bits; tablet, chargers/powerpack, along with a couple of books. Suffered tonight with food, for the first time in years it was bacon, sausages and fried eggs, followed by a 5 pack of Jaffa cake bars.

My syndicate is the same, only 5 regularly fishing. Some get the ticket to hold onto for the future. I think your next 2 paragraphs are the crux of the matter: The smaller fish that you have been catching may well be bait and pellet orientated, whereas the larger fish could well be natural food feeders. The stock fish in our syndicate seem to be bait feeders for a year or two before switching onto naturals. The older originals rarely get caught over bait. It takes an absolute mountain to get the originals feeding on bait, more than I can afford! As the stockies move onto naturals they get harder to catch. I've been wading, through the margins, the silt and weed; within 20minutes you can collect a carrier bag full of snails, I've waded through massive silt holes dug by carp, absolutely full of bloodworm as well as bringing them in on the hook and lead. Mussels from tiny shells to as big as a side plate. Plenty of fish food, difficult to compete with.

I'm fishing quite a bit at the moment; straight from work then load the gear into the car for a 2 night trip. I'm still using the particles, plenty of hemp and birdfood. My usual method at the moment is to put into soak 48 hours minimum before I go, then on the day boil before I go to work. Most of the bucket goes in as I arrive, even in the dark. I'm able to wade out to spread it on my spots, but even if I had to spod or Spomb it I know I could do so accurately.

New net mesh again. I had to do the online shopping bit as I wasn't going to pay Trakker prices of around £25, when I could pick up Prologic mesh from Poland for £16.

I would not trust a Coleman petrol stove at all. Too many problems from a Peak1 made me return to gas. It's cheaper to replace a whole worn out gas stove than continually replace dying parts on a Coleman. The rings wear, the burner wears out, the pump needs replacing, washer replacement, all were around £20. You can get a new gas stove for that... Get a Bulin T4😉

I have used tapered leaders for sea fishing, and the leader lasts multiple sessions. I would suggest checking it every time you reel in, habit for me, but mussels, gravel etc, can take chunks out of your line.

Different waters Different results. For some reason some of the waters I've fished have still been night time waters, even in the depths of winter. Yet others the takes do switch to coming during the day, or at any time. Earith Virgina Water was very much a night water, all of my winter fish coming at night between 8pm and 8am. We had some cold wet nights when I was fishing there, and I was still doing 2night sessions. Nazeing Brackens produced fish between midday and 9pm, yet the lagoons could be anytime. Those big Southwesterlies can be very good to fish in, a proper system that seems to get the fish moving again, yet a steady period of high pressure, cold, no rain or snow can have the fish switch off. The carp can really hold tight in one area, so takes can come at anytime if you can find them. Near weed, snags, drop-offs and as @yonny mentioned, not always the deepest water. It's weird seeing 20carp huddled together in the rushes in water only 1metre deep. Again on Earith I had a lot of my fish in winter from a bloodworm bed in silt next to the base of islands. Catching plenty of upper doubles saw me getting noticed, and when another angler started fishing the spot, I moved areas, and found a few bigger fish from a snag at the other end of the island. Even in winter fish will show, at any time, although I've noticed it more from lunchtime until just after dark. Hearing big fish jump in the dark at 6pm, looking for the origin of the ripples... It is that showing that saw me catch some very good fish from the Nazeing Central lagoon, just after a thaw. So much water coming in the inlet that a 3oz lead wouldn't hold bottom near it. I walked around, and 'thought' I saw a roll or show, so set up on it. Over the next 4 days I had 26, 26, 20 and 16lb fish, and all on one rod. The middle rod fished metres away produced nothing, same bait, same rig, but the fish were tight to the end of the gravel bar on Bower bank Long Island swim.

I regularly fish through the winter, days and nights so here is my take on it. My bait doesn't change, the same bait summer and winter, although 1 rod tends to have a hi-vis high attract pop-up on it. No added bits and pieces, and fished over Vitalin and crushed pellets in a bag or mesh. Baiting up is done when I leave. I don't use particles much in winter except sweetcorn, which will get used sometimes if it feels right on the hook as well. One rod on a bit of bait, one just off and a rover, then when you find the fish with the rover, another one in the same area. A cast 3metres away from the fish may be too much for them to move onto it. My rigs are the same, i dont even drop the line breaking strain. Clothing for me is from Hoggs of Fife, a decent jacket and overtrousers over my combat trousers, and Norgi top. While bib and brace is good, getting it out for a pee is awkward... Boots, I have both combat boots and cold weather boots, shop around because TFG boots are obviously no longer available. Lace ups keep feet warmer than welly type slip ons. Walk to your swim in combats, change your socks and boots when you get there to prevent sweaty damp feet getting cold. A stove bottle sleeve is not brilliant, although if the canister is warm it slows down it cooling down. Use a decent canister, iso-butane, butane propane mix. ( ) Coffee, soup and warm meals!

Welcome

The only thing I can suggest is to call various reel repairers who have dealt with Shimano reel servicing in the past. Felindre, Tackle Box in Kent and Bass Online would be my starting 3

I've used Middy years ago with Lily and Levi, they were always good quality. Hope you get the base mix problems sorted, reckon it's tiny batches at a time

I used to love my EasyDomes, but yes the packed down size meant I had a full rod holdall and a bivvy bag the same size. I tried putting it in a brolly pocket on a Royale rod holdall. It fitted in, but I broke the zip trying to do it up. I went back to umbrella based shelters, which do fit in the holdall, the TFG Hardcore and Oval, followed by the RH Cabrio Hybrid Brolly. The overwrap lives or lived in the car 'just in case'. The Hutchy Cabrio Hybrid umbrella comes with a lovely carry bag, but I put the brolly in the holdall even. The only improvement to the Hutchy brolly luggage range would be a brolly holdall/rod sling type holdall it could go in. I reduce the sensitivity to the bare minimum needed, to reduce weed, wind and wave indications, but so I still get fish indication. £240 I think I paid for the Delkim ST's, around £80 each with no receiver, but remember buying an extension box and leads, which I upgraded to Atts receiver and dongles around 2008/9 I guess. That was a couple of hundred pounds with free delivery and 5kg of boilies even then. The current/90's price is a fair deal, very decent for an alarm from a very good manufacturer. Yes, I know there were some 'rain issues' with TXi's, but Delkim always did any repairs very quickly on my alarms when I left batteries in, or pulled battery connectors off with my heavy handed treatment. I just felt now was the time for an upgrade, occasional issues with tiny faults, tinny speaker, occasional squeaks rather than bleeps and tones that didn't set right. Bearing in mind the ST's are 20 years old plus, they have lasted my abuse, fishing in rain and snow, being put away damp in the wet pouch.

All delivered and paired up with the receiver

I've gotten so used to red, white and green from left to right on the bars or sticks I'm sticking with that. The old Delkim ST'S will move onto pike and roach fishing where I only use 2 rods anyway, so I'll have 2 spare indicators after picking up a £10 bargain on ebay when I bought another red one while a repair was being done after I left a dead battery in. Oh yes, I had to get a new landing net mesh after catching and tearing my current one with a bundle of weed and a tufty, don't ask.